Once I graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a First Class Honours in Accountancy, I wanted to pursue a professional qualification that would provide me with a deeper insight of accountancy, finance and business.

The ACA qualification was the obvious choice as it is renowned for being one of the most advanced professional qualifications of its kind.

I have found that being a trainee ICAEW Chartered Accountant has raised my profile within the firm. I am now seen as the ‘go to’ guy in the tax department when my colleagues have accounting related issues.

It has also given my superiors the confidence to nominate and send me for a global tax programme in the US. This is an exclusive programme that provides training in US taxation where the selected candidates are assigned to various cities in the US for two years to put their training into practice.

So far the experience has been amazing, but challenging. The taxation system is highly developed and complex in the US so the studies are very in depth. The learning curve is steep, but I have received excellent support and coaching from the firm. The knowledge gained from my ACA studies has also prepared me for dealing with complex international tax issues.

My role means I provide tax advice to clients and conduct regular research around tax and accounting issues. The variety of my work allows me to continue learning and developing. It also gives me satisfaction to be able to provide advice and add value to my clients businesses.

Meeting and working with clients in a variety of industries and geographies is the most enjoyable part of my job.

The combination of work experience with PwC and studying for the ACA has improved my ability to analyse issues in greater depth, and think critically and creatively in developing solutions.

My greatest achievement so far has been getting first place in ICAEW’s global financial accounting and taxation exams, while also being awarded both the Spicer and Pegler, and Little prizes.

I am extremely proud to be the first locally-trained Singaporean candidate to be awarded first place for two consecutive subjects on the ACA’s worldwide leaderboard.

For anyone considering a career in accountancy, the path to becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant is challenging and requires a lot of determination.

If you have decided that you want to be a chartered accountant, never give up on your dreams.

As with all things in life, to finish first you must first finish. As long as you are determined to fulfil your dreams, just keep going and never give up.