Program shows its practical side
 The Chartered Accountants Program is not just about mastering theoretical knowledge; it’s also about how you apply that knowledge in your everyday work. Developing on-the-job training, or practical experience, as it’s known in the program, is an equally important element, and one that runs parallel to studying the modules.
The practical experience component of the Chartered Accountants Program has been revamped and aligns to the international standards set by the International Federation of Accountants. If you’re a new candidate and you started work on or after 1 October 2006, you’ll participate in this new practical experience program.
Practical experience is now more structured than before. And, for the first time, your line manager and your mentor will have available guidelines to help them support you more effectively. The link between having a mentor and success is widely acknowledged: Richard Branson and Lance Armstrong for example, both credit their success to their mentor. That’s why we’re providing more support for the people taking on the mentor’s role.
As a new candidate you’ll be able to track your three years’ practical experience against a set of competencies in an activity logbook - a workbook that lets you collect and record examples of how you’ve mastered the defined skills. You’ll meet with your line manager and mentor regularly to discuss your development and your mentor will then provide final sign off.
If you’re a candidate who started work before 1 October 2006, you don’t need to worry. You can either continue to submit your service certificates or, if you want to, you can participate in the new practical experience program.
The new practical experience will bring more clarity and support you as a candidate, strengthen the development of your technical skills and in turn, the reputation of the Chartered Accountants designation.
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Candidates feeling the pressure
 A recent survey has given us an insight into the lives of candidates studying the Chartered Accountants Program and the work and study pressures they face.
The survey asked 600 candidates predominately in the 21-30 age range studying the Chartered Accountants Program, questions about the hours they work, the type of study support they receive and their career aspirations. They were also asked to rate their work life balance.
Some of the results highlights are:
- One third of candidates work more than 50 hours per week (not including study time)
- Candidates in the Big 4, mid tier public practices and in commerce worked more hours per week than their small public practice counterparts
- In an average week, men worked only slightly more hours than women with 46 hours compared to 44
- More than half of respondents said they worked a weekend day or into the evening in the previous month. Of those that worked a weekend or evening, almost a quarter were from Queensland closely followed by West Australia and Victoria candidates at 22 and 21 per cent respectively
- Candidates in South Australia and New South Wales worked significantly fewer weekends or evenings with only 16 per cent for each state working outside normal hours
- Only 20 per cent of those surveyed believe they have a poor work life balance.
In terms of career aspirations, the results show that candidates in the city plan to stay in their current role for 5.2 years compared to 7.5 years in regional and rural areas, and almost half intend to go overseas in the next two years.
Contrary to Generation Y research, the results show there is employer loyalty among candidates with those surveyed intending to stay in roles for an average of six years. Of those who intend to go overseas, more than half are male and a third are less than 25 years of age.
The skills shortage and greater regulation have placed accountants under more pressure to work longer hours. Many accounting firms have introduced programs to help employees achieve a better work life balance and change the culture of long hours. However, change can take time and still the most common reason cited for poor work life balance was ‘it is expected you work long hours’.
Our thanks to the candidates who participated in this research. We plan to conduct another survey in November and invite your suggestions on what to cover.
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Candidate poll
Are you satisfied with your work life balance?
Email Newsletter Feedback . The first 12 people to respond will win a double movie pass.
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The reluctant medic
 From the moment she fainted in a hospital, medical student, Nonna Martinov-Bennie, knew she wasn’t cut out (no pun intended) to be a doctor. Now Nonna is a different kind of Dr with a Phd in auditing and a senior lecturer in accounting at the University of Sydney, Nonna’s journey spans many years and makes for a fascinating story.
Nonna came to Australia from the former Czechoslovakia at the age of 15. A gifted student without any prior knowledge of English, Nonna’s academic brilliance enabled her to master the language very quickly as well as follow her parents' wish and go on to study medicine at university.
After the fainting incident, Nonna completed a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in psychology and for a few years worked with young children who were affected by physical and mental disabilities. Although she loved the work, like medicine, she found it all-consuming.
‘I became too emotionally involved; I got to know the kids and their families and in short the boundaries became blurred. I knew I had to move into a more suitable career,’ Nonna said.
And a more suitable career she found as an accountant.
While completing her Bachelor of Business, Nonna joined Deloitte’s where she spent 11 years, the last few, as a senior manager. There, she oversaw the audits of some large companies including CSR, Volvo Australia and WD & HR Wills.
‘It doesn’t matter what job you go into, accounting is a great skill to have. It’s not just about numbers, it teaches you to understand a business. In accounting you learn analytical skills, and how to manage risk and strategy. Even on a personal level, accounting helps you manage the financial aspects of your life,’ Nonna said.
During her time at Deloitte’s, Nonna completed the Chartered Accountants Program and later, wanting to give back to the profession, she became a focus session leader.
‘The Chartered Accountants Program is fantastic. It can take you anywhere around the world. It’s widely recognised and opens doors. It gives you the opportunity to do whatever you want.’
Now a mother, the transition to academia was a natural step for Nonna, perfectly combining her skills as practitioner and focus session leader with a family friendly work environment. She now supervises postgraduate research students and teaches research methodology as well as auditing to undergraduates.
For candidates of the Chartered Accountants Program, Nonna has this piece of advice: keep it in perspective.
‘The Program will help you build some excellent technical skills, as well as teaching you to manage your time and to cope with stressful situations – something you’ll come across frequently in your working life. Eighteen months is a very short period of time which sets you up for lifelong opportunities.’
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Mason’s blog
The paperless office
For years we have been promised by modernist visionaries that one-day we’ll move towards a ‘paperless office’ - paperless office this, paperless office that. It’s all we seem to hear and in turn it has become its own buzzword.... a metaphoric cliché to reflect modernity.
So far, I haven’t seen us get any closer to this promised nirvana. As a matter of fact I think we’re heading in the opposite direction and we’re heading towards a paper-only office -an office where everything including our desks and electrical equipment are made entirely of paper. We’ll go to answer our paper phone while sitting on our paper chair, slumped over our paper desk and get nothing but paper cuts on our ears (hey, it’s paper cuts versus radiation to the brain.... I know which I’d prefer). The paper-only office will be all the rage.
Some time next year our Institute office is to move down the street…complete with all our big old-fashioned wooden desks and plastic pc’s. Think of all the money we’d save if we had a paper-only office! Even office partitions could be made out of rice paper... the Japanese have been doing that for centuries.
If we move towards a paper-only office, moving will be as simple as folding your desk up in to an envelope and tucking it in your back pocket. We could even get a few of us to stand at the edges of the building and lift the whole thing up and carry it down the street.
Yep, I’m convinced. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. I suppose it’s a bit of a defeatist attitude but when it comes to paper you’ve got to be. It’s coming out our ears! Today I had someone from my office come up to me with a print out of an email I sent to them yesterday. Instead of using the remarkable ‘reply’ function on the email they decided to hit the print function and then walk over to me. If we aren’t going to use the technology we have available to us, why use it at all? Let’s scrap the idea of email and go back to post-it notes and telegrams. I’ve been known to throw the odd paper aeroplane around the office, now I’ll save them for when I want to send a message to someone.
Everyone can do his or her bit to promote the paper-only office. Next month I’m presenting a paper to our CEO that outlines the benefits of this bold new move. It’s a 789-page document containing all the pros and (minimal) cons. And for all you environmentalists having a heart attack at the idea, stop fretting. I’ve got plans for a miniature-recycling mill to be installed under everyone’s desk.
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charteredaccountants.com.au - a new experience
Candidates can now access the Institute’s new recently launched website.
You can log in to My Home to access your results, update your contact details and browse information that is relevant to you.
The web site has five key sections representing the core service areas of the Institute:- The Best Education: provides access to training and development and includes details on the Chartered Accountants Program
- A Great Career: offers career support for students to qualified members
- Industry Influence: the touch point for the Institute’s thought leadership initiatives and achievements in lobbying
- Professional Resources: provides timely and relevant tools for members
- My Home: personal details, services and contents that are relevant to you
The redevelopment came as a result of feedback from candidates and members who said that, while the information on the website was useful, it wasn’t easy to find and that is was difficult to use.
To access the website:
charteredaccountants.com.au
To login:
Use your candidate ID number (or the login you normally use for the secure site) to access My home.
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Program retains graduate diploma status
Recently, the Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting was reaccredited. During this process, the Institute, for the first time, also attained the status of higher education provider in New South Wales, a clear independent benchmark of the quality and rigour of our program.
What this means for you is that:- You’re studying the only professional postgraduate accounting qualification in Australia
- When you graduate, your Graduate Diploma of Chartered Accounting qualification will get you exemptions in over 60 Masters programs around Australia
- Quality and high standard of the Chartered Accountants Program is recognised and endorsed
- You’re studying at an organisation that is officially a higher education provider.
In our June Candidate Satisfaction survey 74 percent of candidates said that they valued the Graduate Diploma status. Employers, when asked the same question in August, gave the Graduate Diploma a 79 percent rating.
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Let your fingers do the walking
Did you know that the Institute’s library lets you access a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips? The library specialises in accounting, small business, management, computer systems, corporate law, worldwide taxation, banking, finance and superannuation. And the best part for busy candidates is that the library can come to you!
The library gives you access to:
- Over 200 journals
- The latest business magazines (BRW, Economist, Fortune, Smart Investor, Charter, HBR and many more)
- DVDS/videos/CDs
- Many popular books with multiple copies available for loan
- National newspapers.
If you can’t get to the library, don’t worry the library will come to you. You can borrow up to four items (books/DVDs/CDs), which can be posted to your home or work - wherever you are in Australia.
Our experienced research staff can access almost 40 full-text databases across a broad spectrum of topics for archived articles, cases, legislation and commentaries.
They can email (or post) you articles and information… so you don’t even have to leave your desk.
You can access the library’s resources by phone, email or in person.
Central Library
Level 11, 37 York Street, Sydney.
Email: library@icaa.org.au
Ph: 1800 809 828
Hours: 8:30 am– 5.30pm, Monday - Friday
Victorian Branch Library
Level 3, 600 Bourke Street, Melbourne
Ph: 03 9641 7424.
Access the online catalogue
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Key dates
Chartered Accountants Integrative 2
17 October - Examination
24 November – Results release.
Audit & Assurance
9 October (week commencing) – Focus Session 1
23 October (week commencing) – Focus Session 2
29 October - Extension project due
6 November (week commencing) – Focus session 3
20 November (week commencing) – Focus session 4.
Management Accounting & Analysis
30 October (week commencing) – Focus session 1
13 November (week commencing) – Focus session 2
19 November – Extension project due
27 November (week commencing) – Focus session 3.
Chartered Accountants Integrative 3
6 November – module commences.
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Photo gallery
UTS Bachelor of Accounting Student Awards night 20 September
General Manager Chartered Accountants Program & Admissions, Sheena Frenkel, with Imran Chowdury, winner of the Students’ Choice Awards category.
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October 2006
Program shows its practical side
Candidates feeling the pressure
Candidate poll
The reluctant medic
Mason’s blog
charteredaccountants.com.au
Program retains graduate diploma status
Let your fingers do the walking
Key dates
Photo gallery |
The Institute’s education and training pathway is the preferred choice for industry professionals.
Considering a career as a Chartered Accountant? Looking for the next step in your professional life?
The Institute is leading the debate in the areas that matter most to business and the accounting profession. 
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