Becoming an Accounting and Finance Professional

Developing my career as an Accounting and Finance Professional Assignment

Word count: 1514

This is for Introduction, Potential areas of accounting and finance that I might prefer as a future career, Action Plan, Reflection and Conclusion sections excluding headings.

A? OR

B?

By Kyle Smith

Introduction

In this assignment I will research my potential career options, create an action plan using SMART techniques, reflect on the experience, provide evidence of meeting my personal tutor, and provide output from my group presentation.

Main Body

Potential areas of accounting and finance that I might prefer as a future career

Book-keeper

A bookkeeper is an individual, group of individuals or organization who is responsible for recording the financial transactions and activities of a business or entity (MissCPA, 2011).

This interests me because I feel I need to have a backup plan in case in case I fail or withdraw from UWE.

My strengths are that I have studied AAT Levels 2 and 3 already so I have knowledge of what it actually involves. I have studied and used SAGE at Chesterfield College when I did AAT level 2 there, which book-keepers use (Directgov, 2012). I enjoy recording transactions, producing statements, making the figures balance and correcting statements that do not balance.

My weakness is that I have no work experience in this area which is what most accountancy firms are looking for. To gain this experience I will need to do unpaid work with an accountancy firm or work for a voluntary firm. I may also need to learn about other book-keeping software e.g. QuickBooks and refresh my knowledge of SAGE as I haven’t used it since July 2011.

Professional institutes that I can get support from in this area are AAT, IAB and ICB. It would be easier for me to renew my membership with AAT by paying a yearly subscription fee of £82 (AAT, 2012). Directgov (2012) suggests that I can apply for a...