Bradley, Brentnalls SA (Australia)
I wanted to be a pilot when I was younger but when I got to college I was pretty sure accountancy/finance was what I wanted to do. I chose the ACA as it was the logical step following my AAT qualification. It’s a well respected qualification known all over the world and allows AAT students to continue their professional development.
It has taken me from a medium sized accountancy practice to a FTSE 100 company in Vodafone PLC and now I’m working overseas.
I enjoy the client contact in my job - learning about each business and the challenges they face. Receiving gratitude for solving their problems and knowing your supporting them through the business life cycle also gives you job satisfaction.
To make a success of your career as an ACA you need to be confident when dealing with clients, giving them reassurance of your professionalism and service delivery. You need an analytical mind and be able to work well with people at all levels of your business, and those of your clients.
Without a doubt I feel on a par with university graduates. In fact whilst training alongside them I was seen as more senior then them by management, as I’d already had two years work experience. I don’t think I lost out socially either as it’s a social environment and at weekends I visited friends who were at university.
The ACA is a big step up from AAT so it was a bit of a culture shock at first, but I have found that my colleagues have been very supportive. You may have days where you wonder why you started but if you stick with it you will find it will open doors for you in the future to a more challenging and fulfilling career.