Learning to Respect Other Professions

Krunal Raichura (Financial Advisory) (2134 Points)

30 October 2009  

There has been large scale comparison of CA with other professions. Many of you have an opinion that CA is the best and CAs are superior because of knowledge, practical training, power to sign balance sheet etc.

 

I have a few words for those who feel that way -

 

CAs are knowledgable because the job and responsibilites of a CA require the candidate to be very knowledgable. MBAs and other professionals who are claimed inferior by you and you label them as people who don't know anything, are that way because their profession/job and role doesn't demand knowledge.There are many jobs/professions/businesses that do not require a person to be knowledgable. Some jobs/professions require a person to have skills. These skills can be developed by anybody over a period of time without spending much money. Examples being acting, singing, dancing, designing of handicrafts/textiles/cars etc, media & entertainment, advertising, MANAGEMENT (It is about skills and not knowledge), Corporate Communications, Organizational Behaviour, Strategy & Operations, Marketing etc. These jobs are again far more remunerative than what jobs in finance are or the professions/jobs which CAs are involved in. Then there are other jobs which require a person to be a good speaker, a patient listener and a they require you to understand your customer. These jobs are in sales, marketing, public relations, corporate communications, cokking - hotel business etc. These jobs again are very attractive, creative, challenging and exciting as well. So, knowledge does not make a course superior. CAs are knowledgable because their role in society and industry require them to be knowledgable. Comparatively, as many of you have pointed out, people from other courses may not be knowledgable. Which is correct, but we also need to keep in mind that those people dont require to be knowledgable. If their jobs/profession would have demanded knowledge, IIMs and other bschools would have surely changed their sylabus and made it in lines with CA. Their role and responsibility does not demand knowledge but it demands skills, attitude etc. Just because of knowledge nothing can be called superior or inferior. The broad picture needs to be kept in mind. So I do not see any reason why any of you should feel MBAs or any other courses are inferior to CA. Further, there is no reason for you to feel that only those jobs that demand knowledge have respect. People who are very skillful, creative have very good respect in society.

 

It is high time you get out of your ego of knowledge and learn to see the broad picture and respect other professions, at the same time try to share knowledge and enhance learning. Further, there is no reason to have any superior or egoistc feeling about the power to sign a balance sheet. The balance sheet is the last thing. First is Business. Without the ability to produce/provide high quality goods/service at competitive rates and finding a market for the same, having leadership...there will be no cash flow and no business and thus no balance sheet. The power of signing balance sheet is nothing in front of the entreprenuers and the people who are behind it. So be very clear that the people who generate revenue would always be more powerful, wealthy than those who just keep account of it and do the tax related work therin. The people whose balance sheets are being signed by you are paying you. They are very smart and have proved their capability. There is nothing that to suggest that power of signing balance sheet is more than the power of entrepreuneurship which is behind the balance sheet. 
 
 
If any of you feel that respect is only for knowledgable people and those who have power of signing balance sheets, I must say thats the biggest joke of lifetime. Remember, respect is always earned. Respect cannot be taken with power of law or knowledge. It comes to those who respect themselves and others only.
 
 
I am sorry if I have sounded rude, but as a student of a professional course and as an individual, I feel that good human values are extremely essential and therefore one should never have any ego or superiority feeling and at the same time learn to respect others. Being proud of ones stenghts is one thing, and it should always be there, but it shouldn't be done by letting others down.