Esther’s story – From the UK to US – Overseas Accountancy Careers

We’ve had the pleasure of placing Esther in the one of the big four in Stamford, USA. We recently caught up with Esther to find out how it’s been living in States, her experiences, and any advice she would give to accountants who are thinking about moving overseas. In her own words, she shares her story of working and living abroad.

‘Something I’ve always wanted to do’ – My reason to go abroad

‘One of the reasons I picked the accounting profession was because it’s flexible and you could go anywhere in the world and work for any type of company. As a child, I had lived abroad and I’d spent a year working abroad in the middle of my degree, so it was something I’ve always wanted to do.’

‘In my previous role there didn’t seem to be any real movement; in terms of being promoted. I don’t think I would’ve had the same opportunities if I had stayed where I was, those opportunities didn’t exist for upward mobility. Whereas in a big environment like here (in the US) it is constantly changing, and plenty more opportunities.’

New York City

‘It was a little bit of a shock’ – Settling into a new role and new city

‘I was in Stamford in Connecticut, it’s in the commuter belt of New York City. I’ve never really been a big city person. A lot of people that come are attracted by being so close to New York City. For me, it wasn’t necessarily the place that I picked. I was open to anywhere at that point, not specifically the US or New York City, but when it came up I thought this is a great opportunity.’

‘I was relatively close to the center of town near to where my work was and where everything that was going on. It was important to me to not be too far away from where the action was. Whenever the office had an event it was usually down town and we’d go out a lot in the center of town to various bars and events to build our social circle.’

‘My husband quit his job and he moved with me as well. We were very proactive and literally every person we met we said, ‘hey do you know anyone who works in IT and needs people?’ How he ended up getting his first role was through one of the Partners’ at the firm whose neighbour was an IT Recruiter and he got him the job.’

‘It has definitely changed my personality, now I’m a New York minute person – everything is faster! If you come here with an open mind you can absorb it [the culture], and I’ve really absorbed the culture in so many ways.’

‘The travelling’ – Highlights of living abroad

‘When you’re thinking about leaving to go abroad, travelling is one of the main highlights. When we have big clients, we travel [to visit them], and for some of the training as well. I’ve been to San Francisco, LA, Salt Lake City, and South Carolina for work.’

‘The weather! I really like the weather much better here. Where we live now it gets much hotter in the Summer and much colder in the Winter but you get real snow and you can go skiing. Even in winter you will have days of sun and blue sky, even though it is cold.’

‘Go with an open mind and be willing to work hard’ – My advice

‘You are in a new job and a new place and it will be hard. Being positive is a big deal. You’re going out for an adventure and you’ve got to take yourself out of your shell and go with the right mentality.’

‘Don’t worry if you come on your own. It’s ok to do it either way. But if you are going with a partner then you need to both come with the right attitude. Particularly important to me was if my husband could come with me and get a visa as well. When I spoke to the Think Global Recruitment they knew what they were talking about and the service went beyond the immediate candidate, they also considered the family that was coming with me.’

‘If you go with the right attitude, you will make great friends and it will truly enrich your life.’

 

We would like to thank Esther for sharing her story with us and wish her all the best for the future.

Please get in touch with us here if you would like to discuss moving overseas with one of our consultants.