Why did you choose accounting for your career? Why ACCA?

I have always been a “numbers person”. In secondary school, I chose Business Studies for the Junior Cert and Accounting for the Leaving Cert. I really enjoyed Accounting and could see myself pursuing it as a career in the future. However, for my undergraduate degree, I wanted to give myself the opportunity to learn about other aspects of the business world to see if anything else piqued my interest, and I also wanted to do a course that afforded me to develop my French language skills and complete a number of internships. Thanks to the broad range of subjects that I was able to study, I came to the conclusion that accounting was indeed the path that I wanted to follow. I researched the various accounting qualifications that I could do and ACCA was the one that interested me the most. The mix between financial and management accounting appealed to me, as I felt that it would provide me with a well-rounded understanding and knowledge of accounting and finance. The international recognition of the qualification was also something that motivated me to choose ACCA as I love to travel and could see myself living abroad in the future, so I wanted a qualification that would be recognised around the world.

What field of work or study were you in before you started your ACCA exams?

DCU Global Business France & NEOMA BS International Business Management (4-year double degree undergraduate programme, graduated in 2022)

Why did you choose Accountancy School?

When researching which accounting qualification I wanted to pursue, I spoke to a number of ACCA students who all highly recommended Accountancy School. I also found out about the number of students that had studied with Accountancy School and placed first in Ireland and the world, so this reaffirmed to me that it was a place where I would receive a quality education.

What advice would you give to someone starting their ACCA journey?

The ACCA journey can be quite intimidating. I only had one exemption, and the thought of sitting 12 exams was definitely a daunting one. However, once you get started, you will find yourself so busy with classes and study that you won’t even notice the time and exams pass by. The qualification is really well-structured and allows you to build on and develop your knowledge as you progress. My main piece of advice would be to commit to the process from the very beginning, as it will pay off in the long run. If possible, create a schedule for yourself to plan when you will sit every exam and try to stick to it so that you can finish the qualification by the end date you have put in your mind, as it gives you a goal to work towards and is a great motivation.

What is your career goal after gaining your ACCA qualification?

The next step in an ACCA accountant’s career is often FCCA, and I would like to achieve this. I am currently on a graduate programme, which has given me the opportunity to work on a Group Financial Reporting team and a foreign operating company Controlling team, and from September, I will join the Internal Audit Europe team for 12 months. This programme has given me a great insight into the various finance roles in a large Group. Upon completion of this graduate programme and obtention of my ACCA qualification, I would like to pursue my career in a large Group company. I have particularly enjoyed the external financial reporting work that I have done and would be interested in working in this area again, but I also love to learn and develop my experience, so would be open to trying something completely new in the accounting and finance field.

From left to right:
Louise Johnston, Chair of ACCA Ireland Committee
Abigail Coates, Prize winner
Ronnie Patton, ACCA Global President
Mick Bristow, Accountancy Lecturer