How To Become An Accounting Technician.
Of the various career options available to people in the bookkeeping and accountancy world, the role of the Accounting Technician is extremely popular.
The reasons for this are likely to be that it is an interesting, practical and “all round” subject and that it is easier to obtain qualifications than higher levels of accounting.
An Alternative Approach To Qualifying.
Traditionally, students have enjoyed studying for the AAT qualification at college or at a private training centre but increasingly they’re opting for the more flexible approach offered by Pitman Training in Notting Hill and High Holborn in London.
While more vocationally focused than AAT, the Pitman Training Accounting Technician course, leading to a diploma qualification, has the benefit of the international recognition of the Pitman name.
In addition, Pitman Training has devised a “flexi-study” training methodology that means students can choose when to attend on a basis that suits their individual availability.
This is particularly attractive to those who work irregular shifts as the method works on a “drop-in” basis, much like a gym, with trainers on hand to provide education, advice and guidance during their extended opening hours which include Saturdays.
The Accounting Technician Diploma programme at Pitman Training accepts students at all levels, from beginners to experienced bookkeepers and takes them step by step through a dozen course modules.
Each module develops the students’ skills by providing increasingly complex and challenging exercises to ensure that the practicality of the learning is deeply embedded.
With a maximum duration of one year, students are not limited in the amount of time they spend studying although 200 hours would be typical.
Some students rattle this off in 3 months while others take the full year and it is up to the student to decide how to invest his or her time.
Subjects To Be Studied.
The modules involved in becoming an Accounting Technician include Basic Bookkeeping, Purchase Ledger, Sales Ledger, Final Accounts 1 & 2, Sage Line 50, Manual Payroll, Sage Payroll, Excel Intermediate and Advanced and one “elective” subject, which is frequently Effective Business Communication or Company Law as these are closely related to the Accounting Technician role in the workplace.
An exam is taken at the end of each module and when each has been passed, the diploma is awarded. Students with some existing knowledge of or skill in the various modules may be eligible for exemptions, reducing the estimated study time.
Once the qualification has been obtained, the success rate of Pitman Training students in getting jobs is impressive.
Unlike some professions, where there is currently little call for staff with degrees such as media studies or history, demand for Accounting Technicians appears to be buoyant. Recent success stories include a young lady with a previous background of supermarket checkout work who used her Accounting Technician Diploma to get a job with an international consulting firm at her first interview and a Polish waitress who now runs the purchase ledger department at a well-respected London firm. The great thing about a Pitman Training Accounting Technician Diploma is that it is available to everyone and is proven to be a great lever into the world of bookkeeping and accountancy.
