After completing my advanced level tertiary study, I was gunning to become a teacher but wasn’t accepted on the college course. I chanced upon ACCA because of my sister-in-law, an ACCA graduate, who encouraged me to take it on.
I started the ACCA Qualification in 2005 and completed it in 2008, when I applied for an audit associate position with BDO. While entry onto the programme was quite easy, I simply didn’t realise how tough graduating would be. I clearly remember a lecturer giving us an assignment to buy a copy of The Straits Times, flip to the career segment and circle all the job postings that required the ACCA Qualification. This gave me a lot of confidence in the qualification and I gave the exams my best shot.
I’ve worked in great companies with awesome bosses, but there was very little time for myself or for the things I truly cared about
After BDO, I joined Alpha Investment Partners as an accountant. There, I handled the accounts of various assets from commercial properties to hotel industries, in countries including Korea and Japan. I then moved to NTUC Income, taking on the role of business finance analyst. From there, I progressed to finance and operations manager and then senior finance manager at technology company ViSenze. I was offered a CFO position with a non-profit organisation which I declined to move to my current career as a senior financial consultant at insurance company Great Eastern.
I enjoy the flexibility of time management and most importantly, a career that allows me to impact others. Over my four years as adviser, I had achieved the Million Dollar Round Table award twice, International Dragon award, Life Achiever Club Qualifier and Prestige Partner with Great Eastern.
ACCA has provided me with a solid base in terms of practical accounting. Most importantly, it develops other skillsets, such as being meticulous and sensitive to numbers, which also aid my role as a financial consultant. Being an ACCA member also gives my clients the confidence to allow me to support them in their financial planning. I’ve also become an ACCA advocate.
Over the years I’ve met many young members and I like to share my career story with them. In my 12 years as an accountant, eight years as a tutor, and four years as a financial adviser, I have grown as a professional and my ACCA Qualification has helped me to get where I am today.
I’ve worked in great companies with awesome bosses, but there was very little time for myself or for the things I truly cared about. I remember one night working until 2am, trying to submit a report and eating Cup Noodles for dinner. I sat there wondering: how long can I sustain this? I hadn’t had a family meal for a week, my health was declining and I felt frustrated. I knew I had to get it fixed. But it was not as simple as quitting my job because although it was tough, I loved it.
I decided to conduct research with fellow professionals to understand their pain points better when it comes to managing work-life balance and personal finance. We sometimes get so immersed in our work that we end up neglecting ourselves and our personal finances. As a financial adviser I find that some clients haven’t given much thought about saving for retirement because they simply don’t have the time to start their long-term financial planning.
I took a leap of faith to become a financial adviser and now I focus on helping accountants. Seeing them plan out their next 60 years with extreme clarity in 60 minutes is something I take great pride in and is a way for me to give back to the community.
