By Liz Hughes, head of ACCA Mainland Europe and Ireland
When you really think about it, money and finance are the cornerstones on which economies are built.
And that’s why professional accountants are needed, to keep economies growing and thriving.
A career as a qualified accountant can take you anywhere – the role offers a wide range of job opportunities in countless industries, organisations and sectors.
ACCA is also part of that economic and financial cornerstone, as we offer a range of business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.
Being a professional accountant is a badge of honour, and a sign of trust. It indicates that someone has completed a rigorous qualification that sets them apart from the rest. Having the letters ACCA or FCCA after your name offers a real advantage in a competitive global workplace.
So becoming a professional accountant is a great career choice.
Exams, Ethics and Experience
ACCA helps people around the globe succeed whatever their skills or experience, helping them tailor their qualification journey to suit their ambitions. And we're here for their entire career journey with flexible study options, a strong return on investment and continuing professional development support once qualified as an ACCA member.
The path to becoming a qualified accountant is very straightforward with ACCA. And here in Malta, we have a Joint Examination Scheme with the Maltese Institute of Accountants (MIA). This means that ACCA’s global qualifications have local recognition and relevance. Students that complete the ACCA JES in Malta are able to satisfy the exam criteria for membership of both bodies simultaneously.
With ACCA, you can start at the level that is right for you. If you are studying for a degree, you can also get exemptions to some of the ACCA Qualification papers.
Students need to complete three different components to achieve ACCA membership which we call 'the three E's' – exams, ethics and experience.
Exams: the number of exams someone takes will depend on the entry route into ACCA. Our exams are a core component of the ACCA Qualification, and students can sit exams flexibly over the year, on demand and online. We now offer four exam sessions a year – compared to two previously - which means that there is more flexibility in the time it takes to qualify.
Ethics: This issue is a top priority for employers. We have all seen reports and heard stories of unethical practices in the business world globally. Acting in an ethical manner is one of our founding beliefs serving our public value agenda. To ensure our Qualification meets the highest ethical standards, ethics are embedded across our entire Qualification syllabus. Students are required to complete a professional ethics module as a core component of the ACCA Qualification. And in October of this year, we’ll be launching our new ethics and professional skills module, comprised of interactive units that address the full spectrum of advanced ethics and professional skills.
Experience: With three years' experience in a relevant role and key performance objectives to be completed along the way, students can gain the practical experience needed for success. This experience can be gained before, during or after taking exams.
Being in demand
Whether it's strategic thinking, critical analysis or complex financial reporting, our members are well-rounded, multi-skilled professionals who enjoy success in all kinds of finance and business roles.
Employers demand this professionalism too; they are looking to employ talented people who can work in many different areas of finance, accounting, strategy and business, and that's exactly what the ACCA Qualification provides.
ACCA also helps people specialise - tax and law are key parts of the ACCA Qualification and we offer students a combination of local and global knowledge by providing tax and law papers in a number of different jurisdictions around the world as part of the opportunity to study ACCA.
And when it comes to employability, our own Job Board, www.accacareers.com has proved to be immensely popular, with 2.7 million job views since launch, 500,000 jobs on the site since launch and some 700,000 job applications.
A rewarding career
Accountancy is a rewarding career. It could be a route to working at the top of organisations, as well as giving someone an entrepreneurial edge – something that we know appeals to Generation Z. Our own research has highlighted the fact that the next generation of finance professionals are ambitious and also entrepreneurial.
Called Generation Next this report polled over 18,000 professionals under the age of 36, examining the career aspirations of the younger generation in finance today. The survey found that a large majority of today’s young finance professionals intend to start their own company in the future.
This is perhaps not too surprising given that many from Gen Z have grown up in the age of the start-up. A huge 81 per cent of respondents want to start their own company at some point in the future, with 10 per cent having ambitions to do as their next career move.
The report also reveals that almost three quarters (70%) of respondents are looking to move jobs in the next two years, with 67% looking for a promotion. There is no doubt that the “job for life” is less prevalent within the modern world and employers who don’t deliver on their high expectations risk losing their best talent to competitors, both at home and abroad.
If employers want to keep hold of their talent, then they need to ensure career planning packages are available, from learning and development to talent spotting initiatives. So the challenge ahead for employers large and small is making sure they provide the sort of work environment and clear path for progression that the best of the next generation demand.”
There is a wealth of information on ACCA’s website about the benefits of being a professionally trained accountant and where that can get someone in their career.
So the numbers speak for themselves – a career built on strong foundations with ACCA makes for a world opportunities. Find out more on ACCA’s website: http://www.accaglobal.com/gb/en/qualifications/why-acca.html and our careers portal: https://www.accacareers.com/