[jayritchie]

Yes – a lot of people do pass through remote learning – probably a majority?

Why not give it a go before paying your fees to the institute and the exemption fees? Nothing to stop you buying some materials and watching the lectures to see how you get on.

[jayritchie]

Do you have a link? I’ve known people do the London Uni (Queen Mary) MBA as that gives a lot of exemptions for ACCA. Unfortunately the cost seems to have gone up a lot.Might be worth checking out.

[jayritchie]

Which country are you in?

In the UK I wouldn’t refer to any of the above to a new employer. None would come across as convincing – and some would sounds pretty soft.

You’ve been there nearly 18 months – just say you want to new challenge/ to progress your career/ have a broader and more challenging role.

[jayritchie]

Which country are you in? Why are they refusing to sign your forms?

[jayritchie]

You need to read your contract carefully and be sure how much you would have to repay. Training costs can be enforceable but lots of firms don’t get their contracts right so can’t enforce them. The best thing is to try to calculate how much you would have to repay – it should be clear in whatever you have signed for the clause to be enforced.

[jayritchie]

Are you tied in with your current employers?

I would visit some recruitment agents to see what they advise having thought about what sort of jobs you might be suited to. Perhaps spend a couple of hours reading job ads on Indeed and Reed to see what interests you. You current place doesn’t sound great so I’d say its time to move on.

[jayritchie]

Hi

Where are you based? I see a number of candidates with ACCA exams completed but no (or little) experience. They tend to say clearly on their CV that they have passed all the exams. Part qualified means little these days as there is no consistency of use, but I would generally expect 1 year of useful experience/ 18 months overall experience as a minimum.

I would look for some tempting work to get started. Reed and Indeed are pretty good websites to look for work, and I’d try agencies such as Hays.

[jayritchie]

I wouldn’t look at google – too much chance of misleading definitions or a different style of answer than those required. Why not buy a second hand home study guide to read through before starting the course if you have some time available?

[jayritchie]

Hi Paul

Do you work in something accounts related at the moment? Its tough working and studying at the same time – perhaps see how the next exams go and take it from there?

[jayritchie]

To be honest, if you are only earning £15,000 a year (has it increased at all?) I’d be inclined to bite the bullet and move on. One benefit of leaving earlier is that no-one expects to pay as much so it can be easier to find a role. Uninspiring jobs are bad for the soul….

On the other hand if you are progressing ok with exams I could understand a reluctance to break out of a routine.

[jayritchie]

I have, and do, recruit people of all the descriptions noted.

Key questions however (industry biased):

– What experience does the ACCA qualified have? There is a big difference between a candidate with two years of purchase level then a year of forecasting and project accounting, and another who spent two years preparing management accounts and a year building financial models while managing a small department.

– is candidate 2 progressing with exams or did they stop years ago?

In practice, the decision comes down to what you want out of the candidate. Candidate 1 would likely earn more and look for quick progression, candidates 2 and 3 are more likely to stay in the role long term (and might require less training to start with).

[jayritchie]

Hi

Have you thought about what type of work you would like to do in the future? Why not look for a new job now? The employment market for PQs seems pretty buoyant in London so you might find the same is the case in Birmingham. How much would it cost to pay back for the exams? As you don’t earn a lot it may be worth moving as:

– your current training doesn’t seem very inspiring
– sometimes its easier to make a change with a lower salary expectation.

[jayritchie]

I think you may find that ‘computer says no’ to your job applications without a degree – so probably worth getting both the BSc and MSc if you can. My only caution would be if you wanted to go to a ‘brick’ university and block yourself from funding.

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