Accounting 1

Self Reflection Methods

Customer Inserts His/her Name

Customer Inserts Grade Course

Customer Inserts Tutor’s Name

 Self-reflection

In my profession of accounting a person should have the skill of auditing, bookkeeping

and financial analysis. In the accounting occupation one must attain a certified accountant’s

certificate for one to practice his skill. I am a certified accountant with skills in the field of

auditing and bookkeeping and I qualified to be an accountant within a period of five years where

I studied accounting and finance at the university. Auditing and bookkeeping are important

activities used to track the financial records of organizations while bookkeeping is an activity

used to analyze the books of accounts of any organization (Sevigny 2006). These skills help me

in achieving my main goal of owning an accountancy firm in a few years time, my passion in

accounting has enabled me to focus on my goals by using my skills in auditing and bookkeeping

to learn the necessary skills needed in achieving my goals (Jones 2005). When I was undertaking

a self reflection of my skills and abilities, I expressed the qualities I posses using missions,

visions and values statements as outlined below:

Personal Mission

My core purpose in the next 1 to 3 years is to develop competencies in the accounting field. My

focus is not only developing my professional competency but also enhancing the ethics that

creates complete professional qualification. The type of person that I will like to be in my

professional career is an efficient, ethical and competent professional accountant. I believe in

developing my professional qualifications to the highest level possible. I believe in the maxim

that knowledge is power and consequently I would love to develop my skills to empower myself

knowledgeable in my career and in my personal development.

I believe in the existence of truth and justice for every person, because the truth enhances work
 Accounting 3

ethics (Blair 2004). Ethics is the core value which enriches our professional work and our

company work.

By pulling together we make the world better, everybody in my judgment has a duty of helping

each other and unity in undertaking their duties. I plan to involve myself in community

empowerment using my skills and qualifications.

The best lessons in life are learnt through experience, since learning involves practical and

theoretical perspective, I will thrive to learn from other people’s mistakes in order to minimize

my own mistakes that are inevitable in the process of career building (Clarke 2010). I will thus

optimize my learning experience through practical experience in accounting field and application

of my accounting theoretical background.

I will endeavor to positively accept other people’s criticisms in building my career as I believe

that their contribution is of essence in my personal growth as an accountant (Blair 2004).

Vision Statement

• To become a leading Certified Accountant in the field of accounting and be proficient

through recognition of all the relevant bodies in accounting. I intend to attain the highest

qualification in the accounting field (Sevigny 2006).

• To attain the role of a leading partner in a leading accountancy firm. I relish the

opportunity of being a leader in an accountancy firm and I believe my contribution will

be enormous in expanding the field of accounting (Regal 2007).

• With my qualifications as a graduate with Bachelors in Accounting coupled with my

determination and ambition, I am empowered enough to make a living and self

 satisfaction from my skills and qualifications within a period of around 5 years (Wright

2009).

• By means of my hard work and accounting prowess, I am sure to rise through the ladder

in the accounting profession and be able to form my own accounting firm within the

period of 5-7 years that will provide accounting services within and outside my country.

• I plan to build partnerships with other accountants in order to offer pro-bone services,

being part of the society; I have a duty to give back to the society in the spirit of

collective responsibility (Csank 2006).

Values statement

• I believe and work through determination since it gives me the strength to endure and

pursue my goals and objectives in life. Determination will be my steering basis through

the challenges of life.

• Keeping faith, I trust in observance of faith since faith keeps the fire burning in my

pursuit for greatness in life. Faith helps in taking each day as it unfolds and preparing

oneself for the unexpected (Blair 2004).

• I believe in the value of truth, I strongly acknowledge the position of building trust by use

of truth. In standing for truth I will be answering to the call of being truthful as it is the

only way of enhancing competence in my professional career (Wright 2009).

• Understand the value of perseverance; perseverance bears the fruit of winners. Through

perseverance we overcome small challenges and trails in life and keeping the imperative

focus in achieving the ultimate goal.

 Accounting 5

• Team work is a value that I believe in, I believe that sharing academic information with

your peers helps in getting more concept of the task and both in academics and in our

every day life. Team work will thus play a critical role in enhancing my career in

accounting field.

As clearly emphasized, my values will enhance my career development since they are the

core ideologies of my life. In essence, being ethical, truthful, determined, incorporating

team work and enhancing perseverance are some of my un-negotiable values that I live

and breathe.

Personal Development Plan

Techniques to be used in the Professional development plan

Brainstorming

This requires a discussion of professionals in the accounting field to generate credible ideas

that will assist in understanding the goals that I need to attain and the exploring channels and

avenues for achieving them. This includes listening to already established professional

accountants and leaning from their experience and ideas about the market.

Mind-mapping

This is basically a diagram that represents words and ideas about the goals that I need to

achieve in a period of 5-10 years. The diagram will assist me to visualize and to generate proper

structures that I need to follow to become a certified accountant and to be among the best in my

profession. It will also help me arrange my ideas according to the order of priorities and will be a

constant reminder of the steps I need to follow to get to my goal.

 Mind Mapping Diagram

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0002000000000000000000000000000000f6090000e40c0000d800000017010000000000000000

0000000000005c4b030068430400160000000c000000180000000a000000100000000000000000

00000009000000100000003408000021050000520000007001000001000000d2ffffff000000000

000000000000000900100000000000004400022430061006c00690062007200690000000000000

00000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

00000000000000001d00f0a91d001000000054ad1d00d4aa1d005251946654ad1d004caa1d00100

00000bcab1d0038ad1d002451946654ad1d004caa1d00200000004964a1674caa1d0054ad1d0020

000000ffffffff0c047300d064a167ffffffffffff0180ffff01804fff0180ffffffff006b010000080000000

8000022b6976701000000000000002c01000025000000372e90010000020f0502020204030204ff

0200e1ffac004009000000000000009f01000000000000430061006c00690062007200000000000

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bcaa1d00e87897671f000000e4aa1d000c0473006476000800000000250000000c0000000100000

0250000000c00000001000000250000000c00000001000000120000000c0000000100000018000

0000c00000000000002540000005400000000000000000000001a0000003700000001000000888

70741d1450741000000002c000000010000004c000000040000000000000000000000340800002

105000050000000200000001b00000046000000280000001c0000004744494302000000ffffffffff
 Accounting 7

ffffff3508000021050000000000004600000014000000080000004744494303000000250000000c

0000000e000080250000000c0000000e0000800e00000014000000000000001000000014000000

0400000003010800050000000b0200000000050000000c023b01f801040000002e0118001c0000

00fb02f5ff0000000000009001000000000440002243616c6962726900000000000000000000000

000000000000000000000000000040000002d010000040000002d010000040000002d01000004

00000002010100050000000902000000020d000000320a0b0000000100040000000000f8013a01

200006001c000000fb020400020000000000bc02000000000102022253797374656d003f00003f3

f3f3f3f3f3f3f3f3f0800000001003f3f3f3f3f00040000002d010100040000002d010100030000000

000

SWOT analysis

The SWOT analysis will be the key to the future success of my career. Examining my

strengths which include hard work and determination will assist me focus on them and overcome

my weaknesses. The opportunities in the accounting career are enormous hence I need to take

advantage of the good environment and establish myself and company and help me stabilize in

the market and minimize competition from other accountants.

As a young profession in the field of accounting, there are various goals that I must

accomplish to reap the full benefits of my career. It is my intention to complete my CPA in the

next two years and to be officially a certified public accountant. This is a requirement for all

accountants besides giving me a competitive edge in my career and higher prospects of getting

employed in an established Accounting firm in the short term. A recent survey found out that

majority of the established corporations view CPA as very vital and an important consideration

when employing accountants. Working in an established accounting firm will help me gain a lot
of knowledge and experience in this field and contribute significantly in building my career.

To be employed in an established accounting firm will put me in a privileged position

because I will be able to earn a living as well as developing my career. Accounting field is one of

the most paying careers in the modern world. Within the first year, accountants can make over

fifty thousand dollars which is much higher than professional careers can offer (Edwards 2008).

All these will go a long way in ensuring I live a quality life, enable me to create wealth and be

independent.

With a Bachelors degree in Accounting and CPA, I expect to climb the corporate ladder in

a period of between 5-7 years. My leadership skills will enable me assume a managerial position

in an established accounting firm and this will further boost my career as well as strengthening

my credentials (Gaylord 2006). My values of hard work, dedication and team work will be my

guide to get recognition through substantial contribution to the firm. As a manager I will gain

experience and understand fully how the industry operates and I will work to be among the best

certified accountants that the country has to offer, this will place me in a more strategic position

with respect to the market.

With vast experience in the accounting field as a manager, I expect to build my own

accounting firm which is my ultimate goal. I aim to employ the best certified accountants in the

country who will make my firm to grow and through my leadership credentials I will be able to

build the careers of many accountants. I expect the firm to be in a strategic position and be able

to compete with other firms in this information age in acquiring substantial market share.

Lastly, given the ever growing impact of globalization, my firm seeks to strategies to take

advantage of globalization and leverage on it in order to expand its boundaries beyond our
 Accounting 9

geographical limitation. Given that there is an ever increasing need or demand for accountants

and accounting services in the world, there is a clear market that requires exploitation. In this

sense, I will leverage Information Technology to my firm’s business process and organizational

structure in order to align them to achieve sustainability and continuous development.

Conclusion

The accounting profession is one of the most recognized and respected careers which

provide employment for many individuals and offers good pay for professionals. They perform a

broad range of accounting duties including auditing tax for government corporations, businesses

and non-government organizations and individuals. This is why it is my career of choice and

hope to benefit from the qualities it has to offer. My professional qualifications will also be vital

in developing my future firm and ensuring that it develops to achieve its visions and missions in

the ever increasing globalization.

 References

Blair, G R 2004, Personal Mission Statement: Defining Your Life's Purpose, GoalsGuy Learning

Systems, California.

Blair, G R 2004, Personal Value Statements: Writing Your Personal Operating System,

GoalsGuy Learning Systems, California.

Clarke, G 2010, The Vision Statement, Matthias Media, Cologne.

Csank, P 2006, Self-reflection: Its impact on self-concept clarity and affect, Concordia

University, London.

Edwards, H 2008, Managerial Accounting Freeload Press, London.

Gaylord, G L, & Reid, G E 2006, Careers in Accounting, McGraw-Hill Professional, Mississippi

Jones, L 2005, The path: Creating your mission statement for work and for life, Hyperion Books,

New York.

Regal, S 2007, Vision Statement, Lulu.com, New Delhi.

Sevigny, L, Pugh K & Burgess, T 2006, The Personal Vision Workbook, Cengage Learning,

Austin.

Wright, R 2009, Achieving Your Life Mission, Cedar Fort, Boston.