Jessica Torchala, associate Chartered Accountant in the SOGECA group

“Everyone can succeed at university.”

After a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Management at the UPPA, Jessica Torchala went on to do a Master’s in Accounting Control and Audit at the IAE Pau-Bayonne (Institute for Business Administration), and found her niche in chartered accounting. 

You enrolled at the UPPA in 2004 after Baccalaureate (A-Levels) in science. Did you have any idea of what you wanted to work in later? 

Not really, it was all a bit hazy. I did think about estate agency, which is why I did the Bachelor’s in Economics and Management, as an in-road to that sector. Then as I chose the different modules and options, I discovered accounting, management and finance, and began to think about making a career out of it. It was a logical next step after the Bachelor’s to apply for the Master’s in Accounting, Control and Audit (CCA) at the IAE Pau Bayonne, with the aim of becoming a chartered accountant. During the Master’s, I met a number of professional guest speakers and did two internships with chartered accounting firms: two months in my first year with Aquitaine Audit Sogar (Pau), and four months in my second year at with Arraou (Pau) – these experiences confirmed my decision to work towards a career in chartered accounting. 

Why did you choose the UPPA and the Pau campus ?

I have family in Pau and in Orthez, so I initially chose Pau because it was close by. I spent some wonderful years on the campus, where the conditions for studying are excellent. It’s not too big, the lecturers are available to talk to and the city centre isn’t far away. Actually, when I’d finished my Bachelor’s degree, I was really hoping to be selected for the Master’s at the IAE and stay in Pau. I did apply for another Master’s in Bordeaux as a back-up plan, but I was delighted to be taken on at the IAE in Pau, and stay on the same campus. The transition was smooth and uninterrupted. 

You graduated with your CCA Master’s in 2009 - How did you go on to become a chartered accountant? 

I started working after the Master’s. I joined the SOGECA group in September 2009, and I took the conventional route to become a chartered accountant. I took the DSCG (Higher Diploma in Accounting and Management), then I was an apprentice chartered accountant, enrolled on the official list of chartered accountants, and I graduated with the Chartered Accountants’ Diploma (DEC) in 2017. Four years later, I was given the opportunity to become an associate at the SOGECA firm in Bayonne. It was a real entrepreneurial investment, which meant   taking part in developing the firm, contributing to its strategy, promoting its values, managing a team, and so on. It’s a fast-moving, fascinating and fulfilling job! 

What words do you spontaneously associate with the UPPA? 

Equality, sharing and success.

Equality because the UPPA gives everyone the opportunity to follow a comprehensive, quality training course. Sharing, because of the knowledge transfer and discussions among students. And success, because all the students from my year have found their niche and find their jobs fulfilling. 

What advice would you give to a future UPPA student?

If they don't have a clear idea of what they want to do when they start their studies – which was my case – I’d advise them to choose a degree that they instinctively feel is close enough to what they enjoy doing, and to build their projects step by step, without ever giving up. I’d tell them to aim high, set themselves objectives and give themselves the means to succeed. It’s a bit like an endurance race!

→Find out more

www.sogeca.com