Career Q&A: Help with the next step

Hello,

I just became a fan of GAAPweb on Facebook, I saw that you're giving some advice to people trying to improve their career and so I take advantage and I write you too.

I am working as a financial accountant in a small Irish company in Dublin owned by an Italian insurance company, I am a chartered accountant and auditor according to Italian law and I'm collecting all necessary documents to apply for ACCA membership under EU recognition of professional qualifications (this means that I have to do only two or three exams to be considered qualified).

My objective is getting the qualification and perhaps moving to UK, but I'm not just thinking to London, I heard also about the Thames Valley and all the big companies there.

I just want to ask you two things:
- in your opinion is it better to remain in a small company until I get the ACCA qualification or to look for a bigger company to get more experience on my cv?
- should I be considered as part qualified when I'll apply to ACCA?

Hi,

I think that unfortunately now is a difficult time to find a job in a big company in the UK. It seems to me that there is generally a slow down in the market, meaning that there are potentially more candidates with exactly the correct qualification for companies to choose from. However, if you are able to find a job in a bigger company, that is probably a good thing to try. It will certainly gain you better exposure, and more experience.

I may well not speak for everyone in the profession, however, other than a few roles in which you require specific UK law/tax knowledge, I am sure your qualication will stand you in good stead. If you know IFRS, that is all that most companies are looking for, after all, UK GAAP is not that different.

Whilst I don't think you can put "part-qualified", I would be sure to put your overseas qualification, and then explain its similarities to ACCA.

Hope that helps.

CPD, advice on courses

A number of GAAPwebbers have recently asked us for information and advice regarding Continued Professional Development (CPD) courses.

I personally believe that CPD is a really good idea. Just like you would not be happy to see a doctor or surgeon who did not keep up to date with latest developments in his field, so you should not be happy with finance professionals who don’t maintain an interest in the latest issues affecting their profession.

CPD does not have to be limited to updates on Accounting Standards or Legislation, it is equally possible to identify other CPD courses relevant to your chosen profession. It is sometimes even possible to justify CPD in a related field, such as relevant systems experience or human resources/team management skills.

For instance, as I work in commerce, I have chosen CPD courses around Financial Valuations, Megers and Acquisitions, and Corporate Finance.

The two best course providors I have come across are Quorum Training and Hawksmere. Both offer courses taken by industry professionals, which are directly relevant to what is going on in the business world.

In short, if your mindset on CPD is trying to get maximum points in a grading system, it will probably disappoint. However, if you aim to rather use it for Career development, it can be very beneficial.