Hey guys, I became an ACCA affiliate and now am doing my training for CA (Icap) from PWC Pakistan. This training will also help me become an ACCA member as it will get counted as PER.

Anyway, Im basically in Risk Advisory Services and i have just started working. Currently im working on applying COSO framework in one of the largest organizations in our country. There are a few other things in Risk Advisory Services as well like Basel framework.

Now here’s my question, I like Risk Advisory Services and i do find Audit kind of boring but alot of my friends say that Audit experience is very important for an accountant.. because lets face it, if you get experience in Risk Advisory and you have never done an audit, you WILL face problems in preparing Financial Statements later in your career.

So should i stick around with Advisory or should i try and transfer myself to Audit? It will be very difficult to transfer to Audit and i wont be able to do it right now either.. Or i might have to change firms which i dont really want to do because PWC Pakistan (AF Ferguson) is THE best firm here.

So i need some help and advice on this matter.

Well..u can do audit half and transfer to advisory later..personally i was in audit 8 months..nw in business advisory like preparin of fs, investmnt fr sources of fund, business process etc..will move to a credit rating role aftr 8-6 months..i found advisory services better in terms of learning..could u pls let me knw to what extent BASEL II for credit rating is implemented or scope of it in pakistan?

Your friends are not always right! I would stick where you are, and if really concerned ask your manager at your next appraisal for CPD ideas on how to keep your FS knowledge up to date, and be able to apply what you are learning in your CA training.

Maybe keep an ear out for when the FS or Audit areas are really busy, and you are queiter, and ask your manager if it would help for you to help out in the busier department.

Either way, don’t make it too obvious you think you may have gone down the wrong path i.e. don’t ask/mention it too often.

Also, you could ask around and find out where previous Risk Advisory staff now work. I think you will be pleasantly surprised!

Well i have to agree with my friend on one thing, That if you havent done an Audit, How can you create Financial Statements for the big organizations? If you have only advisory experience i think your accounting knowledge might get a bit rusty since you’re not practicing it..

I was inducted specifically for Risk Advisory Services along with 9 other trainees and we were told that we are hired for RAS. At that time we didnt even know what RAS was or how it would effect our careers, 2-3 weeks into the training program i feel a bit concerned.

However we have been told that we will be sent on 3-4 Audits in our 3 year training.. I dont know if that would be enough or if we would even get those 3-4 Audits..

@hearthrobbing_hotshot
I dont think Basel 2 is applied to its complete extent here in pakistan, They told us in orientation about it and i cant really recall.. I think they told us three different ways to calculate Risk Weighted Assets and here in Pakistan we were using the most basic of those methods.. So Basel 2 is not implemented properly over here yet. I think there’s a requirement to have Basel 2 implemented till 2011 by the State Bank of Pakistan