AAT or postgraduate taught degree in accounting

Hello,

I would like to know what would give you a better chance to get an accounting job: studying the AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting (Level 2), or doing a postgraduate degree like this MSc in Accounting & Finance (which gives ACCA exemptions F1-F4)

http://www.rgu.ac.uk/business-management-and-accounting/study-options/postgraduate/accounting-and-finance

My background: I studied accounting (BSc) in America and graduated in 2012. I would get exemptions from ACCA F1-F3 for this degree. Unfortunately I had to deal with a long and severe illness from which I've only recently recovered. So now I'm looking for a qualification that would get me an entry level accounting job.


The MSc in Accounting & Finance at this university would cost me £5,500. The AAT Foundation Certificate in accounting would cost me about £1,200.

Would employers value the MSc more than the AAT Level 2? Or are they equally respected?

I just thought that AAT would be a good way to refresh my knowledge, as it has been 5 years since I finished my degree (I studied in America because I found an affordable university there). The AAT learning provider I was looking at (Eagle Education) charges £699, but with all the AAT fees it gets close to £1,200.

No, unfortunately I don't have any accounting work experience.

I'm not looking at a particular region where I'd like to work.

What would you do if you were in my situation?

A lot depends on where you live as that affects access to work and ease of picking up some experience. I'd say that if you have had some health problems you'd be best trying to get some work to make sure you are fit enough for challenging jobs. Try temping as a clerical worker (purchase ledger for example) or volunteering for a charity for 6 months or so to get into the swing of it.

For AAT there are a lot of local colleges which teach it one day a week or so. Look at going directly into level 3 or 4 as these are a bit more advanced. Or why not try home studying a couple of ACCA papers?

If you want to work in accounts I think there are some newish postgrad courses which give a decent number of exemptions from professional exams.

Anyway, if I were in your situation I would look for experience first. So I'd try temping agencies and charities. Also ask at your local council as they often have schemes where you go to a company for experience for a couple of months. I had three people at different times on such schemes and all found jobs reasonably quickly.

If you did a degree in the US I would spend a day or so learning about VAT rules. Also make sure your excel skills are sharp.

Which city/region can you recommend that has many opportunities for work and picking up experience? I live in Germany but I would like to work in the UK because it better fits my educational background. Would you recommend moving to a city in the UK first before applying for jobs, or do employers in the UK also consider applicants that apply from Germany?

Just to check - do you have any visa restrictions on working in the UK? Also, as you are in Germany at the moment, do you speak business level German or other languages?

I am a German citizen, so currently I don't have any visa restrictions on working in the UK. German is my native language. I don't speak any other languages other than English.

That makes a big difference! I'll ponder and respond. You might want to look on some major UK websites for recruitment - try reed.co.uk, indeed and GAAPweb. Also linkedin.

I had a quick look this afternoon in case you spoke German (and based on some background knowledge). There are jobs advertised for German speakers (I looked on Reed searching for " accounts" and "German". They get very few applicants - and every job gets a few people applying for everything at random.