When I was young, my father wanted me to become an accountant but I never considered finance a subject I wanted to pursue. I even skipped accounting classes and failed exams to prove to my father that I wasn’t suitable, until he gave up on the idea and I ended up studying for a bachelor of arts in English.
But things changed after my dad passed away and we relocated to Singapore from Myanmar. My sister began encouraging me to study finance and, after much consideration, I took up a Certified Accounting Technician course with ACCA and started working as an accounts assistant at a shipping company.
I’m currently an assistant accounting manager for a Renault Group subsidiary. Effectively, I am the accounting and finance department in Singapore, so much of my time is spent working independently, which is different to my previous experiences. But I find it enjoyable as I have the opportunity to see through projects and tasks from beginning to end, and I’m expected to come up with solutions to problems, which provides job satisfaction.
I have the opportunity to see through projects and tasks from beginning to end, and I’m expected to come up with solutions to problems
I have to give all the credit for my career influences to my family members. They have supported me in every way to achieve this path. I almost gave up ACCA while attempting my last paper, but it was my family who encouraged me to finish.
ACCA has helped my career progression in a variety of ways. For almost 15 years, I’ve been able to apply the knowledge and skills I learn to challenges inside and outside the classroom, even down to my own personal financial decisions. I believe the goal of studying ACCA is not to pass exams but to become competent, well-trained professionals.
My biggest achievements are completing a second bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from the University of Bradford and attaining ACCA member status. The global recognition of ACCA has allowed me to obtain other professional body memberships such as ASEAN CPA.
Looking back, I made many sacrifices – including sleep, evenings and weekends – but now I’m proud to say it was all worth it. I have a globally recognised qualification. Any goals and objectives you have will not magically happen; you have to work for it and potentially make some drastic sacrifices along the way. But success is waiting for you around the corner.
If I weren’t an accountant, I might have been a journalist. I love to meet and interact with people from all walks of life. I envy how journalists get to narrate stories by travelling to different places, meeting interesting people and learning about their lives. But, at the end of the day, I love being an accountant.
