is 35 to old to train to become an accountant?
i would like a career change to become an accountant, but have no idea where to start or what courses to take?
Higher Education (University +) - 11 Answers
People Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
Answer 1 :
35 is to old to learn to do anything new your past it
Answer 2 :
You are at the exact right age to become an accountant because you are just old enough to be boring!
Answer 3 :
NO. Get stuck in. I am nearly 50 and want to think about a career change involving years of study. It would have been preferable to have started younger, but I still have to decide what I will be doing in ten years from now.
Answer 4 :
you are never to old for anything!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Answer 5 :
nope - many firms would think it most advantageous, esp if you can bring with you experience of the 'real world' of business - check our the ACCA (chartered accountants institute) for ways in - also, call a few firms around you - they may be able to receive free funding to put you through the right courses if you join them - send off you CV and ask xx
Answer 6 :
35 is not old. You can be a tax agent or accountant, a tax agent just does returns like H&R block ect or a full accountant needs further studies, I would recommend speaking to a few accountants.
Answer 7 :
If you are good at and enjoy figures go for it. Contact your local F.E. College. They will have a number of courses for you to consider. It's about the time of year for open days/evenings where you can chat to Lecturers about what is on offer.
Answer 8 :
It's definitely NOT too late to change your career and become an accountant. You've got 25 years or more of potential work ahead of you. I'm 41, and after 20years in my previous profession, I'm now training to be a teacher, and going to live overseas. There must be lots of information out there on the internet concerning accountancy courses, and advise on career changes. BEST OF LUCK!
Answer 9 :
If you are in the UK you can start with the AAT course. You can do it in the evening. http://www.aat.org.uk/students/ You can then do ACCA etc from there
Answer 10 :
First of all, no it is not. I worked at an accountancy firm as an accountant recently and after I'd been there 6 months a woman joined as a new starter having given up her previous career, she was 32. Come the 3 month 'early hurdle exams', she beat everyone else from the firm and ended up winning a prize for her exam results! First of all, do you have a degree? It doesnt matter what degree you have really as long as you have decent numeracy (you are confident with a calculator doing percentages and such). Excel skills help too, but you can take courses in that anyway. If you have a degree then you simply need to apply to accountancy firms. It will be too late for a September start now of course, but some firms take new starters in January (I know Baker Tilly does). There are four huge accountancy firms : Price Waterhouse Coopers, KPMG, Ernst & Young, and Deloitte. They take hundreds of graduates each year. There are also many many smaller firms, generally smaller firms are easier to get jobs in because people apply for the firms they've heard of so competition is high at the big firms. Smaller firms are also more likely to take new people all year round. You can also train as an accountant at a non accountancy firm, where you will be surrounded by people from different fields (marketing, IT etc etc etc). There are different accountancy qualifications you can do too. Eg ACA (best by reputation), ACCA, (similar), CTA (Tax specialist), CIPFA (Public service accounting, ie working for the goverment), CIMA (More focused on business, ie if you dont want to work in practice). If you do not have a degree then you can still train, but you will almost certainly need to start with either AAT, or ATT (Tax focused). The benefits of the bigger accountancy firms is that they pay for all your training, which is expensive. You are also surrounded by accountants so you can ask questions to anyone. Here is the website of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales: http://www.icaew.com/index.cfm/route/158423/icaew_ga/en/Home/Institute_of_Chartered_Accountants_in_England_and_Wales They run the ACA qualification, so they'll be biased towards that. Hmm I think thats it. Good Luck!
Answer 11 :
You are never too old to learn new tricks. I am 49 and going onto do a Masters degree in social work. As for ACCOUNTANCY TRAINING courses, just put this work in your browser and have a look at all of the training centres available. Cannot give you exact locations as I have no idea of your location, all the best. :O) Mike
