Friday 17th June is a day for reflection and celebration as it’s 20 years to the day since we ran our very first AAT exam! Back then exams were, of course, paper-based and were only run in June and December. Since then, we have run thousands of AAT exams and helped hundreds of students pass this qualification and start their careers in accounting and finance.
We’ve managed to catch up with one of the students from that very first sitting of the Foundation exam on 17th June 2002, and Anne-Marie has kindly shared her story:
I commenced my AAT training at Starting Off 20 years ago – I was part of their first cohort. I fell into AAT after starting as an accounts assistant in an organisation because it was a job that arose at the time of looking – I was not initially looking to start a career in finance, but having taken to the job well at the time, my employer believed it was a good move for me, so I went along with it (as you do at 21 years old)!
Large classroom teaching wasn’t for me and so instead of attending the local college, I found the smaller more personal teaching group at Starting Off was perfect. I remember every Monday morning I had half a day out of the office and would pitch up at the Kettering centre ready to talk double entry and balance sheets. The rest is a distant memory but only in terms of showing my age! What has never left me is the base learning that AAT provided me with, and little did I know that it would stand me in good stead for years to come.
I firmly believe that I would not have gotten to where I am today without AAT (and of course the wonderful tutors and support staff at Starting Off). It gave me skills that are priceless for a real ground knowledge of the world of business and finance. It opened so many doors and even if I had not wanted to further my finance career, what I learned is so attributable to any work experience that I would encourage anyone serious about the world of business to obtain this qualification. Understanding the simple recording of financial information, why we must do it, and its ability to influence vital business decisions is something all business employees should know.
So, where has it taken me? Well, since obtaining AAT I worked my way through the ranks and made it to the role of a Finance Manager (coupled with a degree which I completed years after AAT). I then decided to study CIMA later in my career, not because I needed to, but because it was what was right for me at that time, and I was ready to prove to myself that I was good enough. I can now proudly say that I am a qualified Management Accountant and work as a Finance Business Partner at my current organisation. I never forgot what I learned from AAT and actually studying CIMA with people that had not done AAT made it blatantly clear to me the skills that they lacked when trying to grasp some of the modules we studied.
So, if you are looking at the course wondering if it is right for you, think about where you see yourself in years to come and if it is in the world of Finance or Business then do not hesitate to get AAT under your belt.
