Destination ACCA: How this member achieved success with EPSM
Summary
TLDRIsabelle interviews Steve, an ACCA member and senior finance professional, discussing his journey to qualification with a focus on ethics and professional skills. Steve shares how the EPSM module prepared him for exams and his career, emphasizing the importance of ethical behavior and continuous learning. He advises ACCA students to stay committed, be patient, and embrace the learning process for long-term career success.
Takeaways
- 🎓 Steve, an ACCA member, discusses his journey to qualification, emphasizing the importance of the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM).
- 🌟 EPSM is designed to develop ethical and professional skills that employers expect, and it also aids in exam success.
- 🔄 Steve's role has evolved from foundational finance roles to strategic leadership positions, reflecting the value of continuous learning.
- 🌐 ACCA's global recognition was a key factor for Steve, offering flexibility and opening career opportunities worldwide.
- 📈 The ACCA qualification has provided Steve with better career prospects and the ability to take on more responsibilities at work.
- 🤝 ACCA membership offers a vast network of professionals, which Steve has leveraged to make valuable connections.
- 📚 Steve recommends completing the EPSM before taking Strategic Professional exams for better foundational knowledge and exam preparation.
- 💼 EPSM's ethical and professional skills have been crucial in Steve's career, particularly in cross-functional project work and leadership.
- 🔑 Integrity and confidentiality are highlighted as essential ethical behaviors in Steve's professional life, especially in handling confidential projects.
- 💡 Steve advises ACCA students to stay committed, be patient, and love the learning process, emphasizing that skills developed through ACCA are vital for long-term career success.
Q & A
What is the primary focus of the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM)?
-The EPSM helps students develop an understanding of the ethical and professional skills that employers increasingly expect from their teams, and it also supports exam success.
How does the ACCA qualification benefit Steve in his professional journey?
-The ACCA qualification has provided Steve with better career prospects, opened doors for taking on more responsibilities at work, and facilitated career progression to new roles of higher responsibilities.
What advice does Steve give regarding the timing of completing the EPSM in relation to the Strategic Professional exams?
-Steve advises completing the EPSM before starting the Strategic Professional exams, as it provides foundational knowledge that can help with exam success.
How has the ACCA network contributed to Steve's professional life?
-The ACCA network has provided Steve with a vast array of professional connections and different perspectives on various topics, which has been a significant benefit in his career.
What are some of the key skills that Steve has applied from the EPSM in his daily work?
-Steve has applied skills such as ethical judgment, effective communication, leadership, and overall professional behavior in his daily work, particularly in cross-functional project work and dealing with change management.
Can you provide an example of how Steve has used the skills from the EPSM in a real-world scenario?
-Steve has used leadership and communication skills from the EPSM to guide teams through transitions and changes, ensuring minimal disruption to projects.
What does being an ethical professional mean to Steve?
-For Steve, being an ethical professional means embodying a commitment to doing what is right, even when it's challenging, and maintaining integrity even when no one is looking.
What are the three pillars of success that Steve suggests for students or affiliates working towards ACCA membership?
-Steve suggests the three pillars of success are: staying committed, being patient, and learning to love the learning process.
How does Steve view the importance of the ACCA qualification in terms of global recognition?
-Steve values the ACCA qualification for its global recognition, noting that it doesn't change from one region to another, which is a significant advantage for career opportunities and mobility.
What is Steve's perspective on the importance of ethical behavior in the accounting profession?
-Steve believes that ethical behavior is essential for shaping the quality of work and the environment in which accountants operate, and it contributes to the broader impact on people around them.
Outlines
🎓 Introduction to ACCA and Ethics Discussion
Isabelle, an ACCA Community Manager, introduces the podcast featuring Steve, an ACCA member and Senior Finance professional. They discuss Steve's journey to ACCA qualification, focusing on ethics and professional skills. Steve shares his evolution from foundational finance roles to strategic leadership positions and his current role as Head of Financial Operations. The conversation emphasizes the importance of the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) for developing skills employers seek and supporting exam success.
🌐 Global Recognition and Benefits of ACCA Membership
Steve discusses the global recognition of the ACCA qualification and its importance in his career. He highlights the benefits of ACCA membership, such as better career prospects, taking on more responsibilities, and career progression. Steve also talks about the vast network of professionals ACCA provides access to, which has been invaluable for him in making professional connections. The conversation underscores the flexibility of ACCA, allowing students to continue their studies and exams in different parts of the world.
📚 The Importance of Ethics and Professional Skills
Steve shares his experience with the EPSM, which he completed after starting the Strategic Professional exams. He advises doing the EPSM before these exams, as it provides foundational knowledge that can aid in exam success. Steve reflects on how the ethical and professional skills he learned have been crucial in his career, particularly in cross-functional project work, change management, and communication with diverse teams. He emphasizes the importance of confidentiality and integrity in his role, especially when handling confidential projects.
💼 Practical Application of Ethical Behavior and Career Advice
Steve talks about the practical application of ethical behavior in the workplace, such as maintaining confidentiality and integrity in confidential projects. He defines being an ethical professional as going beyond rule-following to embodying a commitment to doing what is right, even when it's challenging. Steve offers advice to ACCA students and affiliates, emphasizing the importance of commitment, patience, and embracing the learning process. He encourages continuous learning and moving forward, no matter how small the steps, to achieve career goals.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Ethics
💡Professional Skills
💡ACCA
💡EPSM
💡Continuous Learning
💡Strategic Professional Exams
💡Global Recognition
💡Career Progression
💡Accountant
💡Exam Strategy
Highlights
Isabelle introduces the podcast's focus on ethics and professional skills with ACCA member Steve.
Steve discusses his journey to becoming an ACCA-qualified senior Finance professional.
The importance of the Ethics and Professional Skills Module (EPSM) for exam preparation and professional life.
Steve shares his career evolution from foundational finance roles to strategic leadership positions.
The global recognition and flexibility of the ACCA qualification.
Benefits of ACCA membership include better career prospects and a vast professional network.
Steve advises completing the EPSM before strategic professional exams for better exam success.
The EPSM's role in developing ethical judgment, effective communication, and leadership skills.
Steve's personal experience applying EPSM skills in cross-functional project work and change management.
The significance of confidentiality and integrity in professional projects.
Being an ethical professional means embodying a commitment to doing what is right, even when it's challenging.
The impact of ethical professional behaviors on the work environment and the broader community.
Steve's three pillars for success: commitment, patience, and loving the learning process.
The importance of resilience and determination in overcoming exam setbacks.
Advice for ACCA students to keep moving forward and consider completing the EPSM early in their studies.
Encouragement for ACCA students to embrace the learning process and stay committed to their goals.
Transcripts
[Music]
hello everyone I'm Isabelle and I'm an
education Community manager here at Acca
and today I'm joined by a very special
guest his name is Steve and he's an Acca
member he's here today to discuss with
me his journey to qualification with a
focus on ethics and professional skills
the ethics and professional skills
module or epsm as will refer to it help
students develop an understanding of the
ethical and professional skills that
employers are increasingly come to
expect from their teams but epsm also
supports exam success which is why it's
so good to have someone here who can
talk about their first uh firsthand
experience of that so in this podcast
we're going to have a chat about how
epsm epsm helps Steve prepare for exams
how the skill tools he developed during
his studies support his professional
life and what it's like to become an
Acca member so Steve thank you for
joining us today I'll hand over to you
now for a quick
introduction sure so uh my name is Steve
D um I am a senior Finance professional
with over 15 years of experience now um
I hold the Acca qualification as you
mentioned and I'm also lean Six Sigma
greenbell trained so for me in my
journey um my role has evolved from you
know foundational Finance roles to more
strategic leadership positions and in my
current role I'm the head of financial
operations at a company called air um my
role there covers a wide range of
responsibilities that ensure the smooth
and efficient functioning of the
company's Financial controls and
processes um regarding my Learning
Journey um I would say that throughout
my career I've very much been being
driven by a commitment to professional
learning and uh sorry continuous
learning and professional development so
um it it's certainly a journey and um
you know I'm still very much on
it well that's a good overview and I
wondered actually if we could quickly
start with a a little bit of insight
into why you chose
Acca oh yeah absolutely so um for me
really when you know when I started like
considering what I was going to do as a
career
um chared accountancy came up and um I
looked at kind of all the different
designations and I actually came true um
from doing a degree in accounting and
finance so um for me the the flexibility
around doing Acca was incredibly
important to me at the time um and on
top of that you know from speaking to
people who had done Acca um you know it
was clear that the qualification was
recognized globally as Acca you know it
didn't change from one region to another
which I know some other designates can
um so having looked at the curriculum I
thought it was really comprehensive um
and you know I just kind of felt overall
that it was the right choice for me and
that it would you know afford me certain
career opportunities once I you know I
suppose attained the
qualification amazing and I think you've
touched upon some of the um points there
but what would you say are some of the
main benefits of having become an Acca
member um I suppose along the journey
from you know starting the process of
exams through to the skills modules and
the uh experience module the pr um I
suppose it's kind of really taught me a
lot of skills and knowledge that I apply
daily now in both life and work um so
having that qualification has really
brought benefits like um better career
prospects would be certainly one it's
it's open doors to me for you know
taking on more responsibilities at work
or you know in a lot of cases you know
since I've qualified it's it's opened up
a lot of career progression to new roles
of of higher responsibilities as well so
um that would be kind of on that side of
things on the other side I suppose it's
also an incredibly vast network of you
know like-minded people or in some cases
not so like-minded and which is is very
useful to get different perspectives on
things from different you know um topics
and subjects you know and like as part
of the network you know you'd cover an
awful lot of different things from
around regions as well so for me the
I've made a lot of valuable professional
connections through the Acca Network as
well which has been a huge
benefit I think that's why it's always
so nice to talk to members because I
know that sometimes students in
particular when they're in the midst of
exams and it's very very stressful it's
always good to hear what happens at the
end you know how how uh Acca can really
benefit you and your career um and like
you said there abely
lots of people always mention as well
that kind of global nature of it the
global Network that you you get access
to so it's really nice to hear that
that's been a positive aspect for you so
it helped you then you would say like so
many so many um students you know
whether they kind of decide to you know
come away from study for a while and go
back to it or whether they decide that
you know following qualification they
want to to move to another part of the
world or even during qualification like
I know some people who you know as part
of you know their Journey they were at a
particular stage in the exams and they
decided to relocate to a different part
of the world and they just pick up where
they left off you know and Acca means
Acca you know and it's not a case of you
know you're in one part of the world
where it's it's a c your ca but CA means
something else somewhere else and so
you've got like all this kind of jargon
that goes on around the acronyms but you
know regardless of where you are
everyone knows Acca is Acca and you know
that's incredibly valuable you know once
you qualify and you know if if moving
abroad or you know relocating to for for
a role or to a different country is is
for you like so yeah it's such a
fantastic benefit it's it's nice to hear
stories as well about people who do it
in the the middle of their exams as well
because I know that the flexibility is
something that people really value so
it's good to see yeah absolutely
practice so um wanted to talk to you
today more specifically about ethics and
professional
skills um this is obviously something
that's a requirement of membership and
something that students need to complete
to become a member so at what stage did
you complete the
epsm um I actually did it after I
started the Strategic professional exam
so I think if I recall correctly I had
done the um strategic business reporting
exam and then
the I can't remember the the Strategic
uh business exam and basically when I
completed both of them um I decided at
that point to do the epsm module now um
if I was to give anybody advice I would
say do it do their way around because
what I kind of learned was when I did
the epsm there was so much in it that I
suppose were foundations for all the
Strategic business exams or strategic
professional exams um and had I done it
that way there would have been quite a
lot of um key information that would
have really really helped along the way
now
when you're doing those strategic
professional exams just so much of it
relates back to or refers back to epsm
and there's marks to be picked up just
from anybody that's doing it should try
and Slot it in kind of just before doing
the Strategic professional exams because
it will certainly help with the the
exams to
follow and you're certainly not the
first person who said that they they've
done it after exams and realized how
helpful and beneficial it is to have
completed it before you start the
Strategic professional exams because let
you say it does highlight the knowledge
and the content that is most closely
linked to those exams I think in
particular and you're learning how to
demonstrate General professional skills
alongside the technical knowledge so
yeah we do really strongly recommend to
anyone who hasn't already done it to
consider completing the module before
you start the Strategic professional
exam so it's yeah exactly yeah useful to
get your Insight so a de way around and
I I kind of
I I certainly struggled a little bit you
know on the first attempt
of um you know I kind of took the
approach
of you know getting the books and and
the the kind of I way kind of the self
tutor kind of Route it kind of you know
I very much felt like you know I could
just you know get the books kind of go
through the the modules myself and and
you know be able to kind of walk into
the exam and just you know go at it but
there's a lot to be kind of considered
when it comes to like I suppose exam
strategy and like that knowing the
little tips and tricks as to how to
really succeed in your exams you know
and then adding into that then the
foundational knowledge which epsm would
have would have given you before you
even started or SB you know in hin site
I definitely would have done it first
so that's good to know so in terms of
your The Wider career um how have the
ethical and professional skills the kind
of behaviors and values that are high
highed in epsm how have they helped you
in your
career um well I suppose they you know
it's like it's like kind of the rest of
the the syllabus you you know it's
really there to prepare you for various
workplace situations scenarios that
you're going to come across in your in
your professional life um and even to
some extent your personal life um so it
really kind of requires that ethical
judgment effective
communication um leadership skills and
overall kind of professional Behavior so
you're gonna bring all of that to your
workplace daily or at least you're you
know you should um and I've certainly
found that over the course of my career
there are scenarios where I've used
those skills um dayto day month-to month
at certain projects you know we you'll
come up against situations where you
will rely on those to kind of help you
through
so yeah I think kind of one of the
benefits as I understand is that it
gives students an appreciation of the
the importance and the usefulness as
well that you say of these skills when
you go to apply them in the real
workplace and how I guess it's all about
trying to understand how to apply them
to the role of an accountant as well
because yeah it's all it's one thing to
study to be learning the technical
knowledge but unless you can go away and
apply it to to real world scenarios then
absolutely there's so much more to being
an accountant than just knowing
accounting um you know there's there's a
whole kind of ancillary component to to
your your role which you know just in
should be it should be inherent um in
kind of your development over the years
but you know what Acca kind of does is
take it to a you know a level where
you're kind of in instilling those
skills from an early um stage I suppose
before you qualify and to make sure that
you carry that on throughout your career
after you qualify yeah absolutely and
can you think of any scenarios in the
workplace where you've had to put
um some of these behaviors into practice
in your in your working
life yeah have we got all day um I
suppose if you just give me a second
like to think about it um like a lot of
the work that I do now is cross
functional Project work um so like I
regularly kind of deal with change
management and communication from team
members with different backgrounds or
sorry with team members from different
backgrounds um so whether that's
functional background differences or
cultural background differences there's
often you know communication issues or
misunderstandings and um I kind of felt
like the leadership and communication
skills that epsm cover are crucial um
you know for me personally I need to be
able to really clearly communicate
reasons for change um address concerns
and guide teams through any transition
so I'm all well ensuring that a project
is uh you know there's minimal to the
project so that's that's critical for me
and um if I could think of just one
other one then for me is the you know
confidentiality and integrity would be
incredibly important and personally for
me um like I said some of the projects
that I deal with are confidential
projects and they'd be kind of a
relatively small number of people that
work on them so it's hely important for
me that those people you know can trust
that I'm I can Safeguard confidential
information and that they can trust me
with that you know that's that's a huge
kind of um supp it's just hugely
important to
me oh I mean my follow-up question it
sounds like you've already kind of
answered it but my follow-up question
was going to be about what being an
ethical professional means to you and
why it's so important but you you've
touched upon some really good examples
there but I don't know if you have any
other thoughts about why it's so inte a
good question um I suppose you know
being an ethical professional is I
suppose for me it's just it's more than
just following the rules right um you
know it's really about embodying a
commitment to doing what is right even
when it's challenging um and I think
somebody had kind of said I remember
interviewing um a candidate for a role a
few years ago and um I'd asked them
about you know what traits they would
see in themselves and they said
integrity and I asked I kind of drilled
into a bit more and they said you know
he he was traveling and he was staying
in um in a dorm somewhere and I had on
the wall I had Integrity it's about
doing the right thing even when no one
is looking you know and that's kind of
what for me epsm is all about right it's
about these key skills and behaviors
that are really about embodying doing
what is right even when it's hard and
even when no one is looking um these
Prof these behaviors are essential to
shaping not only your quality of work
but also the environment in which we
operate um and it will shape the the
broader impact that you have on people
around you so if you demonstrate strong
ethical professional behaviors the
people around you are likely to follow
suit yeah and I think it's about I guess
it's accountability as well isn't it to
your the the network that you were
talking about earlier you're yeah
keeping each other accountable and
supporting each other making sure that
the profession you know you're you're
you're playing a part in making sure the
profession as a whole is an ethical one
and sustainable and I think that's
that's really important as well everyone
plays their own part in your your wider
Community I guess your Acca Community
yeah yeah I think like as a you know
when we think of the the standard that
the Acca holds you know um as members
it's you know it's in our interest to
ensure that that standard continues to
rise you know and so daily in our
behaviors it's reflected you know what
we do How We Do It um and I suppose that
that that's how we kind of continue to
increase the standards of you know our
our membership I suppose and like you
said it earlier on that's why those four
letters are so recognizable around the
world and why it's such an achievement
to to reach that goal when you qualify
but um I won't keep you much longer uh
you're a busy man but I wanted to wrap
up with some advice that you might want
to share for students or current
Affiliates as well people who are still
working towards the um goal of
membership what what's your advice you
would give to them on that Journey yeah
I know I I I really like being asked
that question for because for me there's
like there's three pillars to this and I
remember when I was doing my own exams
they were the pillars that I lived by
and that's stay committed um be patient
and really really learn to love the
learning process um you know don't just
focus on you know getting through your
exams or just passing your exams but you
know really learn the process of
learning because it is lifelong and you
know you should all we should be all
focused on developing the skills that we
need to you know Define the rest of our
careers um careers Will Change Daily the
world is always changing um the needs of
the day are not the needs of tomorrow
and it's incredibly important that you
know you keep that in mind um and as
well finally I just say like keep moving
forward um no matter how small each step
just keep moving forward and it'll bring
you closer to achieving your goals so
keep going you've got this and that' be
it that's so nice and I think I I've
kind of said similar in the past about
how um the skills that you're developing
during your studies or during the the
Acca Journey just as important as as
passing the exams you know even if you
fail exam for example you're learning
resilience and and you know um
determination so I completely agree I
think it's it's such a nice way to look
at things you're learning and it's not
just something to just get through it's
something to kind of embrace and and I
think so many people when they do exams
um you know from what we learn of exams
throughout our schooling life and even
to some extent in college you know you a
lot of a lot of people you know would
expect that you know they go into
professional exams and you know they're
pass first time every time and you the
reality is completely different but
you're not on your own in that you know
um like you you can kind of see it in in
the Pass rates of some of the exams when
you know they come out and they say it's
incredibly difficult right it's not an
easy it's not an easy feat um and you
know I think some people like you said
will determine and build resilient
skills you know by just just being able
to kind of deal with those setbacks and
how you deal with those setbacks and
pick yourself up Move Yourself on um
that's that's incredibly valuable for
the rest of your career because you're
always going to come across big
challenges you're always going to come
across setbacks um and like I said it's
really just about being committed
patient and learning to love the process
really yeah that's so nice to talk to
you because the the enthusiasm and the
positivity really comes through in your
answers I'm sure everyone watching this
will find it really useful and hopefully
motivating to to like you said keep
pushing forward consider as we mentioned
um completing the ethics and
professional skills module before your
strategic professional exams if you can
but yeah as as you've said just keep on
pushing through that's that's the most
keep moving forward yeah thank you so
much St it's been really really nice to
thank you been wonderful to talk um and
yeah look just to everybody just keep
going all we can say thanks everyone for
watching bye
[Music]
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