ITB December 2024/January 2025 - Magazine - Page 38
What attracted you to the profession?
I knew it would guarantee me a bright future. After I graduated, I opted
for an audit role because I wanted to understand how things worked
in various industries. When I gained enough experience, I moved into
the commercial space.
CONSTANCE LUK ASA
MEMBER Q& A
With a keen interest
in not-for-profits and
mental health work in
Malaysia, Constance
Luk is a youth advisory
board member at Office
of the United Nations
High Commissioner for
Human Rights (OHCHR)
representing East Asia
for the Education and
Human Rights project.
How do you think the profession should evolve and what needs to change?
Technology is going to become even more important, so we need to be
curious about it and acknowledge that it comes with cons as well as pros.
For example, we have to be across cybersecurity risks and have backup plans
in case anything goes wrong with IT systems.
What are the obstacles and opportunities of the profession?
I think the biggest obstacle for any change in life is mindset. If you rely on
one way of doing things, you are not using your critical thinking skills to their
full potential. There are countless opportunities for the profession. My advice
to future accountants is try before you decide, and be willing to learn and
improve yourself, because the search for knowledge never ends.
How do you see your career evolving with the profession?
I think there are always opportunities to take on something new, regardless
of age. I really enjoy networking, because that is where you gain different
ideas on what is out there. I aspire to be inspired.
What attracted you to the accounting profession?
With the breadth and depth of knowledge internal auditors have of a
company, we can act as agents of change to drive improvement. I see
value provided to various stakeholders in my line of work, and that is what
attracted me to the profession.
KELSEY LIM ASA
Kelsey Lim aims
to provide value to
stakeholders, which
is why she chose a
career in accounting.
Based in Singapore,
she works as an internal
audit specialist at
home appliances and
consumer electronics
company Haier.
How do you think the profession should evolve and what needs to change?
While AI can automate many routine tasks, its potential remains untapped
if accounting professionals lack competency to harness the capabilities. It is
imperative that we embrace leveraging new technology, or at the very least,
experiment with it.
What are the obstacles and opportunities of the profession?
In Singapore, where I live, there is a shortage of young accountants
and auditors due to the perceived unattractiveness of the profession
— accounting is deemed as “boring” and “mundane”. A change in mindset
is required to appreciate or embrace the value that the accounting
profession brings.
Accounting professionals are no longer just administrative personnel
who perform routine bookkeeping for the company. We are well-positioned
to provide advisory and consulting services for all key stakeholders.
When equipped with the right knowledge and skill set, such as data analysis,
we can also serve as advisers in areas like sustainability reporting, tax and
regulatory compliance.
How do you see your career evolving with the profession?
I definitely foresee more use and integration of AI and machine learning
tools in my day-to-day work, as well as delving into more diversified and
non-conventional areas of audit. With these changes, I believe that
keeping an open mind, better critical thinking and judgement skills will
be required for me to excel in my career.
38 INTHEBLACK Dec 2024/Jan 2025 SPECIAL EDITION
