Hello,

I’m a proud Chartered Accountant and for the past few years I have been practicing in Trivandrum. I also worked with Catholic Syrian Bank for a year as Credit Manager. As many of you, I attribute my success to my family and friends. Without them I’m not sure whether I will be able to complete my CA course. My father is my mentor, and he always instills courage and strength into me.

In this blog, I want to share my thoughts and opinions about CA articleship.

As it is said, “articleship is a ship that moves slowly and when reaches the shore after three and a half year, we will be equipped with overall working and practical knowledge. “

I started my Articleship in a small firm and so I had much responsibility on me. Choosing a firm is very critical for your CA journey. Be it large firm or small firm, both has its upside and downside. Here are my 2 important suggestions about choosing your articleship firm: 

First, Before you join the articleship, you must personally visit the proposed firm. Observe the environment and talk with the proposed principal freely. Try to talk about your concerns like the study leave, time of stay in office, study time which you require, stipend etc.

Second, Do your background research about the firm you plan to join. You can do this by enquiring with the ICAI branch about the firm. I would also recommend that you talk with two or three articles working there. If possible, get their contact numbers and talk with them before you join the proposed CA firm. Also, talk to senior CA students and CA qualified friends about the firm.

Getting into a great firm for articleship is something you must aim for. A good firm will give you good exposure to different kinds of work, various clients & will help you grow intellectually. A good firm will also give you a good working environment and you will have a great learning experience.

Articleship can be challenging, and you must be prepared to take initiatives and do work that you have not done before and sometimes with not much help and guidance. 

So, when a new work is assigned to you and there’s a deadline, how will you handle the situation? Let me help you here:

First: Understand the work in hand and try to collect all information related to that work from books, documents or websites which are freely available. 

Second: Meet with your client and obtain all necessary documents related to the work.

Third: Update all the progress to your principal. The errors and risk factors are lowered significantly when your principal is in the loop. 

Fourth: Develop a habit of recording important or key elements of work that you have completed, and which are yet to be completed.

If you ask me, what have I developed in my articleship period? My answer would be patience and determination. 

Everyone, whether it be a rank holder or otherwise, one must develop patience and passion towards this course. You must dream that you are a “FCA” Future Chartered Accountant. Believe that you can qualify in the first attempt and work hard for that.

Learn to cut through negative thoughts. Take measures to look at the bright side of life and above all, stay calm. 

Successful people have fear, successful people have doubts, and successful people have worries but they just don’t let these feelings stop them.

Another important thing that I want to share is that you should not lose heart when you make mistakes at work. Don’t hide the mistake, let your principal or seniors know about it so that the collateral damage can be avoided. Also, never argue with your principal. They are your mentors, and like parents they should be respected. 

At this point I want to encourage all aspiring CA’s to dress like a professional and talk like a professional. This is what is expected during the articleship period. Remember, you are representing your firm and principal. Always, make a good impression about them to the outside world.

Your learning experience during your articleship period will act as a foundation for your career. Make sure you build a good one.

Should I go for practice or employment? This is one question I get often from students. Well, the answer truly depend and varies according to the vision of individual students. And if you are confused, I would recommend that you talk to Chartered Accountants who work at companies and who have their own practice. Both has its pros and cons. One suggestion I can make is that you should try to join another firm or continue as Audit Manager in the same firm, so that you can earn and study. This will also help you stay updated. 

So, these were some suggestions that I wanted to share with you, and I believe these would help you successfully complete your articleship and become a proud Chartered Accountant. 

I wish you the best. Thank you.