alanc

hi guys

anyone got any experience of trying to obtain employment (accountancy) in new york. i'm part qualified, 6 years varied experience with uk company, BA degree from UK uni.

I'll be moving there in sept with my usc fiance, on a K-1 visa.

will it be better to wait until i'm over there, when i'll have a social security number, etc, or start applying soon? will i be at a disadvantage because i'm british? i've no idea what to expect...

Any tips/advice offered which could help me out would be much appreciated.

Al

anotherlimey

Hi Al,

There have been a few threads recently on job hunting in the US, particularly 'Americanising' (or Americanizing lol) a CV. You might want to look those up.

You'll have to wait to apply, most companies don't want to know unless you already have permission to work.

-tom

SeveredNeurons

Hi Al,

Not sure about the specifics of gaining employment in the accountancy field, but I arrived into NY state not city in March and I have to agree with Tom that you'll definitely have to wait till you get here to apply. Most companies even though you tell them that you will be eligible to work still presume that some form of sponsoring is involved, even large multinationals with non US staff!! Your also arriving on the a K-1 visa, I was under the presumption that your not eligible to work straight away, is that correct? My advice when you arrive is to apply, apply, apply. I'd also consider converting you UK degree and qualifications to US standards. IERF is a company that coverts your degree into a GPA score. I went through them and had no problems. I'm not in the financial sector, but a lot of the large pharmaceuticals wouldn't even look at my resume/CV till they had that score in their hands. Once they had it, I got numerous interviews. I'm now working for Proctor and Gamble as a Microbiologist in R&D. I also think that geographically your in an ideal position....NYC and money go hand in hand. I honestly don't think that you'll have a problem getting a job with any firm if your a fully qualified account, chartered? Best of luck

Gary

NC Penguin

Have you checked if your UK accountancy qualifications are recognized in the US? It's quite possible that they mean diddly squat so you may want to consider switching careers or requalifying in the US accountancy qualifications.

Whilst you're in the UK, you'd be best using some of your time to completely Americanize your CV which is more than just spelling and grammar. As others have pointed out, please search for previous threads in this forum for past threads on resume/CV writing.



NC Penguin

looselips

Hey Alanc....

Luckily for you there seems to be an abundance of recruiters who are desperate for accountants/accounts experience. Try looking at something like Robert Half Finance . They and others have resources on their websites to help you with your resume etc. You can also do job searchs to see what type of job titles they use over here and where you think your qualifications and experience will take you as well as get an idea of salaries.

Try researching at http://www.acaus.org/. Ton of info to help get your head around it all...check the FAQ section for some good references to the difference between UK & US CA to CPA.

I'm not in the accounts field but until recently my friend worked at Robert Half and they were always desperate for people. It made me wish I was better at maths!






Good luck!

Looselips

alanc

Thanks for the info, folks.
I'll have a go at "americanizing" my cv.
From what I see on the job sites, there's plenty I could do, just need to be given the chance!

The qualification (ACCA) should be recognised, and although i've a few more to do, I can sit them at a centre in nyc later this year.

Cheers,

Al