Victoria Schumacher

Restarting a career: from Bookkeeping Level 1 to AAT Level 4 at RHACC

When Victoria returned to RHACC eight years ago, she had a clear purpose: restart her career and strengthen her English to support that goal. Having previously worked in a bank, she began with Bookkeeping Level 1 – then kept going, completing Levels 1–4 (AAT Level 4) at RHACC.

Studying at Level 4 brought real demands, especially in a second language: a lot of reading and writing in English. “It was a challenge, but I managed,” she says. Tutor encouragement – especially from her Accountancy tutor Artur Mager – and a strong Level 4 cohort of supportive peers made a difference. “You can do it” became the steady message that helped her push through.

Victoria paused formal work when her son was born in 2010. Now he’s 15 and becoming more independent, she’s focused on returning to work – even with the uncertainties of starting again as a mature learner.

Having achieved AAT Level 4, Victoria is taking practical next steps: New Directions with Annamaria Papini and a CV writing workshop to get job‑ready. It’s a measured, forward‑looking plan built on eight years of steady progress.