Dear Students,
You’ve just received your CA Final results on 19th July. I am fully aware of the tension, nervousness and the pain in the stomach for the few days preceding the CA result. After all, those few numbers are going to make your career and entire professional life ahead.
To those who have cleared –
Firstly, welcome to the club. You will soon be a part of one of India’s most prestigious community of professionals. Here are a few things for you to keep in mind:
1. Take a breather and celebrate. You’ve earned it. Thank the Almighty, your family, your teachers, your friends and your well-wishers. Remember that they took as much efforts as you did and are a big part of your success.
2. Think about the future – you can pursue several career paths. On one hand, practice is a good option for those who have had good exposure in their articleship, have a family practice, have been offered a partnership by their principals etc. There are several avenues in practice itself – audit, tax, management consulting, project finance etc. – so play on your strengths and choose accordingly.
3. In the industry too, there are several options like – Big 4, banking, insurance, finance department in any company etc, family business etc. Depending on your interests and your exposure during your articleship – you can choose a corporate path. Several reputed companies including McKinsey & Co, BCG, HUL, Deutsche Bank, P&G, Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Maruti Suzuki, ITC etc. hire CA freshers in various departments.
4. If you are looking for a job, spend time preparing a resume highlighting relevant experience. Practice a few mock interviews along with standard questions to help boost your confidence. Revise your concepts for technical rounds. Reach out to seniors and other contacts to help you with openings and career advice.
5. Stay true to professional values. Help juniors and students in the CA field. Uphold the highest standards of integrity. Reach out to fellow CAs for knowledge sharing, networking and business opportunities. You are the face of the CA profession now – so remember to live up your values. Be proud to be a CA.
To those who couldn’t make it –
1. Take a couple of days off to relax. It is natural to be angry at ICAI, and many students feel that marks were manipulated etc. However, anger and denial will only be counter-productive in the long-run.
2. Try to analyse your marks to understand better where you went wrong. This will help you find your area of weakness – whether it is writing speed or a particular subject. Speak to your teachers to get their perspective on where you are falling short.
3. Based on your analysis, prepare a time table for action for the next attempt. Ensure you have budgeted adequate time to compensate for your weak area. Speak to seniors and teachers to help mitigate your problem areas, and follow their guidance. Constantly review your studies against your plan to ensure you are not slacking off. Read the ‘Prep talk’ section in my other article on caclubindia.com /articles/open-a-winning-account-ace-the-ca-14342.asp#.UAqt9bSyZ98 for some exam tips.
4. Do not lose hope or despair. The value of the CA membership is what it is because it is an extremely difficult course. There have been several eminent CAs who have gone on to have glorious careers, but had not cleared their exams in the first attempt. If you work hard and effectively in your studies, nothing can come in the way of you cracking the exam.
All the Best!
Regards
CA Aniket Nikumb
CA Nov 11 Rank 29
CAclubindia
