3 November 2013

After the diploma?

Possibly a little premature to be thinking about what I want to do after completing the diploma - I have six units to go. By the end of the year I hope to have only three units left, so the end really is in sight.

I've joined a Facebook group with others studying their diploma of accounting, and someone asked what we plan on doing with our diploma once we've finished - is a degree the next step. It was interesting to read the responses, since a lot of people gave their background to what lead to doing the diploma in the first place. Most people are doing it for career advancement. I'm a little different I guess.

I graduated to the bookkeeping, payroll and BAS at work, without formal quals but with a 15 year background in banking and admin work. Have since completed a couple of Cert III subjects - bookkeeping and HR, and the end is in sight with this Diploma. I love my present job and workplace, and I'm not studying for the job opportunities, but for professional development in my current position.

I've been toying with the idea of studying for degree eventually.. but it's a big commitment and I don't really need the quals. Plus life is too short and I want to get away from textbooks for a while! I'll probably continue with the shorter courses that help me in my present work, rather than go the whole way with a degree.

19 October 2013

Diploma update

Study has been very productive, I've been getting good marks and enjoying the work. I'm more than halfway through the course, close to completing another two units very soon, with a final six to go.

  • Implement and maintain internal control procedures 
  • Establish and maintain accounting information systems 
  • Provide management accounting information 
  • Provide financial and business performance information 
  • Provide financial reports for corporate entities 
  •  Interpret and use financial statistics and tools

  • Although I only enrolled in March I am trying to complete as much as I can before the end of the year. My NSW-based provider OTEN, has changed its policy on interstate students and I'm not sure if I'll be able to finish through OTEN or have to transfer to a TAFE here in Queensland.

    8 April 2013

    Diploma underway

    Signed up with OTEN last month, and so far I've applied for and been granted RPL in seven subjects. This leaves eleven units remaining. Setting myself a steady pace and taking my time. Would be great to complete in twelve months, but I'm not going to push myself.

    The unit I'm working on at the moment is Prepare Financial Reports, working from a text by Clarke - Accounting: An introduction to principles and practice. I went with the digital edition since I don't like having a ton of textbooks to dispose of at the end of the course. Unfortunately there's some problems with the text, some of it is illegible, but the publisher has reported they are working on the problem.

    I'm backtracking some of the earlier chapters off my reading list, to review the material - since a lot of it is background to this unit, but covered in one of the units I was granted credit for. I actually did a phone interview for that one, completely unexpected and off the cuff. Wasn't too happy with my performance, my interviewer said she thought I was about 90% competent. I felt I knew the material but expressed some of my responses poorly. She passed me but warned me I'd probably need to do this background reading to progress further with the course. So I'm doing it.

    Some additional reading will include a couple of web sites I've visited in the past, including AccountingCoach.com which is quite an impressive resource, although US based (which isn't really a huge problem since accounting standards in Australia are based on the International standards).

    The job share situation is still going well, although I've adjusted the spread of my hours over four days instead of three. This allows my partner and I to work together one afternoon a week, but it's taking a little getting used to - I really liked having a block of four days off each week. I'm hoping this sacrifice (!) will help improve our communication. I've not been entirely satisfied with our handovers, I would like us both to talk more to each other about our work. We seem to be very similar in the way we work - head down and get stuck into it, rather than talk about it. Just going to have to practice this.