London is considered by many to be the leading focal point of global business and finance. Apart from the cold winters and warm beer, the city offers a wealth of opportunities for any ambitious ASA or CPA.
This is especially true in the square mile (the city centre), which houses the bulk of the financial services, banking, insurance, commodities and stockbroking institutions, including the London Stock Exchange, Lloyd's of London and the Bank of England.
The docklands in London's east, another financial centre, is home to the Financial Services Authority, plus major banks such as Barclays Bank, Bank of America, Citigroup and HSBC.
For ASAs in the UK, it is easy to work in London and study for the CPA designation at the same time. In fact, 20 per cent of CPA Australia's European membership is made up of ASAs currently completing the CPA Program.
CPA Australia's European branch, headquartered in the Australia Centre on The Strand, serves as an exam location. You can also sit for exams in Birmingham, Manchester or Taunton.
The European branch also provides means to find other students to study with.
This, plus the fact that, according to Paul Taylor, director of the European branch, UK employers really like Australian accountants.
'Australians are hotly sought after, and CPA Australia members in particular because the designation is quality-orientated,' he says. 'Numbers-wise we are ranked sixth in the world, but our focus on quality over quantity puts us in the top three accounting qualifications worldwide.'
After working in the public sector in Australia, Anna D'Alessandro CPA made her move to the UK around two years ago, starting off at HM Revenue & Customs and eventually moving to KPMG.
'It was mainly about the career opportunities that would be open to me,' she says. 'Australia is quite a small and insular market, particularly in terms of the public sector. Having this opportunity in KPMG would not have emerged so quickly for me in Australia.'
Michelle Liew CPA hit the tarmac at Heathrow under different circumstances. After working at Ernst & Young in her hometown Kuala Lumpur she is now employed in London as assistant manager, people services, international executive services at KPMG.
'It's like two different worlds,' says Liew, 26. 'In a similar position in Malaysia I worked much longer hours; 15-hour days during peak season were normal.'
The better hours are just the start, Liew says. 'In my office I'm with people from all walks of life. Africans, Americans, every type of European. In Asia I worked almost exclusively with Asians. It's really valuable for me to work here and experience so many cultures.'
To get to London and stay there you'll need either a working holidaymaker visa or a highly skilled migrant permit. Or, if you're a Commonwealth citizen and have a parent who was born in the UK, you may be eligible for the 'right of abode' certification, according to the UKvisas website.
The CPA Australia European branch can also help you with visa applications, as well as organising accommodation and bank accounts, and may even be able to get you a job interview.
'Since opening our office here in 2005 we have done a lot of hard work with recruiters and blue-chip employers,' says Paul Taylor. 'They are very impressed that you need an accounting-related degree before you can start the CPA Program. For some other accounting qualifications you don't; you could have been a priest. Because of this, the CPA Program is considered a masters-level qualification.'
It also pays to get the ball rolling yourself. Contact top-notch UK finance and accountancy recruiters, including Witan Jardine, Joslin Rowe and Hays Global, before you leave home.
Besides the job opportunities, London is also one of the world's most exciting cities, with a smorgasbord of sport and entertainment on offer, plus its own brand of pomp and ceremony happening week-in, week-out, all year round.
