any chartered accountants moved countries?

[FrogGreen]

I qualified in a London big 4 firm 10 years ago, but I've worked in a related field and had plenty of time out with 3 DCs. Now I've moved to Australia with DHs job and I'm going to have to start looking soon. DC3 is still tiny, so not for a while, but I'm starting to really stress about how to go about it.

Has anyone got any experience of coming back to accounting after a long break, or taking an English CA to Australia?

I have moved to Australia with an English CA. I found local employers to be very accepting of the qualification and generally consider it equivalent to an Australian CA. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of UK CAs in Australia, have a look for the Linked In group or the ICAEW should be able to put you in touch with the local members groups if you are in Sydney or Melbourne, not sure about other cities.

In terms of finding a way back in to the job market, I'm assuming you have the unrestricted right to work with your visa. Is there any possibility of a role with your DH's company? Do you see any suitable roles coming up on Seek.com.au or Linked In? It might be worth talking to a few recruitment consultants who could help you tailor your CV to the local market, though many companies are recruiting direct to avoid paying agency fees. Hope this helps!

Just had another thought after posting! It could be worth looking up the local office of your old UK Big 4 firm as well. Even if they have no suitable vacancies (or you don't fancy going back!) the partners could be aware of roles that their clients are trying to fill. I have seen lots of examples of companies finding candidates in this way.