Ayushikha Sharma, CPA
Perseverance is the Key to Success
February 18, 2022
The path to becoming a CPA is different for everyone. Ayushikha Sharma, CPA overcame challenging circumstances in her life to succeed in earning her designation. She wants all prospective CPAs to know that they too can succeed.
Ayushikha Sharma, CPA had been interested in working with numbers since she was a teenager in India, and she qualified as a Chartered Accountant (CA) with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India in 2005. Then, she decided to immigrate to Canada in 2017, leaving her successful 12-year career as an accountant in India’s IT, telecom, and manufacturing sectors.
“At a very young age, I was clear on my interest in accounting.”
Ayushikha knew that to take her career in Canada to the next level, she would need to earn the Canadian CPA designation. Due to the Memorandum of Understanding between CPA Canada and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, Ayushkiha received advanced standing in the CPA Professional Education Program and was eligible to write the Common Final Examination (CFE). This was not easy for several reasons: she had recently settled in a new country and was adjusting to a new culture and way of life, it had been 12 years since she had studied for her CA designation in India, she had no experience with case writing, and she was not familiar with the CPA exam structure. On top of these challenges, Ayushikha wrote the CFE as an expectant mother.
Despite these potential barriers to her goal of earning the CPA designation, Ayushikha remained highly committed, and she does not regret any of the effort or sacrifice. She successfully wrote the September 2020 CFE and earned her CPA designation in February 2021.
“Dream about a successful career and devote your energies to it. Perseverance is the key. You can overcome challenges in achieving your goal through prudent planning and execution. Once you develop resilience, you can achieve your goal to be part of a globally recognized profession.”
Ayushikha has succeeded in her goal of establishing herself on a strong career path in Canada. She is the Controller at P.R. Hotels Management Ltd. in Saskatoon. In this position, she shapes internal processes, manages financial reporting and planning, and analyzes vital information to help the organization and its subsidiaries make strong financial decisions. These various demands make the role both challenging and energizing, and Ayushikha has made a significant difference in her company, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The current global situation is unprecedented. However, the knowledge gained thanks to my CPA designation has proven to be an asset. I was able to act prudently to protect the company’s finances, and I kept an eye on revenue decline, cash requirements, and other key financial indicators to ensure the company would make it through.”