JAJ

You should think more long-term. Potential future employers (ie your next job in Australia following your first one) will be the ones that may be less interested if you have a qualification they don't understand.

Another reason employers like those with local qualifications is that it shows you are serious about staying in Australia.

You are entitled to your opinion but the reality is that ACCA and CIMA are British qualifications, not "international" ones. (there's really no such thing as an international qualification).

The Australian CA qualification is portable everywhere that matters, because it allows preferential access to the top local qualification (CA in the U.K., Ireland, Canada and South Africa, CPA in the United States and Hong Kong).

Your career, your choice.

gunners1

Thanks Jaj. Again, having spoken to the recruiter about this issue of Australian companies not being familiar with other qualifications he said that the recruitment company would educate the employer about non australian qualifications and are likley to get strong canidates an interview. After that it will be up to the canididate performance at an interview.

Also having look at job searches on the internet alot of the postings appear to have CIMA listed, so the qualification must be getting more exposure in Australia. Again this is just my opinion.

JAJ

Maybe, maybe not. Remember the job market won't always be as strong and not all recruiters know about foreign qualifications either.

But if you are determined to try to have a career in Australia without getting an Australian qualification, then good luck to you, you may need it.

gunners1

Thanks Jaj, your advise has been invaluable.

Geelong Gent

Simple, what or where do you think Australian accountants go when qualified??

Can be a little difficult inticing them back.

Geelong Gent

And you believe them???

CV's are filtered - and more often by HR who are black and white. Recruitment consultants basically just administer large databases, they are not considered business partners, no matter how much they want to be. Listen very carefully to what JAJ is telling you.

I'm internationally aware of the difference and this has made me preferential to CA. The qualification you put forward tells me alot more about you than just the achievement.

Leedelta

Hi,

I am a FCCA from Ireland with 5 yrs PQE.

I worked in Melbourne for 3 months last year. The point that JAJ is making is valid, UK based qualifications are not well known/understood in Australia & long term a local qualification will help.

A case in point for me was meeting a recruitment professional and having to educate her about ACCA, she had trained in one of the big 4 in Oz and had worked in the UK but never heard of ACCA!!

I was also the only ACCA member in the office where I worked, there was a finance team of about 10 and staff of 120.

After meeting a few agencies you get used to selling your qualification.

Another tip for interviews (given to me by an Irish recruiter in Melbourne) is to speak slowly!! Irish people speak fast and it is tough for potential Aussie employers to understand what we are saying. So think about your responses.

So I reckon after living a while in Oz, study for local qualification or wait for ACCA to get mutual recognition

JAJ

Bear in mind that if ACCA do finally obtain mutual recognition it will most likely be with CPA Australia, and will almost certainly only apply to those ACCA members with a university degree (any subject).

If you do the CA qualification, you have nothing to lose in the same way as you might if you studied for CPA and after obtaining it the hard way, mutual recognition was then offered. (the reason for this is that CA is slightly better regarded in the marketplace and offers more options in other countries).

Hellboy663

What you're saying here is not completely true. Sure, employers may go over to the UK or any other country for that matter to look for qualified people, why even I came over to Oz with my ACCA and CPA US qualification and got myself a decent job in 10 days. But that however does not preclude the fact that given the same experience and other things being the same, employers in most cases would rather consider someone with a familiar local qualification than go for someone with a foreign one thats less heard off. Maybe some people know about ACCA and CIMA but many people I have met in Oz/ NZ have never heard of ACCA or CIMA. OZ CA and CPA are a lot better recognized in the globe as compared to ACCA or CIMA. I'm not saying that ACCA and CIMA are inferior qualifications as I'm an FCCA myself but expecting Ozzies to chose ACCA/CIMA over Oz CPA/ CA is I feel a little too far fetched. If you have Oz CA for example, it would be recognized in NZ, Canada,S Africa and UK for membership n their respective bodies or even the US for writing the IQEX. Oz CPA will be recognized in US for writing IQEX but ACCA/ CIMA is not recognized in any of these countries for membership in any of their professional bodies. Such being the case, I seriously don't think it makes sense in doing ACCA/ CIMA as compared to Oz CA or CPA. If you want to have good career prospects, it definetely pays to have OZ CA or CPA.

gunners1

[QUOTE=Hellboy663;6215765]What you're saying here is not completely true. Sure, employers may go over to the UK or any other country for that matter to look for qualified people, why even I came over to Oz with my ACCA and CPA US qualification and got myself a decent job in 10 days. But that however does not preclude the fact that given the same experience and other things being the same]

This is my point, not all things are the same. I manage a finance team in the Uk for a global company and when I do interviews your qualifications is a small part of you getting a job. I look for other qualities in candidates, such as work experience, personal qualities as team player etc....In fact I have rejected ACCA applicants in the past and employed a a guy from south africa who had a chartered secetary qual as he stood out above all the other applicants.

I dont think we can generalize and say that all ACCA & CIMA candidates will definitely not be preferred to Aus CA/CPA. I think that there alot of other things that employers look for and depending on each persons personal qualities and experience and you stand a chance of getting good jobs and have a decent career.

How did you manage to get a job in 10 days, were the no CA/CPA candidates available in the market. Did your employer interview CA/CPA qualified people but think you were better for the job!!

JAJ

But if you read the thread it's not about "generalization" but rather making the observation that not having a local qualification might (not necessarily "will") be a problem, in certain situations.


He says he's a U.S. CPA so he has the benefit of the similar "CPA" title, plus the fact that the U.S. CPA is fairly well known outside the United States.

waitingforsolong

I am an accredited tax practitioner here in the Phils., I'm handling more than 30 clients with different businesses. I am using quickbooks for quite a long time and I am an expert in financial statement preparations. I finished BSC-Accounting major but not a CPA. Do I have a chance to work abroad for any position related to accounting? Thanks in advance for all your reply.

waitingforsolong

JAJ

no need to ask the same question twice:
http://britishexpats.com/forum/showthread.php?t=534179

38141

Did they tell you this on the basis that you would already have oz working visa or on the basis that the companies would be willing to sponsor (ie 457 visa), when making the job offers?