One of the attractions of the accountancy profession is the abundance of opportunities it has to offer. You can either choose to work for a multinational company or in public practice and much more. In all of the sectors, there are many job roles one can enter into, all of them being very demanding, but this should not be surprising as the profession is itself incredibly challenging. This challenge is worth taking, owing to the bounty of rewards it has to offer, which includes excellent pay scales, benefits and also the realization of one's own potential.
Every now and then, new opportunities are emerging and asking people to grab them as soon as they can, otherwise someone else would do so. Every opportunity has something different to offer and it is for the individual to seek out uniqueness in every prospect, which would make him/her even more versatile. At first, one should not restrict himself/herself to any single area of work or sector because accountancy is a very vast field in itself and until all areas are explored, one cannot be sure which is best for him/her. I recommend that among the areas of working in corporate sector, public sector and public practice, one should test oneself in all these areas before deciding on any particular prospect. Whether it is banking, insurance or even consultancy and advisory services, every area is demanding, offering substantial rewards and is worth experiencing, for the accountant.
Apart from the conventional work role of the accountant that is, preparing accounts and financial statements, other important areas of work are also opening up which appear to be really exciting to newcomers in this field, though the traditional role of the accountant cannot be overlooked. Even in the auditing area, different types of audits are being conducted by accountants; apart from internal and external audit, environmental audits are becoming more popular among corporations, owing to the consideration of climatic change and in an effort to reduce their respective environmental footprints. In some countries, legislation has made it compulsory to carry out an environmental audit as a separate activity and as a specific assignment. As a result, companies are required to produce environmental and sustainability reports, which is a further aspect of directors' accountability. Another appealing area is that of Forensic Auditing, which seems attractive by its very name. It is becoming popular among the field of forensics and the detection of frauds etc., and presents an exciting opportunity for potential recruits in this area. There are several other opportunities for accountants to exploit. The area of risk advisory services is setting its mark within the accountancy field. Working in investment banks, and similar financial institutions is also an inviting area for accountants to practice their skills in.
These were just some of the exhilarating career choices available to accountants once they qualify. All in all, the accountancy profession is full of exciting work opportunities and every now and then, a new area of work emerges, which ensures the accountant that he/she will always remain in demand somehow or the other. As part of the ACCA qualification, the Practical Experience Requirement (PER) needs to be fulfilled in order for one to become an ACCA member. And as far as he/she is working in a relevant, supervised role, this requirement is being fulfilled. One useful tool that the ACCA has provided its students is the Trainee Development Matrix (TDM), which consists of a number of performance objectives that need to be worked towards. It can be accessed through the myACCA section of the website www.accaglobal.com. Trainees need to accomplish nine essential objectives and a further four out of eleven objectives. As these objectives are being achieved, they need to be signed or endorsed by the trainee's workplace mentor. This gives more freedom of choice to trainees about how they intend to work towards achieving the Practical Experience Requirement of the ACCA.
The accountancy profession promises lavish rewards for those individuals who make consistent efforts towards achieving a related qualification such as the ACCA, and enables them to make their mark in this ever-growing field. It is for the individual to decide which opportunity to go for, or which area to work in. Every opportunity offers a new experience and probably, one cannot deny that it did not give out returns as expected. This profession is very vast and keeps on increasing, enlarging an accountant's job and even enriching it, which enables the realization of one's potential. The key here is to handle the pressure with perseverance and determination, in order to succeed.
Recent Comments