Education

IFA TOP STUDENT OF THE YEAR 2009

Your route to a career in professional finance management and accounting:

Accounting and finance specialists working in Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) need all-round knowledge and experience to run a business. As well as making the financial decisions, they have to develop a strategic awareness of business operations and a sound understanding of management systems, legal and regulatory issues and technology.

The Institute of Financial Accountants (IFA) offers the qualifications to equip them for this all-embracing role. It will increase their salary expectations, career advancement prospects and secure the respect of professional colleagues.

Whether you work for an SME or a professional accountancy practice that supports SME businesses, you are part of a large and growing section of the economy that also accounts for a big portion of global business.

The SME sector needs specialists who recognize that finance is not a stand-alone function operating in isolation from the business, as this IFA member explains:

“It’s hard to see myself as ‘just’ an accountant. I’m an accountant, sales person, customer service representative, general manager, and more. The strength of IFA members is that we have the whole of the SME business in our blood, rather than just the money aspect.”

Accounting and finance specialists working in SMEs are aware that their decisions can have an impact in every area of the business. A change in cash flow management in one part of the business, for example, can alter the organization’s relationship with key customers or suppliers and affect business operations.