Tarun Krishna cleared all 13 ACCA papers with zero exemptions while doing his B.Com, after nearly quitting during the Skill level. He did his entire ACCA Professional level at Skilledgrad, became an ACCA Affiliate and now works as an Equity Research Analyst at iThought, a PMS firm in Chennai.
Some people have a career plan. Tarun Krishna apparently had a survival plan.
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His energy: “I can do this all day”, Captain America style.
If you ever want to learn how to make a comeback from failure, demotivation and self-doubt, please meet Tarun Krishna. Quiet guy. No unnecessary noise. No motivational speeches. No dramatic announcements about how he is going to conquer the world. He just takes a hit, disappears into his own world, comes back and clears another paper.
13 out of 13, zero exemptions
He is 13/13 in his ACCA journey. Zero exemptions. Yes, thirteen papers. No shortcuts. Just him, his regular B.Com from Guru Nanak College, Velachery, and an exam system that probably got tired of seeing his name.
The 1% that did not quit
But let’s rewind a little. Tarun studied at different places, tried self-study and figured out his own way of learning. He was not someone who had everything figured out from day one. Two Skill level papers tested his patience so much that he seriously considered quitting.
99% of him was ready to quit. The remaining 1% apparently did not receive the resignation letter. And thank God it didn’t. He kept going. Eventually he joined Skilledgrad for his entire ACCA Professional level. That is where we first met him, and that is where he finally stopped switching institutes.
Quiet does not mean nothing is happening
Here is something funny about Tarun. He is so quiet that you might mistake him for someone with absolutely nothing going on in his head. Big mistake. There is an entire internal universe operating in there.
He does not broadcast every struggle. He does not make every setback a public event. And he certainly does not walk around telling everyone how hard his life has been. He just keeps working. And one day you look up and realise he has done something you did not expect.
From ACCA to equity research
Tarun became an ACCA Affiliate. Along with ACCA he built analytical skills and did practical learning, because a qualification alone does not make the move into a finance role happen. Today he is working as an Equity Research Analyst at iThought in Chennai, on the buy side at a PMS firm. Read that again.
The guy who once wondered whether he should continue ACCA is now analysing businesses and working in investments. Life really said: plot twist incoming.
There is another plot twist. I posted his ACCA Affiliate status on my personal WhatsApp status. A little later, one of my close friends messaged me: “Dei, he’s my cousin da!” What are the odds? Here I was celebrating a student’s milestone, only to discover that the universe had connected the dots behind my back. Small world. Very small world. But the lesson Tarun has taught me is much bigger.
We are genuinely happy to have you as part of the Skilledgrad family, Tarun. Never stop learning. We want to see the same “I can do this all day” energy, always.
This story was first shared by Sridharan M, Head of Academics & Placement at Skilledgrad, on LinkedIn. Read the original post.
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