worzel

Paul

Is that start to finish? I was most interested to know whether I can expect an email within a few days to confirm they have at least received it.

Olibeneli

Quick message to all .....

I'm lucky enough to be going under my wifes visa application which has whizzed through DIMIA because she is a health care worker.

Hence, I have not had to have my ACCA qualifications assessed down under for points.....

Now, I don't work in public pratice and have no desire to in OZ....I had enough of it as an auditor in the UK. I work in industry.

Routes that may help potential migrants is to work for a multinational company that has operations in Oz...........this experience will outweigh whether or not you are ICAA designated......

In my experience, the more senior you get, the more employers are interested in your experience, what you are capable of to them not what grades you have, what body you are in etc.

So, as long as you are ACA, ACCA or CIMA, work in industry down under shouldn't depend on being ICAA or whatever.......If you want to work in tax or treasury that may be different

.........I have recruited many a Oz or Kiwi accountant to come and work with me at a UK company and I didn't expect them to be ACA or ACCA or CIMA as long as they demonstrated they were professional and knew what I was asking them to do and used some sense/initiative.

......iI would not on the other hand ask them to do my tax return.

Bottom line.........aim at your career path or job and what that needs...don't waste time getting letters you might not need. Knowing people is just as useful if not more so.

Someone on here said they were ERP systems specialist............so who would care what letters you had.....If I were recruiting you to doa ERP config job I'd want to know what areas you had experienced, what problems you faced, how you overcame them, what deadlines you worked to, etc....not focusing on your letters.

Just my 2p worth....

claire1974

can i ask how the assessment turned out?, what qual did you have and what do you have to do to get ICAA?

Brizbound

Absolutely agree with much of what you have said. Experience and contacts is vital. However as with any job hunt it is important to remove any reason for your CV being thrown in the too hard basket/bin. Undoutedly a barrier to getting that job you want may well be a lack of Australian experience and also no "local qualification". Both of these issues are in my opinion rubbish but nevertheless exist. Certainly for ACA the conversion to ICAA is relatively straightforward with merely some exams and therefore why not do them to remove that barrier. Furthermore it'll keep you busy while job hunting.

I'm currently doing the USQ course (only 1 exam for both Corporations Law & Tax Law) and it is very well run. Exam next week!

diddy

Worzel,

I don't remember receiving an e-mail. I think I just checked by Mastercard to see if they'd taken the cash.

Paul.

worzel

Diddy

I have just checked my credit card balance and it went up yesterday by roughly AUS$350 so my worries that it didn't arrive seem to have been allayed. Thanks.

louH

Hi all

Just thought I'd throw my opinion in, I'm ACCA qualified and made the call not to convert. Mainly this was based on the opinion that the ACCA qualification in itself is worthwhile and valid - had I gone down the conversion route I would have spent ages gaining exams which duplicate skills I already have. Had I wanted to do extra study I would have rather added an Aussie MBA or something like that to offer Aussie employers something extra on top of the accounting qualifications.

As someone else said on this post (sorry can't remember who) its experiance which is most important factor in the search for work - to this end I made the best of what I had and found a job within 5 weeks of arriving, yes for a lot lower salary than the UK but no one comes to Oz to make their millions! My new employer could not give a hoot which qualification I have as long as I can do the job, and lets face it would you really like to work for an employer who is so narrow minded to only recognise Aussie qualification anyhow?

Olibeneli

Very good post........that's exactly what I'd do.......get your "accountancy" brand of whatever flavour takes you (CIMA, ACCA, ACA)...then do a MBA.

Can I ask the % decrease you took on salary using straight ex rate for conversion........and in doing so do you consider Oz a better standard of living now ?

JAJ

CIMA does have a preferential relationship with ICAA (they rent offices from ICAA for their Australia head office) - you need to do the usual bridging study plus only 3 out of the 5 CA papers, which is reasonable considering the qualifications are different.

The problem arises with the work experience requirements to become a CA - can be tricky if working in industry as ICAA are not as flexible as CIMA themselves are, for example.

Jeremy

jac16

I seem to have a bit of a different view to most.

I am CIMA qualified and I am planning on converting over to CPA (But i will still keep my CIMA Membership).

My reasons are this. While I have a job I know that being CIMA not CPA meant that certain employeers who had lots of applicants did not process me onto the next stage. They had to cut down the numbers and anyone without CPA did not go through.

This might not mean alot when there are lots of roles around but if there is a change in the economy I don't want to have to get CPA then. This may seem like alot of duplicate work but after speaking to quite a few recruitment consultants (who said that they find it eaiser to sell a CPA qualified for the UK than a cima candidate). It also helps for an employeer to see something that they recognise.

This is just my view and I know lots of people doing very well without doing any conversions so I think each person must decide on their own and make the decison based if they really want to study again.

JAJ

If you are CIMA and do want to convert - why CPA? You should check the ICAA website for the details of the scheme for CIMA members and compare the two. There will be fewer exams with the CA route and a better qualification to boot - the snag might be the more specific work experience requirement.

I would think that once you have a job, your existing employer should not care about what specific qualification you have.

And if you go for another job, employers will be much more interested in the fact you have Australian work experience.

Quite a few job ads now say CA/CPA/CIMA.

Realistically, I'd say the type of qualification is most important for newly qualifieds rather than for those going for jobs that require 10 or more years experience. Once you're at this stage - while they are still interested in seeing a qualification of some description - requirements in terms of other skills and experience become much more specific. The exception is if you want to be in public practise.

Jeremy

Alan Collett

That USQ course is the same one I did (number 52199?) ... I sat the exam at London Uni before I moved to Australia ...

Good luck with your exam!

Best regards.