Career coach | What employers want
Why employers want to hire AAT qualified staff
Employers love AAT-qualified staff and apprentices. If you need inspiration to finish your studies, read on to find out about the wealth of knowledge and experience an AAT qualification gives you, and how it can turbo-charge your employability and help you secure an exciting and fulfilling job.
At a glance
1
AAT training gives you a great foundation in your career
2
It gives you an all-round understanding of the principles of bookkeeping and accounting, how to prepare financial statements, understand tax and appreciate how a business works
3
Employers love the combination of technical skills with practical business knowledge
4
Your workplace experience means you are highly employable
Here are the benefits of the AAT qualification, and why they matter to employers:
You build a secure base on which to progress
AAT is an internationally recognised qualification, and completing your studies will make you attractive to employers and recruiters anywhere in the world.
It’s also hard going sometimes, and the fact that you have achieved your qualification shows you have staying power, perseverance, and a great foundational knowledge of accounting and finance.
“AAT is mandatory for me,” says Mike Copping, freelance CFO. “It is a matter of quality, because it’s a detailed qualification that really gets into the nuts and bolts. There’s a good breadth of foundational knowledge that you need in finance to be really successful.”
You have developed good communication skills
“So often people are judged on their demeanour, appearance and attitude in the office,” says Ryan Day, partner MKS and former AAT apprentice. “One of the important things I look for when we're doing the interviews for new recruits is how that person will interact with our clients. I am looking for an ability to communicate well and in a mature way. A key task in accountancy is holding a productive conversation and extracting information from clients.”
You have high professional standards
Putting clients first is at the heart of providing a great service, and AAT-qualified accounts are taught to adhere to high professional standards. Recognising that accountancy is as much about people as it is about numbers is a key part of your training.
“A Partner I used to work for was a true inspiration,” says Neil Parsons, Managing Director, Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting UK. “He built his firm from scratch and always focused on the importance of providing excellent levels of support to clients. He was incredibly ‘hands on’ and I’ve carried this ‘people first’ approach with me throughout my own career.”
You are willing to push yourself out of your comfort zone
AAT qualifications open doors to many different career routes in different industries. You could work for a range of clients from big companies to small SMEs. Your breadth of knowledge means you are useful to employers in both industry and practice.
“We want to recruit apprentices who are capable and bright individuals because the development and the growth of the service we offer to clients is key, says Ryan Day of MKS. “We still very much target SMEs, and that means working with the founders of these businesses. You want to cultivate a relationship that is broader than just doing the accountancy work. It also might be helping one of the founders with a personal tax issue or giving them advice on what might be involved in relocation. We are business partners, rather than just providing audit and tax services.”
You have set goals and you have good time management
Combining work and study is tough and employers know that. By enrolling on an AAT course you have taken a positive step to boost your career and your personal potential. You are setting goals and working towards them steadily, and you are tenacious enough to keep going, even when you experience challenges or setbacks. That is a key personal skill which employers value, because there will always be challenges in the workplace too.
“Keep in mind that you are doing something great in your life, for you, for your family and for your well being,” says Eve Jones FMAAT, who combines international and business experience with working as an AAT tutor.
“There may be stumbles but you have shown you can get over that. If you fail, you learn. If you stumble, that's okay. Pick yourself up and get up and do it again. You're doing such a positive thing for your future.”
You understand and respect the ethics of accountancy
Becoming an accountant is one of the most respected professions and accounts are expected to uphold a set of standards and ethics.
“AAT helps them develop all the things that they need to be a rounded accountant, like communication and ethics,” says Helen Bloodworth, Associate Director of Early Careers at RSM.
What your AAT qualification means to employers
- You are self-disciplined, motivated and able to manage your time well so that you can effectively combine study and work
- You understand ethics, professional integrity, accountancy standards and potential workplace dilemmas
- You are numerate, technologically-savvy and ready to learn
- You have the technical skills combined with practical knowledge which means you can join a team and make a genuine contribution as soon as you start
- You have critical thinking skills and you can approach problems from different perspectives to find a solution
- You are used to studying for and sitting exams which means you are able to progress smoothly to further qualifications such as chartered status
The Association of Accounting Technicians. 30 Churchill Place, London E14 5RE. Registered charity no.1050724. A company limited by guarantee (No. 1518983).
