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Career change

I have just finished my second year on an audit grad scheme studying for the ACA and absolutely hate it. I am sick of exams and resits! I applied to countless graduate schemes across a range of industries and took this offer as it was the only one i got. I thought it was a great idea at the time as it seemed a prestigious job and so many others from Uni were joining similar firms, but this industry and profession doesnt align with my skillset or interests. I realised this career wasn't for me earlier this year, but have stuck it out due to covid. I am now looking to try and move out of accounting and finance as soon as i can.

What jobs could my experience perhaps be useful in? I am looking for inspiration and options to pursue. I have heard this experience could perhaps help with a recruitment/ executive search role, or something operational / project management related although I appreciate the jobs market is very difficult currently.

(edited 3 years ago)

Reply 1

username3183882

Original post by Auditor1

I have just finished my second year on an audit grad scheme studying for the ACA and absolutely hate it. I am sick of exams and resits! I applied to countless graduate schemes across a range of industries and took this offer as it was the only one i got. I realised this career wasn't for me earlier this year, but have stuck it out due to covid. I am now looking to try and move out of accounting and finance as soon as i can.

What jobs could my experience perhaps be useful in? I am looking for inspiration and options to pursue. I have heard this experience could perhaps help with a recruitment/ executive search role, or something operational / project management related although I appreciate the jobs market is very difficult currently.

why don't you try conversion course. im sure theres plenty out there butt i would recommend finishing your degree and actually graduating so don't drop out its only one year left. im also in a similar situation as i wanna change from biomedical and im in first year.

Reply 2

Auditor1

Original post by Student guest

I have completed my degree and this is a grad job, i'm now 24 and whilst It's not too late to retrain i feel as though i am getting on and should really just find another job!

Reply 3

username3183882

Original post by Auditor1

I have completed my degree and this is a grad job, i'm now 24 and whilst It's not too late to retrain i feel as though i am getting on and should really just find another job!

ohh thats cool then. at least u have graduated. but isnt accounting and finance easy, coz i was thinking of studying it.

Reply 4

Auditor1

Original post by Student guest

ohh thats cool then. at least u have graduated. but isnt accounting and finance easy, coz i was thinking of studying it.

Having done a BA and then on to ACA at a top firm i have found the exams absolutely brutal. I dont think anyone finds the exams easy- i know of people who studied at Oxford and Cambridge failing exams.

Reply 5

username3183882

Original post by Auditor1

what uni did you go to? But why don't you try something else since you have got transferrable skills

Reply 6

Auditor1

Original post by Student guest

what uni did you go to? But why don't you try something else since you have got transferrable skills

Durham University

Reply 7

ajj2000

Hey, sorry to hear you are having a tough time. What did you study at undergrad? Anything you can build on? Are you in a London or regional office? Audit dept?

Also, how many exams have you passed, which ones, and how many to go?

I'm sure I responded to a similar thread a few months ago where I went through a list of jobs people I knew who had gone through accountancy training were working in - was that one of your threads? I'd hate to write the same again for no reason!

Reply 8

Auditor1

Original post by ajj2000

HI I did History. I'm in London Audit.
So far have passed 9 and just done another 2 although they went terribly. I just dont want to do any more if i know im not going to use my ACA.
No that wasnt my thread although I am very interested to know what kinds of things others have gone on to do!

Reply 9

ajj2000

Original post by Auditor1

Well, ACA can be a good thing to have on your CV when you are doing something else in life but I remember the pain of exams all too often. There was a history graduate who wrote regularly on this forum until fairly recently who failed out of ACA - would be well worth reading his posts. I think he works in company secretarial for a big bank so doing very well.

Reply 10

K1NE

Original post by Auditor1

Totally empathise, it is tough, especially if you're not enjoying your job. Naturally I would like to encourage you to keep going. Hoping the last two exams you did went a lot better than you thought and then that would mean 11 done and 4 left !

If your heart just isn't in it then I'm sure there are various other options open. I know some who before finishing or after finishing their ACA, went into recruitment, investment banking, I.T compliance, Teaching, Commercial strategy (i.e looking at data trends and how they impact a companies performance), consultancy etc.... Either way, whether you leave now or later, there will be opportunities available. Truthfully, it may be more beneficial to complete your ACA and then move on. Only because it shows, you started something and then finished it. Also wanted to add that people sometimes think if you have an ACA it means you're only a Chartered Accountant, which is true but I think it more so means that you're financially literate and the qualification backs this up. Most people as they become managers/directors in industry, in my experience, spend less time on the technical side of what their team is doing and spend more time thinking about P+L's, Balance sheets, Cash flows, Budgets, Pricing, Margin etc.... point being is, you might see your ACA as a waste of time now but I think further along when you rise up the ranks in whatever you pursue, it will give you an edge.

Audit does give you many transferable skills you can talk about in interviews and I am sure your excel skills are good too after working in Audit. If you did want to go to recruitment, you do have experience on the other side if you wanted to go into Accountancy/Finance recruitment. Recruitment market will be tough to get into right now, seeing as many companies aren't expanding or cutting budgets, means less jobs being advertised, so less work for recruitment agents. Project management could be a little difficult too depending on industry. Project management in construction could be hard to get into again due to the pandemic/recession but maybe I.T project management could be a good shout ?

If I was in your position, I would ride it out and try to tick the exams off but also keep an eye open on what's out there. Given you've come so far, there's only really 1 more year to go. Could look at it as 1 more year is really insignificant compared to your whole overall career and you've only hopefully got 4 more exams to do. Hopefully over the next year or so the job market picks up more and maybe at the end of it you have your ACA and can try something new ? Just be careful too as well incase if you decide to leave as the company may claw back fees ? Are there any other departments in your company that are of interest and may want to move into ? You could maybe speak to HR and ask if you could do a secondment there ?

Hope this helps. All the best !