A new career in only eight months…

Let’s go back to February 2020.

We were emerging from the chill of Winter when our level 2 course books dropped on the doorstep. And by the time Autumnal leaves were falling Elizabeth was ready to apply for her ICB practice licence.

Only eight months; how did she do it? And why did she want to become a self-employed bookkeeper?

After earning a Chemical Engineering degree, Elizabeth began working as a fuel engineer. Fast forward a few years and she was using her head for numbers to teach Maths to children.

“Teaching is a really rewarding job, but it is all consuming. After having my first child, I cut my hours to part time. I then had two more children, and decided that teaching didn’t fit in well with my family life.”

She didn’t want to miss out on the school plays, the concerts, and making precious family memories. It was time to rethink her career and find a better work-life balance.

Elizabeth enrolled with Training Link…

Elizabeth was convinced that the way to do it was to start her own bookkeeping practice.

Her friend recommended the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). Elizabeth did her research and found 10-time ICB Large Training Provider of the Year: Training Link. And after discussing the different course packages, she enrolled on our ICB Ultimate Bundle.

It goes far beyond the requirements for obtaining your ICB practice licence. It makes you stand out to clients by covering a wealth of additional units to help you offer more services to generate extra income. Perfect if you have the real ambition to start and grow your bookkeeping business.

“In February my first set of books arrived in the post, and I got stuck in, initially on nursery days and in the evenings. I started to really enjoy it! My study days were my favourite days. Lockdown hit of course, and I lost my nursery days, so I worked during nap times and after bedtimes.”

As ICB’s exams are online, Elizabeth progressed without worrying about exam centre closures during lockdown.

But what else fuelled her rapid progress?

“I loved the course books. I don’t study well from a computer screen and I think the books are perfectly suited for independent learning. The quality of the material was a world away from a previous one I’d bought from a different provider.”

These comments get to the heart of the Training Link difference: quality.

It’s why so many of our students over the last 25 years could gain their qualifications and start their own businesses.

When you’ve enrolled with us you’ll enjoy a carefully crafted learning experience that ensures you know how to do the job. We make sure that you understand a topic as thoroughly as possible. In fact, we won’t let you move on until you do – an approach which Elizabeth endorses (and with her background as a teacher, that’s high praise indeed):

“The online assessment platform is set up to make sure you really understand the topic; you can’t move on until you have passed your assessments.”

But what about the tutor support?

Elizabeth found that the course books were so well written that she didn’t need to rely on her tutor support for the early levels:

“I contacted her more for the later units. But it was good to know that if I did have a question, she was there.”

ICB Student of the Year 2020

“I cannot believe how much I have been able to learn in such a short time.”

To finish levels 2, 3, three level 4 units, and payroll by Halloween with such fantastic marks is a real achievement.

And the ICB agreed.

So that’s why in November 2020, Elizabeth could celebrate not only having the letters MICB PM. Dip after her name but also winning Student of the Year at the ICB’s annual Luca Awards.

Elizabeth, from Lincolnshire, has now launched her own bookkeeping practice – Bottesford Bookkeeping.

What our ICB students think of our tutor support

We sat down with a few of our former students and asked what they thought about the levels of tutor support you get when you enrol with Training Link…