Careers and Courses Webzine
| Browse in : |
All
> Career Areas
> Accountancy Careers
> Chartered Accounting
All > Article Categories > Professional Qualifications Advice Any of these categories - All of these categories |
Are you qualified for life? - ACCA
Many graduates now see a professional qualification as a necessity for a successful career in the business world. Not only will it enhance your employability, increase your promotion opportunities and your salary but it also ensures you will be in a position to lead the business finance agenda of the future.
Business LeadersACCA has been offering high quality finance qualifications for nearly 100 years. Many ACCA qualified accountants are leading the way across the corporate and public sectors and in public practice – in fact, many are company directors and are at the helm of major organisations and businesses, not just in the UK, but all over the world. The ACCA Professional Scheme has been designed as a qualification that will take you places in the global business environment of today.
Innovation
The syllabus is unique in offering an element of choice in that it allows you to focus on technical areas that are particularly relevant to your anticipated fields of employment. You are free to complete your training in any business sector, and there are a wide range of study methods available, making ACCA the most flexible finance qualification available. ACCA also leads the way with an unrivalled dedication to utilising new technologies – offering extensive online services to provide invaluable assistance and information.
Support
As a member of ACCA, training never ceases. The Continuing Professional Development programme ensures the continuous maintenance, development and enhancement of the professional and personal skills that Chartered Certified Accountants will require throughout their working lives. ACCA’s commitment to innovation and the recognition of our members’ needs has led to the development of a unique MBA programme aimed at qualified finance professionals.
Sarah-Jane Anderson is an ACCA member, working for Selfridges Finance Division in Leicester, and here she explains about her role and why she chose the ACCA qualification:
I did think about going into accountancy practice but once I was working for a large public company, I could see that the ACCA qualification would provide me with the perfect foundation for a business career at senior management level.
I have to admit that holding down a job all week and studying intensively at weekends was demanding. For a brief time, the rest of your life is on hold. However, in terms of rapid promotion and gaining the confidence of senior colleagues, the short-term sacrifice has already proved more than worthwhile.
Within six months of joining Selfridges accounts department, I was promoted to Management Accountant for the entire store group - with a turnover in excess of £400 million! The breadth of my ACCA training gave me confidence to take on this challenging role.
In contrast to the stereotype of accountants, my job is as much about dealing with people as figures. It’s part of my job to challenge people much more senior than myself and not be afraid to ask the right questions.
I really enjoy working at the heart of a fast-moving business and plan to stay in the retail sector. There are many advantages of working for a major store group, not least being the generous shopping discounts! I would like eventually to become Finance Director but, whatever happens, it is good to know that my ACCA qualification is recognised as a passport to senior jobs in all business sectors; without it, I would not have been able to aim so high.
Each year over 12,000 graduates worldwide join ACCA, and by doing so they are offered a future that is diverse, challenging and constantly surprising. There is also the very real potential to become an influential figure in business in years to come.
Send to a friend
