You can do it!

From a working class background, I left school at 16 and took a job at Aldi. I worked my way up, became a manager, and stayed at Aldi for 7 years. I started to buy my first house on a part rent part buy basis when I was 18 (ten years ago) and I am now a single mum to my seven year old son.

I was not encouraged to stay on at school but when I was working for Aldi, I enjoyed dealing with the books and the wages and decided that when my son was older I would enter university as a mature student and chose to study for an accounting and finance degree.

I worried that I would struggle to gain employment in the field of accounting being a single mum so I looked around for some voluntary work in my first year. I volunteered doing general admin duties for Baldwin’s for six months. This helped me gain my next position in a small family logistics business called Unico3.  My main job here was to complete self-assessments for the hundreds of self-employed drivers. I then moved to my current job at Inspired Accountants as an Assistant Accountant.

It has been stressful juggling a full time degree whilst working part-time as well as being a single mum but it has also been a nice journey. I found the first year really good and settled in well. Covid moved us to distance learning in the second year but this was a positive experience for me. In the third year I felt sad when I was sitting my final exams. I have made friends for life and lecturers like Anna and Lorraine have really taken the time to get to know me.

I initially thought that I wanted to be an auditor and the accounting and finance degree helped me understand what I don’t want to be. I really like management accounts and my ultimate goal is to work for myself in an office in the garden.

I am looking forward to graduation and I will be the first in my family to do this. Now that my final exams are over Inspired Accountants have taken me on a full time basis and are looking to sponsor me to complete my ACCA exams. I only have four to do as my degree provides me with exemptions from the first nine exams. I am excited about my future and really can’t wait!

I am really proud of my achievements and I hope my story will help inspire others. You can do it!

Faye Bennett

Accounting and Finance student

University of Wolverhampton