The Student Room Group

Career change accountant to secondary teacher

Hi everyone

I am a recently qualified chartered accountant and am considering a career change to become a secondary school teacher, I have been accepted onto a salary led training route and I never really enjoyed accountancy but I have doubts about teaching with all the government changes planned and experiences I have read about in the media. Is it a case of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire?! 👹Any advice would be appreciated but I would love to hear from any accountants who had done the same thing?

Thanks for reading 👍

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I think mod CarnationLilyRose did this and has just retired after years teaching.

I'm sure she'll be along shortly with some words of wisdom!
Reply 2
Original post by TraineeLynsey
I think mod CarnationLilyRose did this and has just retired after years teaching.

I'm sure she'll be along shortly with some words of wisdom!


Great, thank you!
Reply 3
I'd have suggested trying out the accountancy first tbh, seems a waste of effort. Although, if you are dead set on teaching then it's really only a decision you can make.

I was in industry for a good 6-7 years and I am nearing the end of my secondary science pgce... I'm glad I have industry to 'fall back' on, if need be... And I'm not wondering 'what if' but again, it's a real personal choice!
Is it primary or secondary? Honesty unless its an extreme vocation then id find a well paying job in industry ( doesnt hav to be accountacy) that might be a viable alternative.
I'm assuming it would be secondary maths?
Original post by User1987
Hi everyone

I am a recently qualified chartered accountant and am considering a career change to become a secondary school teacher, I have been accepted onto a salary led training route and I never really enjoyed accountancy but I have doubts about teaching with all the government changes planned and experiences I have read about in the media. Is it a case of jumping out of the frying pan into the fire?! 👹Any advice would be appreciated but I would love to hear from any accountants who had done the same thing?

Thanks for reading 👍


I'm looking to take the plunge. After 16 years in IT I am really bored and fed up. I have a taster day for next week and then hopefully will get some experience days before submitting my application. I'm looking to do computing which will pay £20k to train + student finance + various other bits. I am a bit daunted by the bad press teaching currently has both the grass isn't greener on the other side so hopefully a bit of life persprctive will stand me in good sted.

Good luck with your decision but if you have just qualified as an accountant I would stick it out for at least a couple of years.
Reply 7
I'm on the same boat as you however I'm thinking of primary. Ive applied very late but just decided to go for it. Try doing some work experience and see how you get on. Don't just make the decision blindly as teaching is more challenging then you would think.
Good luck with whatever you decide:smile:
I was a big4 auditor before taking my secondary PGCE.

I am enjoying it a lot and I have no regrets on doing this; I feel teaching is much more fulfilling as a career, especially when things go well...

However, it is also much, much more tough than office work, not least because the level of responsibility is much higher. So I would only recommend the move if you are very convinced about it. Perhaps you could observe in a school a couple of days and talk to the teachers there, this could help you out.
Original post by User1987
Hi everyone

I'm looking for some advice, I have recently qualified as a chartered accountant but never really enjoyed it tbh, and am considering a career in teaching in a secondary school, (I have been accepted into a salary led training route) shall I take the plunge?
I would love to hear from other accountants who have made this move into teaching but any advice would be welcome!
Thanks 👍


Well, there's me. One year of accountancy training and more than 30 of teaching. I never, ever regretted walking away from accountancy and realised I'd rather stick pins in my eyes than carry on. I have had a good career in teaching and have, on balance, enjoyed most of it, but I do not know, if I am honest, that I would start doing it now. You will find the workload more manageable than students coming straight from university and you will be used to the endless paperwork, so you might fare better than some. However, the issues involved in education which will get in the way of doing the actual job you think you are going to be doing will be a nasty shock. I suggest you read the stickies at the top of this forum to get an idea of how current students and NQTs are faring. I'm sorry this isn't helpful to you at this stage.
What are the salary expectations for a graduate to newly qualified accountant to one with a few years experience?
My brother went from Accounting to teaching. He was a finance director for a logistics firm but very unhappy he's been teaching for about 5+ years now much happier.
Reply 12
Thank you for your respnses, I will read the stickies as suggested.
Re salary expectations, in the area I live in (north west) are lower that for the south, I would say in the region of 30k, however I would command a bit less than this due to the fact that I qualified while I was on maternity leave and so have been'out of the game' for a few months as it were.
Reply 13
Thanks everyone for your responses, I am going to look into it further and decide after I have visited a school and spent some time speaking to the teachers there.
Original post by User1987
Thank you for your respnses, I will read the stickies as suggested.
Re salary expectations, in the area I live in (north west) are lower that for the south, I would say in the region of 30k, however I would command a bit less than this due to the fact that I qualified while I was on maternity leave and so have been'out of the game' for a few months as it were.


With how many years experience? I hear average chartered accountants make 80k? I'm considering a move to finance and I would be grateful if you could give me an idea of what salary to expect in my career.
Reply 15
Well you see a big salary jump when you qualify (usually to between 30-40k) but unless you are training in a big 4 firm then the pay during your 3yr period of training tends to be quite poor. Plenty of ACA's will make 80k but for that you would need to be in a senior position with a good number of years post qualification experience first, so you have to be in it for the long game.
Reply 16
Your post caught my eye because I am considering moving precisely in the opposite direction! (maths teacher considering leaving and potentially looking at going in to finance). I'm not 100% sure I'm going to make the move yet but what I will tell you is teaching is a very, very demanding job. I've considered it to be more of a way of life, it isn't a normal job and I don't feel like I've had a normal life as I work 50+ stressful hours in a typical week. There are some positives though, it is never boring and can be good fun at times but think carefully before you enter. A good way to see just how low morale is in the profession is to take a look at the forums on the Times Educational Supplment website and read some of the horror stories there from teachers at the end of their teather - some of whom are literally on the verge of suicide.
Original post by HC_1234
Your post caught my eye because I am considering moving precisely in the opposite direction! (maths teacher considering leaving and potentially looking at going in to finance). I'm not 100% sure I'm going to make the move yet but what I will tell you is teaching is a very, very demanding job. I've considered it to be more of a way of life, it isn't a normal job and I don't feel like I've had a normal life as I work 50+ stressful hours in a typical week. There are some positives though, it is never boring and can be good fun at times but think carefully before you enter. A good way to see just how low morale is in the profession is to take a look at the forums on the Times Educational Supplment website and read some of the horror stories there from teachers at the end of their teather - some of whom are literally on the verge of suicide.


Well you obviously didn't listen to our esteemed leader, Nicky Morgan, when she instructed teachers to stop talking down the profession at the NASUWT Conference!
Original post by Mr M
Well you obviously didn't listen to our esteemed leader, Nicky Morgan, when she instructed teachers to stop talking down the profession at the NASUWT Conference!


Well, I for one will never utter a bad word about the job again now that she's told me not to. Just a word from her makes everything all right.
Reply 19
Original post by Mr M
Well you obviously didn't listen to our esteemed leader, Nicky Morgan, when she instructed teachers to stop talking down the profession at the NASUWT Conference!


In a way she's right. All the unions do is whinge. I know that they have good cause too, but at the end of the day no one has to be a teacher. I've always thought if you don't like it, then quit. This is precisely what I'm planning on doing. I think the only way things will change is if more teachers vote with their feet. Whether we like it or not it's a jobs market. For the market to function properly you have to walk out if what you're being asked to do is unreasonable.

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