What do you do when faced with an ethical dilemma? Try to puzzle it out on your own? Have a quiet word with a colleague or your client?
Support and knowledge often help, which is why Chartered Accountancy students in Scotland taking their final technical exam will also be required to sit a separate exam on Business Ethics.
The new exam isn’t there to make life harder. It’s been designed to make students think – to identify ethical issues, evaluate these, discuss the options and provide recommendations.
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The initiative has the wide support of the Institute of Chartered Surveyors of Scotland (ICAS) Council and its education committees.
Its introduction certainly emphasises the importance ICAS places on ethics being at the heart of the profession.
Because let’s face it: the world isn’t black and white and every rule governing business is open to interpretation.
So this exam, which will equip students with the skills necessary to exercise professional judgment within an ethical framework, is going to be of significant benefit.
On s1jobs there are many opportunities for accountants but – aside from training, practical experience and professional qualifications – employers are looking for candidates with moral backbone.
They want accountants who are always willing to do the right thing. Integrity is the key here.
Back in 2015 ICAS launched The Power of One initiative, which called on all Chartered Accountants (CAs) to place ethical leadership at the heart of their professional responsibilities.
In doing so they could shape the culture and values of their organisations and rebuild public trust in business big and small.
But it takes more than just one exam to instil the essential principles so, right from the beginning of training, ethics form an integral part of the CA qualification.
All students complete a Business Ethics course, beginning with Business Ethics 1 in the first year of their studies. This introduces the ICAS code of ethics, ethical decision-making and the impact of these decisions. Students also learn about different ethical theories and how these can influence outcomes.
And at every stage throughout their training CA students are encouraged to think and act ethically.
So, if you’ve the moral muscle to make the right choices, there are a host of employers waiting to hear from you.
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