The simple answer is no…
No-one is guaranteed a job with AAT – or a job in general!
Those days disappeared a long time ago. There will be plenty of qualified accountants struggling to find a job with AAT – well, at least struggling to find a job that they want.
However, if you are looking for a job with AAT in accountancy, you are far more likely to get one if you have an AAT qualification, as opposed to not having an AAT qualification (or an alternative accountancy qualification).
When job hunting, there are 3 steps you can take:
STEP 1:
- Look at your local newspaper for job ads.
- Look at Indeed or other on-line job platforms.
- What accountancy jobs are out there?
- What skills or qualifications are they looking for?
STEP 2:
- Acquire those skills and qualifications
- Map out the knowledge and skills that you will obtain throughout your AAT training.
Link these with the qualifications you can achieve along the journey:
- Level 2 Certificate in Bookkeeping
- Level 2 Certificate in Accounting
- Level 3 Certificate in Bookkeeping
(At this stage, consider applying for AATQB status) - Level 3 Diploma in Accounting
- Level 4 Diploma in Accounting
(At this stage apply for full AAT membership (MAAT))
STEP 3:
- Draft a CV. Get advice on how to do this.There are lots of on-line sites for this.
- This is your “sales document”. It is selling you. Send it to someone! Apply for those jobs requiring the knowledge and skills that you have acquired at your stage of studies.
Which means, each time you progress through the qualifications listed above, update your CV and send it out again. Drop it off by hand. - Don’t forget, you are not really applying for a job. You are applying for an interview for a job. Get that interview and when you are in it, that’s when you have the opportunity of finding a position.
- Finally, you can look for all the firms of Chartered Accountants near you here.
- Look at your local business directory or phone book for all the businesses in your area. Every business has an accountant somewhere – write to them!
