fund accounting/tax/other what to do?

batman_oh

I graduated from Trinity College in 2004 with a 2.1 degree in BESS and have been working in Dunnes Stores head office for the past year.
I want out, and to pursue something a little more career focused.
I really was tryin to pursue taxation in the big 4 but seem unable to get an interview!
I'm currently on 24k, and was wondering if it is at all realistic to try find a trainee role in tax/accountancy that pays somewhere near that?
Have been looking at fund accounting vacancies lately, seems to be a few around advertised at 24k or in the region thereof, so failing tax i was wondering does any1 know anything about this area?
Are the salaries good for qualified fund accountants(relative to financial/audit/tax)?
Is it an area worth pursuing?
Thanks

MartMax

if there is no luck getting into big 4, you can try smaller or medium firms. join in, do ITI exams and i'm sure you can get better than 24K... after few years, you decide where to move on...

mart

Pythia

batman_oh wrote:

I graduated from Trinity College in 2004 with a 2.1 degree in BESS and have been working in Dunnes Stores head office for the past year.
I want out, and to pursue something a little more career focused.
I really was tryin to pursue taxation in the big 4 but seem unable to get an interview!
I'm currently on 24k, and was wondering if it is at all realistic to try find a trainee role in tax/accountancy that pays somewhere near that?
Have been looking at fund accounting vacancies lately, seems to be a few around advertised at 24k or in the region thereof, so failing tax i was wondering does any1 know anything about this area?
Are the salaries good for qualified fund accountants(relative to financial/audit/tax)?
Is it an area worth pursuing?
Thanks

I got a few jobs with the Big 4 for a tax internship. I picked PWC. I don't have an accounting degree but I did study tax.
Have you asked for feedback on why you're unable to get an interview?
Maybe you could add a cover letter to your CV detailing why you want to work in tax?

If you wanna pm me on more info on tax interviews and stuff, I'd be glad to help.

batman_oh

I reckon the problem could be partially to do with rubbish cover letters alright, never tend to put a lot of effort into writing them.
would be grateful for any help in that area, do the big 4 jobs only come around in the milk round every year or is that solely graduate recruitment?

damnyanks

Apply for positions in the UK with the big 4 and the big banks. If its a career you want thats where it will be the most lucrative.

First year grads in finance at certain IB's get paid 70k sterling. Of course you sign away your life (Literally!)

Fund accounting is meant to be quite dull but Ireland has so many FA positions

damnyanks

Also as far as cover letters go,

You really need to write up individual ones. Why the hell would someone want to hire you if you can't be arsed to sell yourself to them. Although you may think it looks generic enough to pass around to various different companies it obviously isnt.

This is another benefti of the UK companies. They have really annoyingly long online application forms but eliminates you sending in irrelevant crap (Unless you ignore the questions)

Jonnie_Onion

Fund accounting is more like administration than accounting.

Use it to get a year or two experience, and coupled with some ACCA exams you could move into a proper trainee financial accountant position.

Mighty_Mouse

never tend to put a lot of effort into writing them

Then why even bother applying?

Your only burning bridges if in 5 years time you go looking for a more senior position and they see on their files they already knocked you back.

I was in a similar position not too long ago but went with chartered acc. Flexibility of where you can work in the country (ie not stuck in Dublin forever). Plenty of jobs and a lot of flexibility in what areas you want to go into when qualified (ie, inhouse, practice, specialise in tax etc ).

Also depends on how your built really. Im not the driven "job is everything" person so could never enjoy 80hour weeks no matter what the pay.