General Questions Flashcards
Tell me about yourself?
- I am Saadat Ahmed. I just turned 20 years old last month.
- I am natively from Hyderabad, but I’ve lived in many cities of interior Sindh due to my father’s occupation. I did most of my initial schooling in a small city called Shikarpur.
- I have lived in many cities of interior Sindh, like Dadu, Larkana, and Mehar, which has enabled me to adapt with new environments with people from different backgrounds.
- But, from 5th grade onwards, we settled back in Hyderabad, and I did the rest of my education, including my O and A levels there and started CA in December 2021.
Why did you choose CA?
- Initially, I had planned on pursuing a degree in Computer Science, but during my first year of O Level, I found subjects like Physics and Chemistry to be rather tedious and unstimulating.
- As a result, I decided to switch to Accounting. At first, I struggled with ledger accounts and felt the need to enrol in a separate accounting tuition. However, through these tuition classes, I discovered my passion for accounting.
- In fact, I found the subject to be so engaging that I decided to take the Accounting exam during my second year of O Level rather than waiting until the third year. As a result, I achieved an A* grade.
- Furthermore, my accounting skills were recognized when I won the Cordoba Accounting Contest in 2020, which ultimately led to a scholarship for the AFC level.
What do your parents do?
- My parents are both retired professionals who have dedicated their lives to serving the society.
- My father is a former judge who has presided over many important cases in his career. He is currently working on a contractual basis at the anti-terrorism court in Hyderabad.
- My mother is a former primary school teacher.
- I admire and respect my parents for their achievements and values, and I have learned a lot from them.
How many siblings do you have and what do they do?
I have just one elder sister, and she did BBA from SZABIST Hyderabad and has been remotely working for a silicon valley startup called Wanderlog
What are your strengths?
- As I mentioned earlier, living in different environments with different people has enabled me to be adaptable and I think its very cruicial in our field as we would be dealing with many clients from different industries and fields.
- I spend less time than average on my studies and still get satisfactory results which I think is going to help me when balancing firm life with my CA Final studies. I prefer smart work over hard work and I think this would also enable me to meet deadlines in a timely manner.
What are your weaknesses?
- The tone of my voice can be misinterpreted in a negative fashion by some people as it is very monotone. But, I have been working on it and the mandatory presentation course by ICAP has greatly helped me with this.
- I’m bad at asking for help because I try to solve all my problems on my own first. But, I have been working on it as now, I consult my peers over any confusion in studies on the Whatsapp group
Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
I see myself as a Qualified Chartered Accountant, probably working here in A. F. Ferguson and Co. in a position where generally a trainee reaches after working for five years. I see myself playing a vital role in assisting this firm in providing valuable services to its clients.
Why AFF?
The purpose and values of AFF, like:
- Acting with integrity,
- Working together, and
- Making a difference,
highly resonate with my own values. I aim to work with like-minded individuals, and I am sure that I can find those people working here at AFF
Why not study law like your father?
I always found law boring and liked playing with numbers and data. My father once said to me that you found a balance between law and numbers in accounting as it has both, numbers and accounting/auditing standards which have to be followed.
Are you willing to do late sittings?
- I understand that working late hours is necessary in our field, and I am absolutely willing to do so if it aligns with the culture and expectations of the organization.
- Also, I think it is a win-win situation that late sittings/over-time is going to provide unique learning opportunities and also provide significant value to the firm from my work. So, I don’t mind putting in the extra efforts as long as they are bearable and reasonable.
What was the last tv show that you watched?
The last TV show I watched was ‘The Last of Us.’ It’s based on a game, and I must say that this is the first video game adaptation that was done right. The show has a great storyline, and the characters are well-developed. It’s a post-apocalyptic world where a fungus has turned most of humanity into zombies
What was the last movie that you watched?
The last movie I watched was Whiplash. It’s a movie about a young drummer who aspires to be one of the greats and his relationship with his abusive instructor who pushes him to his limits. The movie was intense and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. I was impressed by the acting and the music in the movie.
Where will you go if received call from any other big firm?
- I want to start my articleship journey as soon as possible. So, whichever firm gives me the offer first, I will join that firm.
How will you de-escalate a conflict?
To handle a conflict between two individuals in a team,
1. I would actively listen to both sides,
2. then, identify the root cause by assessing the stories from both sides,
3. then I would encourage communication between the parties so they could find a common ground
The goal is to find a mutually beneficial solution and ensure that the conflict does not resurface.
How do you feel to report to women, younger person etc?
It really makes me happy when I see women progressing in their respective careers and it would actually be an honor for me to report to a woman who has been able to reach such a designation, in a society where career-oriented approach is discouraged for females.
