AGRATTON

Good evening all

I am a 26 year old accountant currently living in the UK (I am a UK citizen).

I have spent many hours reading through the threads on this site and it appears to be extremely useful and informative.

My main concern is my area of expertise. If there are any accountants / finance professionals reading this your advice would be appreciated! What is the market like out there at the moment, is it realistic for me to expect to even be offered a good finance job over there? I worked at PwC for 5 years and so have good big 4 experience. I now work in a FMCG company as a senior accountant.

Also my girlfriend is a midwife. It sounds like midwives are in demand in Dubai and so that shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Thanks in advance

Andy

Andy

auzdafluff

Base level accountant jobs are usually taken up by Indians and Pakistani's, who are paid peanuts to do them.

However, from the sounds of things you have big four experience. PwC and Ernst and Young have presences out here. It might be worth seeing if you know anyone at those companies to see what the pay is like and what the opportunities out here are.

Millhouse

If you are still working in audit then it will be a tough ride.

But, all of the big 4 are here in one form or another. Dubai is still a very tough market - and Abu Dhabi is treading the same path.

Meow

Info on accounting salaries here:

http://www.emirates247.com/business/...03-18-1.448889

mission

i'd say stay put in the UK - over here companies tend to employ fully qualified accountants from the subcontinent (ie india, pakland, bangland etc) for literally a third (if not less) then what one would get back home in the UK or expect out here.

Also the top 4 firms ie PWC, Ernst Young, KPMG and D&T are all franchies out here and hence the work ethics are totally different - and from what i have witnessed, in particular with KPMG since they are our auditors out here, it's run by shoddy indians/pakistanis who's management skills are next to nothing!

Millhouse

PWC is no longer a franchaise and reports into the UK. They are attempting t turn it around. No idea if they have though...

Debowing

I think you should fly over to Dubai for a week and have some meetings / interviews arranged...You will also get a feel for the place, but yes, the accounting posts are usually manned by sub-continentals who earn much less and can be quite qualified.

mission

we just finished our 2011 audit and it's still a franchise.

Millhouse

that's odd - your previous post said it was KPMG.

Certainly PWC corporate finance is now in the UK. Not sure about the bean counters though.

mission

oh sorry my bad - i was referring to KPMG - i don't know about PWC.