Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Job loss? Not for Chartered Accountants and Lawyers

With the economy slowing down there is a definite fear amongst professionals of various categories of either loosing their jobs or facing a cut in their salaries. However, there is one category of professionals who continue to be in high demand and that is my tribe of warriors, namely Chartered Accountants. Despite the slowdown the world still has to compile its accounts (which are on increasingly complex IT systems) and get them audited and that is where the CA scores over a number of other professions in a slowdown.

Further, with the regulatory environment becoming stricter and more complex by the day there is a distinct need for more professionals with hands on experience of ERP systems, taxation, auditing and now with IFRS implementation looming on the horizon – persons with knowledge of IFRS.

Similarly, lawyers too are in a good position as with increased regulatory control and, businesses increasingly facing problems due to the tight money market conditions, legal issues are cropping up everyday which are generating more work for the profession. Increased amount of legal work being generated in the developed economies, due to the mortgage crisis, is also a good sign for the LPO (legal process outsourcing) Industry.