Now that I am in this company for some time and doing the kind of work I do, I realise that without theoretical knowledge, a lot of things cannot be done, as in I am not able to rise up higher as I would have liked. Everything requires papers, and if one does not have the appropriate qualifications, be it academic or professional, one cannot really go that far, even though one has managed to learn a lot on the job and gained some experience.
I already do not have a practicing license, which puts me at a disadvantage over many others. In our local society at least, every industry requires upgrading. For instance, those in the Finance line have to work towards their Certified Public Accountant qualifications for them to be truly recognised. Hence, many of my colleagues take courses from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants just to get their professional recognition.
Those in the Property line have to get their Real Estate license. Those in the insurance line have to get their Certified Financial Planner. Those doing audit even have to get their Certified Internal Auditor qualifications, all these to gain professional recognition. There is also the Certified Financial Analyst course. Just a mere degree or two or even a Masters and appropriate job experience is not enough nowadays.
For someone like me, if I do not cross the bar and get a practising license, I can never practice as a full fledged lawyer. This already limits me where job scope, prospects, remuneration and promotion are concerned.
Hence, to really gain a better edge, I am seriously considering the Professional Programme at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. By specialising in Corporate Finance and Governance, it is the only way I can rise up and take on more responsibilities. Career prospects will be better for me too, despite not having a practising license. Plus, if I manage to get the professional qualifications, it will also help me greatly if I do get a practising license in the future!
I went to check out the course and see that it is in two parts. One has to pass all the modules in the first part before going on to the second part. There are four modules in each part. One can take two modules per semester, and finish the whole course in two years. The professional qualifications will only be conferred when one completes all the modules in both parts.
The modules in the first part are : Financial Accounting, Taxation, Corporate Law and Strategic and Operations Management. Financial Accounting touches on Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, Methods of Financial Measurement, Accounting Theory and Regulation, Structure and Content of Financial Statements, Valuation of Assets and Liabilities, Group Accounts, Foreign Currency Transactions, Capital Reduction, Reorganisation and Reconstruction, and Interpretation of Accounts - Cash Flow and Ratios.
Taxation touches on Basic Tax Concepts, Tax Administration, Income and Deemed Income, Deductions, Capital Allowances / Wear and Tear Allowances, Unincorporated Businesses, Personal Reliefs and Tax Rebates, Taxation of Employees, Taxation of Business, Taxation of Overseas Income, Taxation of Non-Residents and Withholding Tax, Outward and Inward Investments, Taxation of Specialised Businesses, Investment Incentives, Tax Avoidance and Evasion, and Goods and Services Tax.
Corporate Law touches on the Nature and Formation of a Company, Constitution of a Company, Capital of a Company (Share Capital and Loan Capital), Directors, Auditors and other Company Officers, Shareholder Remedies, and Companies in Difficulty.
The first part of Strategic and Operations Management touches on Strategic Management like Nature of Strategy, Corporate Environment, Strategic Analysis, Choice and Evaluation and Planning Techniques.
The second part is on Corporate Management like Organisation - Structure and Culture, Managing Change, Managing Communication, Managing Operations, Managing Knowledge and Information, and Managing Quality. The third part is on Team Leadership like Nature of Leadership, Managing Performance and Leading, Developing and Managing Teams.
The modules in the second part of the course are : Corporate Administration, Corporate Financial Management, Corporate Secretariat and Corporate Governance. Corporate Administration touches on Role and Functions, Knowledge and Information, Human Resource, Insurance and Risk Management, and Corporate Assets.
Corporate Financial Management touches on Financial Objectives and Requirements, Sources of Finance, Share and Loan Capital, Capital Structure and the Cost of Capital, Working Capital Management, Capital Investment Appraisal, Business Restructuring / Reorganisation, and International Aspects.
Corporate Secretariat touches on four parts. The first is the Secretariat, Board and Members, like the role , functions and duties of the Secretariat, Dissemination of Information and Decisions, Communications with Shareholders and Other Stakeholders, and the Types, Roles, Duties, Responsibilities, Liabilities, Appointment, Rotation, Removal, Retirement and Disqualification of Directors.
The second part is on Corporate Compliance, touching on Company Formation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Filing of Returns, Corporate Governance Overview, Annual Report, Appointment, Removal and Rights of Auditors, as well as Retention of Records and Statutory Registers.
The third part is on Law and Practice of Meetings, Shares, like Composition, Roles and Proedure of Board Meetings, Types and Purposes of Committees, Types of General Meetings, Composition of Meetings, Role of Chairman, Resolutions in Writing, Minutes and Minute Books, as well as the Appropriate Conduct and Management of Meetings
The last part is on Share Capital and Share Registration, like Regulation of the Securities Industry, Types of Shares and Loan Capital, Markets and Listing Requirements, Share Capital - Allotment, Purchase, Treasure, Alteration, Company Register's Function and Managing Employee's Share Scheme.
Corporate Governance touches on Definitions and Objectives of Corporate Governance, Regulatory and Ethical Framework, Basis of Sound Governance Practice, Company Secretariat and Corporate Governance, Board of Directors, as well as Internal and External Audit.
Essentially, this course will allow me to give advise on the on-goings of a company like share issues, capital injection, initial public offerings, tax consultancy, listing, mergers and acquisitions, amalgamation, liquidation, incorporation, board meetings, press release, announcements, etc. As one can see, this course covers just about everything from Finance to Law to Audit to Compliance to Management. Hence it is a pretty useful course if one get to graduate from it!
The only thing is that I am not a mathematical / financial person. The one brief time I took up Accounting, I failed so badly as my balance sheet can never balance and my Profit and Loss Statements always made a loss.
Furthermore, this course operates on a 100% examination basis, so whatever work I was doing throughout would not help at all. And people know how I feel about examinations nowadays. It would be a waste of time and money if I attempted a paper and in the end failed it, without anything else to fall back on.
If I am to take this up, it will be concurrently with my other course. That itself is not a problem as I just have to learn how to manage, but I worry I may not have the energy to do everything. I am no longer as young as during my tertiary years after all.
But still, a short term sacrifice leads to a long-term gain. I just need to grit my teeth and struggle for two years, after that I can gain professional recognition and much better prospects than what I can have now.
Now I just have to see if my company is willing to sponsor me for the course, and how long I need to be bonded if they do!
I already do not have a practicing license, which puts me at a disadvantage over many others. In our local society at least, every industry requires upgrading. For instance, those in the Finance line have to work towards their Certified Public Accountant qualifications for them to be truly recognised. Hence, many of my colleagues take courses from the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants just to get their professional recognition.
Those in the Property line have to get their Real Estate license. Those in the insurance line have to get their Certified Financial Planner. Those doing audit even have to get their Certified Internal Auditor qualifications, all these to gain professional recognition. There is also the Certified Financial Analyst course. Just a mere degree or two or even a Masters and appropriate job experience is not enough nowadays.
For someone like me, if I do not cross the bar and get a practising license, I can never practice as a full fledged lawyer. This already limits me where job scope, prospects, remuneration and promotion are concerned.
Hence, to really gain a better edge, I am seriously considering the Professional Programme at the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. By specialising in Corporate Finance and Governance, it is the only way I can rise up and take on more responsibilities. Career prospects will be better for me too, despite not having a practising license. Plus, if I manage to get the professional qualifications, it will also help me greatly if I do get a practising license in the future!
I went to check out the course and see that it is in two parts. One has to pass all the modules in the first part before going on to the second part. There are four modules in each part. One can take two modules per semester, and finish the whole course in two years. The professional qualifications will only be conferred when one completes all the modules in both parts.
The modules in the first part are : Financial Accounting, Taxation, Corporate Law and Strategic and Operations Management. Financial Accounting touches on Fundamentals of Financial Accounting, Methods of Financial Measurement, Accounting Theory and Regulation, Structure and Content of Financial Statements, Valuation of Assets and Liabilities, Group Accounts, Foreign Currency Transactions, Capital Reduction, Reorganisation and Reconstruction, and Interpretation of Accounts - Cash Flow and Ratios.
Taxation touches on Basic Tax Concepts, Tax Administration, Income and Deemed Income, Deductions, Capital Allowances / Wear and Tear Allowances, Unincorporated Businesses, Personal Reliefs and Tax Rebates, Taxation of Employees, Taxation of Business, Taxation of Overseas Income, Taxation of Non-Residents and Withholding Tax, Outward and Inward Investments, Taxation of Specialised Businesses, Investment Incentives, Tax Avoidance and Evasion, and Goods and Services Tax.
Corporate Law touches on the Nature and Formation of a Company, Constitution of a Company, Capital of a Company (Share Capital and Loan Capital), Directors, Auditors and other Company Officers, Shareholder Remedies, and Companies in Difficulty.
The first part of Strategic and Operations Management touches on Strategic Management like Nature of Strategy, Corporate Environment, Strategic Analysis, Choice and Evaluation and Planning Techniques.
The second part is on Corporate Management like Organisation - Structure and Culture, Managing Change, Managing Communication, Managing Operations, Managing Knowledge and Information, and Managing Quality. The third part is on Team Leadership like Nature of Leadership, Managing Performance and Leading, Developing and Managing Teams.
The modules in the second part of the course are : Corporate Administration, Corporate Financial Management, Corporate Secretariat and Corporate Governance. Corporate Administration touches on Role and Functions, Knowledge and Information, Human Resource, Insurance and Risk Management, and Corporate Assets.
Corporate Financial Management touches on Financial Objectives and Requirements, Sources of Finance, Share and Loan Capital, Capital Structure and the Cost of Capital, Working Capital Management, Capital Investment Appraisal, Business Restructuring / Reorganisation, and International Aspects.
Corporate Secretariat touches on four parts. The first is the Secretariat, Board and Members, like the role , functions and duties of the Secretariat, Dissemination of Information and Decisions, Communications with Shareholders and Other Stakeholders, and the Types, Roles, Duties, Responsibilities, Liabilities, Appointment, Rotation, Removal, Retirement and Disqualification of Directors.
The second part is on Corporate Compliance, touching on Company Formation, Memorandum and Articles of Association, Filing of Returns, Corporate Governance Overview, Annual Report, Appointment, Removal and Rights of Auditors, as well as Retention of Records and Statutory Registers.
The third part is on Law and Practice of Meetings, Shares, like Composition, Roles and Proedure of Board Meetings, Types and Purposes of Committees, Types of General Meetings, Composition of Meetings, Role of Chairman, Resolutions in Writing, Minutes and Minute Books, as well as the Appropriate Conduct and Management of Meetings
The last part is on Share Capital and Share Registration, like Regulation of the Securities Industry, Types of Shares and Loan Capital, Markets and Listing Requirements, Share Capital - Allotment, Purchase, Treasure, Alteration, Company Register's Function and Managing Employee's Share Scheme.
Corporate Governance touches on Definitions and Objectives of Corporate Governance, Regulatory and Ethical Framework, Basis of Sound Governance Practice, Company Secretariat and Corporate Governance, Board of Directors, as well as Internal and External Audit.
Essentially, this course will allow me to give advise on the on-goings of a company like share issues, capital injection, initial public offerings, tax consultancy, listing, mergers and acquisitions, amalgamation, liquidation, incorporation, board meetings, press release, announcements, etc. As one can see, this course covers just about everything from Finance to Law to Audit to Compliance to Management. Hence it is a pretty useful course if one get to graduate from it!
The only thing is that I am not a mathematical / financial person. The one brief time I took up Accounting, I failed so badly as my balance sheet can never balance and my Profit and Loss Statements always made a loss.
Furthermore, this course operates on a 100% examination basis, so whatever work I was doing throughout would not help at all. And people know how I feel about examinations nowadays. It would be a waste of time and money if I attempted a paper and in the end failed it, without anything else to fall back on.
If I am to take this up, it will be concurrently with my other course. That itself is not a problem as I just have to learn how to manage, but I worry I may not have the energy to do everything. I am no longer as young as during my tertiary years after all.
But still, a short term sacrifice leads to a long-term gain. I just need to grit my teeth and struggle for two years, after that I can gain professional recognition and much better prospects than what I can have now.
Now I just have to see if my company is willing to sponsor me for the course, and how long I need to be bonded if they do!
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