Postgrad diploma in Accounting: Ireland/Canada/New Zealand

xys

Hi there!

I'm a dual Canadian/Irish citizen and working in a mid-level operations position in one of the Canadian banks. I've decided to pursue one of the accounting qualifications and could use a bit of constructive advice.

Essentially I'm looking for the greatest compromise between price and time investment. The Canadian chartered accountant designation is excluded for me since my first degree isn't in business. There's no such thing as a conversion course in my province, which bars me from entry.

I was wondering what prospects are available for trainees in Ireland - I was considering taking the postgrad diploma in Accounting at DIT. I lived in Dublin for a year after uni so I'm used to the weather (and the prices).

A friend of mine also suggested Auckland/New Zealand since the pace of their qualification is the same as Ireland, though their salaries are lower. The requirements for the Irish ACA are the most transparent from what I've seen.


The question then: should I stick with pursuing an accounting technician's designation in Canada (knowing that I'm bored with my job) or would the investment to pursue the designation in Ireland be worth it? I'm mostly concerned about having the continuity to finish the designation. If trainee positions are scarce, that'd put a wrench in things.

More background: my current position is accounting-related and I'm halfway through the technician's diploma now, so I'm not new to the field. I'm also balancing the idea of pursuing a tax designation afterwards.

Is it mad to consider the backwards flight from Canada to Ireland??

Dellboy2007

Hi xys,

I am going to assume that your degree is an honours degree (2.1 or 2.2) and that you would be eligible to enroll in the course as an Irish citizen (thus paying EU status fees). Ok, based on this, let's look at some of the fees for places offering the Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting (PDA):

DIT: €3,720 + capitation
DCU: €7560

(Some other places offer it but these are outside Dublin).

The PDA would give you exemptions from CAP 1 and you could apply in the 'Milkround' (October 2012) to some of the big accounting firms who take on a few hundred graduates to start the following year (September 2013). Competition for these places would be quite tough but if you have a good honours degree (2.1 minimum) and as long as you do a reasonably good application form you would, more than likely, get a few interviews. After that, well it's up to you to show them that you are worth employing. The fact that you would be moving from Canada to do this could be a big selling point for you in the interview room, and show that you are determined. A few points to mention here, you would have to work hard on the course. It's not easy and if you were to secure a job in the 'Milkround' but fail exams then you could lose your place. If you did get a job with one of the big firms (PwC, Deloitte, KPMG, Ernst & Young, Grant Thornton, BDO, Mazars, FGS, etc) you would most likely be pursuing the Chartered Accountant (CA) qualification. This is the oldest qualification in the country and very well respected. It is not the purpose of this post to say which is better but a point to note is that they are a member of the Global Accounting Alliance which may be of benefit to you if you are to return to practice in Canada. See here
http://www.gaaaccounting.com/gaa_alliancebodies.aspx

The PDA would also give you exemptions from other bodies such as ACCA which could be another option for you. However, if you were to go the ACCA route, I would not see the point of you moving over here and doing the course when you could just do the ACCA exams at home in Canada.

You asked what prospects are available for accounting graduates. Indeed times are tough at the moment, but the firms that were mentioned above take on hundreds of graduates as well as other smaller firms so if you can differentiate and sell yourself, there is no reason why you couldn't secure a position. Accounting firms also take on more graduates than any other employer presently. I can't comment on the NZ option, sorry.

You are currently working in a position. When do you finish the diploma? If you had it finished by September you could still start the course in one of the Dublin colleges.

If you do the PDA and get a CA position, you will be 4.5 years in Dublin before you are qualified (one year in the course + 3.5 year trainee contract). You will have more exams to do during your training (CAP 2 and FAE's). In saying that, you will have a great qualification with a lot of opportunities. Good luck with your decision, any other questions let us know.