Advance your career from home with an online AAT qualification

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This content is brought to you by ICS Learn.

The coronavirus pandemic is causing an increasing number of people to think about new job opportunities going forward.

It may be that you have lost your job or are at risk of being made redundant. Or your work-life pattern may have changed and you have greater childcare and family responsibilities. Or you may have decided that you would like a career that offers better pay and financial stability. 

Accountancy provides opportunities to grow and learn and a competitive salary and what’s more, you can study for your professional qualification from home and fit studying around your life.

If you are keen to study for a new AAT qualification, or to further your studies, and you are concerned about the time and cost involved, you could consider an online course.

You can study for AAT via a course that is flexible and 100% online. For example, you could study in the evening when you have finished your full time job, or when the children are in bed, or in your time off or between shifts.

Fit your accountancy training course around your busy life

With the Covid-19 virus affecting office and college life, it may be difficult to find a course near you that is fully flexible and allows you to study for an AAT qualification when and how you wish.

One option is to begin your AAT professional journey with ICS Learn. It is an award-winning AAT centre and the courses are designed to help you study for AAT around your job, family, and life. ICS Learn has a Trustpilot rating of 4.8/5 from more than 5000 independent student reviews. The course offers unlimited one-to-one tutor support whenever you need it and interest-free monthly payment plans in order to make it easy to spread the cost.

As well accountancy training courses, ICS Learn also offers 100% online AAT Bookkeeping qualifications.

The benefits of an accountancy qualification with AAT

There are many advantages to having a professional accountancy qualification as accountancy is a profession that is respected, lucrative, and in high demand. There are opportunities in many different countries and varied industries. 

ICS Learn provides AAT Accountancy training at all three AAT levels, so you can study online for your first qualification, develop and deepen your existing skills or move to an exciting new career. 

An AAT qualification can enable you to get a job in finance, set up your own accountancy practice or fast-track Chartered Accountant status.

You do not need any previous experience or qualifications to begin your online course. Studying online might suit you if you already have a full-time job, you have family commitments, or you cannot travel to a college or venue.

What qualifications can I study for?

If you are starting out, you can choose the AAT Foundation (Level 2) qualification. Alternatively, your AAT training can be a stepping stone to ACCA, CIMA, and other Chartered Accountancy qualifications.

A student’s starting salary could be around £21,000, with senior management roles in the region of £43,000. If you join the AAT fast-track with a Chartered Accountancy body like ACCA or CIMA, you could earn more than £70,000 a year as a Chartered Accountant.

How do I study with ICS Learn?

Once you have enrolled, you set your own pace and work to your own hours. It is the first step to launching your new professional career, and the course can take between six to 12 months, depending on your other commitments.

For example, the AAT Foundation Certificate in Accounting covers 5 units and you study each unit online at your own pace but with the support of other students, live online classes, and your tutor. Your dedicated tutor is available for help and guidance whenever you need it.

You can start any time – you are not tied into term times which may be helpful if you have other commitments. You can also spread the cost of the course so you don’t need to be able to afford to pay everything upfront.

How do I pay for my course?

ICS Learn offers interest-free monthly payment plans make it easy to spread the cost. Some students find a job before they have finished the course and quickly cover the cost of the course.

How do I enrol?

You can enrol over the phone on 03339201565 or by email at [email protected] to arrange a callback.

What support will I get during the course?

“We have created the course so that it is really flexible and you can pick it up and return to it whenever you have some spare time. So, for example, if you have half an hour in the afternoon you can pick it up then,” says Dr Sean McCready, Director of Education at ICS Learn.

The course is broken up into small chunks to make learning more manageable so that you have bite-sized bits of learning. That makes it ideal for people who want to fit it around their working life.

He says it is available 24/7 and is designed to be pacey, so that you are not stuck sitting at the computer for hours. You can learn at your own pace, but you always have the support of your tutor to help or answer questions whenever you need advice.

“I have been involved in distance learning since its inception and we have adapted the course so that the interactive lessons are suitable for different learning styles,” he explains. “The three-way system of great learning systems, high quality content and well-qualified, engaging tutors help students push on with their programme.

“We have a great success rate – 93% of students have passed their assessments in the past three months and the figure was as high as 96% in July.

Learn when you’re ready

With online learning you learn when you want to, and that is the critical factor that makes the difference. You are not tied to having to be in class at a set time. It is about wrapping the learning around you and your lifestyle.

“We create one-to-one tutor relationships and student community so that learning is never lonely, and we have lots of additional material from other students about how to study and get the most out of your course,” says Dr McCready.

Support is directed personally to you so that you have what you need in order to achieve the qualification you are studying for. All support is timely, relevant and personalised to help you achieve your goals.

Case study: Lauren Field

“I maintained working full time at my job whilst beginning to study at home,” Lauren, a former ICS Learn student, says. “I found it easy to create a timetable and fit in enough hours spread over 2-3 days a week which meant I could easily move my study time around depending on other out-of-work plans and commitments.”

After getting halfway through the course, she began looking around for jobs within the industry that she could aim for once she had completed the course. 

“I applied for a handful of jobs, and to my surprise, I got an interview as an Accounts Executive. To my surprise and delight, I was successful and landed the job! It has really helped me to continue with my studies and am currently waiting to take my final exam ready to complete my Level 2 Foundation AAT.”:

Case study: Elina Bernane

“The qualifications led to being employed in a medium-level finance role with no previous experience which is very impressive,” says student Elina Bernane. 

“I have already earned back the money I spent in less than a year. I am currently working in the finance field and the AAT certificate absolutely helped to find my first job in finance. I had no previous experience in this field and my first salary is over £18,000.”

Case study: Alex Mellor 

“I chose to do an accounting course because numbers are a real strong point for me and I enjoy working with them,” says Alex Mellor, who fitted in study while playing professional rugby, and who wanted a career he could pursue once his sporting career was over. 

“I chose ICS Learn as it gave me the freedom to study when I could as I could work it around my job as a professional rugby player for the Huddersfield giants.”

Case study: Thomas Cruise

Thomas was signed by Arsenal Football Club Academy at age seven and played for Torquay United Football Club. He studied accountancy with ICS Learn because he wanted to find a career that he could pursue once his sporting job had finished and he was keen to enhance his skills and employability for the future.

“Being a professional footballer, I have a bit more free time to get my head down and crack on with these courses,” he said. “It’s not a typical nine-to-five job, so I’ve always got a couple of hours spare in the afternoon to get my head down and study.”

To learn more about studying AAT 100% online with ICS Learn, get your free course guide.

Further reading:

This content is brought to you by ICS Learn.

ICS Learn is an online learning organisation. They have been a pioneer in teaching skills and qualifications at a distance for over 130 years, giving you the opportunity to learn while earning and to fulfil your ambitions..

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