Meet our #SAIPAproud member

Carol Jordaan

I became a SAIPA™ member at the age of 37 and I am proud of this, as the road to get where I am was not an easy one.

Like most small town girls I was married and expecting my first child at the age of 23. My parents did not have the finances that would enable me to further my studies, so I started working straight out of school.

I got a job at a local corporation as a cashier, and in less than a year worked my way up to admin clerk. They gave me the opportunity to further my studies. I had no idea how I was going to make it. By now, I had a 2 year old at home, my husband was away from home most of the time for work and I worked full time, but I knew I wanted to be the next branch manager. I started my National Diploma in Management, but soon came to the realization that a woman will never become a branch manager in this male dominant environment.

After 9 years I had, had enough. I applied for a creditor’s clerk job at our headquarters. I was scared to death because this meant that I would have to move to Moorreesburg, (70 km away), but I did and within 6 months I was the Manager of the Creditor’s Department.

The Financial Director suggested that I change my Diploma to a BCOMPT, and that he would arrange that I do my articles while still working for them.

Then, my whole world came crumbling down. The CEO called me into his office; they were closing the creditors department. We were given two options: an offer to take a retrenchment package or work for the company that had bought us over. I had one day to choose if I want a job as a buyer at the new headquarter in Caledon or no job at all.

Financially I was not able to leave my job, so we decided to take the change. After a year, we came to the realization that it is not working, and we moved back to Velddrif.

I was 3 months pregnant and still busy unpacking, when the Velddrif branch offered a job as a buyer at the Velddrif branch. I grabbed the opportunity but felt like I was back at square one.

One day while browsing through the paper an advert caught my eye: SAIPA™ Trainee Accountant wanted. I immediately applied!

And as popular adage goes, the rest is history. I finished my articles, my degree and my SAIPA™ exam. I got a job as a Manager at an audit firm and today I am working on opening my own practice.

Life is unfair, and hard – but life is what we make of it, just NEVER GIVE UP!

Like the famous tennis player Arthur Ashe once said:

Start where you are.
Use what you have.
Do what you can.