My Life in Numbers: Sumarah Mohammed CA

MY LIFE IN NUMBERS

Sumarah Mohammed CA

Finance Manager, Age Scotland

Having discovered her aptitude for numbers at primary school, Sumarah Mohammed CA set her sights on accountancy when her parents explained it offered better prospects than her other love – interior design. Now she divides her time between the old, in her day job with Age Scotland, and the very young, with two small children at home

Interview: Cris Andrews

7 I loved maths at primary school in Fife and discovered I had a knack for it. In P7 my maths teacher, who had previously taught the subject at secondary school, used problem solving to teach it. That helped me enjoy it even more.

When I was 12 I went to secondary school in Bradford, where I had another really good maths teacher, who was from Chicago. She got us to apply what we learnt in the text books to tests and the past papers we used during revision. That was really helpful because test questions were often posed differently than in the text books. I got double A* in my maths GCSE.

7 I loved maths at primary school in Fife and discovered I had a knack for it. In P7 my maths teacher, who had previously taught the subject at secondary school, used problem solving to teach it. That helped me enjoy it even more.

When I was 12 I went to secondary school in Bradford, where I had another really good maths teacher, who was from Chicago. She got us to apply what we learnt in the text books to tests and the past papers we used during revision. That was really helpful because test questions were often posed differently than in the text books. I got double A* in my maths GCSE.

6 By the time I went to college for my highers, I was back in Fife after six years in Bradford. Because of the different systems in Scotland to England, I had ground to make up and only got a C in maths. I was starting to question my ability with numbers a bit, until I enrolled on an HNC [higher national certificate] in accountancy at Fife College. This was ideal for me. I really wanted to study accountancy but wasn’t ready to move away to university after so many recent changes in my personal life. I had wanted to do interior design with architecture, but my parents recognised my ability in problem solving and encouraged me to do something aligned with that. And I knew studying accountancy would offer good job prospects.

6

By the time I went to college for my highers, I was back in Fife after six years in Bradford. Because of the different systems in Scotland to England, I had ground to make up and only got a C in maths. I was starting to question my ability with numbers a bit, until I enrolled on an HNC [higher national certificate] in accountancy at Fife College. This was ideal for me. I really wanted to study accountancy but wasn’t ready to move away to university after so many recent changes in my personal life. I had wanted to do interior design with architecture, but my parents recognised my ability in problem solving and encouraged me to do something aligned with that. And I knew studying accountancy would offer good job prospects.

4 I was living at home, so I had to commute from Fife to Edinburgh Napier University where I did my accountancy degree. I got the train to Haymarket, then the number four bus to campus. I like Edinburgh – it has a busy big-city vibe but not the fast pace of London or Manchester. Away from the city centre there’s quite a homely feeling to the place.

3

I only had to do three years at university because the HNC counted as the first year. My aim was always to do the ICAS qualification. A friend from my HNC course had told me about ICAS, how prestigious the CA qualification is and how being a CA would help me get a job. Getting through university was simply a means to that end.

2

While I was at university, I discovered a passion for teaching Arabic to young children. What began as a small initiative soon became something I looked forward to each week. I enjoyed finding creative and engaging ways to teach – using games and interactive activities to help them connect with the language. It was incredibly rewarding to watch their progress and know I was helping them build a strong foundation in a second language.

2015

I started my ICAS training with EQ Accounting in 2015, having worked there for a year first to get the training contract. I got exposure to everything – corporation tax, self-assessment tax, audits, charity accounts, company accounts, sole trader, a bit of VAT, bookkeeping – which was great. I came out with a solid grasp of the fundamentals of accounting.

2015

I started my ICAS training with EQ Accounting in 2015, having worked there for a year first to get the training contract. I got exposure to everything – corporation tax, self-assessment tax, audits, charity accounts, company accounts, sole trader, a bit of VAT, bookkeeping – which was great. I came out with a solid grasp of the fundamentals of accounting.

30%

When I was at EQ, some of my colleagues were really into fitness and healthy eating, and that rubbed off on me. I joined the gym and began trying out classes – body pump was the real game-changer. At first, I committed to going three times a week, focusing mainly on strength-based classes. Within months, I noticed real changes: I was lifting 30% more weight and had more energy throughout the day. Over the course of a year, I increased my attendance to four or five sessions a week and significantly improved my overall fitness and body composition. For the first time I saw results I’d been trying to achieve for years.

30%

When I was at EQ, some of my colleagues were really into fitness and healthy eating, and that rubbed off on me. I joined the gym and began trying out classes – body pump was the real game-changer. At first, I committed to going three times a week, focusing mainly on strength-based classes. Within months, I noticed real changes: I was lifting 30% more weight and had more energy throughout the day. Over the course of a year, I increased my attendance to four or five sessions a week and significantly improved my overall fitness and body composition. For the first time I saw results I’d been trying to achieve for years.

10 In September 2018, I joined Scott-Moncrieff (now Azets) as Audit Senior. It’s an international business advisory group and a much bigger firm than EQ, with 190 locations across eight countries. During my time there, I further developed my experience working with non-profit organisations and was given the opportunity to lead larger audit teams. One particularly exciting challenge was leading the audit for an investment company that aimed to sign off its accounts within just 10 days of year-end. Meeting that tight deadline really strengthened my ability to work under pressure.

10 In September 2018, I joined Scott-Moncrieff (now Azets) as Audit Senior. It’s an international business advisory group and a much bigger firm than EQ, with 190 locations across eight countries. During my time there, I further developed my experience working with non-profit organisations and was given the opportunity to lead larger audit teams. One particularly exciting challenge was leading the audit for an investment company that aimed to sign off its accounts within just 10 days of year-end. Meeting that tight deadline really strengthened my ability to work under pressure.

2020

I started working for Age Scotland in March 2020. With a charity like this, you’re not just meeting sales targets but contributing to something important. You’re looking at numbers in a different way. You work out how much money you’ve brought in, but also what impact it has had on the charity’s objectives and programmes. It’s inspiring to know that we’ve helped older people from different backgrounds in so many ways. Even though I’m not frontline, it’s rewarding to know that I’m still contributing.

5

I’ve done five years at Age Scotland. I’m responsible for the day-to-day management of the organisation’s finances – the audit, staff expenses, grants, report to funders. I love it when things reconcile – honestly, the satisfaction that you get! We had a cashflow statement just this week, and the numbers all made sense – reconciled and balanced. I went home happy that day.

20,000

Age Scotland is the national charity for older people. It provides a range of services to over-50s and those who work with and support them. Our helpline responds to more than 20,000 telephone calls each year and our skilled advisers provide information and advice on anything from money matters and benefits entitlements to social care, housing, energy, legal issues and more. They are also on hand to listen and chat when an older person is feeling lonely.

2020

I started working for Age Scotland in March 2020. With a charity like this, you’re not just meeting sales targets but contributing to something important. You’re looking at numbers in a different way. You work out how much money you’ve brought in, but also what impact it has had on the charity’s objectives and programmes. It’s inspiring to know that we’ve helped older people from different backgrounds in so many ways. Even though I’m not frontline, it’s rewarding to know that I’m still contributing.

5

I’ve done five years at Age Scotland. I’m responsible for the day-to-day management of the organisation’s finances – the audit, staff expenses, grants, report to funders. I love it when things reconcile – honestly, the satisfaction that you get! We had a cashflow statement just this week, and the numbers all made sense – reconciled and balanced. I went home happy that day.

20,000

Age Scotland is the national charity for older people. It provides a range of services to over-50s and those who work with and support them. Our helpline responds to more than 20,000 telephone calls each year and our skilled advisers provide information and advice on anything from money matters and benefits entitlements to social care, housing, energy, legal issues and more. They are also on hand to listen and chat when an older person is feeling lonely.