I have found that being a trainee ICAEW Chartered Accountant has raised my profile within the firm. I am now seen as the ‘go to’ guy in the tax department when my colleagues have accounting related issues. It has also given my superiors the confidence to nominate and send me for a global tax program in the United States. This is an exclusive program that provides training in US taxation where the selected candidates are assigned to various cities in the United States for a two year period to put their training into practice.

So far the experience has been amazing but challenging. The taxation system is highly developed and complex in the USA so the studies are very in-depth. The learning curve is steep but I have received excellent support and coaching from the firm. The knowledge gained from my ACA studies has also prepared me for dealing with complex international tax issues.

My role as a Tax Manager means I provide tax advice to clients and conduct regular research into tax and accounting issues. The variety of my work allows me to continue learning and developing. It also gives me satisfaction to be able to provide advice and add value to my clients’ businesses.

The combination of work experience with PwC and studying for the ACA has improved my ability to analyse issues in greater depth, think critically and creatively in developing solutions. The most enjoyable part of my job is that I get to meet and deal with clients in a variety of industries and geographies.

My greatest achievement so far was getting first place in ICAEW’s global Financial Accounting and Taxation exams and was awarded the Spicer and Pegler prize as well as the Little Prize. I am extremely proud to be the first locally trained Singaporean candidate to be awarded first place for two consecutive subjects on the ACA’s worldwide leader board.

For anyone considering a career in chartered accountancy; the path to becoming an ICAEW Chartered Accountant is challenging and requires a lot of determination. If you have decided that you want to be a chartered accountant just keep going and never give up.