Your guide to become an Accountant in Malaysia

An accountant is a practitioner of accounting or accountancy. Accountants who have demonstrated competency through their professional associations' certification exams are certified to use titles such as Chartered Accountant, Chartered Certified Accountant or Certified Public Accountant.

A profession in Accounting implies you will be responsible for assessing and investigating the money related information of a customer (an organization, association or individual) for a meeting, taxpaying and examining purposes. The work extent of an Accountant will be to survey and deal with the organization's monetary reports, create and submit charge archives, decide monetary activities and suggest better financial productivity, just as the day by day tasks of assets.

Pros of being an Accontant

• There is great potential for growth in this field. Accountants made it to the Critical Occupations List 2016/17 and this means they are in demand. You will move up the ranks once you have gained sufficient experience.
• Obtaining the qualification of a Chartered Accountant will earn you a handsome salary, especially if you’re working with the top four Accounting firms.
• Accounting offers a career in a few branches such as finance, management, auditing and taxes.

Cons of being an Accontant

• Accountants basically work all year round like every other job, but their workload comes from the end of one year till the beginning of the following year as companies close their accounts and produce financial reports during this time. While everyone is taking leave at the end of the year, Accountants will have to work harder.
• Accounting is typically a standard 9-to-5 job. Like many other industries, Accounting has a repetitive pattern of heavy workload

1.     Management of expenses
2.     Provide financial advice
3.     Liaise with clients
4.     Assess risks of a company’s financial system
5.     Assess the reliability of financial information
6.     Advise clients about taxation issues
7.     Maintain accounting records
8.     Detect fraud
9.     Liaise with auditors
10.     Generate reports
11.     Create financial statements
12.     Negotiate with suppliers

A diploma, CAT or LCCI qualifications would be fine but it would be best to complete a Bachelor’s Degree, ACCA, MICPA, ICAEW or CIMA qualifications to receive a better salary and job prospects.

Work hours are standard office hours, but it would be based upon how much work is left, and it would increase during critical periods such as the end and beginning of every year.

There are a number of opportunities available for both entry-level and experienced in the field of accounting. But as the way of business is constantly evolving, so is the accounting profession in Malaysia and as such if you want to land the role of your choice and achieve success in life, then you must have to acquire the most sought after accounting skills. These skills are not just numbered amazing ones, but a combination of both soft skills and technical knowledge. So, here are the top nine accounting skills that will help you to stand out as an excellent accountant:

1. Numerical Skill
2. Eye for Detail
3. Time Management and Organisational Skill
4. Computer Skill
5. Communication Skill
6. Business Awareness
7. Integrity
8. Resilience and Adaptability
9. Leadership

A profession in Accounting is a big deal. You should confront numbers each and every day, learn up recipes on dominate and other bookkeeping virtual products. In case you're one that never becomes weary of computation and wouldn't fret spending the remainder of your life doing that, at that point this current one for you!

As referenced previously, an Accountant will have a weighty responsibility. Accordingly, you'll need to deal with your time admirably to try not to postpone your cutoff time or cause others to finish later than anticipated. You may need to work over the long haul, contingent upon your time the executive's abilities.

Have you generally cherished watching secret motion pictures, addressing riddles or puzzles? Is it safe to say that you were one of the initial ones to tackle it or figure something isn't right? A profession in Accounting would expect you to have critical thinking abilities as the records won't generally count. Indeed, this likewise implies you need to have a sharp eye to see any mistakes.

• Accounting
• ACCA
• CIMA
• MICPA
• ICAEW
• Mathematics

•  Accounting Consultant
•  Risk Control Manager
•  Auditor
•  Taxation Manager
•  Taxation Executive
•  Accounting Technician
•  Tax Advisor
•  Chartered Accountant
•  Purchasing Manager
•  Business Advisor

To become a qualified accountant, you will need to obtain a recognised degree or a professional accountancy qualification; and 3 years of approved experience. Here are some examples of professional accountancy bodies in Malaysia:

• Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA)
• Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA Australia)
• Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA)
• Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
• Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA)
• Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountants (MICPA)

if you’re thinking of becoming an accountant but you’re not sure which pathway is best for you, here’s an example of how you can study to become an accountant after SPM/ UEC/ IGCSE or STPM/ A levels.

If you’re aiming for an ACCA qualification you can choose this pathway after SPM and pursue the Certified Accounting Technician (CAT) Qualification, which has nine papers in total. The CAT Qualification is a foundation-level programme specifically designed to provide students with a solid understanding of finance and accounting. Meanwhile, Sijil Tinggi Persekolahan Malaysia students and those with a recognized bachelor degree can apply directly for the ACCA Qualification, with the latter being able to claim up to nine paper exemptions. Upon completion of the ACCA Qualification, students can apply to the MIA to become chartered accountant in the country.

Find out all Under Graduate Accounting Courses list in Malaysia

Alternatively, you can study for a bachelor degree in accounting before sitting for a professional qualification like ICAEW, ACCA or CPA. Some students may prefer this pathway as they will gain a degree qualification as well as a professional accounting qualification.

Here’s an example of possible pathways for a student after SPM right up to a PhD in accounting.