Graduate jobs in the ROI

bigmc23

Hi folks,

I'm going to apply for audit graduate ACA positions down South. I'm from N.Ire and went to Glasgow Caledonian University, studied construction management, so i'm more familiar with the application process in the UK than in the ROI. I've got a few questions if anyone can help...

1) in the UK anyone with a 2:1 degree and 300 odd ucas points has a good chance of getting into the big four and other top firms - is this the same in the south?
2) looking through graduate brochures it seems like alot of the trainees have masters. Is this the norm? would not having one put me at a dissadvantage? What purpose does obtaining a masters serve if you don't need one to go for the ACA?
3) Whats the Milkround all about?
4) Would I be dissadvantaged having studying in Glasgow and not in the ROI?

Any advice is appreciated!

bigmc23

bump

tomfoolery60

bigmc23 wrote: »

1) in the UK anyone with a 2:1 degree and 300 odd ucas points has a good chance of getting into the big four and other top firms - is this the same in the south?

Sounds like you fit the profile, 2:1 is what you need basically.

bigmc23 wrote: »

2) looking through graduate brochures it seems like alot of the trainees have masters. Is this the norm? would not having one put me at a dissadvantage? What purpose does obtaining a masters serve if you don't need one to go for the ACA?

It is common enough but there is no requirement to do one. Some firms take on less non-masters students than others but all will take students with no exemptions. The masters serves three purposes:

- You will have a 3 year instead of 3.5 year training contract (not to be sniffed at!)
- You will be exempt from CAP1 and possibly CAP2
- You will likely be a worse trained accountant as the masters is much easier than CAP1/2 (personal opinion having suffered through CAP1/2!)

bigmc23 wrote: »

3) Whats the Milkround all about?

Milkround is just the time of year they hire people, usually when colleges start back.

bigmc23 wrote: »

4) Would I be dissadvantaged having studying in Glasgow and not in the ROI?

Can't imagine why, people work with me who studied in Scotland and the UK.

Hope that helps!

bigmc23

tomfoolery60 wrote: »

Sounds like you fit the profile, 2:1 is what you need basically.



It is common enough but there is no requirement to do one. Some firms take on less non-masters students than others but all will take students with no exemptions. The masters serves three purposes:

- You will have a 3 year instead of 3.5 year training contract (not to be sniffed at!)
- You will be exempt from CAP1 and possibly CAP2
- You will likely be a worse trained accountant as the masters is much easier than CAP1/2 (personal opinion having suffered through CAP1/2!)



Milkround is just the time of year they hire people, usually when colleges start back.



Can't imagine why, people work with me who studied in Scotland and the UK.

Hope that helps!

it does help tomfoolery so thanks for that. Might have a few more questions for ye later on down the line

Dellboy2007

tomfoolery60 wrote: »

- You will likely be a worse trained accountant as the masters is much easier than CAP1/2 (personal opinion having suffered through CAP1/2!)

Conjecture

ted2767

Dellboy2007 wrote: »

tomfoolery60 wrote: »

- You will likely be a worse trained accountant as the masters is much easier than CAP1/2 (personal opinion having suffered through CAP1/2!)

Conjecture

I don't know whether or not you make a better accountant from a masters or cap 1/2 background.
I do firmly believe that you would be much better prepared for FAE's having sat cap2 as opposed to doing a masters

tomfoolery60

ted2767 wrote: »

I don't know whether or not you make a better accountant from a masters or cap 1/2 background.
I do firmly believe that you would be much better prepared for FAE's having sat cap2 as opposed to doing a masters

I was only joking, just bitterness on my behalf for having had to sit them while my MAcc colleagues were free of exams!

ted2767

tomfoolery60 wrote: »

ted2767 wrote: »

I don't know whether or not you make a better accountant from a masters or cap 1/2 background.
I do firmly believe that you would be much better prepared for FAE's having sat cap2 as opposed to doing a masters

I was only joking, just bitterness on my behalf for having had to sit them while my MAcc colleagues were free of exams!

I hear ya.
But I do believe that you'd be better prepared for fae's having sat cap 2.
At least then you have an idea what the institute exams are like and how they operate.

bigmc23

I studied a non-business related degree at uni so wouldn't be eligible for a masters. Would you recommend that I do the graduate diploma in accounting? It states

"Suitable choices of modules taken may lead to exemption from the nine fundamental examinations of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants; some of the operational and management level examinations of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, or the CA Proficiency 1 (CAP1) examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland."

But I understand that this diploma isn't necessary but it would act as a way to get the said exemptions and reduce the training contract from 3.5 years to 3 years long. Any thoughts on this folks?

tomfoolery60

bigmc23 wrote: »

I studied a non-business related degree at uni so wouldn't be eligible for a masters. Would you recommend that I do the graduate diploma in accounting? It states

"Suitable choices of modules taken may lead to exemption from the nine fundamental examinations of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants; some of the operational and management level examinations of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, or the CA Proficiency 1 (CAP1) examinations of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland."

But I understand that this diploma isn't necessary but it would act as a way to get the said exemptions and reduce the training contract from 3.5 years to 3 years long. Any thoughts on this folks?

It wil take you 6 months longer from start to finish to qualify with the PDA than direct entry but will save you 6 months of work (in exchange for a year of lectures). You will also lose a year of salary and, worst case scenario, you decide accounting is not for you - you're already two years down that path.

Also CAP1 are the easiest of the CAI exams so there is little point in my opinion in the PDA unless you come from a totally non-business/non-numerate background and feel you want some time to get to grips with accounting. Unless of course you want another year in college!

bigmc23

tomfoolery60 wrote: »

It wil take you 6 months longer from start to finish to qualify with the PDA than direct entry but will save you 6 months of work (in exchange for a year of lectures). You will also lose a year of salary and, worst case scenario, you decide accounting is not for you - you're already two years down that path.

Also CAP1 are the easiest of the CAI exams so there is little point in my opinion in the PDA unless you come from a totally non-business/non-numerate background and feel you want some time to get to grips with accounting. Unless of course you want another year in college!

good points there tom. I see that the pass rates for the CAI exams are quite low, and a fair bit lower than ICAS and ICAEW, maybe this is where the PGD would help non-business grads like me