Lisa now works for Titan Airways, a charter airline, based at Stansted airport. She loves the variety of her role and that it’s within the travel industry, as this is a real passion of hers. She’ll often trawl through Skyscanner for inspiration and finds herself heading off to some weird and wonderful destinations for her holidays. We caught up with Lisa to find out how she’s getting on in her role and life post studying.
So, Lisa, how did you get started in accountancy?
Working in accountancy wasn’t exactly planned for me. I’d taken a six-week temporary job with Titan after leaving college and within a few weeks was offered a permanent role. I’ve never looked back since and have been with the company for over ten years now. I started out as an Accounts Clerk and have been involved in so many different aspects of finance, which is great experience. After three years in the role, I started AAT at F.I. Cambridge and completed my level three and four. As I work in industry, I felt that the best qualification for me, going forward, was CIMA as it suited what I was doing professionally.
How did you find your studies and were there any highlights for you?
I moved to F.I. Chelmsford to study CIMA and had just completed my Operational level when the computer exams were introduced. I was really pleased with the studies at F.I. and the flexibility of online exams. I always really benefitted from the revision days at the end of every module, they were always a great recap and way to ask extra questions on anything I was unsure about. I enjoyed the variety CIMA offered and found the E papers most interesting. I’m fascinated by people and motivation, so for me these papers were the ones I enjoyed studying the most.
Was there anything you found particularly hard or any challenges you had to overcome?
In my experience, the hardest part was failing an exam. After studying so hard, it’s really disappointing if you don’t get the result you’re after. The computer-based exams meant I could resit within a fortnight and when I got the email to say I’d qualified, it proved it was worth all the effort.
Have you got any advice for anyone thinking of starting accountancy studies?
Balancing work, home life and studying takes real dedication and means making some sacrifices. My advice would be to stick with it and try your hardest; it will be worth it in the end. After five years of studying, alongside work, I’ve now taken a break. Although I have to admit, I do miss it slightly. I would really recommend F.I. to others, the support and class material they offer is excellent. The tutors are really approachable and care about your results. I am now seeing my colleagues studying AAT with F.I. Chelmsford and they’re flying through their exams.
So, what does the future have in store for you?
I always hate answering these types of questions, but I’d say for now, I’m really happy in my current role and the development that’s possible within it. I’m not ruling out any future studies, as I don’t think you can ever learn too much. Although maybe next time, I’ll study something just for fun.
