If you think accounting professionals can only take up jobs as accountants or auditors, you are wrong.

Diversified Career Development
Career development for the accounting industry is huge. Student Promotion Manager of ACCA (The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Hong Kong Brenda Lam says that accounting professionals can also take up career in financial services as well as business development.

“There are so many choices in accounting industry for job seekers. For example, it would be an advantage for credit managers in banks to have accounting knowledge,” Ms Lam says, adding that some accounting professionals in management level may take up their career in business development since it is quite common for management staff in a corporation to help in developing business.

Open Access Qualification
To get into the field of accounting, one does not need to be an accounting major at university because people can get ACCA’s professional qualification which is an open access qualification. “People of any educational background can get entry to ACCA’s professional examinations, including degree holders of any disciplines, school leavers with 2A3O (2 A-level passes and 3 O-level credits), and mature students (21 years old or above),” Ms Lam says, adding that it is however not easy to pass the exams if one does not possess accounting background.

She recommends people taking up junior positions and not having high educational level to get ACCA’s CAT (Certified Accounting Technician) qualification. “This is especially suitable for secondary school leavers and LCCI holders who do not yet have the confidence to pass the ACCA professional exam,” Ms Lam says. She comments that CAT allows job seekers to acquire some basic qualification and a solid foundation because it imparts very practical knowledge. People possessing CAT qualification can apply for positions of audit supervisor or accountant in SMEs as well as tax inspector II and assistant tax assessor in the Hong Kong government.

International Recognition
Although the entry requirements of ACCA professional qualification are low, it does not mean the qualification is easy to obtain. Ms Lam reveals that the passing rate for Part III of the exam is just around 50%. In spite of the difficulty, many people take the exam because it is a required professional qualification for accountants in Hong Kong. In addition, ACCA is an internationally recognized qualification and possessing it would be an advantage for working in multinational corporations.

Versatile Accounting Professionals
As the job market in Hong Kong is vibrant these years, accounting professionals are in high demand. Recent news reports even show that some corporations are in urgent need of accounting talents to fill up job positions. So, in addition to academic qualifications and working experience, what other specific qualities and skills are required if one wants to join this industry? Ms Lam comments that job seekers should not be afraid of numbers basically. Besides, they should be meticulous to details and possess high analytical power. Sound communication skills and language abilities are also essential because after all, accounting is a service industry. “Nowadays, professional qualification is essential if one wants to pursue advancement in career,” Ms Lam adds.

ACCA Hong Kong regularly conducts free information sessions for people who are interested to join the accounting industry. Job seekers can get more details on the updated job market situation, career prospects and ways to obtain professional qualification. More details on ACCA Information Session and CAT Information Session can be found at the ACCA Website.