Karen Hick has been with our FI centre in Chelmsford since 2021 and will be taking a lead role in tutoring AAT classes at our new Southend Centre. We asked Karen about our latest Essex venue and how she feels about starting to teach in Southend. Here’s what she had to say:
Can you tell us a bit about your background?
Yes, I have a really varied background, in terms of my accountancy career. I’ve worked in a range of different industries and companies including electronics, beauty, and mortgages. I also used to work for a company selling theatre tickets from a booth in Covent Garden, while I was at uni. So in some ways, I’ve always been involved in a role that is finance-based. When I went to work for another tuition provider, they offered to put me through my AAT qualification. From there, I took a step into teaching and assessing with this company. In 2021, I joined First Intuition Chelmsford, as AAT Curriculum Lead.
Why do you love teaching AAT?
I love AAT as it’s an all-around qualification and you can be at any stage in your career or accounts experience to start. It’s useful for a school leaver who has never really worked in an office and does not know what an invoice is, to someone who has worked in accounts for years but never had a formal accounting qualification. I found it so hard as a student and struggled to grasp the theory but once it clicked it made everything clearer and really showed me how important the tasks were. That’s why I love teaching it. Seeing the students hit the click moment is so rewarding. Then seeing them go from strength to strength through the levels is the best part of the job.
What are you looking forward to about working in Southend?
I love Southend, its diverse culture mixed with the beautiful seaside town. I cannot wait for a Rossi ice cream and a walk along the high street.
Plus when the sun shines in Southend, it’s such a great place to be and there’s a real buzz about it.
Why do you think the new centre will be great for AAT students?
Southend City has such a variety of businesses, with our new centre opening it will give AAT students the chance to come along to our Ofsted Outstanding training without having to try and fight the traffic to London or Chelmsford. The new Southend venue will allow students to stay local whilst still receiving the same quality FI experience.
For more info about our new Southend-on-Sea centre, visit our dedicated webpage here.
Visit the AAT’s website to get more information about this qualification or our AAT webpage.
