2. Congratulations on
successfully completing
the exam stage of the
ACCA Qualification. This
is a huge achievement
and a significant step
towards becoming an
ACCA member.
Whether you’re ready to
transfer to membership
straight away or you
need more time to
complete the remaining
requirements, read on to
find out what your next
steps are and what ACCA
membership holds for you.
2 TAKE THE NEXT STEP: ACCA MEMBERSHIP
A major milestone
3. www.accaglobal.com
3
Your next
steps
You’ve completed the exams,
well done! Now you need to
complete your Practical Experience
Requirement (PER) and the
Professional Ethics module – steps
which demonstrate you are ready
to become an ACCA member.
ACCA uses your online My Experience
record to track your PER progress
and invites you to transfer to
membership once your records
show that you have recorded 36
months in relevant accounting
or finance roles, and either:
• achieved 13 Performance
Objectives by answering the
challenge questions answers
for each to the satisfaction of
your workplace mentor, or
• claimed the Performance
Objective exemption as agreed
by your gold or platinum ACCA
Approved Employer – trainee
development stream.
We also check that you have
completed the Professional
Ethics module.
If you don’t appear
to be ready, we’ll
keep in touch with
you throughout
your journey
and help you to
keep on track
A bright future
Having the ACCA letters after your name will give you the recognition you
deserve and set you apart as a qualified accountant. ACCA membership will show
your commitment to high ethical and professional values and to lifelong learning –
keeping you at the top of the profession. It will give you the opportunity to choose
where you work – in any sector, anywhere in the world. It will help increase your
employability – employers recognise the value that the ACCA Qualification
can bring to their business.
But while ACCA membership is now on your
horizon, it’s far from the end of the road
ACCA membership is your passport to success – it’s up to you to
decide where it will take you next. Along the way you can increase your
knowledge and skills through CPD, gain a global MBA through Oxford
Brookes University, get a practising certificate (if you meet the criteria)
and access further qualifications from our professional and academic
partners. After five years’ continuous membership and compliance with
ACCA’s CPD programme you’ll also achieve ACCA Fellowship status.
AND YOU WON’T BE ON YOUR OWN,
ACCA WILL BE HERE TO SUPPORT YOU
ACCA is your membership body, and we are committed to working on your behalf:
• Striving to protect and add value to the ACCA designation through our focus
on professional values, ethics and governance.
• Building close relationships with employers through our network of relationship
managers, and raising awareness of ACCA and our members around the world.
• Working with governments and professional bodies to develop the accountancy
profession, promote global standards and advancing the public interest.
• Providing a range of products to support our members, making sure that ACCA
membership continues to add value and our reputation and global brand
enhance your career.
• Supporting you in your lifelong learning, with a leading range of tools and
services designed to help you meet your CPD requirement.
• Giving you the chance to network with other members and peers, get support
and share knowledge through our members only LinkedIn
group and through face-to-face and virtual events.
WE’RE WAITING TO WELCOME YOU
4. Any affiliate wondering how far ACCA membership
could take them should look at the career to date of
Jane-Ann McKenna, who has used her accountancy skills
not only to change sector, from finance to not-for-profit,
but also to change continents, travelling extensively on
behalf of her employer Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF),
the independent humanitarian medical aid organisation.
With a Bachelors and Masters degree already under her belt, Jane-Ann enrolled
with ACCA on joining AIB International Corporate Banking Ireland. ‘I had a broad
understanding of different business practices and models but wanted to develop
my technical skills,’ she comments. ‘I also realised that a professional qualification
could enhance my overall skill set and my ability to work in other environments.’
Jane-Ann reached affiliate status while working as a relationship officer in AIB’s
corporate banking division. ‘Progressing to membership was the next logical
step,’ she says, ‘especially as ACCA is internationally recognised and therefore
particularly useful in the NGO sector.’
And it was in this sector that Jane-Ann had always hoped to develop her
career, inspired by three months spent as a volunteer in a Romanian orphanage
when only 18. Realising her ambition, Jane-Ann joined MSF in 2008 as a finance
and HR co-ordinator, first travelling to North Sudan before moving on to Sri
Lanka. ‘Both postings involved all elements of financial management, from
bookkeeping to risk assessment, but also – most importantly – making sure the
right financial controls and practices were in place to ensure transparency
and independence,’ she says. ‘This is vital for MSF as over 90 percent of our
funding comes from private individuals and donors so we have to be able to
show how we spend the money we receive.’
After further postings to Kyrgyzstan and the Central African Republic,
Jane-Ann returned to Dublin where she is now head of MSF Ireland. ‘Having
both a business background and an accountancy qualification is a great
benefit,’ she says, ‘as I am able to manage different business functions and
undertake strategic planning. We also, increasingly, have to account for office
costs as well as field operations, and to do this we must be completely
professional and transparent, which makes ACCA membership particularly
relevant.’
Name Jane-Ann McKenna
Job title Head of Médecins Sans Frontières Ireland
Route to ACCA 2003 Degree in Commerce (BComm)
membership: 2004 Masters in International Business (MBS)
2004 Joined AIB International Corporate
Banking Ireland, began ACCA studies
2007 Became an ACCA member
PROFILE
4
5. 5
www.accaglobal.com
Whatever sector you plan to work in, Jane-Ann is adamant that ACCA membership
should be the main goal: ‘Exams provide the tools you need, but work experience is
key to understanding and applying the practical elements of your training. Membership
also gives you the flexibility to work in different sectors around the world – as shown
by my career with MSF.’
6. Name Jaquean Morris
Job title Accountant, Citizens Security and Justice
Programme, Ministry of National Security,
Jamaica
Route to ACCA 1999 Diploma in Business Administration
membership 2000 Started ACCA studies while working at
NEM Insurance Company Limited.
2008 Passed final ACCA exam
2009 Became an ACCA member
For Jaquean Morris, ACCA exams were so challenging
that when she became an affiliate, she thought that ‘it
did not seriously matter’ if she did not progress to
membership. ‘I’m certainly glad I changed my mind,’ she
says now, ‘and the process was not as onerous as I had
thought, especially as I had worked while studying.’
Jaquean’s original career inspiration came from family members already in the
accountancy profession. Having completed a Diploma in Business Administration,
majoring in Accounts, Jaquean registered with ACCA, but her confidence was
dented when her first set of exams proved harder than expected: ‘I immediately
knew this would be an uphill task,’ she recalls, ‘but I do not give up easily, and I
received great support from family, friends, and especially from my mother, who
wanted me to make the most of opportunities she never had.’
But as Jaquean had to combine work, study and raising a young family, the
challenge was even harder: ‘I had many re-sits and times when I thought I would
never finish – so when I passed my final exam in December 2007 I was ecstatic!’
Encouragement – again from family, but also from other ACCA members –
persuaded Jaquean to progress to membership, a decision she has never
regretted: ‘Membership is the icing on the cake,’ she says. ‘It drives your
professional development, and there are great networking opportunities. For
example, as an ACCA member I have attended events held by ACCA and also our
local accountancy body ICAC (Institute of Chartered Accountants of the
Caribbean), where I have met accountants (and others) from all around the world,
maximising my opportunities to network. I have also enjoyed debates on issues of
national importance – such as a recent seminar on risk management which
included a presentation from an IMF representative.’
Jaquean is now the accountant for the Citizens Security and Justice Programme,
a social intervention programme run by the Government of Jamaica’s Ministry of
National Security. Here she helps the financial specialist oversee the programme’s
funding, received from the Government and two international funding agencies. She
also mentors three ACCA students: ‘I find this truly fulfilling,’ she says. ‘It helps me
repay the assistance I received, and is an excellent way to empower people, helping
them perform better at work.’
Jaquean remains proud and honoured to be an ACCA member: ‘It is one of
the most prestigious professional institutions in the world, and the support it
offers ACCA members means that our knowledge is current and relevant; this
makes us more effective at work, and more proactive in our response to issues
facing the profession today.
6 TAKE THE NEXT STEP: ACCA MEMBERSHIP
PROFILE
7. www.accaglobal.com
PROFILE
Name Fawwad Raza
Job title Manager, finance and accounts, Orient
Electronics (Pvt) Ltd, Lahore, Pakistan
Route to ACCA 2008 Began ACCA studies in December
membership 2011 Completed ACCA exams whilst working for
KPMG Pakistan
2011 Became an ACCA member
7
‘To progress in your career you have to
become an ACCA member,’ says Fawwad.
‘It not only increases your value in the eyes
of your employer, but also opens up new
career opportunities both at home and
abroad as you are eligible for many more
positions if you are a member of a
professional accountancy body. In addition,
I also feel that my current work has gained
greater recognition, and my efforts
appreciated more, now that I am an
ACCA member.’
Fawwad was inspired to enter accountancy by his brother, also
a professional accountant, although he already knew that he had
an interest in finance: ‘In my family I lived with both legal and
financial professionals, ’he explains, ‘but I had always been
interested in the financial aspects of any project, and knew that
accountancy was a profession which could help me learn much
more about business dynamics.’
Fawwad started his ACCA studies at KPMG Taseer Hadi Khalid
& Co, in Lahore. ‘At KPMG I had an excellent opportunity to
learn about and analyze different businesses,’ comments
Fawwad. ‘KPMG was very supportive of my ACCA studies, ’ he
adds, ‘and as my work experience was gained while I studied,
it meant that I could quickly progress to membership when
I completed my exams, a few years later.’
To diversify his work experience, Fawwad chose to leave KPMG
after four years to work for a leading construction company,
before moving on again to join his current employer, Orient
Electronics, a leading manufacturer of domestic appliances.
‘Working in different industries gave me exposure to
different business models,’ he says, ‘and also an understanding
of how to apply different accounting standards in complex,
real time situations.’
Now an ACCA member, Fawwad is enjoying his newstatus: ‘It is
a great feeling to have attained a goal that requires a lot of
hard work, and which is also very challenging. ACCA
membership provides a real sense of accomplishment, and I feel
honoured to now be a professional accountant.’ Not surprisingly,
Fawwad is keen to encourage current ACCA affiliates to gain
membership as quickly as they can: ‘Completing your exams
is one step, but you need to become a member to take your
career to the next level, and once you have achieved
membership, the additional knowledge you gain through CPD
is very valuable. Above all, I consider my ACCA membership
to be a real ‘feather in my cap’, and an achievement which
will benefit me not only financially but also socially.’
8. 6 TAKE THE NEXT STEP: ACCA MEMBERSHIP
profile
Name Jeff Tan
Job title Senior Associate, PricewaterhouseCoopers,
San Jose, USA
Route to ACCA 2003 Diploma in Accountancy
membership: 2003 Joined Singapore police force
2005 Started ACCA studies
2008 Completed ACCA exams, joined
Ernst & Young Singapore
2012 Joined PwC San Jose and moved to US
2012 Became an ACCA member
9. www.accaglobal.com
‘Having ACCA on your CV definitely helps your career;
recruiters know how hard it is to gain the ACCA
Qualification, and ACCA membership shows you have both
tenacity and experience,’ says ACCA member Jeff Tan,
whose successful career includes a major change of
sector, and a move overseas to join a Big 4 firm.
Originally from Singapore, Jeff started his career as a police officer, even
though he had a Diploma in Accountancy. ‘I had no idea what to do with my
life when I joined the police force,’ he explains, ‘but a year into the job I
realised that it was very physically demanding, and I wanted a career where
my value would actually increase with age and experience. I was introduced to
ACCA by my cousin, and was immediately attracted by the flexibility and
cost-effectiveness of the qualification, as it meant I could complete the majority
of the ACCA exams by self-study, which I did while still serving as a police officer.’
After leaving the police force, Jeff began the search for a job which would give
him the work experience required: ‘My approach to life has always been to start
at the top, and so I first applied to a Big 4 firm and was very surprised to be offered
the post of audit associate; at 26, I was older than most applicants, and hadn’t been
to university, so my appointment showed the value of my ACCA studies.’
After three years, Jeff decided to develop his career further by moving abroad,
and joined PricewaterhouseCoopers in San Jose, USA. ‘I hadn’t appreciated
the value of ACCA’s international reputation until I began the interview process,’
he comments. ‘Not only is ACCA considered an equivalent to a US bachelor
degree, but the technical knowledge and practical understanding represented by
ACCA provided essential differentiation for my CV.’
Jeff is now a senior associate in PwC’s audit and attestation department,
undertaking audit engagements from start to finish – from researching key risks
to final audit review. ‘Once again, my technical knowledge is a significant
advantage,’ he says. ‘I know much more than those who entered the profession
directly from university, and I credit this to ACCA.’
Jeff is now enjoying the benefits of ACCA membership and is keen to encourage
current affiliates to maintain their progress so they can do the same – but also
to enjoy the affiliate stage: ‘If you enjoy what you do then your progress to
membership will be easier, no matter what career path you are taking,’ he says.
7
10. 6 TAKE THE NEXT STEP: ACCA MEMBERSHIP
Get ready to transfer
If you think you’re ready, make sure you have completed the Professional Ethics
module and your My Experience record is up to date. All you have to do is wait
to receive your personal invitation then accept it by replying ‘YES’. You’re likely
to receive your email invitation within two weeks of your records showing you’re
ready, and could be transferred to membership within a further ten days – the
quickest and simplest option!
Can’t wait and want to apply
for membership?
If you think you’re ready now and don’t want to wait to be invited you can apply
online through myACCA or download the application form from
www.accaglobal.com and submit it straight away. Please be aware that it can take
up to four weeks to process a membership application that has been submitted
through myACCA or by paper.
Not quite ready yet?
It’s time to think ‘work’ instead of ‘study’ and put as much effort and focus into
completing PER as you did your exams.
Talk to your employer about PER. Remind them that you’ve now passed the exams
and you’re eager to put your learning into action and become an ACCA member
– an achievement for you and an asset for them.
Meet regularly with your workplace mentor. Agree on the performance
objectives you have already achieved and get them signed-off. Target the
performance objectives you still need to achieve. Take time to plan how and
when you will be able to complete these. Ask for opportunities – secondments,
project work and assisting other teams can all help you get the much needed
breadth of experience to up-skill and attain performance objectives.
Plan how you are going to achieve your PER and stay on track. You can use the
development plan section in your My Experience record to help you do this.
11. www.accaglobal.com
7
Not in a relevant role?
If you’re not working in a relevant role or you are not working right now – record your
current status in your My Experience record then go to www.accacareers.com
to upload your CV, get careers advice, search global career opportunities and
apply for jobs. Look out for internships, voluntary work and part-time opportunities
too. If the role is relevant to finance and accountancy it could count towards your
time in a relevant role – you can record as little as one month. Find a workplace
mentor to supervise you and if the role is broad and in-depth enough, you might be
able to achieve some performance objectives too.
Need to know more about
PER?
Browse through the practical experience requirement section at
www.accaglobal.com/per – you’ll find lots of information and support material
for you and your workplace mentor.
Look out for ACCA Advance, your monthly e-zine, dedicated to affiliate matters.
It’s full of articles, features and tips around fulfilling the PER and helping you
progress to membership.
Keep your contact details up to date, particularly your email address, and make
sure you’ve agreed to us contacting you this way.
WE’LL KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOU ALONG THE WAY AND
WELCOME YOU WHEN YOU’RE READY
PLEASE REMEMBER
ACCA affiliates are not permitted to use the ACCA letters after their name in
any context. This right is reserved for ACCA members only. As an affiliate there
are restrictions on any work you may undertake which is within ACCA’s definition
of public practice. See membership regulation 8(2)(h) for more information.
Furthermore this activity may compromise your ability to gain the required
supervised practical experience needed to become an ACCA member.
Please see www.accaglobal.com for further details and an outline of your rights
and obligations.
