bobbarker12345

hello. i currently live in the UK but am thinking strongly about moving to canada. at first i thought i could train to be a solicitor in the UK and then try to head over to canada but as i understand it that is a very risky and possibly expensive idea. as i am 33 nearly 34 now and trying to start a new career doing something, i need to start as soon as possible. i am thinking about applying to UBC's diploma accounting programme which is reasonably priced and allows you to start an accounting career over there in canada, but i am wondering - are there many accounting trainee jobs over there? thanks for any help anyone can give.

JonboyE

It is a good course. Even more importantly you can transfer your course credits into the CGA program at an advanced level so you could easily complete the CGA course of studies on a part time basis within 2 years of completing the diploma. If you are going to make a career out of it having the profession designation in addition to the academic qualification is highly desirable.

There are junior and part-qualified jobs available but with no experience you will have to be prepared to start at the bottom on fairly meager wages. To graduate as a CGA you need to show sufficient and progressive experience in accounting or related functions. As your experience mounts up, and especially once you have the designation, your earning potential is really down to you. There is quite a good market for accountants in Metro Vancouver and the rest of the province.

One other thing is that accounting is a graduate profession in Canada and you don't mention if you have a first degree (any degree from any UK university will suffice). If not, you will need to look into the options of continuing at UBC to gain a degree, or get the necessary additional credits as an add-on to your CGA studies.

bobbarker12345

Thanks for the encouraging advice. I have a first degree in marketing from an american university, and I have a postgrad diploma in economics from a british university. I have the option to go on and complete a masters degree at some good Unis (Warwick and Nottingham) but quite frankly the job market is poor here and I want to start a future elsewhere.