Moved from UK to the Cayman Islands
in October 2007 after interviewing with KPMG in the Cayman
Islands at the Accountancy Worldwide Forum in London in March
2007.
Q. When did you first consider moving overseas?
I guess I have always wanted to live
overseas at some point. Coming from the north of England makes
the prospect of living and working in a more pleasant climate
very appealing. I started to consider this seriously once
I had finished studying and qualified when I began to look
at what was available for newly qualified accountants and
realised there were excellent opportunities overseas.
Q. What were the main motivating factors
in this decision?
At present I don’t really have
any ties in England and living the dream in a sunny country
is one of my "things to do before I am thirty".
I also thought that working overseas would really boost my
CV. Obviously the prospect of leaving behind friends and family
and starting again in a different country is a little daunting,
but the opportunity to live in such a beautiful county whilst
furthering my career by specialising in financial services
audit made my reservations seem insignificant.
Q. How did Think Global Recruitment assist
you in securing a job overseas?
Think Global Recruitment were excellent!
They informed me of companies in countries that were looking
to recruit at my skill level and made the whole recruitment
process very straight forward and dare I say easy. My consultant
was friendly and approachable and really took time to find
out exactly what I was looking for. I didn't really know where
to start looking for an overseas job and Think Global took
the mystery out of it. They advised me of visa requirements
in countries that I was interested in to ensure that I chose
a location where my partner would be able to join me.
Q. How useful did you find the Accountancy
Worldwide Forum as a tool for finding out about overseas opportunities?
The forum really was invaluable. Prior
to going my Think Global Recruitment consultant had sold it
to me as an excellent event were it was possible that I could
walk away with a job. I was sceptical when I went down as
to how useful it would be and intended to use it to fact find
to decide which countries I would like to move to and did
not plan to attend any interviews. However the presentations
were really informative and being able to chat to representatives
from different companies face to face helped me to decide
where I would like to move. Also the opportunity to have interviews
there and then with any employers that appealed to me meant
that I only had to make one trip to London and got an amazing
job offer from the event.
Q. What attracts you to a life in the Cayman
Islands?
In all honesty I knew nothing about
the Cayman Islands prior to attending the Forum; however the
presentation really sold me on the work life balance and quality
of life over there. The fact that it's the fifth largest financial
centre makes it an attractive place to work and develop my
career. It is also the safest Island in the Caribbean and
has the highest quality of life. Another attraction is the
number of expatriates on the island. Making up close to half
of the population should make settling in and making new friends
and contacts relatively easy.
Q. Do you plan to take up any new activities/sports
when you get to Cayman?
I most definitely intend to learn how
to dive. I've wanted to learn since I visited Australia a
few years ago and missed out on diving the reef over there.
Q. How do you envisage life over the next
few months before you go? Is there much for you to organise
or will it be a fairly straightforward process?
Having 6 months to prepare hopefully
means that it won't be a mad dash to sort everything out.
I've already organised for my work permit application to be
sent over so I shouldn't have too much to organise except
shipping, but this can wait till nearer the time. At the minute
it seems very far away but I'm sure it will creep up on me
in no time, so I'm going to enjoy the British summer before
I leave in October.
Q. An overseas move is increasingly seen
as desirable for future employers. How do you expect the move
will help develop your career in the future?
For me the move will allow me to gain
experience working in the Big 4 as well as offering the opportunity
to specialise in financial services. Also the promotion opportunities
are excellent with the potential to make manager in 2 years
and partner in 7. If I don't chose to stay in the Cayman Islands
after my 2 year contract expires I think having overseas experience
on my CV will make me more appealing to employers demonstrating
that I am open to change and able to adapt well to different
environments.
Q. What advice would you give to other Accountants
who are considering relocating abroad?
I would say go for it! You only live
once and it has the potential to be an amazing experience.
Anton
Moved from Johannesburg, South Africa
to Dublin, Ireland in October 2007 after interviewing with
Ernst and Young Dublin at the Accountancy Worldwide Forum
in Johannesburg in May 2007.
Q. What was your main motivation for attending
the Accountancy Worldwide Forum?
At first we simply wanted to hear what
overseas firms had to say and what the requirements were to
be employed overseas.
Q. Did this influence your decision to accept
your current job?
When seeing Ernst and Young there, I
was certainly more curious and wanted to know more about Ireland
and the company and what they were looking for.
Q. Was it helpful to meet with other accountants
at the forum who were considering a move overseas or who had
already made the move?
Yes, we spoke a guy from Ernst and Young
Dublin and found it very helpful to get answers on all the
questions we had after listening to the presentations.
Q. How would you describe the conference
to someone thinking of attending this year?
I would really recommend it to anyone
interested in following a professional career, especially
in practice, overseas.
Q. What was the most beneficial part of
the conference for you and why? i.e. presentations, exhibition
stands, interviews etc
Everything was excellent.
Q. Would you recommend other accountants
attend the Accountancy Worldwide Forum? Why?
Yes. It gives you a better idea of what
overseas firms are looking for and what the actual working
conditions are. You’re able to speak to people who live
and work there themselves.
Q. Why did you decide to move overseas?
My wife and I were looking for a better
work/life balance.
Q. What, in your opinion, are the advantages
of working overseas in terms of gaining future employment?
I think that the experience gained will
help you in securing better position wherever in the world
you go after that. Also, in my opinion international experience
shows that I am adaptable to change.
Q. How has this move improved your life?
I now have a better work/life balance
and less stress. My wife doesn’t have to work anymore
and we have a less rushed lifestyle.
Q. What were the advantages of applying
for a job through Think Global Recruitment?
Think Global Recruitment will search
for jobs that will suit your personal needs and keep you updated
throughout the process. I think it is a much less stressful
process than if you were going to tackle it by yourself.
Q. What advice would you give to other Accountants
who are considering relocating abroad?
Find out as much as possible about the
firm, for example, the working conditions and what your exact
role in the firm is going to be. If you are going to a Big
Four firm try and go at least three months before their busy
season starts to get into things first. Also what living costs
are going to be in the city where you are going to. Try and
speak to people who have already done the move.
Sinead
inead moved from Belfast, Northern Ireland
to Kelowna, Canada after interviewing with BDO Canada at the
Accountancy Worldwide Forum in London in March 2007.
Q. What was your main motivation for attending
the Accountancy Worldwide Forum?
I was attending the Accountancy Worldwide
Forum with a friend, but thought that I would see what options
were available to me once I got my designation.
Q. Did the conference change your opinion
about any of the companies or locations represented? Did this
influence your decision to accept your current job?
I never realised until the day of the
Forum the necessity or demand for qualified CA's, so if anything
it made me aware of valuable my skills are.
Q. Was it helpful to meet with other accountants
at the forum who were considering a move overseas or who had
already made the move?
Absolutely. I think you have to experience
it for yourself although the Accountancy Worldwide Forum will
give you realistic expectations on an overseas move.
Q. How would you describe the conference
to someone thinking of attending this year?
Definitely to give it a try if you want
to see what options are available to you. You will never know
unless you at least look.
Q. What was the most beneficial part of
the conference for you and why? i.e. presentations, exhibition
stands, interviews etc
The visuals were very high impact, but
the interviews gave you a feel of what kind of company you
could potentially be working for.
Q. Would you
recommend other accountants attend the Accountancy Worldwide
Forum? Why?
Absolutely, you will never know what
kind of options are out there unless you go and see.
Q. Why did you decide to move overseas?
I wanted to experience a change in lifestyle
and to have the opportunity to travel.
Q. What, in your opinion, are the advantages
of working overseas in terms of gaining future employment?
I think it will serve me well when I
move home that I have international experience. You also get
to see how people on the other side of the world work, for
example, their work attitudes and practices.
Q. What were the advantages of applying
for a job through Think Global Recruitment?
I always felt as though my consultant
Louise was taking a personal interest in me and my life and
that made the difficult days a lot easier, for example with
Visa’s etc. I think we both learnt a lot from the experience.
Jennie
Jennie attended the Accountancy Worldwide
Forum in Dublin in November 2005 and secured employment with
a Big Four firm in the Cayman Islands.
Q: What was your main motivation for attending
the Accountancy Worldwide Forum?
A: My main motivation for attending the Accountancy Worldwide
Forum was to learn more about the different locations and
types of job available to qualified accountants.
Q: Was it helpful to meet with other accountants
at the forum who were considering a move overseas or who had
already made the move?
A: It was very helpful to hear the stories of other newly
relocated accountants, especially those who had moved to Cayman
from the UK and Ireland.
Q: How would you describe the conference
to someone thinking of attending this year?
A: The conference itself was very informative. Even though
it was a long day, it was definitely worth it when I walked
away with three job offers!
Q: What was the most beneficial part of
the conference for you and why? i.e. presentations, exhibition
stands, Chartered Accountants Ball?
A: All of the conference was beneficial in helping to decide
which location would suit best. However, being able to attend
all of the interviews in the one afternoon was great; no need
for multiple sleepless nights!
Q: Would you recommend other accountants
attend the Accountancy Worldwide Forum?
A: I would definitely recommend the Accountancy Worldwide
Forum to other accountants to open them up to the amazing
opportunities, which become available upon qualification.
Q: What were the advantages of applying
for a job through Think Global Recruitment?
A: Applying for the jobs through Think Global Recruitment
meant that I got some great advice on how to present my CV
and what type of questions the interviewers would be asking;
I couldn't have done it without my consultant. Even now I've
got the job; she's still giving me great support now that
she s moved to Australia!
Q: What advice would you give to other Accountants
who are considering relocating abroad?
A: My advice to other accountants thinking of relocating
abroad would be: Go for it! It'll be the experience of a lifetime!
Ann
Ann attended the Accountancy Worldwide Forum in Dublin in
November 2005 and secured employment with a Big Four firm
in the Canada.
Q: What was your main motivation for attending
the Accountancy Worldwide Forum?
A: My main motivation for attending Accountancy Worldwide
was to see what was on offer, to gain interview experience
and to talk to Big Four firms to see what they could offer
me in a position abroad.
Q: Did the conference change your opinion
about any of the companies or locations represented? Did this
influence your decision to accept your current job?
A: I was curious about Canada but not convinced when I arrived
on the morning of the Forum. After talking to them and interviewing
with them I was convinced that this was the country and the
right company for me.
Q: Was it helpful to meet with other accountants
at the forum who were considering a move overseas or who had
already made the move?
A: It was great to meet people; the person sitting beside
me was offered a job in the same company as me& it was
great to talk to people in different firms and to some who
had already experienced the move abroad. Although it is different
for every person, we are all moving away from family and friends
and it helps to speak with people in a similar position.
Q: How does Accountancy Worldwide Forum
compare with other accountancy recruitment events?
A: I have never participated in any other forums, but the
staff from Think Global Recruitment were fabulous, so helpful.
Q: How would you describe the conference
to someone thinking of attending this year?
A: Accountancy Worldwide is about meeting and greeting; meeting
fellow peers and potential employers who want to employ great
accountants.
Q: What was the most beneficial part of
the conference for you and why? i.e. presentations, exhibition
stands, Chartered Accountants Ball?
A: The stands were great, it was nice to be able to go up
and talk to people. I had a conversation with the two people
who interviewed me beforehand so they were familiar faces.
Q: Would you recommend other accountants
attend the Accountancy Worldwide Forum?
A: Definitely, I personally learnt that Bermuda was not for
me, and Canada hopefully will be when I move there in a few
weeks time. I don’t know of anywhere else that you get
to meet your potential employers a face to face interview
is so much better than a conference call.
Q: What were the advantages of applying
for a job through Think Global Recruitment?
A: All the hard work was done for me; all I had to do was
turn up and sell myself. I was provided with information about
the company and country by Think Global Recruitment before
my interview. It’s a real personal touch.
Q: What advice would you give to other Accountants
who are considering relocating abroad?
A: Try it. You have to go for it; I will be beginning my
two year contract in two weeks. It is such an opportunity
and it’s ours for the taking. If you don’t like
it, treat it like a holiday! At least you will have tried.
Mary
Mary attended the Accountancy Worldwide
Forum in London in March 2006 and secured employment with
a Big Four firm in New York.
Q: What was your main motivation for attending
the Accountancy Worldwide Forum?
A: My main motivation for attending Accountancy Worldwide
was to find out about jobs in New York.
Q: How does Accountancy Worldwide Forum
compare with other accountancy recruitment events?
A: Much better – there’s no comparison really.
You don’t get the hard sell just honest factual advice.
Q: How would you describe the conference
to someone thinking of attending this year?
A: I would say if you want to move abroad it’s a must
do. It will give you an idea of jobs and locations.
Q: What was the most beneficial part of
the conference for you and why? i.e. presentations, exhibition
stands, Chartered Accountants Ball?
A: Meeting companies, 1st round interviews.
Q: Would you recommend other accountants
attend the Accountancy Worldwide Forum? Why?
A: 100%. Think Global Recruitment’s consultants are
fantastic. The people from PricewaterhouseCoopers, who I met,
told me how valuable their relationship is with Think Global
Recruitment.
Q: What were the advantages of applying
for a job through Think Global Recruitment?
A: Think Global Recruitment do lots of negotiating which
takes pressure off. They have the contacts.
Q: What advice would you give to other Accountants
who are considering relocating abroad?
A: Do it early. Prepare for lots of rejections, but don’t
give up if you want it, it will happen.
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