Ask me anything you like about a career in Chartered Accountancy

I am happy to try and answer any questions involving a career as a Chartered Accountant.

I trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant many years ago and am an audit partner in a 13 partner firm. Amongst other things I am involved in recruitment and training and have experience in working in firms of various sizes.

Any comments I make will be my personal views and not necessarily those of my firm or of the ICAEW.

Reply 1

Jackoclypse

11

Original post by ez_accountancy

I am happy to try and answer any questions involving a career as a Chartered Accountant.

I trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant many years ago and am an audit partner in a 13 partner firm. Amongst other things I am involved in recruitment and training and have experience in working in firms of various sizes.

Any comments I make will be my personal views and not necessarily those of my firm or of the ICAEW.

Is it worthwhile becoming a Chartered accountant over something else?

Reply 2

ez_accountancy

OP

7

two issues

1. yes, it is well worth becoming a chartered accountant, it takes a further 3 years after your degree and its hard work, but a great career.

2. '...over something else ?' - well, that really depends on what else you have in mind - too general for me to even attempt to answer !

Reply 3

MJ1012

18

How much are you earning?

Reply 4

ez_accountancy

OP

7

Haha - shouldn't you ask me what you could be earning ??

Reply 5

username1226161

15

Original post by ez_accountancy

I am happy to try and answer any questions involving a career as a Chartered Accountant.

I trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant many years ago and am an audit partner in a 13 partner firm. Amongst other things I am involved in recruitment and training and have experience in working in firms of various sizes.

Any comments I make will be my personal views and not necessarily those of my firm or of the ICAEW.

Please tell us your background :smile:

(A levels etc)

Reply 6

Jelly150

9

Original post by ez_accountancy

Haha - shouldn't you ask me what you could be earning ??

I'm actually interested in the question he asked. You said AMA. Now answer. Lol

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Reply 7

snakesnake

10

Original post by ez_accountancy

I am happy to try and answer any questions involving a career as a Chartered Accountant.

I trained and qualified as a Chartered Accountant many years ago and am an audit partner in a 13 partner firm. Amongst other things I am involved in recruitment and training and have experience in working in firms of various sizes.

Any comments I make will be my personal views and not necessarily those of my firm or of the ICAEW.

What made you stay in accounting so long to make it to partner?

Most people I know (Big Four audit) absolutely hate it and get out at the first possible opportunity. What made you choose the path less traveled?

Reply 8

_Dreamville_

16

What's your salary? And how long have you been a fully chartered?

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Reply 9

Dilzo999

19

Is accounting like the typical stay on computer for 8+ hours a day on Excel? Or does it get anymore interesting? Also do you travel a bit for work purposes or not? Do you ever get bored of accounting?

Reply 10

DScofield

3

What are the exit opportunities after 3 years big 4 ACA in audit?

I'm not sure I'd be able to tolerate more than 3 years of purely doing audit and my interest very much lies in the more commercial/business partnering side of finance but I appreciate that qualifying @ the big 4 sets you up pretty well for a future career in finance. My main question I guess is can you give any insight into how easy/common/possible it is to move from, for example, doing a grad scheme at PwC to a more commercial role (in industry) where you are more focused on the strategic side of the business, rather than 'merely' doing audit work and reporting. Does this happen or is it better to join a FTSE 100 company on their 'financial management' graduate schemes and qualify with the ACCA/CIMA or whatever they're offering?

I hope my question makes sense!

Reply 11

2710

18

How long did it take you to become partner since qualifying?

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Reply 12

ez_accountancy

OP

7

Original post by lightningdoritos

Please tell us your background :smile:

(A levels etc)

I studied Economics, Maths & Physics at A level and did an Economics degree. But I decided to go into accountancy after I graduated, so it wasn't pre planned.

Personally, you don't need any particular degree subject to go into accountancy, study whatever subject you fancy and are good at, though some firms may favour 'relevant' degrees such as Accountancy /Finance/Economics. When I recruit, I almost never consider the subject that has been studied. The quality of the degree and the motivation/enthusiasm in going into accountancy is what interests me in a candidate. The maths involved in accountancy is not complex, a decent GCSE in Maths will be enough to see you through. Its the concepts and volume of learning that tends to be stumbling block for most trainees.

I have worked at small, medium, large and Top 4 firms, so have had a varied career and worked with lots of good people and with many interesting clients in lots of different sectors. The variety is one of the great things about being an ACA.

The great thing about qualifying as an ACA is that you can either stay in the profession in Audit (which is what I have done), or move to another dept within the profession, eg Tax, Corporate finance etc, or go into industry - its a passport into anything financial, and I would say that probably most FD's/CFO's are Chartered Accountants.

Hope that helps.

(edited 9 years ago)

Reply 13

ez_accountancy

OP

7

Original post by Jelly150

I'm actually interested in the question he asked. You said AMA. Now answer. Lol

Posted from TSR Mobile

...so much interest !
OK, this is as far as I will go, a partner in a firm of our size will typically earn between say £70k - £300k

Reply 14

HeavyTeddy

16

When recruiting, what would you say is essential for a sucessful candidate to have? What's the most impressive thing you've ever seen on a C.V.? What advice would you give to 2nd year uni student wanting to become a chartered accountant?

Reply 15

ez_accountancy

OP

7

Original post by snakesnake

What made you stay in accounting so long to make it to partner?

Most people I know (Big Four audit) absolutely hate it and get out at the first possible opportunity. What made you choose the path less traveled?

I started in a 14 partner firm and the variety was the key to keep me motivated to stay in Audit. I moved to bigger firms for different reasons and have ended up at a very similar size firm to where I had started !

As an employer I see newly qualifies being tempted to leave for bigger firms, which may or may not suit them. You need to chose a type/size of firm that suits you, everyone is different and every firm is different.

Very large firms have their own challenges (just as small firms do), a number of people chose to train there simply for the name on their CV and a higher starting salary, which is not a good way to select how you are going to spend the next 3 years of your life.

Reply 16

ez_accountancy

OP

7

Original post by 2710

How long did it take you to become partner since qualifying?

Posted from TSR Mobile

It took me quite a long time !

Being in the right place at the right is such a cliché, but it is true.

I would say that on average a person is made a partner when they are in their mid to late thirties or later. High fliers can be promoted in their late twenties.