‘’As a Newly Qualified ACA why should I connect with a Career Coach & Accountancy Recruitment Specialist?”

Your Institute, of which you are now a fully-fledged member, wants to see you succeed in your career as a Chartered Accountant. You will fly the flag for the profession at home and abroad, so the main focus of your Careers Team in Chartered Accountants Ireland is to help you understand the landscape while making solid and informed decisions as you further your career. Our focus is less on fee structures and more on finding the right jobs for new members that fit with their ambitions and strengths. Irish ACAs consistently maintain a high calibre brand on an international stage and the Institute wants to keep it that way, so your Careers Team is here to confidentially and impartially act as your advisor and sounding board for everything to do with career and the market as you step into your journey.

Some reasons to engage with the Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers Team:

1. We are a trusted first source of market information and active jobs for new ACA’s.
2. Newly Qualified members feel safe discussing their confidential information in the environment of the Institute that they have been part of for several years.
3. The Careers Team includes a qualified FCA member who understands the ACA/FCA career lifecycle first hand. Another member of the team is a qualified career coach with over 20 years’ experience in coaching and recruitment.
4. The Institute itself has an unparalleled network of connections and clients for you to draw on as a newly qualified member. Everything from PLCs to SME’s, banking, funds, insurance clients. Most practices across Ireland North and South have a relationship with the Institute also when it comes to recruitment.
5. The services the Careers Team offers include: - CV build & review / tailored Interview prep / career and market Mapping / Career Pivots / and coaching on all challenging work scenarios.
6. The Careers Team acts as a well-informed sounding board on everything from salary levels and remuneration packages to market trends and are welcoming of a call at any stage.
7. International connection is one of the strengths of the Institute Careers Team and we can connect you with recruiters in cities like Toronto, Sydney, Dubai, London etc who understand the ACA brand and calibre. We can also link you in with other Chartered Accountancy bodies locally and connect you with other members already on the ground.
8. An experienced recruiter with a strong track record of representing ACA’s will act as an intermediary and key advisor in your search and application process. They should remind you of your strengths, help you acknowledge your weaknesses and address them, identify suitable opportunities in the market and help you with career audits and 5-year career plans.
9. A good recruiter will partner with you for years and be someone you return to repeatedly for advice, soundchecks, opinions and review. They will not claim to know all and should help you find mentors to discuss your journey with also.
10. A good recruiter is not a therapist! However, you are handing them a 2-page summary of your personal and working life and having trusted confidential conversations with them about what you want to do with the working part of your life. It’s not just a case of your name going on a list or white board as a potential candidate but more about how the recruiter can go the extra mile to find a client of theirs that suits your ambitions big or small.

In summary a good career coach / recruiter is a close ally to members in an ever-changing market and an evolving workplace for newly qualifying accountants.

As always your Careers Team is here for you on qualification and to assist you through the early stages of your journey.

Contact : Dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie

Dave Riordan (ACA)

Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach | Careers Team – Chartered Accountants Ireland