From Corporate Experience to Global Accounting: Simranjeet Kaur’s Journey with ACCA

In the world of finance and accounting, having a non-traditional background is hardly a downside—in fact, real-world corporate experience can be your biggest advantage if you know how to build on it.

For Simranjeet Kaur, stepping into the world of global accounting meant combining over five years of corporate experience, a solid academic foundation from SGTB Khalsa College (Delhi University) and Jamia Millia Islamia and the rigorous global standards of the ACCA qualification. Today, she has successfully transformed that journey into a thriving role as an Accounting Analyst at DNA Growth. 

We sat down with Simranjeet to talk about her professional journey, how she transitioned into IFRS and Financial Reporting and what it took to crack key papers in her very first attempt!

Q: Simranjeet, you bring quite a bit of corporate experience into your finance journey. How much has that professional background helped you when looking at accounting and audit?

Simranjeet: It changes your perspective completely. Having spent years managing end-to-end recruitment, corporate workflows, and stakeholder communication, you get a front-row seat to how real businesses actually operate.

When you understand the people and operations behind a business, looking at financial statements isn't just about crunching numbers on a spreadsheet anymore. You start seeing the real business story behind the balance sheet, which makes understanding reporting and audit principles so much more intuitive.

Q: You cleared tough ACCA papers like Financial Reporting (FR) and Audit & Assurance (AA) in your very first attempt! How did you manage that?

Simranjeet: ACCA isn't something you can just memorize your way through, it demands absolute clarity. My approach was to really focus on the logic behind the standards rather than rote learning.

Having a clear study routine, breaking down complex IFRS rules into simpler pieces, and leaning on structured guidance made all the difference. Once you understand why an accounting rule is applied, solving application-based questions becomes second nature.

Q: With a solid background in commerce from Delhi University, what made you decide to pursue the ACCA qualification on top of everything else?

Simranjeet: Traditional degrees give you a great theoretical starting point, but today's corporate landscape looks for globally recognized credentials, especially when backed by prominent institutions such as The WallStreet School. ACCA is essentially the gold standard if you want to work with international accounting frameworks and financial management.

I wanted something that would officially validate my technical accounting skills on a global scale. Pairing that with practical financial knowledge gave me the exact combination needed for core finance and audit roles.

Q: You've balanced professional roles, leadership awards and continuous learning. What keeps you going?

Simranjeet: Honestly, it's just about discipline and a genuine love for learning new things. Winning awards like Super Squad of the Year during my corporate tenure taught me the value of taking ownership and seeing things through.

Whether you're handling demanding work projects or prepping for professional exams, time management is everything. You carve out consistent time every single day, keep your eyes on the long-term goal and focus on steady progress.

Q: To wrap things up, what advice would you give to working professionals who want to pivot into core finance and accounting?

Simranjeet: Don't ever think your past experience doesn't count, every single skill adds up!

1. Lean on your transferable skills: Strong communication, problem-solving and professional maturity are massive assets in finance.

2. Build real technical depth: Invest your time in globally recognized credentials like ACCA.

3. Stay consistent: The pivot takes work, but with the right guidance and a structured routine, you can break into top-tier roles.

When you combine real-world professional maturity with rigorous technical qualifications, you become an invaluable asset to any finance team!