Pursue Your Dreams

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When we see someone become a movie star, get promoted or become successful, we tell ourselves how lucky that person is. But if we take the time to learn their story, we’ll find that their success has least to do with luck at all.

These people did just one thing. They pursued their dream.

Sylvester Stallone’s story

I love the story of Sylvester Stallone. Some people may know his story but not many people do.

He was paralyzed from birth in the lower left side of his face and he has a slurred speech. But all he wanted was to become an actor. He came to New York City to pursue his dream.

Nobody wanted him. He was rejected more than 1,500 times by agencies in New York. He was also broke. He had to sleep in the New Jersey bus terminal for 3 weeks. At his lowest point, he had to sell his beloved dog for $25 to a stranger.

He decided to change his approach and wrote screenplays. Inspired by a fight he saw of Muhammad Ali, he wrote a screenplay and finished the script in 20 straight hours. 

He took it to movie producers and directors who rejected him. He however found one who was willing to pay $125,000 for it as long as he wouldn’t act on it. 

Sylvester wouldn’t have any of it. He wanted to become the lead actor. He walked away from the offer no matter how broke he was.

The producers increased their offer to $250,000 but he still didn’t accept it. They made another offer for $325,000. But he still said no.

They eventually agreed for him to act in the movie but only paid him $35,000.

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He then used $15,000 of the money they paid him to buy back his dog, his bestfriend. The dog was also in the movie, Rocky.

Rocky made $200 million.

Colonel Sanders – The Kentucky Fried Chicken Story

You are probably more familiar with Colonel Sanders’ story, which is summarised below.

Colonel Harland Sanders was 65 years old when he received his first social security cheque of $99. He knew he had to do something so he could survive financially.

Colonel Sanders always had a passion for cooking. He believed there was an opportunity to market his original recipe chicken to restaurant owners across the U.S.

He told the restaurant owners that he had a chicken recipe, with its blend of eleven herbs and spices, which people liked and he was giving it to them for free. All he wanted in return was for the restaurant owners to pay him a small percentage on the pieces of chicken sold.

In his travels in the U.S., he was rejected more than 1,000 times. However, Sanders persevered and 1,009 tries after he finally persuaded Pete Harman in South Salt Lake, Utah, to partner with him. They launched the first "Kentucky Fried Chicken" site in 1952.

And, as the saying goes, the rest is history.

Don’t fear failure

We fail. We get rejected. We lose. Everyone does. I learned from inspiring people like Sylvester Stallone and Colonel Sanders that the more you fail, the more chances of success you will have.

I used to fear failing but I try not to anymore.

When I wonder why I have not achieved my dream, I just ask myself if I have failed enough times or if I have even tried at least 100 times. The answer is most likely 'No'.

You may want to have your own house, become a qualified accountant, lose 10 kilos or become the best dad. No matter what your dream is, work passionately on it and be willing to pay the price then you will see results.

I like this quote from Robert Kiyosaki:

Say 'YES' in the comments below if you are determined to pursue your dream!

Now be the best that you can be,
Xiela

Becoming a Chartered Accountant in Australia

Moving to Australia was not as easy as I thought. Don’t get me wrong it is a nice place but in the corporate world, especially in the Accountancy realm, firms and companies could be obsessed with “local experience” and “Australian qualification”.

When I moved to Guernsey (Channel Islands) more than 6 years ago as an external auditor, not having local experience and their recognised qualification was not an issue at all. The important thing was that you have relevant accounting or auditing experience and was qualified back home.

You can still get an accounting or auditing job in Australia without those two but I guess there are more challenges and disappointments, so just be ready. The best way to get through them is to stay in a job to get that experience and study.

CA or CPA?

Based on my observations, accounting/auditing firms tend to favour CA (Chartered Accountants Program of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia [ICAA]) for graduates starting an accounting qualification, although they don’t really mind if you join them already with a CPA qualification (Certified Practising Accountants qualification of the CPAA).

With other entities or companies, it doesn’t really matter which one you take or have already taken.

The CPA Program is cheaper and apparently less stressful. The only advantage that I see on the CA Program, and the reason that I chose it, is that it is recognised more internationally.

Steps for enrolling in the CA Program

The procedures I’m going to share with you is based on my experience, having finished my Bachelors Degree in Accounting and obtained my accounting qualification from my home country, the Philippines.

The Assessment

Before you can even think of enrolling in a module (there are 5 modules in total for the whole program) you have to get assessed first. The assessment is to determine if your accounting degree is equivalent to an Australian degree.

If you have applied for a permanent resident visa in Australia previously and have used ICAA for you accounting assessment for migration purposes, you cannot use the migration assessment for entry into the Chartered Accountants Program as separate criteria apply.

Download the Standard Assessment Form from the ICAA website (www.charteredaccountants.com.au) and fill it out. These are the documents I submitted together with the accomplished assessment form:

• Original certified copy of the diploma and certificate of graduation from my university;
• Original certified copy of the academic transcript of records;
• Original certified copy of the course description with an explanation of what each subject is all about;
• Original letter of good standing (dated 3 month from application received date) from local accounting body;
• Original certified copy of my accounting (CPA) certificate; 
• Original certified copy of my exam results;
• CV or resume; and
• Certified copy of work reference or letter from employer.

They got back to me after almost 4 weeks and told me that I need to take the following subjects from an approved Australian tertiary institution:

• Australian Corporation Law
• Australian Taxation Law
• Finance

The Registration

It took me a year to finish the 3 subjects. At the end of the day all I needed is the official transcript of records from the university.

Go to the ICAA website and download the Employment Details Form. Ask one of your supervisors (that is already a Chartered Accountant) to be your mentor. Fill out Sections 1 and 2 of the form and ask your mentor to sign in Section 2.

Registration is done online in the ICAA website. You would need to upload the accomplished Employment Details Form, a copy of the assessment letter they sent you (this letter lists the subjects that they want you to take) and a certified true copy of the official transcript of records.

Enrolment

You will receive an email from ICAA after a few weeks that you have been registered. Obtain their timetable and schedules from their website, if you haven’t already, and look up the dates of enrolment for the subject that you want to take. You can now enrol on that subject starting on the date of enrolment specified.

The Journey Ahead

We’re back to being students again, which is not altogether a bad thing.

I’m still in the process of enrolment and will be taking up Audit & Assurance as my first module. I will be sharing some of my notes here so watch out for them if you are in the same journey. Enter you email address in the upper right side of this page, if you want to get the notes emailed to you as they come.

Classes start really soon so good luck to us!

Now be the best that you can be,

Xiela Marie Dacyon