The move of a lifetime to the UAE!

In 2013 Think Global Recruitment assisted Leroi in gaining a new job in a Big Four firm in the UAE, roughly 3,883 miles away from his original location in Pretoria, South Africa. I got in touch with Leroi to find out more about his experience.

Leroi worked for five years in one of the Big 4 firms in Pretoria, just outside Johannesburg. This was enough time to lead him to the conclusion that he was ready to move overseas to explore ‘new opportunities and gain new experiences’, something that he had always wanted to do and the timing couldn't have been better.

Leroi was quite open to moving anywhere, some of the options he listed were: Australia, New Zealand, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Europe. Though, his preference was the Middle East because his wife had previously lived and worked there as a teacher, meaning, she would find it quite easy to join him and gain employment there.

When Leroi applied for a job that we had advertised online, one of Think Global Recruitment’s international experts got in touch with him. "They spent a considerable amount of time finding out what I was looking for in a move and all about my experience". Our consultant then agreed an action plan and a list of companies that he would contact to identify where the most suitable positions would be and which of them would be most interested in his vast experience in internal audit, risk and advisory.  Through this approach his consultant promptly secured him an interview with a Big Four firm in the UAE. His first choice location!

On the 14^th of April 2013, Leroi was offered a job in Abu Dhabi, he moved in mid July. We asked him what he felt was the most helpful thing that Think Global Recruitment did throughout the process- 'you looked after me really well and were really informative. I was very happy with the service. It is great to have someone to take care of the administration side of things which made the whole process much easier. There was always someone to answer your questions and give you support and peace of mind.'

The different culture was, at times, ‘quite difficult’ in a business sense and Leroi said, ‘there will always be an uncertainty on a personal level when you move far away’, however, after a few months his wife joined him on his new adventure and they settled very quickly in their new home. At present, Leroi sees the cultural differences as a highlight of his location.

Following our chat, we are happy to conclude that Leroi is thoroughly enjoying his time in Abu Dhabi and feels that the move has benefited him in many ways, he has a lot of ‘new connections’ and has ‘broadened his horizons’.  We strongly believe that the life experience and career progression that you can gain from living and working overseas is endless.

Leroi’s advice to anyone who is considering an international move:

• ‘Do your research so that you have a bit of an idea of what to expect’
• ‘Try to get hold of people who have done the move before and get their opinion’
• ‘It’s hard to know what to expect until the day that you get there, you should try to understand the pros and cons before you move’ 

We couldn't agree more!

By Emma Maloy, Marketing Assistant

THINK GLOBAL RECRUITMENT LAUNCH GLOBAL RECRUITMENT WEBINARS

Last month Think Global Recruitment launched ‘Global Recruitment Webinars’ allowing the company to invite industry leaders in both recruitment and accountancy to present to professionals on a host of topics.

Presented by Abigail Stevens (Managing Director– Think Global Recruitment), the first webinar discussed ‘Interview Preparation’ and was presented to an enthusiastic audience. Covering the full interview process from phone, video and all the way to face-to-face, Abigail has almost 20 years recruitment experience and has conducted literally thousands of interviews both for internal and external vacancies, covering a whole variety of roles and therefore knows every potential pitfall and is excellently placed to advise professionals seeking advice.

Although a new service line for Think Global Recruitment it is something that the company hugely enjoyed setting up and promoting. Abigail Stevens received great feedback from the participants. They all agreed that they felt far more confident and prepared for any interviews in the pipeline. All attendees that supplied feedback noted that they are more aware of how imperative it is that you tailor each application to the role and company that you are applying for.

Some top tips that were discussed in detail were:

TOP 10 TIPS TO ENSURE A SUCCESSFUL INTERVIEW PROCESS

1. Research - Read up on the company and do your research. Look at web site, financials, media page etc (keen)
2. Key Skill - Know what key skills are required and whether you have them (capable/confidence)
3. Practice - Practice answering difficult questions - Put yourself in the interviewers shoes
4. Salary - Never bring up the topic of salary before the interviewer does.  It is often best to discuss salary at offer stage. Ensure they know its not all about money (keen)
5. Most important - The interview practice is invaluable. It’s better to turn down an offer than be rejected. You may decide mid-interview that you really want the role but interviews feedback shows you have already blown it by that time (first five minutes)
6. Recap - Recap through your experiences.  Know your key achievements
7. Sell Yourself - Be confident in an interview but do not rely on your CV.  Remember to sell yourself.
8. Turn weaknesses into positives
9. Questions - Prepare questions before the interview (keen)
10. Closure - Ask what the next step will be and   indicate that you are keen (keen)

  

The GlobalRecruitment Webinars are an opportunity for professionals who are considering their next career move to receive first-hand advice on such things as ‘Interview Preparation’, ‘Living and Working on Offshore Islands’ and ‘Living and Working in Emerging Markets’. We are always open to suggestions on subject matter and topics that can be discussed so please feel free to leave a comment in the space below of any suggestions of topics.  We look forward to meeting you there.

The next two webinars cover the following:

Interview Preparation - 11th July 2013 at 10:30am GMT
Living and Working on Offshore Islands - 18th July 2013 at 7pm GMT

ACCOUNTANCY WORLDWIDE ONLINE WEBINAR

Dear Reader...

OK, so, some blatant advertising below...However, I just didn't want anyone to miss out on this.  

Everyone know's they have a strength at something and interview preparation is most certainly an area I receives excellent feedback on.  I thought I should share the extensive experience I have in this area.   If you sign up and do not feel you received value for money from this Webinar, please do let me know and I will refund your registration.

Happy to receive feedback after on this blog.

Kind regards,   Abigail 

ACCOUNTANCY WORLDWIDE ONLINE WEBINAR

 Interview Preparation for Career Progression(Video/Phone/Face to Face) 

Thursday 6 June 20137pm UK time 8pm Central European/South African time 

Presenter:  Abigail Stevens, Managing Director,Think Global Recruitment

Fellow Recruitment and Employment Confederation

Interviewing can be nerve racking enough, but sometimes the thought of doing it by phone or video conference can be even harder to get your mind around. This valuable, not to be missed webinar will not only cover the various types of interview techniques for face to face interviews, but also tips on getting through a telephone or video interview.

The topic of discussion will be ‘Interview Preparation for Career Progression – Video/Phone/Face-to-Face’ and will be delivered by Abigail Stevens who has around 20 years’ experience assisting professionals secure roles throughout the globe.

This amazing opportunity will give professionals who are interested in advancing their career, now or in the future, the opportunity to find out what it is required of them during the interview process, providing hints, tips and advise on potential stumbling blocks.

This webinar that could improve your life costs just £10 (c. 11.70 €) to attend. To register and pay please follow this link:

http://www.eventbrite.co.uk/event/6797789371

To allow us to tailor the presentation for the audience or if you have any questions please contact Gordon Barclay via email – gbarclay@thinkgr.com or telephone +44 131 260 5850.

We look forward to registering you for this special event.  Please feel free to share this with others that would be interested in attending.

EVENT INFORMATION

Presenter

Abigail Stevens FRIP

Program Title

Interview Preparation for Career Progression (Video/Phone/Face to Face)

Presenter Biography

Abigail Stevens is professionally, exam and time qualified as a full member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Having spent 8 years working in marketing, Abigail moved into the recruitment industry in 1996 and founded Think Global Recruitment in 2000. In the 18 years since Abigail has placed accountants at all levels, all over the world and has experience of living and working in Australia,England and Scotland. Throughout her career Abigail has traveled extensively conducting presentations and networking with global organizations and institutes and has presented to ICAS and ICAEW members as well as MBA University students, she has visited; UK, Ireland, Wales, Channel Islands, Isle of Man, France, Germany, Luxembourg, Italy, Holland, Spain, Prague, Poland, Boston, LA, San Francisco, Miami, Chicago, Cayman Islands, Bermuda, Grenada, Australia (lived 3 years), Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Bali, Thailand, Cambodia, New Zealand, Egypt, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, South Africa, Canada.

Program Summary

Together we will explore the full interview process and how to successfully secure that opportunity of your dreams.  

We will cover not only generic tips, but specific techniques for the international interview process including telephone and video interviewing.  Interviewing can be nerve-wracking enough, but sometimes the thought of doing it by phone or video conference can be even harder to get your mind around.   This Webinar will leave you feeling confident and capable of carrying out the very best interview you can and allow you to put your questions to an expert in the field.

OPEN FOR ADVICE - ASK ABIGAIL

It's the New Year and for many of you that means making resolutions of changes you wish to make in your life, whether it is starting the gym or changing jobs.

In my career I am proud to say that I have helped improve people's lives from every Continent in the World and understand the obstacles that are in the way of progressing your career Internationally. I have updated my blog to provide an 'Ask Abigail' section to allow anyone that has questions to ask. Just click on the tab or here to find the list of topics that I am happy to provide comment and advice on.

Above is a cut-out of a feature in the December issue of the CA magazine where I was asked to provide comment for accountants who are considering 'Finding work in Canada'. I was approached by ICAS to supply comment on the topic because of the experience I have in not only the Accountancy recruitment sector but also in regards to moving overseas and relocation. I take pride in providing honest and free advice and have in the past discussed provided comment in multiple international accountancy journals.