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26 CERTIFIED MANAGEMENT ACCOUNTANT

What was your first job?
My first job was at Ernst & Young (EY),
Chartered Accountants, as a trainee.
That is where I was able to both improve
my skills in writing and also apply the
things I learnt, and being a writer for the
Sun newspaper also helped. Studying
in England and in the US also helped
me to look at life very differently. In life,
you need to work hard and be prepared
to take chances. Also, be ready to
take on responsibility when luck and
opportunity present themselves. When
you get that opportunity, it is important
to exceed expectations.

Have you ever had challenges
in your career?

My career was all about working hard,
looking for opportunities, and building
a strong foundation, so that I was in the
right place at the right time when an
opportunity presented itself. I have lost
some great opportunities by taking a
firm stand on certain issues. But I have
no regrets. Also, having faith in a religion
gives meaning to life.

What are the top skills that you
would recommend a student to
have apart from the academic
background?

Communication, both verbal and
Mr. Dinesh Weerakkody, Chairman, written, self-confidence, and tech-
International Chamber of Commerce savviness. The students need to seek
out opportunities and start doing new
Sri Lanka and Former Chairman, Hatton things. I urge students to get involved
National Bank, Commercial Bank of Ceylon, the in community work. I remember how
Employees Trust Fund Board, and the National I was a part-time journalist/writer as a
Human Resources Development Council of teenager. But I never did it for money.
Sri Lanka. Instead, it was to learn, report, and
improve my life skills. There were some
great opportunities that came with
Were you ambitious in your them when I applied for jobs. Since I
youth and how would you had interviewed some famous business
describe yourself? personalities back then, it helped me
to learn about current affairs and build
Not at all. I was fun-loving, but my network. So, whenever I applied
determined at the start, but later for jobs, those leaders recognized me
became studious. Unlike these days, and this gave me an advantage over
students then did not have multiple others. From my experience, for a single
options to pursue. However, I was lucky vacancy, hundreds of qualified people
to have a good family background, apply, so merely having 2-3 degrees will
so I had inspiration in my own family not help students to get employed. So,
to drive my own destiny. But I never it is crucial for students to acquire other
imagined, as a teenager, becoming the soft skills in order to stand out from the
Chairman of two big banks early in my rest.
career.

www.cma-srilanka.org | Volume 06 - No. 2 - September 2021