Career

After gaining IAB qualifications, you can use these and the skills you have acquired to achieve more of your career goals.

Here are just some of the goals that IAB qualifications and IAB professional membership can help you to realise:

• Improve your employment prospects – to get a job or a better job
• Train as an Apprentice in Bookkeeping or Payroll
• Enhance your performance and opportunities where you are currently working
• Use the skills to improve the performance of your own business
• Set up in business as a Professional Bookkeeper and become an IAB Member in Practice
• Progress to study and qualify as a Registered Bookkeeper, Chartered Accountant or Accounting Professional
• Progress to study for a University qualification

In particular, after qualifying at IAB level 2 or above, you are advised to give serious consideration to becoming an IAB member – joining a UK and international body of thousands of other bookkeeping and accounting professionals. The status conferred by IAB membership indicates to others not only that you are qualified but that you are now committed to keep up to date and further develop your skills, through Continuous Professional Development (CPD). The IAB provides CPD opportunities and support to enable you to function as a Professional, as well as an extensive range of other valuable financial and other membership benefits.

Many students and full members decide to continue to develop their professional competence by working through the levels of IAB qualifications and also in further ‘pathways’ of knowledge/occupational skills, as illustrated by the following table:

Notes:
1    Green font indicates IAB qualifications which require the learner to demonstrate ability in the use of a computer software application which is capable of enabling learners to complete the learning outcomes of the IAB syllabus and assessment requirements.
2    Learners may switch type of qualification when progressing through the levels but in general are advised to ensure that, prior to commencement of a course, they already have sound knowledge and skills at the level below that which they intend to start studying for.
3    Both the IAB level 2 and level 3 Certificates in Bookkeeping are valid for use in Apprenticeships in Bookkeeping in England and are eligible for this source of funding.
4    Both the IAB level 2 and level 3 Certificates in Applied Bookkeeping are composite qualifications, containing the IAB Manual Bookkeeping and IAB Computerised Bookkeeping qualifications at the same level.  
5    IAB centres with contracts with the Skills Funding Agency and other UK government bodies, may find that they can obtain funding towards the provision of courses leading to IAB QCF qualifications. Centres/providers are advised to check the current funding status and eligibility with the relevant authority.
6    IAB NQF qualifications are particularly suited to overseas centres given the straightforward nature of the assessment method (by end of course exams only with no in-course assessments). NQF qualifications are not eligible for government funding in the United Kingdom, but for those centres or individuals who do not wish to access funding, these qualifications may suit their needs.
7    If required, please contact the IAB for further advice regarding the most appropriate IAB qualification(s) to meet your needs, either as an individual learner or Centres/providers interested in offering courses leading to IAB qualifications.