Ever since taking a work placement in finance, Sinead Langton has had a passion for accounting. However, after beginning an Accountant Technician Course at a college in Dublin, she soon realised she would not be able to complete her studies because of the college’s tricky location. After a bit of research, she found out about Pitman Training’s flexible course provision and enquired about studying the Account Technician with AAT Diploma.
“I was so relieved once I found out about Pitman Training. I got in touch with my local centre and had a conversation with the team there about which course would suit me best,” explained Sinead. “After a quick review, the team showed me a range of excellent courses suitable for my career aspirations. Eventually I settled on the Account Technician with AAT Diploma. I felt like the team at Pitman genuinely cared about my needs.
“I loved that I had the option to go into the training centre. However, I found online learning suited me best. To my surprise, studying online was really easy. All the resources I needed to complete my diploma were just a click away. Each module was simply laid out and easy to follow and, because my learning resources were all there on a portal, I could revisit things whenever I needed to, which was reassuring. When I started the course, I was off work because of the pandemic. However, I soon picked up a job in a call centre to supplement my income. So, having the flexibility to study around my work was important. Whilst studying and working my new job, I was on the lookout for accountancy roles I could apply for.”
“It was actually because of Pitman that I found my current job in accounting. Because of Pitman’s great connections with local businesses, they constantly advertised suitable local jobs for students across their social media channels, one of which was an accountancy job. I applied for the role and got it – I haven’t looked back since!”
As well as Pitman’s flexibility on where you choose to work through your course or how fast you wish to complete it, students also receive help from a learning coach. The learning coach’s job is to provide you with extra help if you need it. So, it does not matter if you choose to learn inside the centre or from the comfort of your home; your learning coach will be on hand to help you whenever you need it.
“Having access to a learning coach was amazing,” continued Sinead. “They were really helpful and responsive. In fact, I was really impressed with how quick they were to resolve any problems I had. They would talk me through the systems if anything was unclear and tell me what I needed to do to improve my work. When I took my first course at the college in Dublin, everything was very different because I had to do all my learning one day a week on campus. This meant it was a struggle to get one-to-one support from a teacher and, if I was stuck on something, it was really difficult to resolve the issue. Because of my learning coach, this wasn’t a problem at all when I was studying at Pitman. I found it very comforting knowing that I had someone on hand whenever I needed them.”
Pitman Training’s Professional Accounting Technician Diploma is ideal for anyone looking to become an Accountant, Bookkeeper, Finance Assistant or if you wish to maintain accurate financial records for your own business. The course provides top-level professional finance training and allows students to gain AAT (The Association of Accounting Technicians) Level 2 and Level 3 Qualifications.
“My favourite part of the diploma was the Microsoft Excel module and the computerised modules – these are systems I use every day in my current role. These modules were very practical and allowed me to get a true feel for what working in this career would look like. I also took a payroll module, giving me tons of simulated experience of what a role in accounting would look like. In fact, I’m now in charge of payroll at my current workplace, so I’m glad I learnt about that on the course. It’s fair to say I picked up loads of relevant skills whilst studying with Pitman.
“I really enjoyed my time with Pitman. It helped me refresh my skillset and become far more confident in my abilities. My advice to anyone looking to take an adult education course with Pitman Training would be to sit down and examine which course is right for you. Once you’ve done this, work hard and you will be rewarded.”
At Pitman, we are hands-on in supporting your learning and pushing you towards getting the diploma you want. If you are interested in developing yourself personally or professionally in a supportive and flexible learning environment, get in contact with your local training centre: www.pitman-training.ie/
