The document discusses the career experiences and benefits of IMA leadership for the author. As chapter president for the IMA Indianapolis chapter for two terms, the author has gained valuable experience in skills like member recruitment, marketing, career development, team management, and budgeting. This experience provided learning opportunities even without immediate financial rewards. The author later pursued the CMA certification to add value and marketability globally to their diverse career experiences in various industries. When speaking to students, the author found that the CMA is underappreciated as an alternative to public accounting, but it allows for charting different career paths for those not interested in traditional accounting.

1. 64 / STRATEGIC FINANCE / December 2015
A Multi-Dimensional
Career Path BY Jyoti Pandey
once had an interviewer ask me about a time
when my work didn’t translate into financial
reward but I learned a lot in the process. I paused
for a second and thought of my leadership experi-
ence in IMA®. I’ve been involved with the IMA
Indianapolis Chapter for several years and have
held leadership roles in the last few. I’m currently
serving my second stint as chapter president, and
the exposure and experience have been truly
enriching.
The local chapter offers unique opportunities
to meet new people, listen to great ideas, and stay
current on industry trends. While it’s true that
these objectives can be
achieved remotely via tech-
nology, we can’t disregard
the value and importance of
human connection. The
valuable experience teaches
strong career-sustaining
skills, including how to
attract new members, mar-
keting strategies, staying
updated on topics that could
help with career growth,
how to strategically manage
a team, how to work and be resourceful with
budget constraints, and how to keep members
motivated and be able to influence them.
I’m fortunate to have a diverse work experi-
ence. I’ve held mid- to senior-level roles in manu-
facturing, investment management, healthcare,
education, and start-up companies. My natural
inclination is to find methodical solutions to com-
plex problems, to look for process improvements,
and to work toward maximizing efficiency, pro-
ductivity, and cost reduction strategies. Earlier this
year, I decided to take my passion and experience
to the next level and pursue a credential that
would add value to my work and make my résumé
more marketable and internationally recognized.
My extensive research led me to the CMA® (Certi-
fied Management Accountant) certification.
The CMA was more attractive than other certi-
fications in accounting for several reasons. First, it
focuses on three important pillars: performance,
strategy, and management. Since I’m naturally
predisposed to thinking critically—looking at the
bigger picture first to see what strategic role each
piece of the puzzle plays in an organization—it
made sense to pursue the CMA
to add further value in that
space. In addition, it offers
growth potential. The exam cov-
ers relevant material to suit
industry needs. And since it’s an
internationally recognized certi-
fication, the CMA opens many
doors, such as its strategic ties
with the Institute of Cost
Accountants of India (ICWAI).
As a member of IMA’s Indi-
anapolis Chapter, I sometimes
give presentations to students who have
expressed interest in the CMA. During these
meetings, I realized that few students are aware of
the CMA, and many aren’t encouraged to pursue
it. The gap is because of “perceived value” vs.
“real value” with other designations. What I
found interesting, however, is that not everyone
has the desire to take the traditional public
accounting career path after graduating. Many
students would like to chart a different territory,
and the CMA can help. SF
LIFE
Jyoti Pandey is the
senior management
consultant in global
compliance and
strategy solutions at
Integrity Leadership
Partners, LLC and a
member of IMA’s
Indianapolis Chapter.
You can reach her at
jsaum09@gmail.
com.
I «We can’t disregard
the value and
importance of
HUMAN CONNECTION.»