Stand out from the rest: Blazing your career with accounting

In a rapidly changing world filled with uncertainty, it is only natural to seek stability, both now and for your future. Seeking a career path that equips you with both technical skills and knowledge can make all the difference, more so if it offers continuous learning and advancement opportunities throughout your career. What better than a career in accountancy?

Why Accountancy?

All organizations, from home businesses and start-ups to NGOs and multinational corporations, need accountants to manage their financial obligations. This remains true regardless of the state of the economy. As such, accountants will always be able to find new opportunities throughout their careers. 

There is a great need for qualified accountants throughout the country. The Malaysian Institute of Accountants reports that the country is still short of its targeted 60,000 accounting professionals. With the current standing of just under 40,000, it is expected that Malaysia will only reach the target number in 2030. 

Having a good understanding of accountancy and finance principles opens doors to a myriad of jobs, not just those traditionally linked to numbers. 

All of these mean accountancy students have everything going for them once they graduate.

Accountancy, a career of limitless opportunity

As a qualified accountant, you can:

• Enjoy highly flexible and rewarding career options: Just within the field of accountancy, there are ample subspecialties to explore, be it actuarial science, forensic accountancy, and sustainability reporting among others. Accounting also supports the entrepreneurial spirit in you and becomes useful if being your own boss is something you have in mind for your future.
• Advance quickly in your career: Your career ladder leads all the way to board-level positions. With the right set of professional skills and experience, accountants can find themselves pursuing specialised positions such as a budget analyst, auditor, tax certified public accountant or a corporate financial officer and make their way to the top; with each position offering higher remuneration and prestige.
• Work in any industry or business sector: Your choices are limitless. It doesn’t matter if you choose to work at a big accounting firm in the heart of the city or at a small-town design boutique, general accounting standards and rules are the same across industries.
• Pursue a career anywhere in the world with accountancy: The profession equips graduates with financial, business, and digital skill sets that are relevant from one country to the next. It’s basically an international qualification that works in any country you choose to explore. The difference may only be minor exceptions in terms of processes between countries and the scale of business. 
• Various roles: The organisational, analytical, and technical skills accountants possess prepare them for a variety of roles that goes beyond accounting. From a legal expert in finance to a writer of accounting texts, an individual with a degree in accounting has the freedom to explore an array of career fields.

The Future of Accountancy  

We have been warned for years that artificial intelligence (AI) is slowly taking over the world but that may not be a bad thing. While many of us are concerned of losing our jobs to AI, the rise of the latest technology entering the workforce creates new products and services, brings about new markets, and improves productivity. According to ZipRecruiter, an employment marketplace, AI has created three times as many jobs as it took away in 2018. AI may have come into play in completing repetitive tasks such as recording data and sorting transactions. However, the inception of AI has simultaneously led to new accountancy specialties such as forensic accounting and IT governance. The availability of large amounts of new information due to AI creates a demand for skilled accountants to interpret and process this data.

So, Why Choose ACCA?

If you happen to have your sights set on being an accountant, being an ACCA-accredited accountant is the way to go. You can become an ACCA accredited accountant within a period of just 4 years without the need of a degree in accounting. Enrolling in a course under the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants is like pushing a fast-forward button that propels you to acquiring a master’s degree level accreditation. 

Aside from being a laboursaving option, ACCA offers a comprehensive selection of professional modules that are developed by business leaders and is recognised around the world, with its graduates being highly sought after. 

In addition to working with over 7,400 employers in its network, ACCA is also one of the most forward-thinking professional accountancy bodies, offering vast resources which include relevant modules for Continuous Professional Development, Professional Insights reports, webinars, and forums that keep members up to date on topics that affect the profession and the business world. 

Ultimately, you can be more assured of a career path that is stable, one that offers many opportunities for growth, and is often well-paying to boot. You can start this future-proof journey with ACCA’s flexible study options and be among the lucky 1000 students to enjoy an RM1 billion bursary when you enrol in its Foundation in Accountancy (FIA) programme.

What are you waiting for? Click here for more information on ACCA's courses and programmes offered. Alternatively, you may email [email protected] for other enquiries.