Introduction:
After completing your ACCA course in Malaysia, you have a wide range of academic and professional options to explore. Completing ACCA doesn’t end your learning stage; the financial sector is huge, with dynamic areas; therefore, ACCA professionals always have room to learn more to polish their skills and enhance their knowledge. Other than that, after completing the qualification, the gateway to numerous international and local ACCA jobs opens.
A diverse career after ACCA awaits you if you are a soon-to-be ACCA-qualified professional who wants to know and explore your options; this guide will be your savior.
Pathways After Completing ACCA:
1: Gain Full ACCA Membership:
The first thing you should be doing after completing your ACCA is to apply for ACCA membership; it is a symbol that you have officially and fully completed the qualification. The ACCA membership adds more worth to your academic and professional profile, attracting more ACCA jobs and enhancing your career after ACCA.
You are eligible for membership once you have achieved success in all the ACCA exams, completed practical work experience, and met all the academic requirements. The title of ‘ACCA member’ itself is enough to give you a kickstart in the finance sector professionally. Therefore, professionals must apply for membership as soon as possible.
2: Advance Your Career After ACCA:
Once you have completed the qualification of ACCA, you are eligible to work in the financial sector locally as well as internationally under various titles and in numerous industries. ACCA’s wealth of academic knowledge and diverse technical skills enables professionals to be a good fit in many entry-level and managerial-level financial roles. There are numerous ACCA jobs in the market for the roles of financial accountant, auditor, advisor, tax consultant, management accountant, forensic accountant, risk manager, etc. Students can start their career after ACCA course in Malaysia, with one of these roles that aligns with their goals, professional level, and expertise.
3: Pursue Further Education:
If you are someone eager for senior-level financial roles, you will need to be either extraordinary in terms of expertise, skills, or academic standing. Therefore, to gain leadership roles, you can pursue further education that will enhance your academic profile and offer better career prospects. The most popular qualifications for ACCA professionals are an MBA, CFA, or CPA; you can choose among these options according to whichever aligns better with your career goals. An MBA is best suited for professionals who aim to get business leadership roles. On the other hand, a Chartered Financial Analyst or CFA qualification is best if your preferred career is in banking or asset management. Whereas, if you aim to expand your financial career in countries like the US, a CPA (Certified Public Accountant) is one of the best qualifications to opt for. You can also accelerate your financial career after ACCA qualification by doing a master’s in finance or accounting, This qualification is perfect if you want to dive deeply into the finance sector.
4: Specialization:
Specialization in a specific area of accounting or finance can help you thrive in your financial career after ACCA; you can specialize in the area of your interest that aligns with your future goals. To enhance the prospects of ACCA jobs, students usually specialize in areas like forensic accounting, taxation, sustainability reporting, risk management, etc. Other than that, aspirants can also consider professional certifications to enhance their career prospects and make their professional profile attractive. The areas of these certifications include SAP, Data Analytics, Cybersecurity, etc. Aspirants are, however, advised to stay current with the industry trends to assess specialization in which area is valued more in the job market.
5: Relocate For Work:
The ACCA qualification is globally recognized and enables its professionals to work internationally as well. This global exposure encourages ACCA members to settle abroad after completing the qualification. To expand their careers after ACCA, professionals can move to countries with more demand for financial professionals to increase the number of opportunities for ACCA jobs. Normally, professionals prefer moving to developed countries or countries with growing financial sectors like the UK, UAE, Singapore, Canada, etc.
6: Start Your Practice:
Other than completely relying on ACCA jobs only, the professionals can also advance their careers after ACCA by starting their practices. ACCA encourages its members to become entrepreneurs; these professionals can offer their financial services, such as advisory, tax consultancy, auditing services, etc. Additionally, ACCA members can also open their consultancy firms where they can offer their services and be their boss. If you have an entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for finance and accounting, this route of career path for the ACCA qualification is the best fit for you.
Conclusion:
ACCA professionals can do various things after completing the prestigious qualification of ACCA; these things include both academic and professional advancements. Starting with the academic advancement opportunities, to enhance your financial career after ACCA, you can pursue higher education and do specializations. On the other hand, you can concentrate on professional changes you can make to enhance the number of ACCA jobs, such as starting your practice, relocating for work, and exploring diverse academic roles. Not to forget the stepping stone to thrive in a career after ACCA is the membership it offers; therefore, aspirants are advised to apply for ACCA membership as soon as the qualification is completed.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: How many modules does the ACCA qualification consist of?
Ans: The number of modules included in the ACCA qualification is 13. This series of exams comprises diverse, dynamic, and unique areas of the financial and accounting sector. These exams are further divided into three levels and taken in 4 sessions in a year.
Q2: What is the best age to start the ACCA qualification?
Ans: There is no age limit in this qualification; aspirants from any age group can start their ACCA journey provided they meet the certain academic eligibility criteria of ACCA.
