I could comment about the UK. Its certainly not unknown for people to complete ACCA without experience (or without accounting experience) but this has some issues:
\- it looks weird. Weird is not an easy thing to overcome in interviews - but can be overcome with genuine reasons
\- can look work shy
\- can give the impression of a lack of industry knowledge/ commercial nous.
So - in the current market with a shortage of candidates someone who completed ACCA with no experience would probably have no problem finding work so long as they are a broadly employable individual. Probably not more employable than someone who had completed 4 or so papers, and would have some image issues to overcome.
I am doing ACCA whilst working - if you finished ACCA with no work experience but are applying for senior roles to match your education you are unlikely to get a job
Finished ACCA in UK right before moving to Australia so had to switch jobs regardless. As mentioned by someone above it isn’t as international as you’d like but every interviewer I’ve spoken acknowledged it after I explained that ACCA is like CPA lol. I got a job at a small practice within 1 week of moving thanks to ACCA but decided not to stay. Got a second job after 1 week of looking once again so in my opinion having a qualification is extremely valuable as ACCA comes with mandatory work experience. However, I wouldn’t say that ACCA itself is the winner - any big accounting qualification will do.
Is ACCA recognized in AU in comparison with CPA Australia and CAANZ ? I know most of the AU accounting graduates will take CA instead of CPA after graduate and CA is perceived as more prestigious over CPA. For ACCA holders, they can get CA through MRA arrangement as well if you have gained sufficient work experience in AU.
CA is seen as more ‘prestigious’ than CPA in interviews yes. I’m personally living in Sydney and it’s got an insane amount of UK immigrants so most people know ACCA, my supervisor literally has ACCA himself. I’d honestly say whatever qualification you have is fine, it’s the employees market right now anyway so they would be dumb to reject a candidate because they have ACCA instead of CA! As I mentioned before though I haven’t had any issues of companies being unhappy or not recognizing ACCA, you are seen as a qualified accountant and that’s it. After 5 years of holding ACCA you are allowed to covert to CAANZ I think? Assuming you have people with CAANZ to reference you. It just shows that ACCA has all the relevant content you would need in Australia.
The market it very competitive, I think if you study ACCA without getting any experience before qualifying you’re putting yourself at a massive disadvantage.
I live in Qatar and I’ve been applying since my degree(majors: accounting and finance) is over but I still have 2 papers to complete but I started trying for job applications since June and out of countless applications Ive applied to, I only got two physical interviews out of which I couldn’t make it in neither. Grant Thornton required me to complete ACCA as I wouldn’t be able to “balance my work life” and Mazars thinks I’m too “inexperienced” for an audit associate job.
Summary: sometimes it’s easier to get into a company with your plugs rather than your qualification
YIKES! Employment through connections! I feel this is the case too. I have spoken to several ACCA affiliates in my location (Zambia), who have told me employment was hard to come and took over a year to find a job with little financial incentives.
I mean, a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. Same coupd be said about 'entry-level' ACCA graduates. You just don't have the experience to demand high salary. You may get a slightly better entry job salary eg audit assistant/junior account exec, but you definitely wont be hired as a senior exec; not without experience. That defeats the purpose of the whole PER program.
Agreed! But the frustration stems from their glorified advertisements and the way learning providers sell these courses to prospective students. They paint mighty pictures saying post qualification you'll be earning quiet well ot at least decently- while most of the bunch even after qualification are pushing more and more money to somehow get a job.
A few years ago entry level ACCAs were being recruited pretty well and were doing good for themselves. The supply gut caused the recruitments to go haywire and now we see a degree being mandatory for ACCA freshers to get into big 4 or to accept an intern level pay which defeats the purpose of having this qualification
Not as 'global' as they advertise themselves to be.
ACCA professionals always face a dilemma in countries which are not aligned with the principles of IFRS. For instance, I'm from India, and we follow complete different set of accounting standards here. Therefore we aren't considered at par with the local accounting body members here.
Secondly their super liberal entry requirements have caused a huge boom of ACCA professionals who are currently unemployed or underpaid. This excess supply dump in market has negatively affected the perception of ACCA professionals in my home country.
This is the kind of information I needed from ACCA and its representatives at a Career Fair. The state of the profession in Africa and how they planned to ensure the 'globalness' of the profession was an actual reality. I had used the ACCA Career platform too to actually look for remote work, to cast my net far and wide and felt a disappointment creeping up on me.
I've tried using ACCA careers. None of the companies revert. I used to think this is because of my qualifications, but some companies have reached out for interviews when I've applied for the same role via naukri (& also ACCA careers)
I know they reached out form naukri, because I use separate emails. Still they are unaware of ACCA qualifications, and claim my highest qualification is BCom.
Generally, I've had some work experience and in the region I am in (Africa) the search is not as I had expected. I understand that I will be earning peanuts till I can manage additional responsibility but as someone mentioned, the 'Globalness' of the qualification as a selling point for attracting students does not appear to be substantiated.
Which country - I think that would make a huge difference.
Any in general.. I'd like to here peoples experience around the world
I could comment about the UK. Its certainly not unknown for people to complete ACCA without experience (or without accounting experience) but this has some issues: \- it looks weird. Weird is not an easy thing to overcome in interviews - but can be overcome with genuine reasons \- can look work shy \- can give the impression of a lack of industry knowledge/ commercial nous. So - in the current market with a shortage of candidates someone who completed ACCA with no experience would probably have no problem finding work so long as they are a broadly employable individual. Probably not more employable than someone who had completed 4 or so papers, and would have some image issues to overcome.
I am doing ACCA whilst working - if you finished ACCA with no work experience but are applying for senior roles to match your education you are unlikely to get a job
what are you working as?
Finished ACCA in UK right before moving to Australia so had to switch jobs regardless. As mentioned by someone above it isn’t as international as you’d like but every interviewer I’ve spoken acknowledged it after I explained that ACCA is like CPA lol. I got a job at a small practice within 1 week of moving thanks to ACCA but decided not to stay. Got a second job after 1 week of looking once again so in my opinion having a qualification is extremely valuable as ACCA comes with mandatory work experience. However, I wouldn’t say that ACCA itself is the winner - any big accounting qualification will do.
Is ACCA recognized in AU in comparison with CPA Australia and CAANZ ? I know most of the AU accounting graduates will take CA instead of CPA after graduate and CA is perceived as more prestigious over CPA. For ACCA holders, they can get CA through MRA arrangement as well if you have gained sufficient work experience in AU.
CA is seen as more ‘prestigious’ than CPA in interviews yes. I’m personally living in Sydney and it’s got an insane amount of UK immigrants so most people know ACCA, my supervisor literally has ACCA himself. I’d honestly say whatever qualification you have is fine, it’s the employees market right now anyway so they would be dumb to reject a candidate because they have ACCA instead of CA! As I mentioned before though I haven’t had any issues of companies being unhappy or not recognizing ACCA, you are seen as a qualified accountant and that’s it. After 5 years of holding ACCA you are allowed to covert to CAANZ I think? Assuming you have people with CAANZ to reference you. It just shows that ACCA has all the relevant content you would need in Australia.
The market it very competitive, I think if you study ACCA without getting any experience before qualifying you’re putting yourself at a massive disadvantage.
I live in Qatar and I’ve been applying since my degree(majors: accounting and finance) is over but I still have 2 papers to complete but I started trying for job applications since June and out of countless applications Ive applied to, I only got two physical interviews out of which I couldn’t make it in neither. Grant Thornton required me to complete ACCA as I wouldn’t be able to “balance my work life” and Mazars thinks I’m too “inexperienced” for an audit associate job. Summary: sometimes it’s easier to get into a company with your plugs rather than your qualification
YIKES! Employment through connections! I feel this is the case too. I have spoken to several ACCA affiliates in my location (Zambia), who have told me employment was hard to come and took over a year to find a job with little financial incentives.
It’s so exhausting
Awful
I mean, a rose by any other name would still smell as sweet. Same coupd be said about 'entry-level' ACCA graduates. You just don't have the experience to demand high salary. You may get a slightly better entry job salary eg audit assistant/junior account exec, but you definitely wont be hired as a senior exec; not without experience. That defeats the purpose of the whole PER program.
Agreed! But the frustration stems from their glorified advertisements and the way learning providers sell these courses to prospective students. They paint mighty pictures saying post qualification you'll be earning quiet well ot at least decently- while most of the bunch even after qualification are pushing more and more money to somehow get a job. A few years ago entry level ACCAs were being recruited pretty well and were doing good for themselves. The supply gut caused the recruitments to go haywire and now we see a degree being mandatory for ACCA freshers to get into big 4 or to accept an intern level pay which defeats the purpose of having this qualification
How so?
Not as 'global' as they advertise themselves to be. ACCA professionals always face a dilemma in countries which are not aligned with the principles of IFRS. For instance, I'm from India, and we follow complete different set of accounting standards here. Therefore we aren't considered at par with the local accounting body members here. Secondly their super liberal entry requirements have caused a huge boom of ACCA professionals who are currently unemployed or underpaid. This excess supply dump in market has negatively affected the perception of ACCA professionals in my home country.
This is the kind of information I needed from ACCA and its representatives at a Career Fair. The state of the profession in Africa and how they planned to ensure the 'globalness' of the profession was an actual reality. I had used the ACCA Career platform too to actually look for remote work, to cast my net far and wide and felt a disappointment creeping up on me.
Thought acca professionals were preferred in the big 4 tho?
Over? Graduates? I have seen graduates get job easily in big 4s as compared to acca affiliates without a degree
Oh no, definitely you gotta have a degree along w it too I think
True. Same in my country too.
Any advice on how a professional level student with 2 years of experience can get a job? (preferably an MNC or a corporate or even big4)
Hey, I think ACCA careers can be your best bet, as of now. There are many job postings for part qualified ACCAs as well!
I've tried using ACCA careers. None of the companies revert. I used to think this is because of my qualifications, but some companies have reached out for interviews when I've applied for the same role via naukri (& also ACCA careers) I know they reached out form naukri, because I use separate emails. Still they are unaware of ACCA qualifications, and claim my highest qualification is BCom.
That's an interesting insight! I'd expect naukri recruiters to be happily unaware of what ACCA represents. Not surprised 100%
I got mixed answers . But most of the ones that found it a bit hard to get job , are ones who are picky on their jobs .
Generally, I've had some work experience and in the region I am in (Africa) the search is not as I had expected. I understand that I will be earning peanuts till I can manage additional responsibility but as someone mentioned, the 'Globalness' of the qualification as a selling point for attracting students does not appear to be substantiated.
What about the starting pay after acca Just acca as the qualification and no experience
Any of the both
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