AlanEll

I've started using this forum today for the first time, it is brilliant.

We should be moving across early next year, and not yet in the jobs market. I am a qualified Management Accountant, and have a really safe job in UK ,but nevertheless keen for a change. I have hooked up with a migration agent, and now formally begun the process. I have been informed that Accountants are on the Critical Skills list, which gives me some comfort that I will get a job ? I also have had a look at some of the job sites (eg. SEEK), and there does appear to be plenty of jobs.

However, when I look back at some of the recent threads, I'm worried that the jobs market in Oz is not as great as perhaps I am being told over here

I'm keen to seek out all the negative aspects of moving, as well as the positives.

I'm worried about easy it would be to work in an office in Australia, compared to Uk ? Does anyone have any experiences they can share with me, good or bad ?

adamlt1972

The presence of your job on the Skills list doesn't necessarily mean you're any more likely to get a job, just that your path through the immigration process will be slightly more straightforward than it would otherwise be.

However, I suppose in theory this does mean that there is a national lack of people in that role, but you'd be as suceptible to issues of the economic crisis as anyone else, if not more so, as you'd have no local experience.

Likewise, don't read too much into the the volume of adverts on sites like SEEK, a lot of the adverts are multiple adverts for the same job, or are from recruitment consultant seeking to "harvest" CVs while people are desperate for work.

I don't want to be totally negative about the whole thing, but I think your best bet at this early stage is to try and speak to somebody with local knowledge about the job market. Have you considered doing a quick trip down here and talking to people face to face.

slippery30

the job market is very bad.

dont trust seek

no big firm is on a hiring spree

Deancm

Evidence of this?

AlanEll

Dean
Thanks for the advice. When you say that "no big firm" are you referring to Accountancy firms, or industry in general ? I am a Management Accountant and would not be seeking employment from a chartered accountancy firm, but within industry ?

Thanks
AlanEll

Deancm

The unemployment rate in Australia is currently at 5.7%. As much as the media keeps harping on about doom and gloom, there are still jobs out there. It is just a matter of finding them and for someone that possesses good skills and experience, and is proactive about finding a job then it shouldn't be too hard.

BTW, if you are just starting to get the ball rollling, by the time you are accepted the Aussie economy could be in a lot stronger position.

Put it this way, there are many recruitment consultancies in Australia and they are still trading.

NikiL

The market isn't particularly brilliant at the moment, and Seek can be misleading. I'm assuming as you specified MA that you're ACMA? If so, I would suggest take out the CPA reciprocal agreement membership which will give you a head start as you will then have a locally recognised set of letters after your name.

The biggest problem that you'll face is being up against people with local experience as its not having the Australian work experience that would most likely count against you. Having said that, if you have a specific skillset that helps you stand out then you won't face as many problems as you may do otherwise (for example I'm a Financial Accountant so tax knowledge was an issue, my mergers and acquisitions experience was what countered the tax)

Your best bet would be to contact a couple of agencies in whichever state you're looking to move to, just call them and have a chat about the market. They won't look at your CV specifically insofar as looking at interviews etc until you're in Australia, but I found that they were quite happy while I was in the UK to chat about the market, potential prospects etc.

Don't forget you need IELTS to be on the CSL & good luck.

spart

I would suggest if you have 10+ years real experience, you will have no problems at all. I have worked with a couple english Management Accountants, and they have generally done well in our work environments.

Leedelta

There is a forum for accountants on British Expats, its under "Working abroad by profession" on the home forum page.

It should give you some more info on the whole visa process, cities, job hunting etc .

As stated already have a look into the reciprocol agreements in place with the Australian bodies.

Book your IELTS as soon as you can, the results are valid for 2 years and the skills assessments are valid for up to 5 years I think.

Good luck.

ozhappy981

Your post doesn't say where in Aus you are planning to move to and that's critical.

If you are a management accountant working in industry, you need to move to a place where those kinds of jobs are. I remember a couple of years ago, we had an accountant posting here that he couldn't find any decent jobs on the Sunshine Coast in Queensland. Duh!

Sydney, Melbourne, Perth are best. And Hays, Robert Half, and Michael Page are the recruitment agents to go for.

And like someone else said: Before you come out get your CPA (just need to fill in the forms - they have mutual agreement with CIMA), then you can put that on your CV.

Bernieboy

An accountant who is scared,i like this

Deancm

If you want to deal with kids with no industry experience, have no industry connections and don't know what they are talking about. Better offf to find a niche boutique and deal with recruiters that have been around for a while and are well connected within the industry.

Sherro

Dean is spot on, those agencies are full of young sales kids who know nothing about the industry they serve and less so about the economy, they cant possibly advise you.

HOWEVER, what they do get is jobs from the bigger firms because they tend to win preffered supplier agreements based on high volume low margin. So, whilst you would do better to have a proper discussion with a boutique to get a real sense for what is happening, you might want to send your cv to the afforementioned, just dont expect to hear boo unless their skills matching software picks up details they want to find

There is of course YOU which is the biggest consideration, all this is great but if you are not particularly good in interview or can really address the skills they want and bring to the table how you will be the right guy, there could be 100000 jobs here, still doesnt mean a thing.

Good luck mate i am sure you will be fine, you probably want to spend more time figuring out if you are right for Australia before you worry about the job.

Deancm

A good, experienced and well connected recruiter usually is on very good terms with the hiring managers at theses BIG firms and can back door the Preferred Supplier Agreement and doesn't have to sacrifice fee to do so. Also, if you are privvy to the info, if you look at where the placements come from within these firms it is usually from outside of the PSL.

The reason the big agencies like Hays get these agreements in the first place is because they are prepared to work for nothing and they are usually good for volume, easy to find skills. If you work in a niche, keep clear of them as they will under represent you.

ozhappy981

Are you two accountants? Have you been looking for jobs?

Here in Perth, Hays, Robert Half and Michael Page are the ones "well-connected to the industry" and they don't employ young sales kids either. Husband got a very well paid executive role straight-away through Hays.

For the OP: Have a look on the Hays website and download their latest quarterly reports for accountants.