Ever since I was young, I’ve loved mathematics. I find being able to solve a complex equation fulfilling. However, I never thought of becoming an accountant. I started to get more interested in finance after studying ACCA. It made me realise that accounting and finance is beyond number crunching. I learned how potentially boring facts and data can be turned into useful information and insights for decision-makers.
I got even more attracted to finance when I started my career at independent media publisher The Smart Local, as there is always something new to learn in this fast-paced industry. My role includes performing financial analysis, preparing project budgets, processing payroll, handling the operational accounting of the company’s regional offices across South-East Asia, and liaising with the external auditor during annual audit.
My team listen to my ideas and make me feel valued enough to openly state my opinions
I enjoy learning new things every day. I like our culture of lifelong learning. I’m also grateful to work with a team who are supportive and collaborative. When there is a new task to be completed, my manager allows me to come up with my own solution first instead of following a template. My team listen to my ideas and make me feel valued enough to openly state my opinions. This transparency and flexibility have helped me to think out of the box, allowing me to take ownership of my work, improve my confidence and become more efficient.
ACCA has given me the foundation I needed to grow in my role. I’ve learned various skills, such as commercial acumen, critical thinking, strategy and communication, and my ability to respond to requests has been tested. Studying ACCA has also taught me about how identifying patterns and trends can be useful in analysing a company’s performance. I often use charts and graphs when preparing my reports to provide more insights and information.
My biggest career influences are, first, my mum, who gave me a strong work ethic. Not by just saying it, but by living it. Since I was little, she has always reminded me of the importance of being faithful in little things, so that God can entrust us with bigger responsibilities in life. She always maintains a positive attitude and never complains, no matter how hard it is. Appreciate the little things in life and never take things for granted.
Second, the current CFO at TSL is the first person to believe in my potential to perform financial analysis. I almost wanted to change career path before joining TSL. In my second month, he entrusted me with building a financial dashboard to solve issues with manual reporting. That’s when I found my passion in the finance profession. The power of trust.
