FARHA’S CUTTING A FINE FIGURE...
Exam failure now an accountant
TODAY is the day thousands of anxious students get their A-level results, despite all exams being cancelled this summer.
Armed with calculated grades advised by their schools or colleges, many will get the ones they need to head off to university – but there will be some who are disappointed.
If you’re one of the latter, it’s vital to remember that you still have lots of options.
While the “Clearing” system may be able to help find you an alternative university place, you may decide to choose another route into work.
These include vocational training, or the chance to learn and earn at the same time, such as via an apprenticeship.
No one knows this better than Farha Jamadar, 31, from north London, who left school after failing her AS exams, but is today thriving as a qualified accountant.
As a financial accounts manager for Todd Doors, she started as an assistant in the department and is now running all the numbercrunching aspects of the rapidly growing firm.
“I manage my team, keep an eye on all the numbers, and make sure everything is spot on from stock control in our stores to our budgets,” she says.
Farha was really shocked when she failed her AS-levels.
“I had done well at school up until then, so imagined I could do A-levels and go on to university,” she says. “I suddenly had to revaluate everything. I had no real idea what I wanted to do but had always been interested in business, so I found myself a business administration apprenticeship with American Airlines.
“I loved it and soon realised I was fascinated by the finance side of things. I looked locally and found a job at Todd Doors.”
Farha was thrown in at the deep end when her manager left, but having shown what she could do, her company was really happy to support her through her exams with The Association of Accounting Technicians.
For the next three years, she juggled work, studying in the evening and taking her exams.
“I loved that I was studying something which had a direct and immediate impact on my job,” she says. “I would study something one evening and be able to put it to good use the next day.”
As she became more proficient and experienced, Farha was promoted through the ranks and became more and more a part of the company management team.
Having gained her professional accountancy diploma, Farha is now studying after work for the Chartered Institute of Management Accounts qualifications.
“I want to keep on learning so I have an extra layer of expertise which can support me in a senior management role,” she says, adding that she would have laughed if anyone told her, aged 17, that she would become an accountant.
“That is why I say to people not getting the results they think they need – try other things, think differently and you never know where it will take you.
“The great thing in these times is that the world will always need accountants. University is not the only way – who needs the debt when you can earn and learn at the same time?”
CONTACTS
As Farha discovered, it is well worth considering an apprenticeship or other forms of training.
For her, The Association of Accounting Technicians (aat.org. uk) showed her the path forwards, along with support from her company (todd-doors.co.uk).
Also, check out the national apprenticeship site (apprenticeships.gov.uk) where we found 5,605 apprenticeships, including 63 degree apprenticeships, and Not Going to Uni (notgoingtouni.co.uk), which has 368 apprenticeships.
You can explore different careers, find out about education possibilities or start your search for work on the National Careers Service site at nationalcareersservice.direct.gov.uk. You could also consider the Open University (open.ac.uk) where you study for a degree online in your spare time.
CLEARING
Clearing can help people without a university or college place to find suitable vacancies on highereducation courses.
There are on average 17,500 places, although that is expected to be higher this year with overseas’ students staying away.
If you are flexible about where you go and you have reasonable exam results, there is still a good chance you could find a course.
The moment you have your grades, get on to UCAS (ucas.com) and it will guide you towards contacting universities and colleges about the possibility of gaining a place.
I became an apprentice and found the finance side of things fascinating