Accountancy Profession

[Dotsy]

I would also advise those who go Big 4 to avoid the FS practices unless they really want to go into banking. Funds work.........(eyes glaze over in memory...).

The mere mention of Funds Management is enough to put me to sleep and this is 12 years after leaving auditing.

[Angus]

Agree with most here - I am ACCA - qualified in 1994.

I studied in a private college for a few years and then finished exams at night while working in a small practice.

If I had my time over again, I probably would go the big 4 route but I am not sure I would have stuck it out because of what the guys have said.

One thing to note - very few accountants do accounting work - management, consultancy, product development, financial services, sales, marketing - all of these things are open to you as an accountant and whiole you do very little accounting in your daily job, the qualification is a massive advantage

[passinginterest]

You might be interested in this: The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General is holding a competition to recruit Trainee Auditors http://www.publicjobs.ie/cand/JobDet...est=JOBLISTING

[paul_oshea]

Agree with most here - I am ACCA - qualified in 1994.

I studied in a private college for a few years and then finished exams at night while working in a small practice.

If I had my time over again, I probably would go the big 4 route but I am not sure I would have stuck it out because of what the guys have said.

One thing to note - very few accountants do accounting work - management, consultancy, product development, financial services, sales, marketing - all of these things are open to you as an accountant and whiole you do very little accounting in your daily job, the qualification is a massive advantage

ya thats in the case of those who generaly dont go down the small business route of carrying out audits. If you go the route of the big 4 you have far more opportunites to diverse.

The banking side of it alone is huge ( probably the biggest area ), fund, prime brokerage, compliance, Finance, Control, market-makers, investment banking etc.....its definitely where the serious money can be made also.....but not in administration i might add, which is what a lot of them do in Ireland.

[Lim till i die]

You might be interested in this: The Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General is holding a competition to recruit Trainee Auditors http://www.publicjobs.ie/cand/JobDet...est=JOBLISTING

As daunting aqs this seems I'm considering looking into it

Cheers.

[Dricky]

Keep on going, Big 4 have their advantages if you want to move abroad.

Otherwise if you want to stay in Ireland look at what is/was big in the UK, Tax, Mergers and acquisitions!!!

Surrounded by Fund accountants here and I have to say I don't know how they do it. it would drive me mad!!

[endabob1]

There’s lots of good advice, on here.
I’m CIMA qualified, have been for 7 years. I did the 3 year diploma in Athlone and then took a break for a few years to get some work experience to back up the qualifications before studying at night to get the finals, hard work but worthwhile in the end. There is an absolute ceiling on your potential earnings without being fully qualified.
Depending on what you want to do long term really will determine whether to go for ACCA or CIMA personally I wouldn’t go the CPA route as both ACCA & CIMA would be more recognised aboard I live in the UK and have worked in London, Cape Town & Melbourne, so I know as a qualified Accountant you will get good work as long as you have good qualifications and good experience.

I actually spent a year in a small practice in Ireland before doing CIMA when I did the Techician exams and the experience gained there was invaluable. That said I have friends who’ve gone through the big 4 (or big 6 as it was in my day) and there are many more doors open to you, they all have consulting arms where a lot of Accountants end up and as mentioned elsewhere a lot of companies will specifically recruit ex-big 4 trainees as they understand the corporate world better than a small practice graduate.
Almost all my friends who are accountants have eventually gone into industry there are a couple in banking and one in IT/Project management but no-one I know that stayed in Practice, I think what I’m saying is while you might want to go into the Public Sector now, in 5 years time you might feel differently so don’t restrict or limit yourself now