What prompted you to start your CIMA qualification?
Though I was born in Germany, a fair share of my life was spent in Sri Lanka; an island with a lot of qualified CIMA professionals. Having CIMA holders in my family circle and seeing how convincing their career stories were, encouraged me to acquire this qualification to shape my future which today I realize was a prolific decision. The groundwork laid by CIMA has helped me to pursue both my Bachelors and Masters degrees.
What turned out to be your biggest challenge in the CIMA qualification process?
Effective planning and task prioritization. Starting the CIMA journey in parallel to my Bachelor’s degree in Sri Lanka followed by an internship and a thesis while balancing the quality of my private life was indeed a tedious task. Yet, I was able to complete 02 levels of CIMA and successfully acquire my BSc. Degree. Later I decided to travel back to Germany to obtain my Master’s Degree - so I needed to halt my CIMA studies for a while. But I am glad to say that with the help of CIMA DACH I am back on track to pursue the last stage of CIMA and I am excited to experience the journey of number crunching from where I stopped.
How did CIMA affect your professional situation? Which element of CIMA was the most useful for your job?
I am always focused on the Enterprise and Performance pillars which create a reversible nature in gaining pragmatic knowledge both to and from CIMA to match the business scenarios I am faced with. The holistic approach delivered by these elements of managing business processes both in terms of costs and people helps me in supporting my day-to-day tasks. The flow of the course curriculum also provides deep insight on how to articulate and implement strategy and operations to ensure overall effectiveness and efficiency.
Do you think that acquiring additional qualifications and certificates is important in your profession?
Yes. “There is no limit to education”, unlike all the other materialistic possessions, education is the only asset that nobody can take away from you. In the present dynamic world it is the quality that matters not the quantity. Hence identifying additional qualifications which provide quality and aligning it with your career goals will pave a value-added path for you to stand out among your peers.
Who would you recommend the CIMA qualification for?
As a student who started CIMA at a very young age I would recommend it anyone who has the passion to increase their knowledge in business performance and finance. CIMA will develop your technical ability and your professional capacity. It provides a broader scope in a nutshell and is a proven path to both business and personal success.
What kind of advice can you provide to future students in management accounting?
Be it studies, business or even different phases of life; don’t fear failing, don’t fear rock bottom. That’s where it all really begins.