A quick view of the ACCA F3 paper

More about ACCA F3

If you have to take the FIA course for the ACCA papers, the ACCA F3 work is the last set before you move onto the Skills module. The FIA was established to provide a gateway for local and global students to gain access to the accountancy profession. The Fundamentals in Accountancy is designed to provide a general working background in the Accounting profession. The ACCA F3 is an introduction to the world of accounting builds upon the theories and methods from the other two papers. 

The groundwork of the ACCA F3 paper covers principles and concepts relating to financial accounting. The primary purpose is for the student to establish proficiency in entry techniques for groups of all sizes. Some subjects included are purpose of financial reporting, characteristics of financial information and much more. You may be able to skip the FIA and head straight into the Skills module. Some degrees may not be able to provide exemption from some of the ACCA papers. 

You can find used F3 papers from reputable websites and use them as a study tool. Some other resources or study tools may depend where you are studying. Are you going to physical school? Are you taking courses online? You should be able to find video lectures, notes, the paper with solutions and questions and other vital items to help you succeed. It may be worth the while to attend a specialized ACCA school, in order to gain access to their tutors. A tutor will have the experience to guide you on your path to the ACCA qualification.

Head to the TonySurridge website: www.tonysurridge.co.uk for more information on ACCA studies.

ACCA Job Interview - General Tips – Prepare correctly for your Accounting career

I know many of you have already read various general interview tips but let me reiterate the issue. Let me put you in the Employers’ shoes for a moment. Just imagine you are an accountancy employer, either working for a big firm or even a small independent accountancy practice, looking to take on that newest ACCA part qualified staff member to join your team, and you’re looking forward to interviewing respective candidates… but the following happens:

• He/she enters into the room with a smell of smoke and chewing gum in his/her mouth. How much would you be impressed? What does this say about the candidate? (People often chew gum before an interview to maintain fresh breath, but you’d be surprised how many people actually forget to take the gum out before walking in! And resist the urge to smoke before an interview, the smell is overpowering!)
• He/she is not wearing a proper suit, or worse yet, wearing jeans. (You are interviewing for a professional accounting career… you need to dress accordingly)
• He/she only has one single copy of their CV with them. (Take multiple copies to give out in case they need one again. You don’t yet know if it’s a multiple-seated interview panel.)
• He or she is fifteen minutes late. (Never, ever be late for your interview! If you appear late for one of the most important meetings, this suggests you won’t even care about other business meetings in the future)
• Their information in their CV, and information the applicant provides during the interview are totally different. First thing on your mind? Doubt! (Always make sure your CV is factual and you know it inside-out)
• The candidate has called you by your first name without permission (how would you feel in this professional setting?) and even worse, they’ve pronounced your name wrong! (always use their formal name until you are told to call them otherwise. Listen to how they introduce themselves when you first shake hands. It will be an indication of how they want you to address them)
• The candidate is yawning and more interested in a view outside the window, not even bothering to make eye contact with you. (If you don’t want to pay attention or act interested, then this is not the job for you. Don’t waste your time or the time of the interviewer)
• He/she sits before you even ask. (Wow! Do you feel empowered?… because the interviewer could feel like they are on the back foot before they’ve even started… watch out!)
• No professional conduct and no sense of humor (your staff is going to hate you for hiring them). (Always act professionally, and you want to come across as if you can work in a team. It will be an important issue for the interviewer to review overall)
• The candidate conducts inappropriate or weak body language. (Not everything is measured verbally - think of your upright posture, your smile, your arms and hands etc)
• His/her answers are like a never ending speech and he took you for granted (presuming himself the only applicant). And still you are wondering why are you even interviewing him/her? (this is a 2-way process… they need to ask you their questions to see if you fit. Allow them to ask, then it’s your turn at the end. Wait until then)
• They start debating on Politics or Religion. (This is a job interview, not a current affairs debate, unless the state of the economy and government has some significant bearing directly relating to the job role)
• And before leaving, they assume they already have the job and ask you how much you’re willing to pay them? (Always let the interviewer bring up the discussion of salary. They may have to go away and think about it, or perhaps they haven’t offered it to you at all because they won’t be offering you the job. In either case, appear too pushy and most interviewers won’t like that)

Yes, I know you are completely frustrated if you could imagine the scenario above and as an employer you know what should not be done. So, respectively, if you really want to fail an interview, follow all the steps above.

However, look at these 5 top tips to hold yourself with a fighting chance.

Five tips for a top ACCA interview

• Be prepared
  Learn as much as you can about your potential company, who they are, their services and their strategic direction. Make sure you can articulate how your strengths and career goals align with the company, and why you think you’ll succeed in that particular organization.
• Be proactive
  Prepare a list of questions to ask your interviewer(s) so you can assess whether the company is the right place to launch your ACCA career. Ask them questions about the organization (they would be pleased to tell you more) but be specific about the role, the clients you will be expected to take on, the opportunities they can offer you and what you can expect from them in general. (All of these points should not be questions which you can find the answers about on their website – see research point above, “be prepared”)
• Be yourself
  Try to relax and remember that companies are interested in the real you. When preparing, it’s helpful to think about how you’d like to communicate certain points but avoid over-rehearsing, as it may come across as impersonal.
• Be professional
  Take pride in your presentation. Companies adore professional traits like how you dress, how you speak and what you tell them about yourself. You will, after all, be representing them in meetings, with clients etc. They want to make sure you represent them well in appearance and tone.
• Be aware
  Throughout the interview take a quick moment to think before you act. Be aware of how you are sitting, your posture, your body language, don’t yawn, keep eye-contact etc. Don’t just blurt out any response simply to answer the question quickly, make sure you understand the questions and answer them accordingly and thoughtfully. If you’re speaking too fast, slow down.

For more tips and techniques in preparing for your ACCA job interview, please see the Tony Surridge “Boost Your Chances” section. www.tonysurridge.co.uk/boost-chances

For the latest ACCA and other general accounting jobs throughout the UK, please go to the Tony Surridge specialist job board. www.tonysurridge.co.uk/job-search

Tony Surridge invited to first Presidential Dinner hosted by the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA)

Tony Surridge Online was in guest attendance at the first Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) presidential dinner, held on 20th April 2010. The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) was the venue host, kindly offering the IFA use of their prestigious headquarters building in London – 1 Moorgate Place. IFA President, Professor David Hunt, welcomed everybody and promoted an evening of friendship and new alliances, before introducing his guest speaker, Angela Knight (CBE) – Chief Executive of the British Bankers Association. Angela offered her experience and views on the banking industry, the turbulent times just gone, and the expectations and goals ahead.

The black-tie dinner was superb (praise goes out to the ICAEW staff on hand that night), and the evening offered great opportunity for various IFA accounting council members, institutes, accounting governing bodies, and leading educational providers alike to chat, network, build relationships, and generally discuss the future of things to come.

Some prominent guests invited included...
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The TonySurridge.co.uk website - A one stop shop offering a variety of powerful services to the Accounting and Finance industries, from high-quality global Business Seminars aimed to enhance careers, to a wide reaching and user-friendly Job Board focused solely on accountancy and finance professionals - qualified and part-qualified. Whatever your requirements, we are here to help. Our aim is to provide a superior base of information supported by an exceptional service for anyone working in, wanting to work in, or even just interested in the world of accountancy and finance.

That is only the "Tip of the Iceberg". We do so much more for accounting professionals. For more information about what the Tony Surridge Team can do for you, click here

Dragon’s Den guest star Theo Pathitis, alongside accountancy lecturer Tony Surridge, wins Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) Awards

The Kensington Roof Gardens in London was the recent spectacular setting for the Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) 2009 industry Awards held on Wednesday 14th October. An accounting industry awards ceremony to celebrate top achievers and role-models in enterprise, for recognition of contribution to the governing body, and the accounting industry it represents as a whole.

Guests, spokespeople and winners included; Dragons Den entrepreneur Theo Pathitis receiving special recognition for “Contribution to UK Enterprise”, Julie Meyers of Dragon’s Den Online as guest awards presenter, BBC’s The Apprentice star Maj Nagra, and Adam Shaw formerly from BBC’s Working Lunch amongst other top business professionals.

The IFA, primarily aimed for Small to Medium Enterprises and Practices, presented numerous awards categories from Best International Training Centre to Business Entrepreneur of the Year, with 1st 2nd 3rd positions rated as “winner”, “highly commended” and “finalist” respectively:

Tony Surridge, an accountancy lecturer with over 30 years’ experience, and a director of the new accounting industry website www.tonysurridge.co.uk, was awarded the top prize in his category, winning “Best UK Accountancy Lecturer 2009”. Presenting the award to Tony was Chief Executive of the IFA, David Woodgate, and Nicole Johnson, the category sponsor from CCH Walters Kluwer.

Tony Surridge was a successful winner along with...
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