David Fox ACA, Group Financial Controller at Rothco, talks to Accountancy Ireland about his emigration experience and the challenges he faced when considering a move home.
Q. You started in your new role in Rothco in October 2015 having spent almost four years working in Australia. Did you find that your overseas experience is something that’s valued by Irish employers?
A. Irish employers are now recognising the value in international work experience. It’s viewed as an indication that you are likely to be open-minded and adaptable to change in the future. They also recognise that there are opportunities to get exposure to areas that might not be possible here in Ireland. For example, one of the projects I worked on in Australia was the vendor due diligence for the $5 billion privatisation of the main commercial port in Sydney. Working on a project of similar scale in Ireland at this time would have been a lot more difficult.
Q. Was the move home an easy decision?
A. It certainly wasn’t an easy decision. I was very happy in my role at NSW Ports and felt I was getting great experience with plenty of opportunities to progress. I had a strong community of friends, many of whom I met through work, and people have a good work life balance in Australia. There’s also the monetary side of things to take into account. Even with the movement in exchange rates over the past while, my take-home pay in Ireland is 20% less than it was in Australia. When you add Ireland’s recent rent increases to the equation, the cost of living is no longer much cheaper than that of Australia. The main draw for me coming back was family. It’s a long way from home and it is expensive to make the trip back, which means the frequency declines. I got married in Dublin last September and that was a big factor in my decision to move back when I did.
Q. Did it take much time and effort to prepare for the move home?
A. It’s surprising how much ‘stuff’ you accumulate over a four-year period. My final two months in Australia were spent packing up my belongings to get ready for the three-month transit by sea. I ended up selling off anything that was too big to ship, only to find myself buying the exact same things in Ireland four months later. Sleeping on a blow-up mattress, doing my washing in a launderette and eating dinner on garden furniture certainly wasn’t how I imagined my Australian adventure would end. That said, the biggest challenge of all was getting a chance to catch up with the many friends I had made there for one last time.
Q. And how did you find the job search process when you returned?
A. In hindsight, I underestimated the time it would take to find the right job. I moved back in June and the summer is a slow period for hiring. There are plenty of great opportunities out there, but it’s important to hold out for the right one.
Q. Was there an element of culture shock when your move home was complete?
A. I settled into my new role at Rothco very quickly. Although it’s a completely different industry, having moved from ports to a creative agency, the experience I gained during my time abroad has been invaluable in getting started in my new role. Settling back into the Irish culture was also easy. There’s a positive sentiment around the place compared to when I left four years ago. Having been away, it’s fun rediscovering the place again and it’s great to see companies hiring and thriving.
Q. Having completed your move home, have you any final words of advice for Chartered Accountants embarking on a similar journey?
A. The jobs market is buoyant here at the moment so if anyone is considering moving back, now is as good a time as any. Although there are plenty of jobs on offer, it takes time to find the right one. It certainly took me longer than I anticipated and even though you may want some time to re-acclimatise, it’s a good idea to meet up with a few recruitment agencies and reconnect with your network here as soon as you land. A friend of mine went through the full interview process from Sydney via Skype, so that’s an option too.
See the February edition of Accountancy Ireland for more articles in our 'Emigrant Opportunities' series.