top stories

ACCA membership is a vital step in getting the career in accountancy that you aim for

When you are working towards something as significant as passing your ACCA exams you can be forgiven for not thinking beyond the next paper. But exam success is just one of the many milestones on the road towards success as a finance professional - particularly if you want to see the letters CAT, ACCA or FCCA after your name.

'Passing the exams is not the same as having a qualification,' explains Tony Osude, head of professional development at ACCA; you may have completed your CAT exams or ACCA exams, but this does not mean that you have 'qualified' with ACCA. You are not entitled to use the letters CAT or ACCA after your name, or progress to become an ACCA member, until you have met the range of additional requirements associated with each qualification.

So if you want to apply for Certified Accounting Technician status, and use the designation CAT, you will need to meet the CAT practical experience requirement (PER) or achieve a Level 4 NVQ in Accounting. 'The examination standard at the final stage of CAT is comparable to the first year of a UK bachelors degree programme,' says Teo Ee Seng, executive director of Sunway TES, an ACCA tuition provider in Malaysia, but as a foundation accountancy programme, CAT is also a stepping stone to the ACCA Qualification - and membership.

Ultimate destination

'Membership is the ultimate destination to aim for,' says Osude, as it shows employers that you have completed all of the components of the ACCA Qualification.

When you complete your professional ACCA exams you become an affiliate, but if you want to become a member, use the letters ACCA or FCCA after your name, you must demonstrate the maturity, technical expertise, ethical appreciation, and practical skills required to perform to the highest standards in the workplace.

'Passing the ACCA Qualification exams is a mammoth undertaking and a significant achievement to be very proud of,' says Alana Pellow, business relationship manager, ACCA Australia and New Zealand, but she advises students to pursue this in alignment with the other requirements of ACCA membership. 'No less commitment or value should be placed on achieving the performance objectives for the practical experience requirement (PER) or completing the Professional Ethics module,' she adds.

Proven practical experience

The PER enables both you and your employer to have confidence in your ability to apply, in practice, the range of knowledge and techniques you have learned during your ACCA studies. 'The PER allows you to develop analytical skills across various areas of business,' reports Mohammed Farooq Kamran, a  supervisor with KPMG in Pakistan. This helps you to take a holistic view of the work environment, while the process of planning, targeting and recording the associated objectives can provide you with invaluable personal and professional insights.

'The PER provides an opportunity to appraise one's knowledge and skills,' explains Farooq. Observing and being involved in real-life situations, and considering ways to enhance your performance, helps you to improve your judgment, deepen your knowledge, and develop the skills, attitudes, and behaviours expected of a qualified accountant - and gain the confidence to apply them.

'Ultimately, this will benefit your professional growth and career potential,' he says.

'In my experience, ACCA students who complete their exams before achieving their PER, have very often gained the PER experience they require without even realising it,' comments Pellow, and the same is often the case with the Professional Ethics module. 'Ethics, values and governance is an integral part of every employees' professional life,' she explains, 'and professionalism and ethics are covered in many of the ACCA exams, including all papers at the Professional level.'

Pellow suggests that students try to complete the ethics module while they are completing their Professional level exams. 'Developing an ethical perspective adds value to a student's work place competence and their exam performance,' she states, and Farooq agrees. 'The ethics module is a very helpful guide for anyone beginning a career, as it helps one to position oneself appropriately in the workplace,' he adds, and makes it easier to handle the ethical dilemmas you may face during your professional life, so you can be a good accountant and an accountant who is good.

Valued by employers

Everything that is required to become an ACCA member combines to create the sort of well-balanced finance professional demanded by employers, and they place a great deal of value on the practical skills, technical competence, professional experience and ethical awareness that the ACCA Qualification guarantees. 'Employers understand that you have completed all of the components,' says Osude, 'and this trust is one of the key advantages to being an ACCA member, and adds real value to your career,' as many members are happy to testify.

'I have benefited directly from having the letters ACCA after my name,' says Yuliya Andriyash, who is an audit senior with the top-tier firm of BDO Stoy Hayward, adding: 'Membership opens the door to career progression,' whether you want to focus your efforts in practise, commerce, or try both - as Jake Emerson has found.

'You can use your ACCA Qualification as a passport into anything,' says the FCCA who has worked in the food industry, with a big four firm, and explored financial services since qualifying 17 years ago.

'ACCA membership opens many new doors of opportunity even in times like the current economic conditions,' reports Asad Feroze, a partner with Muniff Ziauddin Junaidy & Co Chartered Accountants (a member firm of BKR International). 'The sort of respect that ACCA designation carries with it is remarkable,' he reports, adding: 'I am a fellow member now, but trust me, using the letters ACCA or FCCA with your name makes a lot of difference to your personal brand.'

'Every new member I speak to comments that they were overwhelmed by the opportunities available to them once they were a fully qualified ACCA member,' adds Pellow. Take Poohan Nathan: 'As soon as I was qualified I showed this off to PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia and they hired me immediately,' says the ACCA who became a member in 2009, and has already progressed to become a senior manager in assurance at BDO in Auckland, New Zealand.

International recognition

Holding an internationally recognised professional qualification will do wonders for your confidence, and it clearly creates opportunities for career progression, and a high earning potential. But these are just a few of the many benefits enjoyed by ACCA members. 'ACCA membership brings with it a great support network that helps with my continued professional development,' says Andriyash, which is vital in your chosen profession, and you can learn about more benefits of membership at www.accaglobal.com/members/membership/benefits

As a student, taking your first faltering steps, professional membership may seem far away, but you are on your way, and when you eventually become an ACCA member you can benefit from a mutually rewarding relationship that will last for your entire career as a finance professional. 'Because members are our brand, we put a very high value on member engagement,' says Helen Brand, ACCA chief executive, 'and the loyalty and involvement of our members is vital to the ACCA's success,' - which is not insignificant.

'Our opinions and expertise are listened to by the profession, and highly sought after by business, governments, professional bodies, and entities such as the United Nations and the World Bank,' she explains. So no matter what stage you have reached in your ACCA studies, whether you want to work in the public or private sector, opt for commerce or practice, or explore them all, as an ACCA member you can look forward to doing so with an internationally recognised qualification and the support of a world-renowned professional body. The possibilities are endless.