Year 12 Accounting and Finance

Accounting Excursion – “Meet the Business Leaders”

On Monday 7 May, the Year 12 Accounting and Finance students had a great opportunity to attend a conference, “Meet the Business Leaders”, organised by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. The students were able to listen to and discuss with successful chartered accountants about their journey in the business world and what it means to be a chartered accountant.

There were several keynote speakers working in different fields ranging from business owners, corporate business to non-profit organisation. The students’ financial literacy, developed at school, enabled them to understand the technical terms used by the different keynote speakers, and it was beneficial to our students to be exposed to further financial literacy beyond the confines of their classroom.

A very interesting point, which was further discussed with students in class after the conference, was about mental health. It was mentioned at the conference that employers are also now asking during the interview process the skills and activities that staff have to achieve a work-life balance. More and more businesses are now conscious about the importance of mental wellbeing, and it was important to further discuss with our students how they can look after their own mental health in the workplace.  Below are some of the reflections of our students:

Jan Busoy:

The ATAR Accounting and Finance excursion gave us an insightful overview of how Accounting can be implemented in a wide variety of career paths, and does not have to be a path in itself. We found that Accounting is a good basis for when you are still confused about what you'll do in university, as it can be carried over to any other career path you may choose in the future. It brings a good salary, which is based on performance and qualifications. CA or Chartered Accountants is a qualification that you can achieve through a 3-year degree and then a chartered accountants training, which can take several years to complete, but boosts salary concordantly with the skills and knowledge the qualification provides. I found this excursion to be beneficial in providing me knowledge and helping me point in the right direction towards my future.

Reid Galliott:

During the excursion I learnt several things about career paths and what may interest me in the future. One big takeaway for me was that accounting was a flexible field, that acted as a cornerstone of most businesses. Along with fairly high pay, being an accountant ensures good job security.

Beyond just accounting however a focus of the day was on the flexibility of your career, and the importance of maintaining a healthy mental state. Both for your personal health and employability, it was important to take time to focus on hobbies that you have an interest in, as it makes you a more rounded person. Overall I learnt a lot that I am sure is to help me in the future when deciding upon my career.

Linda Yeoh:

The Year 12 Accounting and Finance class attended the 'Meet the Business Leaders' excursion at the head office of Chartered Accountants in WA. The various businesses leaders that we met all agreed that accounting is the cornerstone of every business. Being the cornerstone means that accounting is the foundation on which businesses are established and operate. Accounting is present in businesses in numerous ways, from the initial commencement, to the day to day recording and reporting, as well as through allowing businesses to budget and plan for the future. The leaders taught us that accounting skills are universal and desirable to employers, so acquiring accounting knowledge will be something you won't regret.

Amy Murphy:

On Monday 7 May, the Year 12 accounting class attended an excursion in Perth CBD, to talk with business leaders who had earned their CA (Chartered Accountant). Four business leaders attended the event, where each one visited each small group of students and offered us advice for our future and beneficial information on becoming a CA. One thing I learnt from the excursion was that people shouldn't be worried about entering the accounting business with doubts of the possibility that increasing technology could render accountants useless. Technology may be able to perform the practical side of accounting, such as producing income statements and balance sheets. However, it will never be able to provide businesses with management decisions and the best course of action. Hence accounting is a practical and rather broad subject to immerse yourself into at university if you are unsure on your future or simply enjoy accounting. 

I hope that, through our student’s’ reflections, students at St Norbert College can see the value in developing their financial literacy, and the career prospects in the business world they can have by studying a business subject such as Accounting and Finance.

Mr P Ah Fong (Accounting and Finance Teacher)