ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 1. ACCA Student Engage Transcript

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1 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 1 ACCA Student Engage Transcript MD: Marcus Dare Catherine Edwards, Head of Qualifications, ACCA Paula Quinton-Jones, Standard Chartered Bank MD: [00:01] Hello, and welcome to student engage, live from London. This is the latest edition of ACCA's worldwide online seminar programme, keeping you in touch wherever you are. To answer your questions, ACCA's head of qualifications, Catherine Edwards, and joining her, Paula Quinton-Jones, of Standard Chartered Bank, one of the world's most international banks in terms of the diversity of the people that it employs. Now, over the next half hour or so, we'll be addressing the major issues affecting you, as you work towards your professional qualification. The online interest has been enormous, more than 600 questions have been submitted by ACCA's students, from all over the world. Now, if you're watching live, then you can still submit a question, just by using the box at the bottom of this webpage. [00:49] Now, given the scale of interest, I hope you'll understand that ACCA will not be able to send individual responses, but we are going to address the main categories of concern. You'll also see that there are links to webpages you may find useful, and you're encouraged to make good use of these. Now, Paula and Catherine, understandably, in the current economic circumstances, students may be a little nervous, and the pressures of getting practical experience, obviously, a big issue, just how tough is it out there for students at the moment? [01:22] I think it's no secret that we are facing pretty tough times. And, certainly, the market has become a lot more competitive. I think what students need to bear in mind is that there are still opportunities out there, they're going to be much more closely contested, and they really need to go in for the long game. There might not be the opportunities available immediately, but the more experience you build up, the more you focus on what your career strategy's going to be, when the market picks up again, you're going to be better placed to go. MD: [01:51] Now, Catherine, a good time to defer the studies and put it off and wait for better times, perhaps? [01:57] Not entirely, and obviously the ACCA Qualification consists of exams and the work experience, so, certainly crack on with your exam, and meanwhile try and work towards practical experience in inventive ways, if you come to it later on, perhaps, to try and get there, because, at the end of the day, there is still a shortage of professional accountants, world-wide, so, aiming for that ultimate goal is very good, but, meanwhile, ACCA obviously are very aware of the students' issues

2 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 2 and problems in getting experience and try to remain responsive in whatever way we can. MD: [02:22] But right now, this is the time to get a qualification and a good one. Indeed. MD: Now, let's get on with these questions. The first one we've got is from David Olomu in Nigeria. The practical experience requirements have attracted the bulk of the questions, I suppose, David's question, a really straightforward one, can you explain it? What it is, why it's so important? [02:45] Certainly, Marcus. To become an ACCA qualified accountant, there are three components that you have to carry out, you have to pass 14 exams, you have to complete an online professional ethics module, and you have to carry out a practical experience requirement. The practical experience requirement is based on the International Federation of Accountants International Education Standards, and basically, it consists of students having to complete 13 performance objectives. There are nine performance objectives that relate to general behaviour in the workplace, how to manage themselves, how to use IT, how to communicate effectively, how to manage an assignment or manage others, that type of thing, very good, broad, general-based skills. Additionally, they have to choose four from a large number of option performance objectives, that will focus on their technical skills, if they work in a financial reporting environment or a performance management or a financial management environment, and so on and so forth. They have quite a wide range where they choose just four of those to reflect their work. MD: [03:46] Passing the exam is not enough. Passing the exams is a component of the qualification, the practical experience is another component and very important. MD: You recruit a lot, obviously, for Standard Chartered, so, what is your view of the practical experience requirement as part of the ACCA Qualification? [04:04] Well, the practical experience requirement is absolutely essential to us, and it's one of the reasons why we've chosen the ACCA as the qualification that we use for our finance students, because it is integral to it. I'm not hiring mini-calculators or little computers on legs, I need people who can take the technical experience and technical skills they're gaining through the qualifications, and adapt it and implement it in a business environment, and as that business environment changes, people who have been

3 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 3 able to implement that technical background will be more agile and be able to serve us as a business. MD: [04:35] So, if you had somebody who had very good academic qualifications but no practical experience, or vice versa, which would you prefer? [04:42] It's very much dependent on the level they're coming in. If they're coming in as a trainee and they're going to go through the ACCA programme, then the practical experience element is probably slightly less important, but I'd still want to see some element of having been in the workplace and understanding what's involved. MD: [04:58] Okay. We're going to Ghana now, Paintsil Adomah asks, what effect would it have on their qualification and experience if they don't complete the practical experience requirement before or after completion of the ACCA exams? [05:13] Well, as I mentioned previously, you cannot call yourself ACCA qualified, you cannot become a member, use the ACCA letters after your name, until you have completed the exams, the online ethics and the practical experience. And the reason for this is, as Paula said, the exams are just one component, they allow you to learn the theory about something and to write it on paper, what actually happens, the purpose of the practical experience is to put those skills into practice, to be able to observe in the workplace what actually happens, develop the judgement that you need to become a professionally qualified accountant, and of this, it's an integral part of the qualification, simply because, when you are an ACCA member, you are a professional accountant and people need to come to you knowing that you have a certain amount of experience and knowledge, and that's what makes it very important. MD: [06:00] Now, getting that experience is all-important to an ACCA student. Alvin Paul from Trinidad and Tobago, wants to know how he's to gain practical experience if employers won't hire anyone without any relevant experience. Sounds a complicated one. Does this happen? Can you understand Alvin's concern? [06:18] Absolutely. And it is a really tricky one, but I think what people have to do is try and be creative as possible about how they can gain that experience. So, you don't only have to look at large organisations that you know by name, who can offer you an internship or work experience, there are lots of smaller organisations, in particularly, things like charities and societies, who may not be able to afford to pay for someone with actually the level of expertise that you have already, you could come in, build up a lot of expertise with them, and they would be very, very glad for your services. So, especially in the current climate, I think the key is think creatively about where else you can pick up those skills.

4 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 4 MD: [06:54] If you had a student come to you and say, "tough times, couldn't get any experience," how would you respond? [07:01] It's not ideal, to be honest, because everyone's in the same boat. And one of our values at Standard Chartered is creative, so, I'd be looking for someone who has gone out and found something new, and that also says a lot about their commitment and their motivation in the long term. MD: [07:13] And would you say that's true across the whole industry? I think, yeah. MD: Yeah, okay. Now, we're going to Canada, Natasha Angol wants to know if it's possible to submit work experience to meet the practical experience requirement that was gained prior to becoming an ACCA student. And if you can, how many years can you go back? [07:32] Indeed. Well, the easy answer is, yes, you can use previous experience, but it's very, very important to make sure that that experience is still relevant experience. And, of course, the practical experience isn't just about getting three years worth of work, 36 months of work. As we mentioned earlier, you need to complete performance objectives. So, to be able to count performance objectives, you need to be able to remember it well enough to be able to answer our challenge questions, and perhaps, with more difficulty, you need to find the person who supervised your work, and they would also need to be able to sign off those performance objectives, that's your workplace mentor, which we'll talk more about later. MD: [08:07] So, taking the cash to the bank after working in a restaurant isn t quite what... [08:10] A bit trickier. So, theoretically, there's no time limit, but it probably needs to be very recent because of the stringent rules on answering the challenge questions and getting them signed off by a workplace mentor. MD: Okay, so, yes you can, but it's got to be relevant. Mm-hm. MD: Lai Wai Sheung from Hong Kong has been employed as a senior auditor in one of the Big Four audit firms for more than five years, says they re now self-employed, providing taxation and accounting services, how can they complete the PER? [08:42] Well, there's a few parts to her question, actually, which are very interesting. First of all, as an ACCA student, you are very limited in

5 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 5 the types of self-employed services you're able to offer directly to the public. You can only offer basic bookkeeping services, for instance, taking accounts to a trial balance or basic VAT, payroll type services. All of these services, just for surety, are covered very clearly in the ACCA rulebook, and all students also get that copied into their post registration packs. So, obviously, need to be careful, within those guidelines. MD: Are saying it's impossible? [09:14] No, not at all. MD: It can be done. You can get certain performance objectives. However, for any of your self-employed work to count, it has to be supervised. If you personally are giving it direct to the public, it's not counting towards your PER. However, what it may be doing is building other skills that, when Paula, for instance, was talking about looking for somebody, having certain skills may be helpful in getting you into other organisations. MD: And in the current environment, many people may take the opportunity to get self-employed work, to do other things, so, how would you respond if somebody did that, and then came to you in a few years time and said, this is what I've been doing? [09:51] Well, I think it's something we'd respond to very positively. Not only are you still building up those technical skills that will be very important, and, you know, as somebody who's running their own company, again, you're probably going to have a broader basis of skills than maybe if you were specialising in a very large organisation. But, again, it comes back to those transferable skills and what else you've picked up. For an organisation like ours, where we work in a lot of emerging markets, we might have people going out to places who are, effectively, helping to start up an office. If you're built up your own business, there are skills there that we can really, really use. There's that entrepreneurial spirit, the actual going out and making it happen and taking on that sort of responsibility, all of those add value around the technical financial skills that we'd be looking for. MD: And just make sure you get it right [10:34] Absolutely, as I say, just that one caveat, in terms of, be very wary, there is a very strong limit to what you're able to offer, as a student. MD: [10:43] To Pakistan, Arslan Khan asks, should I complete the ACCA Qualification exams first and then get experience?

6 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 6 [10:52] The ACCA Qualification is actually designed to be very flexible. In a perfect world, you'll get a job that's going to sponsor you, you're going to do the exams, alongside the work experience, and, obviously, the two go together. However, the ACCA is very, very flexible and recognises that people like to do things in different ways, that's why we allow you to count prior experience, when you then later register as an ACCA student, or some people chose to study full-time and then do the work experience afterwards. So, there's no one right answer, the nice thing about doing the exams alongside the work is that you get to apply in the workplace what you're learning in the classroom. But, of course, you can save it up for later, do you exams, and refresh yourselves when you're in the workplace. MD: [11:34] Either way, you have to do it? Either way you do it, absolutely. MD: Staying in Pakistan, Umer Pervaiz has completed the relevant ACCA training and submitted this to ACCA, in those circumstances, once that's done, is that it, or do you still have to submit a PER return, annually? [11:52] You still do a PER return annually, until you actually become a member. So, perhaps he's completed his work experience but hasn't finished the exams, so, he will continue to need to submit the return each year, until he applies for membership. Or, similarly, a student who's perhaps studying full-time, should still submit a PER return annually, even if to say, not done anything else since, because I'm studying full-time. MD: That's important, so, even if you've done nothing, you need to say so. [12:17] Yes, until you become a member. MD: Until there's a proper track record there. Hm-hm, hm-hm. MD: And the commitment to provide that return stops when you get those ACCA letters? [12:26] Absolutely, when you've completed the exams, the ethics and the experience. MD: Okay, now, where do you get that experience? Deepak Ramdath, from Trinidad & Tobago, wants to know if it's better to get the relevant work experience in a small or large organisation? Paula [12:42] It's very much sort of linked to what your aspirations are and what works for you, at that point. I think there are pros and cons on

7 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 7 both sides. In a larger organisation, you'll probably have to specialise a lot more because you'll be part of a larger team with a lot of specialist skills in it. MD: A small fish in a bigger pond. [13:00] Exactly. Whereas, in a smaller organisation, you might be pulled onto different projects because you are the resource that they need. I think once you go beyond that, it's things like, what is the training structure like? What is the career development like? That might be more tightly managed in a larger organisation, whereas, in a smaller organisation, you might have the opportunity to tailor your own development a little bit. There will also be the elements, for example, of salaries, and that sort of thing, which will be very differently structured in large and small organisations. MD: But don't dismiss a small organisation. [13:29] Absolutely not, they can often give you some really great experience that large organisations don't have the need to give you. MD: And somebody may progress quicker. [13:37] Yeah, absolutely. What's important is to make sure you get the right workplace mentor within your actual organisation, whether it's large or small. MD: Workplace mentors, that's the topic we're coming on to now. A lot of questions on this, again. The first one from Tamika Slowley, from Jamaica, works in the banking sector and wants to know who would be a suitable workplace mentor, the manager or the company's internal auditor? [14:04] Okay. Well, the key thing in your workplace mentor is somebody who's very familiar with your work, so, that's a very important part of looking for the right workplace mentor. And, ideally, they need to be a qualified accountant, an accountant recognised by law in your country, or an IFAC member. MD: Not necessarily ACCA qualified? [14:19] Not necessarily ACCA qualified, we do recognise there are other professional bodies around the world as well as in England, yes. MD: But the key thing there is an accountant recognised by your [14:29] Yes, that's the ideal. In some situations, we do recognise your manager is not necessarily a qualified professional, but they might be the right person to sign off your work, they may be part qualified, they

8 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 8 may have a relevant MBA or some such. However, if this was the case, you would further need a training supervisor who is, perhaps, more removed from you, but themselves is a professional qualified accountant. And they will, after the workplace mentor has signed off your work, should I say, they might not be qualified, the training supervisor further countersigns the work. MD: Not so much an issue at a big organisation, I guess. [15:01] I mean, we for our students who come and take the ACCA, they'll allocate a mentor as part of their programme, but, often times, if you speak to your HR team, as well, they will know of people in the business who not only have the right qualifications and background, but also are very amenable to taking on that mentoring role, not just in terms of signing off but really helping develop you. MD: And probably quite experienced at it, I would imagine. Absolutely, yeah. [15:26] If I can just say, ACCA have recently produced a guide for students, actually, to help them find the right workplace mentor. It's just a very short guide for them to hand to a prospective mentor, just outlining what they're looking for and how it helps. MD: And how does someone get hold of that guide? [15:39] That's on the links at the end of the programme, the links will take them straight to the area of the website where they'll be able to see the guide, together with the PER training guide. MD: There you are, a really practical reason for using those links, as well, but don t do it just yet. We're going to the Middle East, Bahrain, Noora Al Mulla, says, after answering each questions for each performance objective, they've printed the page and noticed that the second page contains details required of the workplace mentor and their signature, do they have to let the workplace mentor review the papers, which have been printed manually, and then sign it and send it by mail to the ACCA sounds very long-winded or, in the 21 st century, does the site automatically send an to the workplace mentor? [16:24] Indeed. The facilities print is really there if, for any reason, your workplace mentor hasn't got online access. However, in a perfect world, what would really happen is, once you submit your challenge questions, ACCA will send a notification to your workplace mentor, they'll be able to log in via ACCA to your questions and be able to read those and sign them off, online. MD: Assuming you've got it right.

9 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 9 [16:52] Yes, assuming you've got it right, absolutely, and they can make notes if they ve got any queries or whatever, that you'll both be able to read. But, if your mentor has to sign off the paper version, please do keep it, and keep it safely, but you don t need to send it to ACCA unless you're requested to do so for a PER audit. MD: But being a good accountant, of course, you will have kept it, yes. And the most important thing there, of course, is get your mentor's address right. Absolutely. MD: [17:16] The training development matrix now, we've had a number of questions about, the TDM. First, here, we're going to use this from Hwei Chin Mak in Singapore, is it possible to record previous years' experience using the TDM? [17:32] Yes, indeed. As we mentioned beforehand, you can record your relevant experience, both the number of months and, potentially, the performance objectives, as well, if you can find the right person to sign off. But, certainly, counting towards your 36 months can be recorded, as well. MD: Does it have to be independently verified? [17:47] The 36 months is just written into as you accumulate, so that you're keeping on track of where you're going, but, yes, it could verified it has to be checked to be verified. You would need to keep notes of your work placements, where you were, and so on and so forth, again, if requested for PER audit. MD: So, you have to be meticulous [18:05] In record keeping. MD: Yeah. Beatrice Hangoma in Zambia says, although the TDM is available online, it's proved difficult for some people to complete. Is there another way for students to access the TDM? [18:18] Yes, in a perfect world, you use the TDM online, simply because, as I mentioned, you do have to keep all of your records and it could be requested for audit. However, the paper version is available just by calling Connect. MD: And another one for you, so, that's very clear, you can use the paper version. Medelina Kiwayo in Tanzania wants to know how their workplace mentor access submitted performance objectives to review and then submit back to the ACCA, so, how does the mentor get at this information?

10 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 10 [18:50] Well, once the trainee is completing their performance objectives and answering the challenge questions, they will have set up the details of their workplace mentor online, together, as I mentioned earlier, with the address, and once they actually submit those challenge questions, ACCA will send the notification to the workplace mentor. Now, if the workplace mentor is a member of ACCA, they'll already know how to go in to myacca, however, if they're not, they'll be told how to set up their details to be able to log in, and they'll given a code to link them to their trainee, to that performance objective, so that they can read through the challenge questions then. MD: So, it should all be very straightforward. [19:27] Yes. And there's actually some very good training videos, if anyone's in any doubt, on the website, again, through the PER support link, which you've got at the end of the programme. But, through that PER support link, there's a series of little videos to help you with all the mechanics, if in any doubt. MD: Okay, so use that website. Off to Germany now, Polina Kondratieva, we're working you hard, Catherine, works for an ACCA platinum approved employer and has read that those who work for such employers don't have to record their practical experience. Is that true, and should Polina still set objectives and discuss these with the workplace mentor? [20:01] I think it's probably better for Paula to answer that one. [20:04] Yes, Standard has a platinum approved, because we've essentially been through an audit. MD: Can I just clarify what platinum approved is? It basically means that the training that we provide as part of our ACCA package, if you like, has been audited, submitted to the ACCA, and they've approved it as being a high level of quality and meeting all the requirements that they have for the practical element. So, it's kind of pre-signed off, if you like. And, yes, as part of that, the need to submit isn't there. But I would say, from a development point of view, and as an employer, we would always be looking for that objective setting and review to be going on, for your own benefit as well as meeting the qualification requirements. Performance management, and knowing where you're going and how you're developing, is absolutely essential to building your career. MD: So, if you're with an ACCA platinum approved employee, you don t have to submit the PER, but you still do need to set those objectives. [21:02] If I can just clarify, not required to submit the PER, but you have to actually get your employer to agree that. So, as you say, the

11 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 11 employer might chose for you to still go through the whole process, as practise, but you're not required to submit it. MD: Okay. Now, getting professional experience, always a big, big issue. Abdulrehman Shaukat, in the UK, asks, in current times, credit crunch, how you can secure a job in the banking and finance sector, and how you should approach companies to gain that work experience. Paula, what are you looking for? [21:33] There are still roles out there, but, as we've been saying, all the way through, competition is much more fierce. The approach you need to take is really take stock of what is going on in the market and what does that mean employers like us want. So, for example, risk is a huge thing for us at the moment, tell us about how you have experience of managing risk, understand the environment you're coming to, and show us how your technical skills really match with what we need at the moment. It's that level of research and being able to come to us straightaway with, "I know what your needs are at the moment, and this is how I can meet them." MD: You talked about levels of research there, are you looking for evidence that any potential recruit has actually made the effort to go and find out about the company they're approaching? [22:16] Absolutely. I don't think it matters what industry you go into finance in, you have to understand that you're not just there to work in a silo, you're working as part of that business, and you have to understand what's going on in that business. So, I would expect finance students coming to us to know what the credit crunch is all about, to understand Standard Chartered's position in that credit crunch, and to really understand the business they're working in. MD: Now, of course, the CV is an important part of getting that interview, what are you looking for on that CV? Now, that's a question from Suganthi Tangaya in Malaysia. [22:51] It's a marketing document, at the end of the day, and I think that's something people sometimes overlook. So, whatever you put on there, it has to sell you as a potential employee. Technical skills, obviously, especially for an area like finance, are very, very important, and the fact that you might be studying towards the ACCA Qualification or have made that commitment to it, are ticking that box. You then have to look at what else you can offer. As I said, you're never going to be working in a silo, you're going to be working with other people and with clients. So, communication, team work skills, obviously very, very important. MD: They're tough things to do, CVs, aren't they?

12 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 12 [23:22] They are, they are very tough. And I think one thing that you don t want to do is just put a list of responsibilities in your job. That tells me what someone's asked you to do, I don't know how well you've done it. So, as much detail you can put in about how well you've achieved and met the responsibilities that you've given, really, really sells it. MD: And the other thing, having had friends who've done this, of course, is if you ve put something on the CV, it had better be true, because you're likely to get questioned on it. Oh yes. MD: And I guess you catch people out [23:49] We do, yeah. And if you are being caught out, know when to hold your hands up and stop, I think, is the other piece of advice. MD: Career development. Diego Marquez in the UK has a degree in economics and five years experience in bookkeeping, but feels trapped in accounts payable. What can he do to enhance his prospects of career development? [24:11] My first piece of advice would be to look around in the organisation he's in at the moment, do they have the kind of role that he wants to go to and, if so, can he start networking with the people doing those roles. MD: It's very important that, isn't it? The networking and [24:25] Absolutely, absolutely. It's the best way to find out about what the realities of a role are. And you'll often pick up things that aren't out in the public domain in terms of roles that might be coming up, projects that are coming up, so, that would be the first place to look. I think the other thing to think about is that, these days, graduate schemes, where a lot of people would go for their ACCA training, don't specify how many years ago you did your degree, so, that might still be an avenue that's open to him. MD: But get talking to people. Absolutely, yeah. MD: Nigeria now, Oladunni Popoola is currently working in a bank's marketing department, but would like to move into the finance department to practise what they are learning. What's your advice on this? Your turn to work hard now. [25:11] Again, my first port of call would be, go to the finance department, get to know them, do some work shadowing, offer your

13 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 13 services on a project, because the more they understand what you're doing and what you can offer, the more likely that you are to be at the front of their mind when something comes up. MD: It's making friends, isn't it, and influencing people? [25:27] Yeah, it really is, it's all about networking. I think the other thing is, make sure you've engaged your line manager and your HR manager. The fact that you're working in marketing but studying for the ACCA exams, they're already aware that you have that sort of interest. And most organisations will be very, very committed to keeping a good person within the organisation, even if it's in a different department. So, don't be worried that they're going to see that as a lack of commitment, as long as you can prove that you want to work within the organisation. They'll probably be very supportive and may be able to give you options and advice that you wouldn't get otherwise. MD: This is probably a trite question, but networking, what do you mean by networking? [26:07] Networking's about going out and meeting people who can be useful to you and you can be useful to them. MD: Using people. [26:14] It does sound a bit cynical, but that is what building a network is about. It's not just about making friends with people, it's about using that in kind of a mutual usefulness. So, go and have a chat with someone that you're interested in finding out more about, but keep that communication going, keep them regularly updated, don't let it drop away. MD: Does that mean go to social events. [26:37] Social just dropping a quick every so often. MD: And professional events, I guess, even ones offered by ACCA. [26:42] Indeed, any sort of student events. And there's a lot now where we actually have members come along to talk to students, and that's obviously an important type of event. MD: Now, the academic route is important, as well. Aurangzaib Chawla writes from the UK, had five years experience in finance and budgeting, is their ACCA qualification enough to work in this sector, or should they do further studies, such as LLM or a Masters in Banking and Finance, Catherine? [27:08] Usually the ACCA professional qualification is enough if you're working as a professional accountant. If you are in a more specialised

14 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 14 area, it does sometimes help to add on, but that would be very unique to your particular set of circumstances and your employer, and something to actually work with your employer in deciding before you embark on another set of studies. MD: I would imagine that lifelong learning is important, anyway, Paula? [27:31] Yeah, absolutely. And I think Catherine's absolutely right, if we're looking at finance professionals coming into the bank, we're not necessarily looking for them to have CFA qualifications, for example, which would be financial qualifications. Probably more important is understanding the market, and that practical application of it. A lot of bankers don't have banking qualifications, so, much more important to us that you understand the context you're coming in, as you develop, as you move on, probably as you specialise, that's when we'd be looking at, are there complementary qualifications that we would want to support you through. MD: Right, so, it's an option but not essentially. Normally, yes. MD: International experience now, we've had a few questions on that. Isaac Boamah from Ghana wants to know if he can gain his practical experience in different countries. How would you react to that, if somebody got experience in more than one country, Paula? [28:20] For us, and particularly for Standard Chartered, with our global footprint, we love that kind of experience. We're a very international bank, so, experience in different markets, different regulations, very important. Obviously, it's important to have some experience of the market that you want to work in. Again, it comes back to that value add, it's not just having worked in that market, it's what it means to adapt to living in a different country with colleagues from different cultural backgrounds. MD: Now, I would imagine, from the ACCA's point of view, your qualification does make it possible for you to move but stay in touch with your studies. [28:55] Absolutely. As you're probably aware, we operate in so many countries across the world, all the way from east to west, so, you're able to carry on taking exams, if you still want exams, and, of course, it is a truly international qualification. MD: And one of the great things, of course, working around the world, could often be language skills, which you would find useful.

15 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 15 [29:14] Absolutely, yes. I mean, we would offer language skills, but there are some key ones that we would always look for, because they're in short demand, so, language is good. MD: Off to Mauritius now for another question, on international experience. Neelkunth Hurrylall Sukhari my language skills need improving says that after qualifying, they want to gain practical experience in the UK, is it possible? [29:38] Presumably they're asking, after their exams, they want to come to do or as qualified. They'd need to have legal right to work in the UK, is the short answer. MD: That's quite tough, isn't it? I would imagine, most countries, you've got to have a good reason for coming now. [29:53] Yeah, I mean, the best thing to do is, the website for the British Immigration Authority will have all the different ways in which you can gain legal right to work in the UK, whether that by via ancestry or the kind of skills and qualifications that you have, that can contribute to the country. But that needs to be the first starting point. There are some organisations that can offer work permits, but that's very much on an individual basis and it's really the exception to the rule. MD: And how tough do you find it, as an employer, to bring people in? [30:21] To bring someone in, externally, somebody who's not already in the organisation, in a different country, is very, very difficult, because we have to prove to the British Government that we can't find similar resource somewhere else. And especially when you're recruiting graduates, that's nigh on impossible. MD: [30:36] Yeah, so, it's not impossible, but it is a tough one, and you need to approach it properly. Now, we've come to the end of our time. We have had, as I said, more than 600 questions, so, we haven't been able to answer everyone's individually, but I hope we've addressed the main issues. And thank you for submitting some of those questions in the live programme, as well. Paula, Catherine, thank you very much for answering that, I hope that's been a useful exercise for you, too. Yeah, it has. MD: [31:05] Yeah. And thank you for submitting your questions and watching this presentation. Now, this edition of ACCA student engage will remain accessible via the ACCA website during the year, so, please encourage your fellow students, or even those thinking about becoming ACCA qualified, to take the time to watch. You can also watch it again yourself. Details of other events supporting you in your studies will appear in student accountant and on ACCA's website, so,

16 ACCA Student Engage 08 Transcript 16 do stay in touch, and don't miss out. But, for now, that's it. Good luck with your studies, and thanks for watching. [END]