As a newly qualified Chartered Accountant, Paul Barron ACA was offered a position in Costa Rica. He packed his bags for Central America and now reflects on his experience - with some insights and advice for others in the same position. I trained as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, qualifying in 2014. Shortly after finishing my training position, I took up a position with Fyffes (the banana people!) as an internal audit manager. This position involved travelling to the various Fyffes locations worldwide, performing controls testing as well as inquiring and then reporting back to the Board of Directors with my findings. After nine months in this role, I was offered a longer-term position as Financial Controller in Costa Rica. It seemed like a great opportunity to have a new experience and progress my career, so I went for it. I was nervous of course, but I spent three years in this role before returning to Head office in Dublin in March 2020.  Overall it was a great experience and I am very glad I did it, and here are my thoughts on the benefits and challenges of working abroad as a Chartered Accountant. Benefits and opportunities Excellent work opportunity – I managed a team of 12 people and was a central part of our operations in Central America. My willingness to relocate afforded me the chance to have a very stimulating and dynamic job which I don’t think I would have been considered for, at that stage of my career (1-year PQE), in companies of a similar size had I remained in Ireland. I got valuable management experience and really had to hit the ground running, which has stood to me since. Experience and exposure to interesting, varied work. I think I might have been exposed to some of these in a standard setting but going abroad to Costa Rica meant I was doing standard work in a non-standard (for me) environment like a large-scale farming operation or getting to see the tangible links between the finance team and the operation itself. During my three years in Costa Rica, I: got hands-on FC experience reviewing a large farming operation had the opportunity to manage a cross-cultural team was exposed to and given the opportunity to manage large capital projects interacted with most of the departments within the business and learned more about how they work Experience of a new culture and a new language Spanish was the language in the office and the operation, so I took classes and worked extremely hard on getting to a conversational level in my first six months working in Costa Rica. I like languages and have French in my primary and master’s degrees, so this was very enjoyable but also tiring and a big challenge I lived and worked in an area of the world about which I knew very little before relocating – it was enjoyable getting to know about a new culture, food, people and traditions and I’ll always have a nice connection with Costa Rica and  friends made along the way. Challenges The first nine months were exhausting with getting to grips with a new job that entailed a lot of responsibility; learning a new language; settling into a new home and trying to make new friends. I’d recommend a long holiday after about six months if you are considering relocating.  It takes some time to adjust to working within a cross-cultural team. I enjoyed the different outlook as time went on, but at times different approaches to tackling problems surprised and sometimes frustrated me. It was definitely a learning curve I was lucky that I had some Irish colleagues in the Costa Rican office. This certainly helped but integrating into a very different culture was tough and isolating at times and should be considered before relocating.  In summary Overall, I am really glad to have done it. I feel privileged to have been offered the opportunity to experience working in Costa Rica. Going to a different language, culture and climate all give rise to moments of culture shock and homesickness, but also moments of real enjoyment. You do need to be realistic about the pros and cons but also resilient and somewhat brave.  Having the comfort of my ACA qualification and Institute membership, my Irish colleagues in Costa Rica and my company support both there and at home all made the move much more accessible. I could have come up with as many reasons to not go as to go, so I have no regrets but am happy to be home! The experience in Costa Rica did definitely help me to establish and progress within my career and I know will continue to stand to me. I may still keep my eyes and ears open for other international opportunities. Institute supports I found the Career service very helpful throughout. I spoke with Karin Lanigan on average three or four times a year and still do on my career development. It has been extremely useful to help me plan my career and also have a sounding board when decisions have to be made. It is a great and unbiased service which has been a real help to me. In particular, it helped me plan my move home - which can be as challenging a transition as the initial move.

Get in touch with your Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers Team today to help sculpt your new CV now that you are qualified. Its never too early to start this essential document. We will send you a template to get you started and you can schedule an online call to review and talk through it once complete.   For the moment, here are some initial CV tips, pitfalls, versions and suggestions : Minimise (no) colour No photo – that’s more a continental thing. Your latest job detail should take up about half of the 1st page – good detailed points. Use ‘ownership’ terminology such as “I drove, I led, I resolved … “ 1 or 2 lines about your current employer = context Use the width of the page- no large whitespace gaps | Typically 2 full pages give or take. Ariel or Calibri 11 or 12 Include your Annual Review Rating if you got a good one. Naming Clients – where suitable … to give context. Clients : - what size / what sector ? Have a few versions of your cv for different applications Include Academic results 2.1 / 2.2 / 510 points 3.8 grade avg etc Punchy – Not long winded story style points. Profile Summary for HR/Website applications – per below Strong References available on request(include of you have) Include Charity work, societies, events, articles written etc. Spelling – check it and triple check it Focus on the getting across your competencies and your value add Identify your USP / What differentiates you System Skills ? ( Tip )  Create a Summary profile or synopsis to go alongside your CV or to be mailed with your cv attached to either recruiters or employers : For example :  My Profile Summary : ACA 2022 Big 4 Trained – Audit Currently in XYZ plc as a Financial Accountant Previously Audit Senior working with Banking Insurance and Funds clients Very strong leadership qualities and relationship building track record Strong audit fundamentals Very keen on a move into IA with the right organisation and ABC ltd very much appeals. Excellent communication skills and very positive client interaction feedback 100% comfortable with travel required On 55k base + solid bens currently Target base 60/65k base circa Linkedin Profile : https://www.linkedin.com/in/daveriordanaca/ Get in touch with your Careers Team in the Institute as your first step once you qualify for cv, interview and market guidance as well as job placement and an unbiased, objective view of the market and your career path.  Dave Riordan (ACA) Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach | Careers Team Chartered Accountants Ireland. Dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie   

If you completed a Masters Degree and as a result only need to do a 3 year training contract (as opposed to the 3.5 years) you may be looking to interview in the market before the end of this year! As such, you will need do start considering your career path and the direction you want to take. There are a number of actions that will help you when making important decisions.  Below is a list you can tick off as complete over the weeks ahead :  Action list and Key considerations as a newly qualified ACA : Build a top class CV – Template and guide here   Start a Career Plan file – Webinar here   Watch some career webinars here and articles here    Start market mapping and select your top ten preferred/potential employers – If you need advice on market mapping your Careers Team in the Institute. Follow these companies on LinkedIn and you could even reach out to other Chartered Accountants working there via LinkedIn.  Get your LinkedIn profile up to speed – Document guide available from dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie  Treat this as the appendix to your CV – Professional Photo and good bulleted detail.   Set up alerts on jobs boards for a variety of different roles and titles and filter into a folder for review.  Connect with a few trusted recruiters to understand the career curve of an ACA – The Career Pathway Hub here will also be a useful resource.  Explore the full spectrum of career paths that you can take post qualification  Consider whether a contract might be a good option at this particular crossroads  Connect with a few mentors and get their advice formally.  Explore the option of a stint abroad to add real-world experience to my CV  Initiate a networking mentality and start speaking to your peer group about what they are doing with their careers in the years ahead.  Examine the LinkedIn profiles of peers several years ahead of you to see what paths they have taken as they moved out of their training contract.   Establish an elevator pitch about where you want your career to go.  Based on your recent annual reviews in work write an honest SWOT analysis of your personal brand and current profile.   Start building an Interview narrative – What are your key selling points / key stories and value-add examples? Have you asked the Institute Careers Team or a recruiter for a prep session? Interview Do’s and Don’t’s document here :   Consider who your referees going to be and will they sing my praises. Give them advance notice.   If October or November 2024 is when you will be leaving your training contract then start the key actions now per the above list and don’t put off contacting your Careers Team.  Get ahead of the curve.   Dave Riordan (FCA)   Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach | Careers Team Chartered Accountants Ireland.   Dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie    

  Speaking with many Qualified members in the last month I have noted a common theme that is one of sudden confusion. Many recent qualifiers find themselves in the position where they have just burned the books, finishing their contract and are immediately available to start a new job. You are trying to decide between going to Australia for a year, staying with your training practice for another six months or trying to find a job out in the wider world of FS and the industry. It's a lot to take in. It's a lot to try and figure out very quickly! Sometimes you can feel overwhelmed and feel like you have to make all these big decisions very quickly.  That's certainly not the case in the current market which is very buoyant you are in the driving seat as a newly qualified or a recent qual' and you also hold the top business qualification in the country so don't feel rushed. Don’t feel paralyzed by the expanse of choice and multiple decisions to consider.  As a tip, sometimes a ‘short term contract’ can be a clever option to allow you to tread water while you figure yourself out. Many newly qualified ACA’s don't know what they're supposed to do next! You always knew you had to go to college and then going into accountancy was probably the obvious next step but now as your contract ends you find yourself in unchartered territory with far broader options and a whole new landscape. All I can say is that you are at the start of a whole new exciting career-build with Irelands top professional brand in your back pocket. For me, the journey starts with ‘self analysis’. You need to sit down, brainstorm, mind map and SWOT analyze yourself. Get a few mentors to help you understand what you're good at and what you enjoy with regards to work and career and then you can assess your next steps based on those elements. I would advise setting up a spreadsheet as a hub to record all of your research, all of your market mapping and all of your target employer details and treat it as an exciting project. When it comes to building a career, nobody has a crystal ball. Your job is a big slice of the ‘pie chart of life’ and you do have to take a leap of faith with any new job decision. However just be brave. It’s a long journey to retirement at 65! This is only your first baby step into a professional career and you are allowed a misstep. You should be mindful that you're building a path, however, and that each decision to start a new contract or permanent job is a paragraph on your CV leading to the ultimate vision for your career. So, do have some sort of a five year plan in mind, a 10 year plan even! You may have to pivot and alter course along the way as life dictates but that's part of the fun. If I've learned anything as an ACA recruiter in the last 15 years it's that employers hire ‘the person’, ‘the energy’, ‘the individual’, ‘the communicator’, ‘the leader’, not just the accountant, so make sure you are developing your life skills, your communication skills, your leadership skills, and growing as a person as much as anything else.  Enjoy the journey and as always get in touch with your Careers Team and / or your Thrive team as needed in 2024. Dave Riordan (ACA) - Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach | Careers Team – Chartered Accountants Ireland dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie 

Newly Qualified – What Next? Now that you are qualifying as a member of the Institute there are a number of things to consider for the next phase of your professional career build. Below is a concise synopsis that may prove useful as you focus on this long term project : The Market - Practice, Industry and FS sectors are all seeking new and recent qualified team additions.  International opportunities remain good if you are keen to travel! The economic outlook is good notwithstanding inflation, Brexit, Ukraine.  Salaries – Salary and package levels have been strong in recent months. Salary range for newly qualifieds €55–60k and in some cases €60-65k . Benefits packages are where the spotlight is really.Salary should not be top of your list however when deciding your next career step. Early Career-build considerations : Treat it like a long term project  - Make time to plan.Set up a file / spreadsheet for yourself.  Research the multitude of paths you can take now.Speak to your mentors – (3 of them preferably!) Be deliberate about focusing on this career build project. Secondments can be a great way to overcome the gap in industry experience.Be prepared to adjust & shift direction and most importantly start building your Network! Some key career tips - build your personal brand and guard it carefully for the years ahead. Link-In with ACA’s 2 or 3 years ahead of you in their career path. Year 1 post-qualification gives you a licence to try & test random roles and you should feel free to experiment. Think 2 moves ahead when you accept an offer and consider the impact on your cv and a few moves down the road. Be vigilant of The (ACA) Career Pathway which is worth reviewing -  https://www.charteredaccountants.ie/Career-Pathway Consider Contract options in the market and tune in to the growing ‘Gig economy’.  Review Accountancy Ireland Back Issues you have not read in your spare time.   Invest in your Network  - Networking is the Spine of a successful Career ! It will eventually become the platform for your move as an FCA later in life but start now.  Reconnect with Ex Colleagues. Make it a habit to touch base with key people and pick their brains. Social Media – Like Share Discuss and connect constantly. Be vigilant of the people who attended the same events as you. Join LinkedIn Groups and get more involved with the Institute now you have less studies. Do a Career Audit - Draw a (self analysis) mind map. Analyse decisions you have made to date. What worked for you and what didn’t? Why?  What soft skills have you developed in recent years? What have your key achievements been?  And importantly, what did you enjoy and why?  Action Plan – You have an opportunity to take stock & plan now. Take time to gain that insight into what you really want for your career. Craft a strong CV and personal brand and be interview ready when the opportunity knocks. Become an expert on the market if you are actively looking to move now and check in with your Careers Team. . Career Coaching, Advice and Placement – Chartered Accountants Ireland Dave Riordan (FCA) Career Coach & Recruiter Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers Team +353 1 673 7251 Dave.riordan@charteredaccountants.ie  

Wednesday 6 September 2023 – Earning potential for Chartered Accountants working in Leinster remains strong, with an average salary package this year of €118,578. The results of a new survey published today shows a notable increase in the average salary package of newly qualified Chartered Accountants, rising 6.6% to €62,866 compared to last year. The survey of approximately 1,000 Chartered Accountants, launched today by Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society in partnership with Barden, Ireland’s leading accounting and tax talent advisory and recruitment firm, provides the most up-to-date guide to Chartered Accountant salaries and employment prospects in the Leinster region.   Strong remuneration packages The research, conducted by Coyne, shows earning potential across the profession remains strong, with €118,578 the average salary package for Chartered Accountants working across all sectors. This figure includes base salary, car or car allowance, and bonus. The remuneration package of members who qualified in the past two years increased by 6.6% from €58,967 in 2022 to €62,866 in 2023. Almost 9 in 10 (89%) of respondents overall say their total remuneration has increased in the past three years, compared to 86% in 2022. Two in five (39%) said their salary had increased by more than 25% this year. And four in five claim their total remuneration is expected to increase within the next 12 months. As part of the remuneration package, over 60% expect to receive a bonus in 2023.   The vast majority (87%) of members have a pension, with employers contributing an average 9% of their salary. After basic salary, this pension contribution is the most valued part of their package for 50% of respondents.      High job satisfaction and flexibility  Job satisfaction was high across all the metrics amongst those surveyed, with 76% of members satisfied with their work environment (73% in 2022); 68% happy with the salary they receive (62% in 2022); and 64% happy with work/life balance (unchanged on 2022). Half of respondents have been promoted in the last three years, with promotion highest amongst those working in practice at 77%.  Flexibility has become embedded as a feature of working life, with 75% of respondents employing a hybrid working model, up 2% on 2022. Only 1 in 10 respondents express concern that time spent working remotely will impact on their career progression. 7 in 10 value location flexibility, and over half of all members value flexibility in the shape of their working day (compressed hours, core hours, flexitime).  Automation and productivity The survey also shows the accounting profession is benefiting from technological advances, with 70% believing automation will have a positive impact on their career and almost half believing AI and big data will free up capacity to focus on higher-value parts of the job.  Des Gibney, Chairperson of Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, said:   “This year’s survey points to continued strong earning prospects for Chartered Accountants in Leinster. I’m particularly pleased to note the increase at the newly qualified level. This increase will play a crucial part in ensuring our profession remains attractive to the next generation – and will help us retain our top young talent in a very competitive market.   “I am also really pleased to see automation being so strongly embraced by respondents. Almost half agree that it will allow us to move further up the value chain in terms of the work that we do. This is already happening, with the work of Chartered Accountants transformed in recent years. It is really important that we communicate the breadth of opportunity in our profession to the next generation.”   Elaine Brady, Managing Partner at Barden, said: “Despite the backdrop of almost constant uncertainty over the past 12 months, the demand for accounting talent seen in 2022 continued almost unabated. Standing out from the crowd and attracting this much sought after talent is a key challenge for companies throughout Ireland. Accurate data on reward can create competitive advantage for those who choose to use it, especially in times such as these. These insights can also help businesses and hiring managers to craft competitive reward structures to aid talent retention and to understand what is required when looking to attract talent externally.  “It is also extremely interesting to see that 10% of members are working fully remotely, while 75% of members have hybrid working arrangements. Companies that mandate five days in the office have been, and will continue to be, at a significant competitive disadvantage when trying to attract accounting talent. To mandate five days in the office is to effectively reduce the talent pool available to you by 85%.” ENDS    Note to editors  The survey was conducted by Coyne Research on behalf of Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, in partnership with Barden, between 19 July and 14 August 2023.   About Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society   Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society is a district society of Chartered Accountants Ireland, representing over 16,000 Chartered Accountants throughout Leinster.     Chartered Accountants Ireland is Ireland’s leading professional accountancy body, representing over 32,000 members around the world and educating 7,000 students. The Institute aims to create opportunities for members and students, and ethical, sustainable prosperity for society. An all-island body, Chartered Accountants Ireland was established by Royal Charter in 1888 and now has members in more than 90 countries.     It is a founding member of Chartered Accountants Worldwide, the international network of over one million chartered accountants. It also plays key roles in the Global Accounting Alliance, Accountancy Europe and the International Federation of Accountants.     Chartered Accountants Ireland members provide leadership in business, the public sector and professional practice, bringing experience, expertise and strict standards to their work for, and with, businesses in every sector. Chartered Accountants Ireland engages with governments, policy makers and regulators on key issues affecting the profession and the wider economy.   About Barden Barden is a partner led talent advisory and recruitment firm consumed with supporting companies that really know the value of their people. Barden’s expertise covers Accounting, & Tax, Business Support, Financial Services, Legal, Life Sciences, Supply Chain and Technology talent advisory and recruitment. Chartered Accountants specifically choose to join Barden in order to use their qualification in a different way.   Barden has proudly partnered with the Chartered Accountants Ireland Leinster Society, for the last seven years, to bring you the annual salary survey. Barden also works closely with Chartered Accountants Student Society of Ireland (CASSI) and Young Professionals to make sure their members get access to the right information, at the right time in order to make more informed decisions about their professional future.  

Dave Riordan ACA, Recruitment Specialist & Career Coach, Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers Team, writes: Recruitment into practices, large and small, is a challenge in the current climate. We know this. So what can we do to make our recruitment processes easier and more effective? Here are some tips that I deem essential to attracting and onboarding suitable additions to your team: The senior management team should incorporate into their Practice Strategy some core objectives and KPI’s on the firm’s candidate attraction (and retention) approach. This needs to be a permanent fixture in quarterly management meetings for the firm and constantly updated. Conduct one comprehensive, all encompassing, interview that allows you make a quick decision about the candidate – no second interview needed. This way you have a time advantage and first mover advantage versus competing practices. As well as traditional jobs boards, use social media channels to get the word out LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter etc. Align your message across each and post simultaneously to each platform for full reach to your audience on the same day. Develop your Practice Brand as an employer of choice in the practice-sphere. This will mean differentiating your firm to increase attractiveness. Train your own – take the longer term view and hire trainees to grow them in your culture. Hire Part-time/ flexible workers – the world is shifting towards the ‘gig-economy’ mindset, so why not employ FCAs who are seeking part-time roles? This way, you can benefit from the vast experience they can bring to the role, and they benefit too as they can balance their role with wider family needs. Many members are now very focused on work-life balance and, even if they are nearing retirement, they could be in a position to contribute some of their best years to your firm. Many FCA’s with 30 years+ experience would be delighted to contribute a wealth of experience to a role in practice for a few days a week, and it doesn’t necessarily need to be at a senior level. Flexible core hours or work to facilitate school drops and pickups are another obvious element in this. Consider ‘Returners’ (members who have been off work travelling or developing home life for a few years). They may often be a ‘little’ flexible on salary to get a foot back on the ladder that then enables them to restart their career. Returners not only have a wealth of experience to bring to a role, but they also have maturity and life experience that can be hugely beneficial. If it’s hard to find the Audit and Tax people you are seeking, why not start to build a branded presence on LinkedIn. Raise the profile of your firm so that ACA’s are aware of it and how good your practice is to work for from an early stage in their career. This will ensure you tap into a pool of passive candidates and attract interest over a period of time. Offer different elements in your remuneration package: e.g. gym membership, social Fridays each month, pension, commission structure, phone paid etc. Often a well run internal candidate-referral reward scheme can be a highly effective way of incentivising current employees to bring in ACA’s that they feel would be a fit for your firm. Done well, this can extend your reach into the market for candidates significantly and also help maintain a consistent culture. Use a highly regarded recruitment agency. Partnering with an agency closely can be very advantageous in the market if you do it right! Some tips on this: Meet the consultant you are working with; Have a regular scheduled update call (e.g. weekly); Accept speculative CVs from the agent; Be flexible on the fee rate. If you get an exceptional candidate they can be worth it and remember it’s contingency based, so no fee is applicable if the process is incomplete; Keep updating the agent about the news in your firm; Offer to work exclusively with the recruitment firm, but ask what steps they will go through to find/headhunt the right candidate for you; Make sure you have created an excellent job spec and offer to assist with the advert text; Recruiter fees can appear high on the face of it, but a good recruiter can allow you get on with the day job of billing clients while they streamline the candidate selection process saving you time and money; Make the partnership a positive one where you share background (but always confidential) information with the recruiter, ensuring you are on the same page & wavelength regarding the person and role; If you trust your recruiter to know what you are looking for and he/she recommends a candidate that does not look like an obvious fit on paper, give the recruiter the benefit and trust their judgement and meet them. I would also be generally open minded on applications. For example, if a candidate is not a right fit for your current active role, consider whether they might be suited to your firm in a different role where they will add value, or perhaps consider them as a short-term contract addition to the team if that could alleviate a work backlog for you. Candidates in the practice market in 2021/22 are savvy and have built shortlists of their preferred employers that match their career pathway. You need to be on their shortlists as an employer of choice. As an interviewer, be clear and well-practiced in the selling points and differentiators of your firm and communicate them warmly during the meeting. Refine your interview techniques and get honest feedback on them to ensure the interview experience for the candidate is a positive professional reflection of the organisation. As an additional guide I can highly recommend a Chartered Accountants publication by Mary E Collins – “Recruiting Talented People”if you are looking for additional detail. I always recommend looking for opportunities each quarter/year to stay close to the Institute, and so partnering with the Careers Team in Chartered Accountants Ireland for your recruitment needs is a good idea to ensure you are attuned to the market, and first in line for ACA candidates who prefer to tentatively explore a practice career move with the confidentiality and assurance of their own Institute. If you would like to speak to the Chartered Accountants Ireland Careers Team, please email us at careers@charteredaccountants.ie.