No accounting experience or accounting background
I work at the ICAEW, first proper job post-grad. I studied a humanities subject at university and I did all humanities based subjects at A-Levels. I haven’t done maths since GCSE level and even that I just about passed it. I never liked maths. Since working at ICAEW and I started to develop a strong interest in pursuing the ACA purely because I love to learn, had no real career prospects and needed job security for my future. ICAEW lets their staff sit all 6 certificate level exams. I have now passed 1 exam first time sitting it. Since then I decided I really wanted to do this, I have the motivation to achieving the qualification. As you all know to become a qualified chartered accountant you must complete all 14 exams and have 450 days work experience, so I had to start applying for training contracts.
Now my problem lies within the fact that I might have been too optimistic. Passing one exam gave me such a confidence boost that I’m worried I won’t actually be able to do this, everyone at work keeps saying to me the exams are really hard and that even the smartest people find it very tricky and it’s starting to now knock my confidence. I have interviews coming up for training contracts and have searched on glassdoor for what questions one of the companies ask and it was “what is a blockchain.” I have no idea whatsoever… So I’m just thinking would I be able to do this? Am I just going into a career that sounds good? Am I just in this for the money? I have no accounting experience or come from an accounting/finance/economics background. I work with excel and know some formulas but not advanced, however, I’m not too worried about that as I will teach myself before I start at a firm. But I’m scared because I really know nothing. I’m not even good at maths, I’ve started teaching myself accounting maths and I’m actually enjoying it now but I’m not a quick thinker whatsoever, I’m a quick learner but I’m not quick in a sense where I can work out an equation in my head.
My plan for the future is to secure an Auditing training contract, qualify as a chartered accountant and then move into forensic accounting or insolvency.
I’d love to hear anyone’s stories from those who have came from a non-accounting/ non-finance/non-maths background and how you found starting in a training contract. Were those training you patient and understanding that you don’t know anything? Did you really struggle with the maths in the work and in the exams? Do you regret going into it?
Thanks everyone!!