I am a Chartered Accountant and Radio Jockey!

• Not sure what you want to do next—besides just walk out of your office and quit? Don’t panic, because you can balance your work and passion together.
• Hi, I am Aashna Bhatia, a chartered accountant from India. I am working full time at a Big 4 accounting firm and am also a radio jockey since June 2014 with All India Radio’s FM rainbow channel (107.1 MHz).
• As an RJ, I’ve done over 200 shows and am still counting. If managing two careers is on your mind, this article will help and motivate you greatly.
• Here is my story.

My love for radio and studying to be a chartered accountant

I have been raised in a house where radio is given more importance than TV. As a kid, every time I heard the RJs, I had this deep desire to be on the other side, speaking to different people and sharing my opinion, which could reach thousands of people.

It was not just a desire; it was a dream.

After grade 12, most of my friends and I decided to pursue a CA from ICAI. It is very normal for students in India who score well in school to go ahead and pursue chartered accounting (if in the commerce stream). So I went with the flow and did the same.

What about my dream of becoming an RJ? I had no immediate plan of becoming an RJ or pursuing it, so that was on hold.

Academically, I have been very strong throughout my school and college days, so the CPT (first-level CA exam from ICAI) was not at all difficult to crack. I finished it in ONE GO. Then came IPCC (a second-level CA exam consisting of 2 groups, Group 1 and Group 2, which is now known as IPC).

I failed the IPCC on my first try and again on my second. It hurt, but I knew I had to keep going, so I pushed myself and passed PCC on the third try!

I then started my three years of articles at a CA firm in Mumbai (India).

CA’s Last Journey: Now I just had one last level to clear: the CA final exams. Here is the number of CA Final Exam attempts I made:

• CA 1st Final Attempt: Failed
• CA 2nd Final Attempt: Failed Many people gave up on me; some even told me face to face that I would NEVER EVER become a chartered accountant.
• CA Final, 3rd Attempt: Failed I kept telling myself, “Cry as much as you want to, but make sure you don’t cry for the same reason ever again.”
• I DID NOT GIVE UP AS A FIGHTER.

Was I upset with all the failures? YES. Did people judge me? YES. Did all this hurt me? Yes, I am human, and I felt terrible.

Every time I failed, I cried. I used to feel guilty.

At the same time, it wasn’t fun studying the same thing again, but I did not give up. And in my 4th attempt, I cleared and was a “Qualified Chartered Accountant.” Woohoo!

What Next? Big 4 and RJ

I cleared CA Finals in July 2013, and just a few months later, i.e., in October 2013, All India Radio came up with their auditions. A month later, I was notified that I was one of the ten people chosen from 200-250 applicants from all over Mumbai.

We were given one week of training in March 2014 in order to understand the technicalities. And since June 14, I have been doing Saturday evening shows (7 p.m.–10 p.m.) on All India Radio’s FM Rainbow Mumbai (107.1 MHz).

I do not know what do you call it, but I was rewarded for being brave. Destiny did plan everything so beautifully. Along with being an RJ, I am also working with Ernst & Young.

So, from Monday to Friday, I’m a CA, and on Saturday, I’m an RJ. What a varied life!

“How Do I Manage Two Careers: Working as a CA and RJ?”

It’s tough managing two professions, considering every other month there is some deliverable to be taken care of at work.

At times, I even work on Saturdays, but I have not missed any of my shows. THANK YOU to my seniors for understanding my passion and allowing me to leave early.

Also, hosting a radio show can be quite a challenge—scripts need to be timed down to seconds, and I have to write for the “listener’s eyes” because the words I speak need to create a picture in their minds.

I write my own scripts and choose my own playlist (most of which is done while travelling from home to work). And all my shows are live. Nothing is pre-recorded.

All this has inculcated a huge sense of responsibility and freedom.

Radio jockeying also taught me values like discipline and time management.

Messages and calls from listeners stating that my show made their day or brought a smile to their faces make life amazing. It is a privilege to be a part of the All India Radio family, a place that gave us radio jockeys like Mr. Ameen Sayani.

In Conclusion…

• It’s all possible. Just follow your heart; it knows what’s right for you.
• Believe in yourself. It’s okay to be imperfect.
• It’s okay to fail, as long as you realize what went wrong and double your efforts the next time.