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Quote: Originally posted by Gailk on 27/6/2013

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Fab news for your son.
I work for a 5 partner accountancy practice, employing around 35 people.
One of the partners, started off doing work experience before joining them at 16 having left school. He's 37 and was made a partner about 5 years ago, having worked through his ACCA qualification along the way, so it's certainly possible.
I hope your Son loves his chosen career - it's so nice to hear about someone doing well.

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Quote: Originally posted by Mature-Student on 28/6/2013

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Great news, I hope it works out for him. Make sure he knows up front what the company are offering in terms of training - both on the job and formal qualifications.

Unfortunately some accountancy firms see apprentices as cheap and disposable labour, with a plentiful supply, and don't invest the time or money to train them in anything more than basic, mundane, repetitive tasks. And if they ask about training too often or get too old to be an apprentice or any other reason, they are 'let go as the work has dropped off'. But then take on new apprentices.

I genuinely wish your son the best of luck but please tell him to keep his eyes open and remember that if things do not appear to be in line with their promises he can always go back to school/sixth form after the summer.

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Quote: Originally posted by feeblecat on 28/6/2013

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Most definately do A levels first. My eldest daughter knew what she wanted to do all through school. Till she did it. Then a dramatic change of heart years down the line. When she eventually wanted to go uni to do languages she had all sorts of hoops she had to do as a mauture student to meet the criteria - the higher qualifications she could have got if she'd stayed on at school. She went on to uni, and graduated with a First degree in languages.

Guess what, she now wants to be a teacher and now has to return to uni (after 3 years) to do a Post Grad. She does an extra year from this August!

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You can never guarantee that anyone won't have a change of heart, I worked for 15 years in the civil service, most of which I hated, before having my children and then beginning a new career as a teaching assistant 15 years ago. I love my job now and wish I'd done it years ago but that said I entered what was then described as a job for life! I believe my son will get some good experience working in an actual accounts office for 2 years, if at the end of that he decides thats not for him he'll still only be 18 and not too late to look at other options. His dad has told him, use your head, not your hands like me! He has a very hard manual job.

My daughter had her future all sorted from being about 14, she wanted to be a physiotherapist, only when she went to college and found how much of a struggle A level biology was did she then have to start thinking again, with no idea what she wanted to do! She was left very disillusioned and also disappointed and received no support from the college. What she did do was find herself a part time job and stuck at that, as much as she disliked it, for three years which looked very good on her CV. She now has a very good job with Asda and has a career path set out for her.

Life never goes the way we expect it, we just have to adapt around it. I'm just very proud that my kids have dug deep and found themselves work in a world where, let's face it, there isn't alot of opportunities.

Quote: Originally posted by Gram on 27/6/2013

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...and on a lighter note - as a former auditor, please persuade him not to go in for creative accountancy....
Gram

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Don't think I've ever seen an accountant portrayed on TV.

If he'd wanted excitment I think he'd have gone with one of his other choices....

Rugby League player or rock guitarist