WORLDWIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENCED ACCOUNTANTS

There is a world of opportunity out there for experienced and qualified accountants,   maybe not as much as pre global down turn; however, there are still plenty of roles available if you look across the global market. Accountancy is still a profession that is in high demand.

The main effect of the current economic climate for experience accountants seeking a new role is that potential employers are focused on finding specialists and often have very specific skills/experience criteria they seek to match. 

 

There is another interesting swing around the globe also worth noting.  Insolvency is in high demand in a number of countries, including Australasia and the Caribbean and on the reverse side Transaction Services is in demand in Europe.  

Language skills, in particular fluent German or French, can be a ticket to secure very interesting, sought after roles throughout Europe, including Switzerland. Alternatively, Mandarin and a proven track record of career progression is appealing to employers in Hong Kong, China and Singapore, whilst Arabic speakers can enjoy an excellent career throughout the Middle East.

Audit experience in the financial services sector will secure that offshore experience, weather it is the Channel Islands, Caribbean or Luxembourg.   

Audit remains the skill in the largest demand. Mainly because CA firms are the biggest employer of accountants and they need a large number of auditors to service clients who have to be audited.  In the current market employers generally require experience of auditing the relevant sector their clients are in.

The demands of employers have definitely tightened up. Historically they would be happy to cross train sectors and provide language training.  

However, it is highly likely criteria will open up again as the economy stabilises again.  Previous financial down turns and recessions have seen a high demand for experienced accountants in the following years and there are signs this will happen again.  Although many firms tried not to decrease the number of trainee accountants they hired in recent years, they had no choice in the end. We are also seeing statistics that show new generations are not choosing accountancy as a career, which will lead to a further shortage.

A recent survey published by the Education and Employees Taskforce targeted 11,000 13-16 year olds in a bid to chart the job aspirations of teenagers against the employment market from now to 2020. It stated that less that one in 30 young people are currently considering jobs in banking and finance which will result in experienced accountants being in even more demand.

A report conducted by Markit, surveying the UK job market has documented a rise in the need for both permanent and temporary accounting/financial professionals from 2012 to 2013. The report which collates data supplied by recruitment agencies also noted that the key skills that are in short supply in accountancy is ‘Accounts, Audit Managers, Credit control, M&A, Tax and Purchase ledger’.

       

With the job market gradually improving both internationally and domestically and the need for experienced accountants and their skill set greater, the openings for accountants is on the rise and the opportunities are better and will continue to increase. Having an ACCA qualification is your ticket to opportunities all over the world and the future looking far more positive than it has in recent years.  

Written by Abigail Stevens, Managing Director, Think Global Recruitment

Think Global Recruitment does Oil and Gas

Having successfully recruited exclusively for the international accounting and finance sector for over 12 years, Think Global Recruitment is delighted to announce that we are operating in a new sector. We have now got a division actively recruiting into the international Oil and Gas industry.

With this new division comes a new team, with a new team comes new clients, new clients lead to new jobs and with new jobs leads to a world of new professionals that are looking to take their career international! This excites all of us at Think Global Recruitment as nothing gives us a better feeling then meeting new people and discussing the ways in which we can improve their lives. We are a recruitment consultancy that has been built upon ensuring that we give the best service to the professionals we work with and the companies that we recruit for.  

Managing Director Abigail Stevens has been investigating this avenue for some time and has decided that now is the best time to launch it, she said; “Having successfully used our model to assist companies recruit the best Accountancy and Finance talent across the globe, we felt we could use the same model for another sector.  We wanted a sector that was not as reliant on the same economic factors, but one that sometimes found it hard to find the professionals it required on its doorstep.  That’s where we can come in and source for those hard to fill vacancies by providing applicants from overseas with the right skill set and motivation to make the move.  Oil and Gas ticked all the boxes.”

Furthermore, Operations Director Cramond Perry who has over 15 years experience in the Oil and Gas sector is equally optimistic with the path that Think Global Recruitment have taken when launching the new sector of the company and said; “ I've always been impressed by how international the teams were in the oil and gas industry generally and how mobile and flexible most of the workforce are prepared to be. I enjoyed seeing more of the world at the same time as progressing my own career and am looking forward to supporting this sector which is currently booming on buoyant commodities prices and a severe skills shortage.”

Andrew Sharp has been assigned the task of establishing the Oil and Gas department and with extensive experience not only recruiting into this sector but also on an international scale, Andrew is a great fit to make a success of  this new venture.

Having assisted hundreds of professionals to make the ever daunting international career move, nobody is better suited to give advice not only on the role and company that each professional will be applying for, but also the in-depth advice on the location and social opportunities that each location provides. Think Global is not only about helping find that perfect job for you, but also about helping you find the location that suits you best; socially, financially and professionally and that is why our vision is “Improving Lives”.