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Wanting a better education to improve his family’s standard of living and open up his career prospects, Jimmy Funaki took up studies with the Open Polytechnic. After hard work and determination, Jimmy succeeded in his efforts, graduating with a Bachelor of Business, majoring in Accounting.
“The ceremony was fantastic. Being there to receive something that I had been working hard for was a great feeling; a moment I will treasure forever,” says Jimmy.
Choosing the Bachelor of Business, Jimmy wanted something that gave him a variety of career options. Initially completing a New Zealand Diploma of Business through another educational provider, Jimmy chose the Open Polytechnic to give him the extra flexibility he needed.
“I wanted to be able to work full time as well as study and help my wife Tiffany raise our two beautiful girls, Kiana (9) and Tyla (5).
“Distance learning gave me the freedom to do my work in my own time. It also taught me the concept of patience; to succeed, I needed to be patient.”
Studying mostly at night while the children were asleep, Jimmy initially found adjusting to distance learning challenging however says once he got into the swing of things, everything started to fall into place.
“I guess you miss out on the benefits of having something answered straight away, like in the classroom, but it all comes down to the flexibility of your own scheduling. Working adults and parents like me find it practically impossible to attend classrooms at a local university to get a degree.
“This is where distance learning is so effective, it suited my circumstances.”
Jimmy found his tutors very helpful and says he was easily able to contact them by phone or email throughout his studies. He also valued connecting with other students through the Open Polytechnic’s Online Campus and using it to order resources from the Library. “Online Campus allows students from different parts of the world to interact. Everything I requested from the library was never a problem either.”
Dedicating his studies to his wife and daughters, Jimmy praises them for their continuous support.
“They were my inspirations and I would like to thank them for their great support throughout my years of studies. My employer, Spicers Paper, was also very supportive, both financially and emotionally."
A family tragedy in 2010 really affected Jimmy’s ability to concentrate on his studies. “My wife and kids kept me going and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish as much as I did in my studies.”
Jimmy is now working on advancing his professional career.
“It will take some time but I’ll get there soon. I’d like to work my way up to a managerial position and maybe look at postgraduate study in the near future.”
Understanding the journey involved in distance learning while juggling life commitments, Jimmy encourages people to just go for it.
“There is no limit and if you have something that you really want to achieve, now is the time to do it.”
Accountants are employed in public practice, industry, government and educational organisations. They may specialise in auditing, financial accounting, management accounting, taxation, financial management, insolvency, consultancy, or a mix of these specialisations.
Our Bachelor of Business with an accounting major is accredited by the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) for both their Chartered Accountants (CA) and Associate Chartered Accountants (ACA) designations and by CPA Australia. Full details of admission requirements for these professional bodies may be found on their websites.
A Bachelor of Business degree with an Accounting major also satisfies the academic requirements of the Institute College of Associate Chartered Accountants (ACA).
Bachelor of Business Pathway
If you’re a New Zealand Diploma in Business graduate you can fast track your study to a Bachelor of Business through our Advanced Standing Pathway programme.
NZIM Diploma in Management
You may be able to complete a NZIM Diploma in Management while studying towards a Bachelor of Business. To do this you will need to register with the New Zealand Institute of Management. For more information see the NZIM Diploma in Management page.
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