Countless opportunities

The Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (HKICPA) will hold its Career Forum on October 16 from 9am to 6.15pm at Kowloon Bay International Trade and Exhibition Centre. The event will give attendees the chance to hear updates on accounting-related opportunities and the path to becoming a successful CPA.

It is a career path that offers increasingly exciting opportunities both in Hong Kong and further afield, according to HKICPA president Philip Tsai.

'Last year, the mainland became the second-largest economy in the world and one of its banks went public as the largest ever [initial public offering] in world history in a dual listing with Hong Kong,' says Tsai.

'The breakneck growth of the Middle Kingdom is not slowing down and Hong Kong's accounting profession is an important player in China's current stage of financial, commercial, and economic development,' he adds.

'Aside from opportunities north of our city, Hong Kong accountants are also faced with plenty of overseas prospects... Very soon, we will also be free to work and practice in the United States - meaning our skills will be sought after in the world's two largest economies.'

Attendees at the forum will hear about the working life of accountants, take part in career-oriented workshops and have access to practical information to help with their career planning. Students will have lunch with CPAs, meet potential employers and senior executives, and undergo interview training.

'We try to give them some useful tips about... how to prepare themselves,' says Horace Ma, chairman of the HKICPA career forum working group.