Shaping your future with the CPA Program

Three CPAs share how they valued the flexibility of the program

In a post-pandemic economy, demand for young accountants who understand all aspects of business will continue to be strong.

Clients and lawmakers will rely heavily on these professionals for help to manage the impacts of COVID-19, says Priya Terumalay, CPA Australia Country Head for Malaysia.

Providing more than a technical accounting focus, the internationally recognised CPA Program goes beyond numbers, equipping graduates to tackle any of the accounting, finance or business challenges faced in today’s global marketplace.

‘‘As well as assisting clients with debt restructuring, or digital transformation, accountants with the right skills will make the difference between whether a business just survives or thrives,” says Priya.

Develop critical skills to succeed
“I would not be where I am without my CPA qualification,” says Dayana Reza CPA (Aust.), a former Yayasan Peneraju scholar who works for the Securities Commission Malaysia investigating unlicensed activities, misconducts and irregularities.

“I gained the experience and confidence to progress in my career which spans financial and capital markets.”

CPA Australia endeavours to provide students with the most internationally relevant and up-to-date course materials to succeed in today’s world.

Dayana was passionate about the subjects of Global Strategy and Leadership, and Ethics and Governance, both of which she believes play a critical role in developing the base for future leaders.

Jared Low CPA (Aust.) who is currently in a business development role at leading accounting firm CCS & Co also found the Global Strategy and Leadership subject especially valuable.

“It brought me into a lot of brainstorming sessions in setting up the strategy for a company,” says the young accountant, who assisted CCS & Co with digital transformation to enable paperless workflow.

Gaining one High Distinction and four Distinctions in the CPA Program, his main responsibilities now include planning the direction/roadmap of the company and managing the overall operations and resources.

For Emmalina Hood CPA (Aust.), a senior associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers, who was awarded the Certificate of Excellence for her CPA Program exams, the CPA Program enabled an understanding of how a business works as a whole.

(The Certificate of Excellence is presented to members who achieve five or more High Distinctions in the CPA Program.)

Her current role includes performing audits on financial statements, assisting with preparing reports for clients’ senior management and reviewing the work of more junior colleagues.

“As I progress further in my career, I find myself using the concepts I learnt throughout my CPA Program more and more,” she says.

Study when you want
Jared says he chose self-learning while he was working in a professional firm because CPA Australia provides an excellent online learning resource platform.

This includes extensive learning resources such as case studies, videos, business simulations, weekly webinars, module quizzes and downloadable study notes.

“I was able to ask questions and discuss subjects with other students,” he says.

“This gave me a lot of flexibility because I didn’t need to be in the classroom at a certain time.”

Dayana also valued the flexibility of the CPA Program that allowed her to keep multiple balls in the air.

As well as working for the Securities Commission while studying, she was running her own photography business and had just started her Nyonya Kain batik business.

To those who want to succeed as an accounting professional, CPA Australia offers full-time, part-time and self-study options.

A guided learning approach also maps out the study journey for students throughout the semester to help them achieve the results they want.

Face-to-face and online exams are available in most locations globally, with CPA Australia committed to continuous innovation.

Get access to an international network
No matter what the future holds, the CPA Program allows students to hone their skills and safeguard their career with the backing of a world-renowned designation and a network of industry experts.

An international, interconnected member organisation, CPA Australia gives graduates access to career opportunities as well as contacts anywhere in the world. “I’ve met a lot of different people who have taken different paths on their careers and that’s helped open my eyes to the other possibilities available to me as an accounting professional,” says Emmalina.

“My goal is to learn as much about the world around me. To quote the motto of my alma mater, Acora Imparo.”

Says Dayana: “I am still in contact with my peers and grateful to all my lecturers and support team who have been there for me from the start.”

How you can get started
Join a complimentary Become a CPA Information Webinar to find out more about the CPA Program and enjoy a waiver on the application fee. These sessions provide information on the Program's subjects, exam format, study resources, important semester dates, fees and the application process. The CPA Program has special admission pathways with other professional bodies for those holding other professional qualifications. There are special exemptions available under the CPA Australia-MIA MOU pathway for MIA members with a minimum of five years of MIA membership in good standing, with a degree qualification equivalent to an Australian Bachelor’s degree.

The 'CPA Australia - Yayasan Peneraju Sponsorship' and the 'CPA Australia - Universiti Kuala Lumpur (UniKL) - MARA Education Loan' for S1 2022 is now open for registrations.

To find out more, please fill out a simple form by scanning the QR Code below or contact CPA Australia at [email protected] or via call/WhatsApp 012-229 6746 or 012-207 5772. CPA’s friendly team will get back to you at the soonest.

What’s more – Learn from this video how one young accountant achieved greater heights in his career with a flexible study option and a qualification that is highly valued by employers.

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