The CPA designation is one of the world's most portable. INTHEBLACK talks to CPAs who made the move to Europe to experience business in a broader context.
By Rob Cannon
Western Australian Ashley Schofield CPA had been warned not to speak English on the streets of Belgrade. Kosovo had just declared independence, a move supported by the UK and US. As Schofield and his British colleague walked from Serbia's finance ministry to their hotel, four truckloads of Serbian soldiers began setting up road-blocks in preparation for thousands of anti-separatist protestors. The next day, the protesters would set fire to the US embassy. Now that doesn't happen every day in Perth.
Schofield was in town as a public financial management consultant. Working for Atos Consulting he has advised on public sector finance projects in Armenia, Bangladesh, Malawi, and Serbia. 'Moving to the UK with my family has opened up new horizons,' he offers. 'My work is very specialised, and the opportunities are far greater in Europe.
'International assistance for public financial management in Australia is really limited to just the Pacific Islands and Southeast Asia. With Atos I have worked across Africa, Europe and south Asia. It's very different, and very fulfilling.'
This is Schofield's third stint in Europe. His first was as a backpacker. On his second trip both he and his wife found work in England. This time they have their two children, and even though he'd been in the profession for some time, Schofield arrived with a shiny new CPA Australia designation. 'I can guarantee that the CPA [Australia designation] helped me find the right job quicker this time. Recruiters were impressed by the CPA.'
His family is enjoying their stay. 'The schooling for our children has been better than in Perth,' he says. 'They have progressed in leaps and bounds.'
Yet Schofield's wife, a dietician, has discovered flexible child-friendly work isn't as easy to find as in Australia. 'Still, we are financially better off, no doubt about it,' he says. 'The UK pays substantially higher rates, but there is a substantially higher cost of living. Child care and public transport costs can reduce bigger pay packets.'
Schofield is not placing a time limit on their stay: 'I definitely recommend a UK stay. For young accountants with two to three years' experience there are fantastic jobs. They must be flexible, but if you are prepared for that, the world opens up.'
For Anna D'Alessandro, the ability to secure a senior position with HM Treasury was based on her skills, her experience working in a similar position in the Australian public sector, but also some rather adroit networking. 'I was fortunate enough to know people who knew people, if you know what I mean,' she says. 'I spent six years in the Victorian Treasury and had already done in Victoria what they were wanting to do in HM Treasury. So for me it [landing a job] happened quite easily over a coffee and chat.'
In her two years with HM Treasury D'Alessandro handled a diverse range of roles before recently deciding to take up a position with KPMG, something she says was accelerated by her UK move. 'For me, 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.'
The most challenging aspect of moving from Australia for D'Alessandro was establishing a reputation. 'That goes with the territory whenever you start a new job,' she says. 'In Australia, though, I came with credibility. Here I had to start from the beginning, but it didn't take long to establish.'
The best aspects of working in the HM Treasury were the calibre of people she encountered and with whom she worked. 'Over the past two years I have become acquainted with most of the senior finance people across Whitehall, and also some directors-general, heads of departments and the head of the Treasury,' she says.
That's something you'll frequently hear from CPA Australia members who make the UK move: that they're provided with career opportunities far more quickly than might otherwise be the case.
Although it helps to have completed the CPA Program and accumulated some solid experience before arriving, 20 per cent of CPA Australia's European membership consists of associates studying for their exams while working for bluechip international companies.
'The message here is that European employers like Australian accountants, from part-qualified to qualified,' says Paul Taylor, director of the European Branch of CPA Australia.
Taylor says the buoyant London job market is hungry for Aussie accounting / finance talent. 'Australians are hotly sought after, and CPA Australia members in particular because the designation is quality-orientated. 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.
'Since opening our office here in 2005 we have done a lot of hard work with recruiters and bluechip employers. 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.'
Brisbane's Dan MacKenzie has been based in Germany's mid-west since 2004. Accepting a job with DFA Capital Management saw him and his family of four jet from Canada to Cologne.
MacKenzie, vice president of life insurance development, spoke only English before arriving but says today only 20 per cent of his working day is in German. A lack of language skills has proved no barrier: 'You'll find that the bigger the company, the more likely that you can leverage from your English although smaller companies are less receptive to non-native speakers.'
If language has not provided a barrier, at times the culture has. 'While my internal work environment is just what I wanted: high-energy, fast-paced, informal and turns on a 10 cent piece, externally German clients are more formal,' he explains. 'There are barriers to a relaxed environment that must be breached. To break the ice, I try to be self-effacing at the earliest moment.'
Career wise, MacKenzie acknowledges Cologne has been very valuable. 'In terms of the risk-management software we develop, I know what works in Europe,' he says. 'I know what our product should do, how to market it, how to install it, and how to improve the user experience.'
A quick look at websites such as the JOBworld website reveals hundreds of English-language accounting and commerce jobs in Germany. Many are in the financial hub of Frankfurt, followed by Munich, where large employers such as Siemens need highly skilled English speaking business professionals who are prepared to travel. Australians will need to be sponsored by a German employer. For the under 31s this makes it harder to find work than in the UK, but businesses are willing to sponsor candidates with the right skills.
Visa in hand, Germany provides an interesting contrast to the UK. Australians are extremely well-regarded. The country is culturally diverse, with regions and cities holding a passionate sense of identity, their own beers, dishes, customs, and festivals. German wages aren't as high as England's, but the cost of living is far lower. Basing your-self in the geographical centre of Europe means travel is far cheaper and easier to do than from London.
If you are thinking about the UK, bear in mind that the system for assessing professional immigrants will soon be changing to one favouring those aged 27 to 30 rather than 33 to 35. 'Under the new rules,' Taylor says, 'you should come sooner rather than later.'
A London calling
With six months under her belt in London, Michelle Liew CPA has some observations that may surprise.
As assistant manager, people services of international executive services, she finds her current workload at KPMG lighter than the comparative position she had with Ernst & Young in her hometown Kuala Lumpur. This isn't a reflection on contrasting standards between the two Big Four firms, but on the difference between the UK and Malaysia.
'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 change is a double-edged sword: I have a better work / life balance in London, but I also enjoyed the challenges, especially in time management, in KL.'
Liew feels that in real terms her salary has now fallen. Her larger London pay packet is offset by a lofty cost of living. She has traded high rent for a short commute by selecting an apartment in the shadow of the Millennium Bridge and just a short distance from her central London office.
So, why did she decide to come? After a four-year long-distance relationship, Liew has moved to be with her London-based Singaporean partner.
Cooler clime aside, she is enjoying the diversity of people she works with and the many tourist attractions surrounding her. 'In my office I am 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.'
Tips for a smooth move
First stop: CPA Australia European branch
The CPA European branch can help with visa applications, accommodation, bank accounts, employment, CPD, European GAAP and networking. On average, new members registering in the region receive a letter within three weeks of arriving. The European branch can also help to source jobs when a member returns home.
Organise a UK bank account ahead of Heathrow
Not having a UK bank account makes it difficult to get paid, sign a rental lease and connect to phone and internet. 'We organise a local bank account through ANZ and its network, which means that our members will find it easier to obtain mobile phones and accommodation, as they already have a bank account before they step off the plane,' says Paul Taylor, director of the CPA Australia European branch. 'We are working on getting a mobile phone supplied to members when they arrive.'
Don't wait to contact recruiters
The quicker you go on a recruiter's books the sooner you'll get offers. 'We are well connected with a number of recruitment consultants, and regularly give presentations to them so that our members are more likely to obtain the career opportunity of their choice,' Taylor says.
Well-known UK finance and accounting recruiters include Witan Jardine, Joslin Rowe and Hays Global.
