“I knew I didn't want to go to university but had always liked the idea of accountancy.  My Dad is ACCA qualified so it was a profession I knew a little bit about.  I joined an accounting practice a week after my 18th birthday as a trainee accounting technician and spent the next two years studying AAT at a local college, passing the intermediate and technician levels first time. 

I then began studying ICAEW and completed this in 2001.  By the end of my training contract I was fully qualified and had spent time preparing accounts for sole traders, partnerships and small limited companies, producing month and quarter end accounting tasks for businesses without an accounts function and performing audit work on various companies.

After qualifying I began looking for an alternative career path.  I had always got on well with my tutors at Kaplan where I had studied for the ICAEW courses and being a tutor had struck me as an interesting job. 

In April 2003 I started as a tutor for Kaplan.  Initially I specialised in financial reporting and auditing, teaching courses across AAT, ICAEW, CIMA and ACCA.  Being a specialist in a small number of technical areas helped massively.  Despite teaching across four different qualifications there was lots of common ground in terms of knowledge which meant I could spend more time concentrating on how I was going to deliver this knowledge in the classroom and focusing on the specific nature of the relevant exam.  After getting over my initial nerves I found I really enjoyed all aspects of the job.  The relationship with the students is really important and I enjoy trying to build that rapport and trust.  It is always immensely rewarding when you can see yourself making a difference and helping a student to pass.

After 2 years I was promoted to ICAEW course manager, taking responsibility for the successful running of all aspects from course structures to budgeting and liaising with a variety of clients.  As this role went well I was then promoted to the Assistant Head of Centre for the Reading office which gave me further exposure to the management of the business.  I took responsibility for scheduling the tutors, and various accounting tasks plus getting involved in recruitment and the overall centre budget.
 
In February 2007 I had the chance to go on a secondment to our sister company in Sydney, Australia for a month.  This was a fantastic opportunity and the experience was genuinely life changing.  I worked on a business feasibility project which was very different to anything I'd ever done before.  This gave me lots of experience and confidence which was really beneficial both personally and professionally.
 
In July 2007 I was promoted to Head of Centre for Kaplan Financial Milton Keynes.  I am responsible for the smooth running and growth of one of our newer centres.  My role ranges from monthly accounting and board reports to staffing issues and business development.
 
As a job, I still really enjoy teaching and still get a little nervous before heading into a new class of students.  One of the perceived down sides to the job is that most tutors work some weekends and evenings.  The good news is that these will be scheduled in around 6 month in advance so it is quite easy to plan around which isn't always the case with overtime.

Becoming a Tutor has helped me develop confidence in presenting and as a result I am much more outgoing.  The job is extremely varied; every day is different and always interesting.  It is a very rewarding job; there is no better feeling than a good set of exam results."

Tom Hartgill, Head of Centre and AAT Tutor - Kaplan Financial, Milton Keynes