I studied finance and international business for my undergraduate and graduate studies, and my first job was in the financial industry. But then I followed my boyfriend to a new city and joined the finance department of a manufacturing company. I have been handling accounting work for 11 years.
Currently, I am a senior manager in the finance department, mainly responsible for the company’s cost accounting, fund and investment management. My work includes various financial analyses, internal and external communications and coordination, and team management.
What I enjoy most, and also find most challenging, is the financial analysis work. Financial analysis is a very important part of business management, creating value for the company by evaluating the business and understanding the logic behind the figures.
What I enjoy most – and also find most challenging – is the financial analysis work
Exploring financial data and identifying management issues is not just a process of creating value for the company, but also of realising one’s own personal value and reflecting a sense of accomplishment. Financial analysis is one of the most challenging tasks I’ve encountered because the requirements are highly individual and diversified in assessing the company’s performance.
When the company experiences business transformation, the requirements for managers in financial analysis also change. This means that managers cannot rely on previous knowledge or use existing templates but need to do sufficient research to understand the business operations and the market.
The business environment requires financial personnel with a high level of comprehensive business skills and innovative minds. These skills are acquired through continuous practice and enrichment of professional knowledge in the workplace.
In mainland China, people are more aware of the importance of accounting, and there is a growing focus on the training of accounting talent. Companies need financial professionals’ insights to handle data, and the Ministry of Finance hopes to promote the high-quality development of enterprises in mainland China with the help of accounting talent.
In the future, China’s accounting industry will continue to develop around the centre of ‘change and integration, quality and efficiency’, which will also bring unprecedented opportunities and challenges for accounting professionals. We need to make use of IT, understand business models, industry development trends and macro policies, and continue to strengthen professional skills, actively building personal core competitiveness, so as to stay ahead.
