Career Guidance

Hello everyone…!!

Before posting my question , it is important for you to know some important facts from my life which will help you to understand what my nature is , so this might be a bit long post , but in order to get the best and appropriate  advice  I feel this is necessary, so please bear with me and read the whole thing and help me out..!! please…!!

My name is Karan and I am a CA final student (old course) with group 2 pending. I finished my articleship in 2017 from a reputed firm which ranks 10^th Globally due to which I got real good exposure in work .

I had started my coaching classes way early at the start of my articleship itself. After much struggle between office and studies, I appeared for my first attempt (group 1 only) in May 2017 which I did not clear , this was followed by another failure in Nov 2017 attempt.  

I knew that something is not working , something is going wrong. One reason was having started my classes way too early  I couldn’t keep up with the changes / amendments that were introduced in between the periods . I started my introspection and realized that I am a person who takes time to understand things and remember them. Conceptually I knew I couldn’t go wrong but remembering things the way it is required , needed much time for me. Untill I felt from inside that I was ready , I wouldn’t get the confidence to appear for the exams. Also I realized that I couldn’t manage 2 things at the same time- studies and office, where my office work would take priority leaving very less time for me to prepare to my levels of satisfaction.

Having being ill prepared , I decided to skip my next attempt in May 2018 and this time study the way it worked for me. So I took all coaching for group 1 again , prepared a schedule of how to study based on the time it takes me to remember things , gave around 20 mock test papers and got it checked by experts, gave ICAI mock tests , went through all the past RTP , Question papers etc. After preparing to the level of my satisfaction , I appeared for my Nov 2018 attempt and this time I cleared with distinction in few subjects.  So this was working !!

Since, my approach worked , I decided to adopt the same for my next group attempt as well .I thought it is better to do things the way it is working for me ( by taking time that I require ) and clear rather than giving attempts with no results.

 But because It was consuming much time , I decided to equip and update myself with the changes that were happening in the industries so that I remain relevant and in tune with the recent developments and thus started to acquire Certifications from some reputed institutions/ organizations  in various current / hot topics for which industry was offering jobs as a result of which I became certified in GST  ( from Govt. of india)  , IFRS/Ind AS,  Auditing standards (from ACCA) , in Companies Law, Forensic accounting and fraud examiner etc.

I also started attending online training programs offered by some of the leading companies  w.r.t  soft skills such as Communication skills ,  team building and other personality development and interpersonal skills.

Now , I am to give my group 2 attempt in May 2020 which due to the COVID virus got postponed to July 2020.

One thing that is bothering me now is although to clear my CA final, I am doing things the way it is working for me best , but at the same time it is taking much time . I have heard that with Age , career opportunities decrease and with the economy suffering , job market is taking a hit.

Although from my side I am doing my best to stay updated and relevant for job seekers , still the fear of loss of exposure/ Experience  haunts me now , by the time I appear for my July 2020 attempt , I would turn 26.

So in this regard , I wanted to know , will it be better for me take up a job and start working while keeping my CA final attempt scheduled for July 2020 OR should I give my CA final  group 2 , which is the only group pending,  and then get into work ??

I t would be really great and indeed very very helpful if someone can advice me what to do , in taking the right decision w.r.t my career in future as I don’t want to take a decision  which costs me hugely and regret it later .

Please help …!!

Thanks for the patient reading ..!!