Career development: seven steps to your success

Every student focuses on her or his studying and exams. After sleepless nights and stressful examinations, a newly qualified professional starts to seek how to progress professionally.
We are on 28000 days on the planet on average and work for 10000 of these days. Thus, it is the crucial thing to decide where you want to be?

Step #1 Establish the reasons for your move

The 50 most common questions for job interview

One my friend usually tells me you need to go to a job interview to become more confident. Thus, you gain valuable experience of communications with HR specialists. It helps you to obtain the dream job in the future.

Some of the employers like to pose unusual interview job questions. They explain the reason for doing it that they need to select the creative workers to boost the company's development. Nevertheless, the most job interview questions are common and we need to be prepared well for them.

Forbes finds the 50 most common interview questions. It is a great list to practice and to prepare for your job interview.

1. What are your strengths?
2. What are your weaknesses?
3. Why are you interested in working for [insert company name here]?
4. Where do you see yourself in 5 years? 10 years?
5. Why do you want to leave your current company?
6. Why was there a gap in your employment between [insert date] and [insert date]?
7. What can you offer us that someone else can not?
8. What are three things your former manager would like you to improve on?
9. Are you willing to relocate?
10. Are you willing to travel?

ACCA procedure of claiming your Practical Experience Requirements (PER)

To become an ACCA member and to call yourself a qualified accountant you need to complete practical experience. You should prove that you are able to apply in the work place the knowledge which has learned in your exams. It helps to demonstrate your potential employer that you have practical skills, not only knowledge and ethical behaviour.

You can gain your PER before, during or after completing your exams. It would be great advantage if you complete your PER at the same time with your exams as it reinforces what you learn for the exams.

What is PER?

PER is a guidance for you which includes 36 months practical experience and 13 performance objectives (POs) requirements. POs are closely linked to the exams syllabus. It would be a benefit to coordinate your study and achieving POs to gain the most from both.

What is the relevant experience?

Five myths about ACCA's Performance Objectives

Many ACCA students focus on their exams progress. In the same time, the employers are keen on their knowledge gained from exams, ethical behaviour and practical experience.

Thus, do not forget about your Ethics module and PER. It makes your value as a professional higher and your chances to get an attractive job offer increase significantly.

ACCA analysed the students' contacts via ACCA Connect and found five myths about Practical Experience Requirements (PER).

Myth #1 "All I need to achieve a PO is to tick right box"

There are three challenge questions for any PO and no any prescribed right or wrong answer. You should describe your own situation (up to 500 words), then your experience gained (up to 500 words) and possible impact if you had not behaved ethically in this situation (up to 500 words).

Myth #2 "I don't need to prove experience - once, I've passed exams, I am ACCA member"

Exams are only part of the story. You need to apply the knowledge gained from exams in the workplace. Exams, ethics and experience are all needed for ACCA membership.

ACCA approved employers in Ukraine

• List of Ukrainian companies which offer unique career and development opportunities for their employees - members of ACCA:

• Ukraine International Airlines (Kiev.Ukraine)
• Wrigley Ukraine (Kiev.Ukraine)
• Bank Renaissance Capital (Kiev.Ukraine)
• Suntrade S.E. (Kiev.Ukraine)
• Interpipe (Kiev.Ukraine)
• Kyivstar GSM (Kiev.Ukraine)
• BDO, LLC (Dnepropetrovsk.Ukraine)