CIMA

How CIMA helps your career

“With CIMA certification, you are not just learning to be an accountant”, says a lecturer for beginning CIMA students. “You are learning to manage accountants and other professionals. You are learning to be a leader.” He is right. The objective of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants or CIMA is to produce competent and confident management accounting professionals who can guide and lead their organisations to sustainable success.

As a finance professional you are expected to possess not just high quality technical skills, but also a deep understanding of your employing organisation, and the ability to influence and lead people. You are expected to provide the insight your organisation needs to craft and successfully execute business strategies. The 2015 CIMA Professional Qualifications Syllabus has been designed to enable exactly that, says Noel Tagoe, CIMA’s Executive Director – Education, in the forward to the syllabus.

How CIMA Helps You Succeed

Here are the many ways in which a CIMA Certification can help you progress in your career:

CIMA is a globally recognized professional qualification, second to none. The Certification puts you on par with a basic or first degree whether in seeking jobs or furthering your education in terms of earning a Masters.
With CIMA, you are MORE than a mere bean counter. Sure, it is a globally recognized accounting qualification, but it is also so much more. In contrast with most accounting qualifications where you get the training to go into private practice and to work on external audits and tax, CIMA prepares you for a career in business. Just look at the subjects and the stages you must complete to become a Chartered Management Accountant. Beyond the foundation subjects, you are learning how businesses work and become familiar with operational, management and strategic aspects of a business.
Your CIMA training makes you a strategic thinker. You may become an accountant in the end, but you are equipped to not just look back, as an auditor does, or on the present, as an operational accountant does in a business. You are learning to look forward and think strategically on behalf of your employer.
Your learning helps you add value to your employer’s organization. As the cimaglobal.com site notes, “The way the world does business is changing, with profound challenges for organisations across the world. Systems of production, management, and governance are all being transformed, putting increasing pressure on businesses to create added value.” So that is what you are bringing to the table when you apply for a job or are considering a career in Finance, Management or Management Accounting.
CIMA certification is a great foundation for a Masters in Business Administration (MBA), if you wish to extend your management qualifications. A number of reputed MBA programmes around the world offer exemptions to CIMA graduates
CIMA Certification now opens up a world of opportunities for you to showcase your value around the world. It used to be that CIMA was recognized as a welcome qualification for accountants mainly in the UK, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, Middle East and many countries in Asia including China, Malaysia and India.
With CIMA’s highly successful, long term strategic joint venture with the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the resulting creation of a new accounting designation of Chartered Global Management Accountant or CGMA, you have the whole world including United States and Canada opening up for you, as a job market.
This is a highly desirable designation for anyone working anywhere, considering how more and more firms across the world are operating across multiple global boundaries. But you must consider obtaining the CGMA designation especially if your choice of destination is North America.
There are two pathways—AICPA and CIMA—you can take to obtain the CGMA designation. The CIMA pathway requires you to complete the prescribed CIMA examinations and meet the experience requirements and be a member of CIMA.
CIMA certification will prove to be an invaluable asset for your career regardless of industry or nature of business you choose to go into.
Industry wise, you’ll be able to hold your own whether you join manufacturing, financial and other services, non-profit or the government sectors.
According to the Key Facts and Trends in the Accountancy Profession, a 2015 report issued by the Financial Reporting Council (FRC), of the seven accountancy bodies covered in the report—including Chartered Institute of England and Wales (ICAEW), ACCA and CIPFA—CIMA has the highest percentage of students in industry and commerce (76%).
Your CIMA qualification opens up opportunities for you in global multinational firms, large local businesses, medium- sized enterprise or in small business ventures and startups.
CIMA certification is a great foundation for an aspiring entrepreneur. Want to go into business on your own or join the family business? Not only does your CIMA education provide the respect and recognition of professionalism, it will also help you in all aspects of your business from market research, business planning, setting up operations, financial management, recordkeeping and strategically developing your business. In each of these areas, what you learn will prove to be an invaluable source of strength in your daily life in business.
CIMA Professional qualification is a great rung to begin climbing the ladder of career success. You may not get a great paying job until your qualification is complete, but once you are qualified, your ability to climb high is assured. Visit our blog regularly to be updated on news and career related topics affecting CIMA students and professionals.

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About the Author

Justyna Wachulka-Chan

Justyna is a seasoned professional with 8 years of dedicated experience in the computer-based accounting and finance certification coaching industry. She is committed to providing students with the knowledge and tools necessary to succeed on their exams.

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How CIMA helps your career

Justyna Wachulka-Chan

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How CIMA Helps You Succeed

Get the real feel of the CIMA Exam. Start Practicing Today!

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About the Author

Justyna Wachulka-Chan

Justyna is a seasoned professional with 8 years of dedicated experience in the computer-based accounting and finance certification coaching industry. She is committed to providing students with the knowledge and tools necessary to succeed on their exams.

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