NEW graduates of the Brunei Darussalam Institute of Certified Accountants (BICPA) and FTMS Global Incorporated (BICPA-FTMS) Accounting Academy attributed their success at obtaining their certification to persistent hard work and dedication.
Students who obtained their Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) certification yesterday spoke to The Brunei Times on the challenges they faced throughout the duration of the course and on the ACCA certification as an important choice for aspiring accountants.
Doreen Ng Lee Chin was taking the course on a part-time basis while working at the Royal Brunei Training Services (RBTS). In high spirits, she said that she was deliriously happy about getting her ACCA and was happy that the weight has been lifted off her shoulders.
"I have been doing this course on and off for the past five years and I must admit that there were times where it became stressful, but it was all worth it," she said.
During that time, she said that giving up was an option she considered but she managed to get through it all due to the tremendous support from the people around her. "If it weren't for my family and friends as well as my lecturers, I wouldn't be here today."
Even though it was a stressful time, Doreen recommended that aspiring accountants take this course because it is worth doing as it is a professional course that is internationally recognised.
Another graduate, Bridget Lee, faced a whole different kind of challenge as she was pregnant with her first child for part of the course. Even so, she urge those who want to pursue a career in accounting to participate in the course as it will prove very helpful when entering the workforce.
"This is a very good course in accounting. Whatever you learn during the course is not only upgraded constantly but directly applicable to the job you choose, should it involve accounting," she said.
Although there is hard work involved, acquiring the professional certification does not have to take a lot out of an individual who can allocate time, dedication and discipline while performing the course. "It was not easy being pregnant while at the same time studying for the exams but I can share that time management is my secret. If you can learn to manage your time, you can manage anything else," she said.
A Brunei LNG (BLNG) employee, Eng Chun remembered that while he was studying for the ACCA, sacrifices had to be made as he was also working full-time at BLNG, which brought about a buried social life at the time.
He said that it took him a few years before he achieved his lifelong dream on becoming a professionally qualified accountant. "It was hard to juggle between studying and working. During my leave, I still had to keep on studying because I knew that one day it was going to be worth it," he said.
With the weight finally lifted off his shoulders, he encourages those aspiring to become professional accountants to rise up to the challenge and do the course.
"It is so worth it because you are dealing with a certificate that is the key to worldwide recognition. This is a passport to a global career and besides being an accountant, there are so many other things you can branch out to, like an auditor or a tax consultant for instance," he said.
According to a press statement by the BICPA-FTMS Accounting Academy, the ACCA qualification is UK-based and has worldwide recognition. The examination sat by the students in Brunei are the same as those sat by students in other parts of the world.
The Brunei Darussalam National Accreditation Council (BDNAC) of the Ministry of Education recognises the ACCA course conducted by the academy as a "professional accounting course".
The interviews were conducted during the convocation ceremony of the BICPA-FTMS Accounting Academy where 22 graduates received their certificates at the Rizqun International Hotel yesterday afternoon.
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