i m thinking cards not student discount cards Real life stories School leaver route to CIMA

Transcription

1 i m thinking BUSINEss cards not student discount cards Real life stories School leaver route to CIMA

2 SCHOOL LEAVER ROUTE TO CIMA Are you about to leave school or college? I always think a few moves ahead Are you interested in a rewarding and successful career in business? Discover the breadth of roles available to you with the CIMA qualification. Who better to hear from about what it s really like to study CIMA straight from school than current CIMA members? 2 You re thinking like a management accountant already

3 JONATHAN POWER SIÂN JONES Jonathan Power had planned to go to Leeds University after leaving school but everything suddenly changed a week after his A levels finished, when he saw a job advert in the local paper in Cumbria for a trainee management accountant with Nestlé. He applied for the job and, despite being up against university graduates, was offered the post, accepted and began his CIMA training right away. A levels in Physics, Chemistry, Maths and General Studies, William Howard School, Cumbria Sales Planning and Operations Director, Wolverine Worldwide Siân chose to study CIMA instead of heading to university, and became a fully qualified Chartered Global Management Accountant at 22. A levels in Business Studies and Accounting, Yale College, Wrexham Management Accountant, The Global Travel Group Was the job at Nestlé what you expected it to be? It was better. I managed to gain a lot more experience than I anticipated and was promoted to financial analyst. Nestlé really supported me while I was studying and encouraged me to get through the syllabus as quickly as possible. Of course, a pay increase provided some incentive too! Do you ever regret not taking the more relaxed route through university? At times I wondered what I was doing studying on a Saturday while I was working full-time in the week. I d hear from friends at university about the fun they were having, and it was difficult not to feel I was missing out a little bit. But I d made a decision and I ve certainly got no regrets now. As well as accelerating my career a few years I also avoided building up a mountain of student debt. I m now sales planning and operations director at Wolverine Worldwide, the largest shoe company on the planet, and I ve never looked back. Tell us about your current role at Wolverine Worldwide. As well as operations, I m responsible for sales forecasting, analysis, pricing and strategic planning, working within the performance division of the company. I spend much of my time out and about visiting stores, our head office in America or working face-to-face with the organisation s commercial and operational managers. CIMA is a perfect precursor to this commercially focused role, which includes finance, sales and operations. The qualification s analytical focus and coverage of non-financial business drivers has given me the skills to make recommendations and decisions on the crucial choices and challenges faced by the business. What advice would you give to anyone thinking of studying towards the CIMA qualification? With university tuition fees on the rise and graduates burdened with considerable student debt, options such as the direct route into CIMA are more appealing than ever. Before starting out, one of my concerns was whether my job prospects would be reduced by not having done a degree. My experience and career progress to date demonstrate that this is not the case and that employers value the hands-on practical experience that this route brings. Why did you choose to study CIMA after your A levels instead of a degree? I wanted to be able to continue working while I was studying so I didn t have mountains of student debt to pay off when I was finished. This way I have been able to study and save money. I do feel I have an advantage over those who are now looking for work because as well as the qualification I also have the experience behind me. Why did you choose to study CIMA? CIMA is more focused on business than any other professional accountancy qualification and allows insight into other areas of an organisation, such as marketing and human resources. What do you enjoy most about your role? I enjoy the variety. Management accounting allows you to be more involved with the operations of the business and the other departments instead of merely number crunching. You are able to look at the bigger picture and think strategically. You also have more interaction with non-finance staff, which makes the role a lot more interesting. Do people have any misconceptions about your role and accountancy in general? A lot of people think accountants are boring and have no social life. However, I like nothing more than having a drink and a dance with my friends! What advice would you give to anyone thinking of studying towards the CIMA qualification? I would advise anyone to study the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting rather than AAT or a degree. I am now a CIMA member at 22 and this is a great achievement for me. If CIMA was a holiday destination where would it be and why? CIMA is like a skiing holiday in the French Alps. It can be tough but worth it! CIMA is about looking at the numbers and doing something about them. CIMA enabled me to qualify without mountains of student debt. 4 5

4 NATHAN TAYLOR-WRIGHT SARAH YOUNG Nathan joined Commerzbank in 2003 straight from sixth form. During his time at Commerzbank, Nathan has completed both a degree in business studies and the CIMA Professional Qualification. Degree in Business Studies, University of East London, part-time distance learning Project Manager, Commerzbank AG Sarah landed a job as junior finance administrator after her A levels and soon progressed to assistant accountant. She received financial support from her employer at the time, Perseus Pinacl Holdings Ltd which enabled her to complete the CIMA Certificate in Business Accounting within six months. A levels in Accountancy and Law, Llandrillo College Assistant to Group Accountant, Deep Sea Leisure Ltd Why did you decide not to go down the traditional university route? The idea of being in significant amounts of debt before I d even started full-time employment was a major factor. Also, I didn t necessarily buy into the notion that going to university would enhance my prospects of employment after graduation, especially for a career within banking. Competition for graduate places is ever increasing. With that in mind, I looked around for schemes that would offer me a degree and a professional qualification while working full-time to gain valuable practical experience. Tell us about your role at Commerzbank and the school leaver scheme. I am currently a project manager within corporates and markets, working in the investment banking project execution team. Our team supports business units in achieving their strategic board objectives by managing their projects. The school leaver scheme is a three and a half year programme where Commerzbank takes on A level leavers and provides them with a platform for a career within banking using a combination of practical training and academic attainment. The scheme is geared towards attracting talented students living within the inner city London boroughs who would not normally have an opportunity to get a degree or aspire to work within the financial services. Why did you choose to study CIMA? I was doing a lot of work focused around business management so CIMA was the most natural fit. The wide range of topics taught in CIMA really helped me to put into practice issues I was dealing with on a day-to-day basis. What do you enjoy most about your job? The most enjoyable part of my job is the variety it provides. Every day is different and I have exposure to a wide network of colleagues across the bank. The most rewarding part of the role is now being in charge of the school leaver programme. Having come through the programme nine years ago, I am in a position to give others the same chances that I had and more, and demonstrate by example that you don t necessarily need to go to university to have a successful banking career. How has studying CIMA straight from school helped you? Studying CIMA straight from school has given me the opportunity to secure an amazing role, in a dynamic multinational company without the ongoing financial burden of student debt. I have managed to gain four years experience and progress to a higher level role in the time it would have taken me to complete a degree. How did you land your current role? After being made redundant, I joined an accountancy agency who introduced me to my current employer. The fact that I was studying towards the CIMA Professional Qualification and was so far through my studies helped me enormously. I now work in a fantastic environment among 10ft sharks, otters and tropical fish! I love the variety of work; I work across all nine of our UK sites looking for ways to improve the systems and working practices. Do people have any misconceptions about your role and accountancy in general? Unfortunately there is a misconception that accountancy is boring and is just about the numbers. In reality there are many aspects to the role including working with people at different levels, not just inanimate spreadsheets. You have the opportunity to stamp your personality on all the different roles you undertake. How do you see CIMA contributing to your future career? Being an internationally recognised professional qualification, CIMA is the foundation on which I can build my career, not only in the UK but anywhere in the world. Management accounting will always be the cornerstone of successful businesses and in the future I hope to have an input at a senior level. Is there any advice you would give to future students thinking of studying towards the CIMA qualification? Studying the certificate level straight from school allowed me to progress quickly and pass all of my exams by the age of 21. I would strongly advise others to seriously consider this direct vocational route. I completed a degree and the CIMA qualification while working full-time. Doing CIMA straight from school enabled me to qualify by the age of

5 Find out more about the varied jobs CIMA members and students do, and discover where CIMA can take you: Interested in the school leaver route to CIMA? Find out how to get started: