Change career at any age

To celebrate Adult Learners’ Week, AAT student Gregory Edelston explains why he chose to change career from personal training to accountancy in his late thirties  

Two years ago I took a sabbatical and worked for an outreach charity in Israel and Palestine. It gave me time to think and I realised that my career as a personal trainer was not going to prepare me well enough for retirement. I felt I earned enough to live well and travel, but it wasn’t a career I could see myself doing for the rest of my life.

I had always done the books for my partner’s business and it was something I enjoyed, so it seemed logical to look at retraining as an accountant. I did some research and found out about the AAT Accounting Qualification. I am doing the Kaplan AAT fast-track programme and study evenings, daytime and at weekends.

I’m funding myself so obviously I don’t want to miss out on anything. In fact, I’ve found the AAT really manageable. I feel it’s open to everyone whether you’re 16 or 40 and really helps to open doors.

It’s a long time since I’ve been in a classroom but I’m really enjoying studying and meeting new people. I am already putting the knowledge I’ve learnt through AAT to good use. In fact, I advise my personal training clients on tax issues as well as their fitness.

Interested in changing career to accountancy? Then read the story of Linda Fleet, who turned her back on an Asda checkout job to study AAT and set up her own accountancy practice.  

Further information on studying AAT is available online.

Gregory Edelston is a former writer for AAT Comment.