Is It Possible To Progress in My Job And Become Accounts Manager Even Without The Correct Qualifications?

It is a long story really I found mostly everything from when I was a kid to even now I am a adult confusing! I am only starting to understand just a bit of things and I'm 27! But basically I have done a BTEC level 3 Business and Administration about 5 years ago now, I am in full time employment still work for the same company after my apprenticeship there but the problem was I was still very confused at the time and I don't really know why they put me in an admin course when I was working assisting an accounts department. But yeah I completed it and passed but I had no idea how any of the accounts side of things worked until I learnt and learnt about it as I continued working there picking things up from in the job training, getting a lof of experience helped me to understand the accounting side a lot better! I just wish I done accounts qualification instead really but I just never had an idea what was going on to be honest. During my BTEC level 3 admin course, I only managed to pass because of a lot of support and also one of the tutors actually sat next to me and just gave me all the answers to the questions pretty much! Otherwise I know I wouldn't of passed any of it at all, I've always had this problem I never can pass exams and really struggle no matter how much I tried to understand it, I just have difficulties knowing what the question means, and also I think very logically and literally that I tend to overthink/try too hard to come up with the answers it never worked out. And also I noticed if I get it I get it if I don't then I don't or it will just take me a very long time to understand something and even then I won't be able to show that I understand it.

Because of my experience that I have gained though doing my job, I do way more accounts stuff now and my knowledge of this has increased a lot over the years and I will have to do more accounting tasks as well in the future but it's I understand things in a different way. I have found the best way for me to even remember things and how to do certain tasks in my job is to take a lot of notes down, I have typed a lot of notes and I have them all stored in a folder titled very clearly so I know how to do that specific job and I am able to locate that part of the note easily to guide me. All my notes that I wrote I noticed that it must be pin point 100% clear supported by screenshots, step by step guide etc which I wrote out specifically for myself to help me as much as possible. The simple tasks which I have done everyday/ all the time I can get by without looking through my notes but the more complex tasks or new tasks even though now they're not quite new anymore but overall for some tasks, no matter how simple they may be I still need to read my notes otherwise I forget and I really can't help it and this is quite time consuming. I am a bit put off by doing the level 2 and 3 accounting qualification because I probably won't get that type of support again and it takes a lot of effort and processing and my brain just can't cope unfortunately. Because I have got a full time job there in the company, would it even be possible to progress higher and higher there through just experience and no appropriate qualification in accounts. I got the admin qualification but that probably won't help if I'm aiming at more accounting right? I just don't know if I can get a new job as accounts assistant anywhere else if they can't see I got accounting qualifications but would you think employers will still consider me if I've been working in accounts for 5 years and I have knowledge and experience, just no qualification? I doubt the company would want to pay out for me to do another different course for accounting and I just get very anxious I won't understand the course and I'll fail. I never manage to pass any exams if I don't have support or any notes to help me, I can't cope without notes. I just got very bad grades at school or just anything exam based I'll most likely fail.

I really just want to progress in accounts by gaining more experience and in the job training, also I don't really like to ask the manager if I can do the course and if they want to pay out etc I just feel too embarrassed to even ask. I am really against anymore courses I don't have the confidence at all anymore to do them. I am very confident in my jobs what I do now though as long as there is nothing like tests (I can't cope) I am just able to do it.

I do look down on myself a lot compared to others in the company though. I don't really have anyone to express my feelings to either unfortunately as I don't like showing emotions. I feel a bit depressed as well due to the recent work stuff which happened like someone else doing the accounts qualification, progressing way quicker than I am, took me 5 years to understand all the different tasks that I do now and it only took the other person 6 months! I am quite dissapointed in myself. Having aspergers gave me a few advantages but it's starting to look like there are even more disadvantages having it.

Hopefully I can just think slightly more positively in the future and try and progress in the same company and learn more and more as I'm doing my jobs.

  • Ele's advice is good - there's a large element in life of "if you don't ask you don't get."  You've not got anything to lose, and if they say no, ask them to explain why.  If it's because of any perceived weakness you have, then you've learned about something you need to work on.

    If you're interested in finance/accounts and progressing in accountancy then it's a real asset to understand something about all the parts of that side of the business - e.g. accounts payable, credit control, payroll, what's done to help the financial management side etc.  See if you can spend some time with each of the teams where you work where they explain what they do, how they do it, and why they do it that way.  Also try and understand how it all fits into the wider business.  Things like understanding how to assess capital investments etc. are also useful.

    If you feel you're a "slow learner" and have difficulty remembering things (I can empathise with that, I share some of that too!) then remember that repetition is the key to memory.  But don't try and force yourself to rote learn things till you get sick of it, just keep going over things and refreshing your memory on them periodically till they start to stick.

    https://collegeinfogeek.com/spaced-repetition-memory-technique/

    Because I like to do (very) well when I do courses, and I know I need more time for things to sink in and remember, I find it helpful to find out what's on the course and basically teach myself that material before I do the course.  That way the timing of the course, getting the assignments done etc. is a lot less stressful since you're not trying to learn all the material at the same time as getting everything else done.  Also it means you can spend more time concentrating on what's being discussed in class and trying to suck up as much understanding/nuance/experience as you can from the teacher.

  • Send an email asking if they will consider entering you for the qualification. You’re a loyal employee, you’ve demonstrated interest and skills in that area. What have you got to lose?