My route into the world of finance goes all the way back to my pre-university days, when I was initially on a path to studying engineering. After the exams, I went for career consultations with different universities, which was where I began to feel connected with finance studies, setting me on the path to accountancy much later.
I had really good lecturers. They inspired me to start off my audit career through their past experiences and explained my career options. Along the way, accountancy became my career path, as I realised that each financial statement speaks its own language about a company’s health and is crucial to the growth of any business, which is what attracted me the most.
I am constantly challenged to do better, learn more and, most importantly, never compromise on audit quality
Throughout my career, audit partners, managers and peers have made the journey both challenging and fulfilling. I am constantly challenged to do better, learn more and, most importantly, never compromise on audit quality. I believe that getting exposure to audits of multiple industries has strengthened my fundamentals.
The common misconception is that auditing revolves around late nights, crunching numbers and meeting never-ending compliance deadlines. While partially true, for me it’s a great chance to learn about different businesses: what works, what doesn’t, why things happen the way they do for a particular entity, etc. Those queries, when answered, manifest into useful analysis for clients to understand certain aspects of their businesses that weren’t explored before. The job is simply very satisfying that way.
With the advance of technology, auditors are now challenged to always use analytics and tools to produce quality audit work. When I read about fintech, insurtech, big data, I don’t see machines replacing future audit work, I see more challenges and opportunities for us auditors to exercise our professional judgment and technical expertise.
In recent years, I have leaned more towards financial services audits, in addition to the usual manufacturing and services sectors. This has enabled me to study and research deeper into the various laws and regulations governing such institutions and the importance of adhering to them.
Similarly, were I to be given policy-making powers, I would probably enact laws to make finance studies compulsory for schoolchildren. Basic financial literacy is very important to ensure no one falls into debt traps unknowingly. Looking at this Covid-19 situation, I believe this is more important than ever. Also, of course, I would back any policies that support human rights and environmental protection laws.
