Think Global Recruitment

Accountants' adventures from around the world...

Look at the case studies below to see what the accountants we've helped relocate around the world have been getting up to.

 

Australia - Samantha moved from the UK to Sydney, Australia

I had qualified as an accountant and decided that the best way to make use of all those exams was to use the qualification to move overseas.  I had travelled round Australia after graduating and had decided that I would like to move to Sydney one day, so when I had got my CA it seemed like the right time to make the move.

My family misses me but are happy for me and are all planning their trips over!  As long as they know you’ve made the right decision and are enjoying yourself then I think that’s all that matters to them.

Think Global Recruitment have access to the Big 4 in ways that other recruitment firms may not.  They were always very professional and kept me fully up to date with the progress they were making.

There has been a great improvement in my lifestyle.  I can’t really remember what I used to do at the weekend in London other than shop on Oxford Street and sit in the pub!  But over here I can go to the beach, snorkel, dive and generally be outdoors in the sun which makes your weekends feel longer. I’ve taken up snorkeling, diving, skiing and rock climbing.

The most difficult part of moving abroad is missing everyone, without a doubt.  Home is a long, expensive flight away! I never came here with the intention of staying but now that I’m here and feel so settled I can’t really imagine leaving.  I’ll be one of those Brits who keep saying “I’ll just stay one more year…”

Be prepared to embrace a new way of life i.e. don’t try to pick up your old life and transport it somewhere new.  But, I would say definitely go for it, almost certainly you’ll love it!

Australia - Barry, moved from Scotland, UK to Melbourne, Australia

It took us a couple of weeks to find a flat, so we were living out of the suitcase for that time in a serviced apartment provided by work. Once we got into the flat though we were quite settled. Over the next few weeks we were able to buy a car and join sports clubs, so it probably took two months or so to establish complete normality to our life over here.

For us, having an Australian friend in Melbourne before we got here helped a lot with finding our way around and getting to know the place. People at work were very helpful as well and we happened to time our arrival nicely with a few social functions at work which really helped us settle in and meet people.

Australians seem to have a more laidback attitude ...The outdoor lifestyle that is possible here is great. Because the weather in Melbourne is comparable with that in the Mediterranean, you can rely on the weather so much more, so things like golf, cycling, heading to the beach and having a barbeque can been done more often than back in Scotland, where the weather can frequently let you down!

Also, because the weather is good a lot of the apartment buildings have great communal facilities outside, so we were lucky enough to get a place with a pool and a tennis court – not something that you see too often in Edinburgh!

Also because of favorable tax breaks for people like us working away from home, we are able to afford a bit more for our rent. The sporting culture in Melbourne is also fantastic – it seems to be non stop major sporting events with the Aussie rules, cricket, tennis, the Grand Prix, Commonwealth Games, horse racing, all happening in the first eight or nine months of our being here which we’ve been enjoying a lot. Melbourne is also a great city for restaurants and bars, so we’re doing our best to make sure we make the most of that too!

The experience so far has exceeded our expectations. The only negative aspects if any are things we miss from home – such as football on a Saturday afternoon, obviously friends and family as the time difference means it’s not easy to just pick up the phone and call home whenever you want and Irn Bru! Oh, and there are far too many adverts on TV over here.

Our plan was initially to come over for a couple of years. Already we can see that creeping up to two and a half maybe three years. 

It’s a great thing to do, but it’s definitely important to go at it with enthusiasm and be prepared to meet new people and embrace a foreign culture and get involved in things when you get the chance, otherwise it’s likely you’ll spend your time missing home rather than enjoying the experience.

Even Australia with its British roots has quite a different feel to it than home. Also, if you have the opportunity to do it with someone else, like we have, it definitely makes it easier to make the journey away from home.

One of the best things we did was to fly over a couple of weeks before starting work, which allowed us the time to get over the jet lag, get our bearings and search for a flat without having to do that at weekends or in the evenings, which would have certainly taken longer than it did.

One more point, you’d think you’d need to take everything but the kitchen sink with you when you move away for years, but from our experience we shipped a lot of stuff over we really didn’t need!

Bermuda - Josh moved from Wellington, New Zealand to Bermuda

I decided to move overseas for career development, higher compensation and to have a base for further travel. Bermuda is what I expected with warm weather, friendly people, no tax yet high cost of living.  My job’s not exactly what I was expecting – it’s much easier than I anticipated.

The biggest benefit of moving overseas is being able to pursue a career in funds management, which isn’t really possible in New Zealand.

My standard of living/quality of life is about the same – the weather a little nicer than in New Zealand, so I’m able to be outside a little more than I otherwise would be able to.  It’s probably a little more restrictive here in some respects – car ownership depends on where you live, the Island is quite densely populated and you can’t really settle down here because of restrictions of how long you can stay.

Everything's fairly expensive here, which is understandable given that everything is imported to the Island. People don't seem to mind too much as the lack of tax clearly outweighs the higher prices.

Several cruise ships pass through here each week during summer, so town really livens up at these times as street carnivals take place with bands, traditional dancing and souvenir shops open everywhere. Of course, the pubs and night clubs get pretty good too!

My job is as an account manager. We basically look after 100 or so hedge funds so the job is mainly pricing and trading for these funds. There are about 80 staff and luckily for me there are only a couple of us who also have law degrees which means that I’ll also be working part-time in the legal team once I’ve found my feet a bit.

Make sure you know how much living costs will be, especially in a place like Bermuda where you need to be on a much larger salary than at home to have the same standard of living.

You’ll hear hundreds of stories both positive and negative, but if you are friendly and keep an open mind to different experiences then you’ll be fine no matter where you are. It’s great working with people from literally all over the world – US, Canada, UK, Europe, South America, Africa, Asia.

The highlights so far have been meeting and becoming friends with people from all around the world and being close to the US and UK for holidays.

Canada - Cheryl moved from the UK to Victoria, Canada

We decided we wanted something different / better for our lives. Originally we went on a three week holiday to Canada for my 30th birthday and did the usual tourist trip from Calgary through the Rockies to Vancouver. We loved the country and found the people very friendly - they certainly like the British accent! On our return we decided to investigate emigration and returned for a research trip to find out more about house prices, cost of living and how easy it would be to find jobs.

I decided to use Think Global Recruitment to aid my job search as the time difference and full time job hindered the time available to make contacts with firms on the west coast. I was interviewed for two positions at a Top Ten Accountancy firm - one audit and one non-audit and found that I was better suited to the non-audit one. I was taken out to lunch on consecutive days by two of the partners and then two of the staff in the department where I would be working. I was offered a position following the second lunch meeting and was pleased that the firm was keen to upgrade my UK ACCA qualification to a CGA one and would enroll me in the required courses.

I believe the move has benefited me by providing a better way of life. Housing is cheaper than the UK although west coast prices in Vancouver and Victoria are amongst the highest in Canada but we have been able to upgrade from a 3 bedroom semi to find a lovely 5 bedroom detached house 15km from the centre of Victoria.

My current salary is lower than my UK equivalent but I expected that as I have no Canadian experience. Once I am able to study and convert my qualification there appears to be the scope to move up fairly quickly (depending on the firm and the department - with audit having the best prospects) so my aim is to be earning the UK equivalent within 3-4 years.

There are more opportunities here for social and sporting events and we have been told it won't be long before we will have purchased either a canoe or a boat!

There was also a keenness to take on someone with no Canadian experience and I think that having a UK qualification helped some way towards that as the numbers remain mainly the same if some of the terms and layout are different! At least we all speak the same language! (French is not widely spoken in the West).

Victoria is a beautiful city. The local area has a population of around 350,000. This gives it the facilities of a city but within a few miles you are into the countryside with great views of the American mountains in the distance and lots of parks, trails and of course the coastline.

Although my commute into work can take up to an hour, the views are stunning and I think a lot of people here take them for granted. It certainly has to be seen to be believed.

There is also a strong work/life balance ethic here. People work hard but they also play hard too. Working hours are tailored to the seasons - longer in tax season (Jan to Apr) but shorter during the summer hours (June to Aug) to allow time in the evenings for social activities.

There is also flexible working hours at a lot of places and as Victoria is the state capital of BC there are a lot of government jobs were work can be done in four 10 hour days giving another day off in the week (usually Fridays) for long weekends etc. I am looking forward to finding a new tennis club out here and spending the summer evenings and weekends playing and socialising!

Victoria is one of the milder cities, having very little winter snow so the activities available cover walking, running, cycling, water sports, sailing and of course hockey!

What advice would you give accountants considering a move overseas?

Be determined and positive in your approach. You are only here once and should never look back on an opportunity in the future saying "I wish I'd done that" Give it a go - you may be surprised!

 

Caribbean - Heath moved from New Zealand to the Caribbean's British Virgin Islands

I had always intended to travel abroad and gain international experience, but I was waiting until I’d first completed my CA qualification. Once I completed my CA, moving overseas was the natural progression for my career. Accounting is an international language, making it easy to seek employment throughout the world.

I’m looking forward to a change of scenery and new challenges. I’m also taking a healthy increase in pay from my current position, so I’m sure my standard of living will improve. In addition, the extra experience and skills that I will gain from my new position will increase my chances of being offered good opportunities in the future.

Think Global Recruitment has a good international reputation and a huge network of clients with employment opportunities, and to try and find a position independently would have taken me a lot of time and effort.

My consultant listened when I explained what types of positions and which locations I was interested in and always came to me with suitable opportunities. Think Global Recruitment called me regularly to tell me about opportunities and always kept me informed of progress when I was having interviews and receiving offers.

My family and friends were surprised by the location I chose, but they have been really supportive and everyone is happy that I am taking on a new challenge. Everyone keeps reminding me that they will be coming to visit!

My advice is go for it. Accounting principals are the same throughout the world, so we can work successfully anywhere we choose.

 

Caribbean - Helena moved from Ireland to the Cayman Islands

I was working as Head of Finance in Ireland for a charity that supported people with disabilities. It was an interesting role but I felt I had achieved everything I could in that position. It was time for a change.

I always wanted to travel but preferred the option to work abroad. I knew accountancy is a good profession to achieve this goal. Also for future career development, having international experience on your CV is viewed positively by future prospective employers.

I chose the Cayman Islands for the lifestyle and climate. As I had anticipated it’s a relaxed work and social environment. Your work schedule is busy but the office atmosphere is relaxed and helpful. The proximity of the Cayman Islands to the United States and South America is ideal for additional travel.

I thought it would take months to settle in but I was settled in a matter of weeks. The company I now work for was very helpful and made the transition as smooth as possible. The organisation is very people orientated and goes to great lengths to ensure you are happy both in work and outside of work.

I love the Cayman Islands, it’s so beautiful. I expected George Town to be bigger and more developed but I now like its quaint charm. The beaches are postcard perfect and I love the outdoors activities. I am currently learning to sail and I love it!

I have met so many amazing people from all over the world. I sit next to a guy from Zimbabwe and we have become the best of friends. An unlikely pair but a friend for life. You learn and experience so many different cultures even though the population of where you live is only 50, 000. I feel a great sense of achievement for moving here alone and making a success of it. It’s scary as well as exciting but more than worth the risk.

I am more active now. I have started to play Gaelic football, sailing, volleyball etc. I walk on the beach three times a week. My work day flies by because I am so happy there.I’m also learning French!

I have met wonderful people but I miss my family & friends terribly, nothing or no one can replace them.

If you are thinking about it, stop thinking about it and just do it! You will never look back. For me it’s been and remains to be a very positive move and I love my new life.

Here you are treated and valued so much. The company I work for never focus on the negative and reinforce all the good things you do. The partners are friendly with an open door policy, which is just that. They appreciate you and regard you as their most valuable asset.

The highlights so far about life abroad have been learning to sail, meeting extraordinary people and soaking up the sun every chance I get!!!

Working overseas shows you are flexible and adapt well to change. Promotion possibilities are faster abroad and you gain invaluable experience.