Completing the AAT qualification gave Louise Waters the knowledge and confidence to drive her career forwards with ICAEW.
Louise Waters was clear about her career path early on, first looking into accountancy apprenticeships while still at school. “I always thrived in business class and enjoyed the numbers side,” she explains. She studied international business at Northumbria University, including a year abroad in Lyon, before applying for accountancy graduate schemes.
Starting out at a small practice in Lincolnshire, Louise decided to begin her journey in accountancy with the AAT qualification. “AAT Level 2 gave me a really good foundation and base knowledge,” she says. “It was a really good building block.”
Louise was halfway through AAT Level 3 when she started catching the eye of recruiters. “I was headhunted for my current job. Being able to demonstrate that I already had an accounting qualification and was actively studying definitely made me more desirable to employers.” The idea of working in industry appealed – as did the prospect of continuing her studies through an apprenticeship – so Louise joined egg producer L.J. Fairburn & Son in Skegness.
“I knew of the business and would see their lorries everywhere, but I didn’t realise how much they’d grown until I did my research,” she says. “It’s a family-run business and they’re very innovative – they’re not afraid of change. I thought it would be exciting for me starting my career to go along with that growth.
“Working in industry has combined my business degree and my love for accountancy,” she adds. “I feel like it’s utilising what I’ve spent my whole life studying for.” Studying as an apprentice has also made a difference: “It’s helped create a better work-life balance. With the apprenticeship, you get off-the-job study time, so that’s been the biggest positive for me.”
Being able to demonstrate that I already had an accounting qualification made me more desirable to employers
Strong foundations
Louise completed AAT Level 4 in January 2023, then set her sights on the ACA. With the AAT-ACA Fast Track, she was entitled to exemptions from four of the six Certificate Level modules.
At first, she worried that not having completed all the Certificate Level modules would put her at a disadvantage. “But I actually found I was in a better position, because I’d learned some of the core concepts, like group accounts, that aren’t covered until the Professional Level.” She quickly completed the remaining Principles of Taxation and Law exams, then started studying for her first Professional Level sitting in December 2023.
Here, too, Louise found that her AAT grounding helped. “Level 4 helped prepare me for the Professional Level because the exams go up a notch from Level 3, and there’s more written elements,” she explains. “It’s the same with the ACA – the Professional Level is a jump from the Certificate Level – but I had the experience, so I felt well equipped to go into it.”
She’s since tackled two exams at once in consecutive December, March and June sittings. A disciplined approach to studying has been key, along with making sure she looks after herself as much as possible. “I’ve tried to delegate work to my colleague, which is something I’ve struggled with before,” Louise says.
“I know I need to take time for myself, too. Getting fresh air and exercise have helped me mentally, and making sure I’m still doing things that aren’t study or work-related that make me happy. Also having something to work towards after my exams – I’ve had weekends away or days out planned so when I’m finished, I know I’ve got something to look forward to.”
The more I learn, the more confident I become – and the more I want to put it into practice
Ready to grow
The support she has around her has played a big part in Louise’s success, too. “My employer is very supportive,” she says. “They make sure that I get my apprenticeship hours, and they always know what day I’m due to get my exam results. If there’s anything I come across in my studies that I’m unsure of, I know I can ask and they’ll try their best to help.”
The finance team is small, but Louise has a fellow apprentice with whom she can share information, resources and support, as well as a friend she has made through her online tuition course. “We compare our experiences of where we work, what we do, the responsibilities we have, how we’re finding the qualification, and what exams we’ve got left.”
Louise is finding that the open, supportive environment at L.J. Fairburn & Son is also providing plenty of opportunities to develop and shape her role. “It’s not hierarchical – dialogue, being open and talking to people is very much encouraged,” she says.
Beyond her day-to-day responsibilities as an accounts assistant, she’s recently had the opportunity to get involved in two projects. “I’m leading our carbon neutral project, so there’s a lot of data collection, liaising with our third-party consultants and creating a plan for how we’re going to get to net zero,” she explains. “The second project is implementing a new system in our warehouse, which is going to feed stock into our accounting system and automatically create invoices.”
Having completed all her Professional Level exams, the ACA qualification is now in sight for Louise. The knowledge – and confidence – she has gained from her AAT and ACA studies to date are undoubtedly fuelling her professional growth. “I’m not afraid to be challenged. I’m reaching out, wanting to do more and apply my knowledge, and that’s because I feel like I’ve got a good core understanding. The more I learn, the more confident I become – and the more I want to put it into practice.”
Find out more about how to become an ICAEW Chartered Accountant from your AAT studies.