Craig’s Story - Making the move to Partner

Think Global Recruitment assisted Craig in making a move from Scotland to PKF in Sydney, which a few years ago merged with the BDO network. In just 7 years Craig worked his way up from Audit Senior to Partner and remains with the firm, 13 years on.   Last month he sat down with our Managing Director to tell us about his story.

 

 

 

 

I was really surprised at how international Sydney was when I arrived. Coming from Central Scotland, the diversity of the people was definitely eye opening but in a good way. There were people from South Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore, UK and Europe. The blend of cultures really broadened your personal outlook on life. 

Due to its sporty lifestyle Sydney has always been buzzing with activities and events to partake in. I managed to do a few triathlons in the last couple of years, something I don’t think I would have done in Scotland. There’s a big focus on keeping fit and healthy which is really good for your own personal motivation.

In the workplace, they definitely work harder than I first expected. It’s not somewhere where you go and work for a couple of hours and then sit on the grass watching cricket and drinking beer. However, compared to the UK it does feel more relaxed, having a greater focus on a more flexible working lifestyle. There’s a team mindset rather than a hierarchical one, allowing you to interact easily with Partners and Senior Management. Most importantly, you have a real sense that people listen to your ideas and what you have to say. These points are pretty important when considering your own career progression. Overall, there is definitely a culture that if you work hard and perform well that you will be rewarded and can progress quickly.

Having worked for PKF, which is now BDO, for a number of years I’ve managed to wear a couple of different hats. I’ve audited public multinationals, large international groups and privately owned entities. I’ve been involved with industries such as media and entertainment, high street retail, wholesale product distribution and funds management. Last year, I was appointed Partner in charge of People and Culture for BDO Sydney and Melbourne. I really enjoy working with people which is great because I manage a team of 85 at the minute, handling client portfolios worth up to £2million.

Altogether, moving here has been a great opportunity and I would recommend anyone to try it. There’s lots of opportunity to learn new things and it’s a good place to bring up kids. I’ve been here so long I’ve now got my own passport, but the locals still struggle with my accent!

If this story has inspired you then share it and help those who may be considering making the move abroad. To hear more case studies and find out about job opportunities please email pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com

Dorota's Story - My role has allowed me to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, UK and New Zealand!

Think Global Recruitment assisted Dorota to move from South Africa to Macquarie Bank in Sydney where she was promoted within two years to Internal Audit Manager. Our Managing Director, Abigail Stevens, recently caught up with her to find out how her career has been since. This is her story.

Around the time I completed my training with EY there was a mass exodus of people leaving South Africa to move to London. I was going to go too but then the opportunity came up to attend Think Global Recruitment’s Accountancy Worldwide event. I had always thought that I would be living in the UK but that event encouraged me to consider other options. It was the first time I’d heard about Macquarie, so after the presentation I went home and did my research and discovered that they had a good reputation.

I naturally had the fear of moving to a new country, combined with the fact that I was doing it my own. I was worried about the cultural challenges and that I might find it hard to understand the way that people spoke. Altogether it took me a couple of years to properly settle in. Unless you know people it can be tricky but it does also depend on where you go. If you join a big institutional bank people would usually just go to work and that’s it, but if you are working for a company that’s more retail facing, they tend to have more active social circles.

Macquarie Bank

I started out as an Internal Auditor at Macquarie Bank in Sydney. Whilst I was working there I learnt a lot about Risk Management and decided that it was the area that I was most interested in. There was a very competitive and ambitious work culture, If I’d decided to stay in practice the situation would have definitely been a lot easier.

BNP Paribas

After two and a half years l decided it was time to leave Macquarie. I felt done with Audit and went searching for a job with new opportunities. I managed to find one with one of France’s biggest banks, BNP Paribas.  I was involved within the three lines of defence: Internal Audit, Operational Risk and Risk Management.  Working there allowed me to get exposure to Risk Management but from a back office prospective. I had the best of both worlds, working for a big brand but in a small office environment.

CommSec

“My role has allowed me to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, UK and New Zealand.”

 I left BNP after fifteen months when the opportunity came up to work for CommSec (Commonwealth Securities), where I have been for the last three years. CommSec is a large stockbroking firm that works with Commonwealth, Australia’s biggest bank. I work in line one Risk Management as a Risk Senior Manager. My role is all about helping businesses succeed and ensuring they do things the right way. I work with a friendly group of people, something which I now really appreciate.

My role has allowed me to travel to Hong Kong, Singapore, Canada, UK and New Zealand.  With these trips you could be away for around three weeks at a time, so you’re able to get a proper feel for the countries that you visit. I’ve also taken advantage of my location, travelling around Australia, Bali, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Thailand and Indonesia. My favourite places so far have been Tonga and the Great Barrier Reef.

My Advice

Anyone thinking about making a move should do it. Don’t be put off by the idea of living away from home. Time passes so quickly and before you realise it you’ve been away for seven and a half years. I have learnt so much and have been exposed to many more opportunities. Most importantly, I found out what was available and through that was able to make a decision about what I wanted to do. In South Africa Risk Management has only just started, so I would not have been able to have gained this experience.

“Most importantly, I found out what was available and through that was able to make a decision about what I wanted to do.”

 Anyone that moves abroad will be guaranteed to have great experiences that will shape your life. It’s easier to put off idea of moving and get stuck in one way of thinking, but if you want to be a good accountant you have get out there and find out how different economies work. It’s important to remember that it’s not always about the first place you go, the experience at Macquarie was great but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. However it led to me getting the job I wanted and now I’m happy and settled.

Sydney and South Africa

To any South Africans who may be thinking the countries are identical, they’re not. The tax system and the job specifics are different.  It’s not South Africa 2.0 so it’s important to have an open mindset and then go for it. The sense of humour is certainly different, South Africans are more direct whilst Australians can be quite sarcastic. The thing I miss about home the most is my friends but there are South African expat communities all over Australia which makes it easier.

Australia and South Africa share similar climates. As a nation they have a very outdoorsy way of life, with a big focus on activities like running and swimming. This is great for encouraging a healthy lifestyle and I’ve really embraced it, swimming in the mornings and doing Zumba after work. The move has been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

If this story has inspired you then share it and help those who may be considering making the move abroad. To hear more case studies and find out about job opportunities please email pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com

Sun, Sea and Jobs for Accountants - Part One

Our Managing Director, Abigail Stevens, has been away for the past month taking Think Global Recruitment on the international road, seeking out the best opportunities for our accountants. In this blog she visits London and Sydney to kick-start her global tour.

 

London’s Calling

 

On the 1st March I caught my first flight from Edinburgh to a location known famously as the City.  It was there that I met with the very knowledgeable and charismatic leader, Anne Swaine of APSCo. APSCo is the UK recruitment industries trade body of which I have just been appointed the Scottish Forum Chair. The organisation was hosting an international forum for consultancies with an interest in setting up offices overseas or recruiting internationally. These forums provide the expert advice and connections which are utilised to enhance the number of vacancies available for our accountants. After that I was off to Australia!

 

From Jetlag to Business

 

As soon as my flight touched down in Sydney, I began my busy schedule of meeting firms interested in hiring international accountants. Due to the economic downturn in the market businesses were unsurprisingly cautious, however, the market definitely is picking up in a number of areas post-recession.  

 

One of the contacts I met that is now seeking other accountants to join his firm had been helped by Think Global Recruitment, making the move from UK to Sydney, as a recently qualified accountant. Craig, who is still at the same firm today, has been a Partner there for a number years. Yet another success story for a British accountant building an international career overseas and a Life Improved!

 

Whilst in Sydney, I had the fortunate experience of meeting two more women with whom we assisted to make their first move to Australia and have done exceedingly well in their careers since! The first,  Chantal, moved over from South Africa with PKF and after just under four years with the firm, moved into the financial service sector.  She has since worked her way up to be a Senior Director with NASDAQ.  Her story can be read here. The second, Dorota, moved over from South Africa as a recently qualified auditor into an Internal Audit role with Macquarie Bank.  After just under three years she moved on to another two organisations to end up in her current role as a Senior Risk Manager. Her story will be in our next blog post so watch this space!

 

Social Networking

 

Through my contacts in the Scottish Government, I was lucky enough to receive an invitation to a charity luncheon ran by David Bocklehurst OEM of Reuters Charity. The charity arranges events for big businesses across the city to network, whilst donating the profits to a variety of Australian Charities.  The event was to present the chosen charities with cheques which amounted to a total of $1.5 million! The luncheon provided an excellent opportunity to talk with a number of high-profile individuals from some of the top global organisations.

 

My final engagement in Sydney was to go to an Australian British Chamber of Commerce's Whisky  Tasting event.  The chosen Bladnoch distillery could not have been more cross-continental, with the distillery being based in Scotland but wholly owned by an Australian company. The event was a great occasion to foster new business relationships and promote the Think Global Recruitment brand. I was also fortunate enough to win the door prize that had been donated by Whisky Live of a very special Islay Single Malt that was a one off special label and only five people in the world know which distillery it was from! It was the perfect way to end my stay in this beautiful city.

 

 

 

Jason's Story: A professional accountancy qualification is a passport to working anywhere!

Jason attended an event we held in Dublin and before long he was on his way to work for PwC in Sydney. It was there that he met his wife and got introduced to a fantastic new city.

Jason who is now Deputy Director Corporate Finance and Operations for University of Newcastle, Australia, allowed us to catch up with him to hear how his move benefited his career. 

 

Why did you originally decide to move overseas?

I attended the Think Global Recruitment event in Dublin and heard about opportunities in Australia and began to think about that as a location.  I was invited to Birmingham where the Big Four pitched to a room full of recently qualified accountants.  That led to an interview with PwC Sydney and then I got the job! I felt I wanted to break out of my comfort zone and move abroad whilst I was still young.
 

What was the biggest benefit of moving?
 

I found Sydney to be a fantastic city.  Along the way, I met a lady from Singapore who was also working for PwC Sydney and we are now married!  Professionally, I have done better than I would have had I stayed in Ireland.  There is so much to do socially and I love living in a city with a big ‘wow’ factor.  There is a strong Irish ex-pat community, and I’ve had lots of visitors, so have never felt very homesick.
 

Did you feel that your move improved your standard of living?

 

Money was not that big a motivator for my move, but I’ve enjoyed the lifestyle it has afforded me.  There was a ‘living-away-from-home’ allowance and lots of tax breaks.  The outdoor life improved my standard of living too – the culture was initially unfamiliar, but once I got used to it, I loved it!

 

What were the highlights of your location?

 

Sydney is a beautiful city, with amazing beaches, stunning weather, a lovely outdoor, healthy attitude and very sport-orientated.  As a city, it is easy to get around and I was always proud to show it off.

What location are you in now?
 

After 5 years I moved to Newcastle, north of Sydney with PwC. My contract as a foreign employee had been extended and extended and I wanted to put down roots and get Australian citizenship.  I thought this was best done out of a main city and somewhere a little similar to Cork, where I am from.  Newcastle has 180,000 inhabitants and is a major port, similar to Cork.  I had met my now-wife by this point and wanted to buy a house for us both, which I have done in Newcastle.

 

What, in your opinion, are the advantages of working overseas in terms of gaining future employment?

 

In my opinion, overseas working is virtually mandatory to achieve progression in the Big Four.  It is essential for learning new skills and bringing new knowledge back to use in future work.  It demonstrates the ability to be tenacious, self-reliant, to work with a number of very different people in diverse cultures.

What advice would you offer to accountants thinking about working overseas?
 

DO IT! For several years! It shows global companies that professionals are also global in outlook, have a 5 year plan and stick to it.  A professional accountancy qualification is a passport to working anywhere!

 

How did Think Global Recruitment assist you in securing your job overseas?

 

Think Global Recruitment is a truly global company and the contacts you have are unrivalled.  The event that you held in Dublin initially gave excellent information and the Birmingham event was, at the time, really novel.  Having the Big Four pitch to us candidates was great and a nice change from candidates just having to convince employers.

 

What are the advantages of applying for a job through Think Global Recruitment?

 

The events allowed me to hear all of my options and I would not have thought of Australia had it not been for your consultants.  I was given good, honest advice and what I wanted was the most important thing.  The international contacts, the knowledge of the consultants, the willingness to listen and support – all of these things made you stand out.  I have recommended you to people over the years so I’m a huge fan of Think Global Recruitment.

 

 

If this story has inspired you then please share it and help those who may be considering making the move abroad. For any further enquiries please contact pmcloughlin@thinkgr.com 

LONDON TO SYDNEY – NOT JUST A CAREER CHANGE BUT A LIFE CHANGE FOR THE BETTER – Samantha Frost, British CA

In 2005, Samantha moved from London to Sydney. She had a friend who wanted to travel with her originally but sadly had to pull out. This did not stop Samantha though and 10 years, a husband and 2 children later, Samantha is still in Sydney and has never looked back!

We recently caught up with Samantha to find out about her move and how her life is now.

Did you have any concerns with moving overseas?

I had previously lived for a year in Spain, having moved there knowing no-one and not speaking a word of Spanish so it wasn’t too scary but the thought of leaving my parents as I am an only child was concerning. I knew no one in Australia but I reconciled myself to leaving with the knowledge that I would be able to come home if I was miserable.

When you arrived in your location, how long did it take you to settle in?

I think I settled in fairly quickly. The routine of work and forming friendships via my job made it easier to settle in. The gorgeous weather and outdoor lifestyle really suited me as well. A year after my move, I met my husband through my work and meeting him and having that security quickly made Sydney feel like home. 

Did your move meet your original expectations? How?

Sydney’s lifestyle exceeded my expectations as the people were very welcoming. It also made me realise how unhealthy my lifestyle in London had become. Life in Sydney made me feel immediately healthier and better as I wasn’t spending every evening in the pub with friends. As I didn’t have friends immediately, I had much more time to do recreational sightseeing. I fell in love with the city!

What was the biggest benefit of moving?

The best thing about my move to Sydney was meeting my husband. The biggest benefit to my move now is the childhood and lifestyle my children enjoy, something they would in no way have in London. The weather is far better in Sydney, the city is beautiful and our house here is much better than the one we would have had in the UK.  I also gained enough experience during my first placement, that myself and my husband felt we could open our own management consultancy.

What were the highlights of Sydney?

The weather and city were definite highlights for me. As well as this, the work/life balance I achieved in my second job was great. The people were very welcoming.

What culture differences did you notice?

The Australian and British cultures are very similar.   I found the main difference to be in the lifestyle. Australia’s lifestyle is based on the outdoors and is a lot healthier than the UKs.

If you are in a different location to where we placed you, when and why did you leave?

After my initial role in Sydney with PwC, I moved my career on to work for Macquarie Bank. I then stayed at that job until 2013 when I left to have my second child. After this, I joined my husband at his management consultancy.   

What is your current job title?

I am a Director.

What, in your opinion, are the advantages of working overseas in terms of gaining future employment?

I would not have got my second role if I had not moved to Sydney. Because of my move, I am much more self-reliant and I am not scared to fail. I am also much braver and bolder because of my international move and having to fit in with other cultures.

What advice would you offer accountants thinking about moving overseas?

Do it! If it all goes wrong, you can go home and at least you will have tried. If it goes right however, it will massively improve your life and career.

How did Think Global Recruitment assist you in securing your job?

They were very encouraging my consultant, had already moved from UK to Australia previously. He gave me the confidence to make the move from London and then when I was ready to move on from my first job, he helped me gain my new role, a move which I would never have imagined I could do.

What are the advantages of applying for a job through Think Global Recruitment?

The firm’s (Think Global Recruitment’s) market knowledge is an advantage definitely. Consultant’s commitments, client contacts and networking abilities were also positives.

We wish Sam and her husband all the best in the running of their consultancy Think Consulting.

Isn't life easier now it's so mobile...

As you can see, it's been a while.  Like many, I just never seem to find time to post my bloggs.  I have started many, but never finished them.  I have been inspired to write many, but forgot by the time I stepped off that train.  Why it has taken me soo long to download blogger onto my phone is beyond me.   Well here I am now!

What has been new since the last blogg?  So many great things.  Visits to Barcelona, London, Australia and New Zealand to name but a few.

Australia has certainly 'hotted up' and not just because the wet summer is finally having a rest, but in the recruitment sense.  We have had a good number of requests from firms seeking accountants to join their teams.  The roles are spread accross the entire vast country, offering exciting, different places to live for everyone.  From Sydney to Melbourne, Perth to Adelaide to Brisbane and other far spread beautiful locations.  The positions are just as varied including audit, transactions services, recovery/insolvency, financial and management accouting and advisory. How great is that!?

Back in Europe opportunities continue to flurrish, especially, but not exclusively, if you have language skills.  We are delighted to have assisted a large number of accountants to secure roles in Switzerland, Luxembourg, Holland, Belgium, the UK mainland and offshore in the last couple of months.  Seriously there is a world of opportunity out there!

Another exciting thing at Think Global Recruitment, is that we are speaking to our wide range of clients and other businesses to find out if we can expand the industry experience they seek internationally.  If there are any employera out there that can not find the best tallent locally and want to Think Global, then please do get in touch.  We would love to see if we can assist.  Likewise if you are an experienced international recruitment consultant/manager or believe your specialist sector experience could Think Global I would live to hear from you.

So it is all about vacancies and worldwide opportunities.  Think Global Recruitment is expanding through success.  My personal biggest challenge at the moment is attracting the very best experienced consultants and managers to join our team.    I believe other consultancies are experiencing this and we would welcome any tips on how to do this?

This beautiful city I live in...

I have always said that I live in the best city in the UK and one of the best 2 cities to live in the world! To confirm this Edinburgh has won lots of awards. The most recent being The Top Gobal City. It is interesting that some many people considering a move to the UK always think of London first. London is a great city to visit, vibrant with so much history.. but hey that could also be a description of Edinburgh. Edinburgh then has the added bonus of stunning countryside, hills and lochs very nearby.

Not been to Edinburgh? Surf the internet to see more. Visit the numerous photography and tourism web sites. My favourite pictures are by Angus McComiskey a local photographer with amazing talent. He really captures the true beauty and vibrance of everywhere he photographs.

Guess which other city I love to live in and received the Judges Selection for Most Outstanding Global Entry... Sydney of course!

How right they are!

I believe in living where you want to work and not really letting work dictate where you live. Although I can definately see at some point in a career its worth sacrificing a period of time to live somewhere not perfect to gain the right experience.

This is why I have not got to a point in my life where I will be splitting my living between these two great cities, with the added benefit of being able to visit cities on both sides of the world on route or from the cities I am based in. I can not wait!

If you could choose anywhere in the world to live, where would you choose and why?