What subjects did you take in school and how have these influenced your career path?
At school I chose subjects that I liked and not subjects that I thought would influence my career. As I saw it at the time, the main aim of doing the leaving cert was to choose subjects that you thought you'd score highly in, so that you could garner sufficient points to do your preferred college/University course.
Although I still stand by the above view of the leaving cert, I would suggest that if you can do a subject (that you like) and that is related to your proposed future career then by all means do it. I would suggest doing accountancy as a subject (if available)for the leaving cert as it would directly benefit those who want to pursue Chartered Accountancy as a career. This would help lay down the fundamentals and aid in your studies in later years.
Professional Qualifications: 1) Chartered Accountant ACA 2) Currently studying for AITI qualification.
What aspects of your education have proven most important for your job?
The only advice I can give here is this:
1) Do Accountancy as a leaving cert subject (if available).
2) If you do the B.Comm Degree, major in Finance in your final year, as this will give you a very good basis for the Chartered Accountancy exams that you sit after you finish your degree. And it will give you an edge.
Other than that, I think that the more life experience you have the better a Chartered Accountant you become. Life experience only comes with time so I wouldn't worry too much about acquiring it in the short-term.
Have you undertaken, or do you plan to undertake any further training as part of your job?
Sometimes, due to work being so busy, employers may not have relevant upskilling structures in place for their employees. The onus can generally be on the individual to pursue courses/qualifications(outside the firm)that they want to complete and hope that the qualification is relevant enough for the employer to sponsor some/all of the cost of participation. One of the very progressive features of the Chartered Accountancy qualification is that there is an annual requirement for Chartered Accountants to complete CPD (Continuous Professional Development) Courses.
Chartered Accountants Ireland have a comprehensive list of courses, ongoing throughout the year, which are available for its members to attend. These courses cover a wide range of business areas and provide an opportunity for members to learn new skills or be updated on latest financial/business developments in relation to various business sectors. This constant upskilling is something that keeps Chartered Accountants at the forefront of their profession and is very useful in terms of a members career. The diversity of courses available are such that a member can chose those courses that relate specifically to his area of business or area of interest, thereby providing him with a useful, constant educational tool.
