Are there jobs nowadays? i heard UAE economy went down and no jobs there…what abtout other Gulf Countries? any idea?
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
I think its a similar situation across the gulf .. please keep in mind that dubai was one of the better economies in the gulf ...
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
KSA and Bahrain are better.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
I wonder why there was such hype for accountants when i first stepped into this profession. Makes me mad for putting in such hard work and not even being assured that I will get a job . 
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
I wonder why there was such hype for accountants when i first stepped into this profession. Makes me mad for putting in such hard work and not even being assured that I will get a job .
likewise bro....something ****ty happened to the economies.......and its spiralling down like anything..
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Its sis, not bro 
Well, I have just completed my studies, yet to start the practical experience. I have been told that the recruitment is like of the highly referenced 15 out of 400 applicants!! If people start to rush to the western countries etc they cant be blamed for not being sincere to this country! 
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
u r right......did u do acca or ca? are u in pakistan?
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Currently resident in Pak. I guess you went through the CA route?
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
How about trying other region, I know for sure that Singapore has very good deemed for ACCA qualification.
They are paying (at least for locals) around S$ 2800 per month, but work it is too high pressure job, my daughter's friend given up within few months.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Oh I did not know that. Was your friend's daughter a resident in Singapore or did she get a work permit and visa based on the job she got?
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
She is my daughters friend. Anyway there was same story with my friends daughter as well, she moved to industry after two years working with EY.
Basically they r Singapore citizens, but if u can get job with any big 4 getting a work visa is not a problem at all.
Once asked a Pakistani partner of a big 4 here (in fact I put my daughter for internship with that firm), he told me there is such a shortage that any decent ACCA from Pakistan would be able to secure a job here (that was two years ago though).
They would certainly prefer locals, but if they could not get enough locals (demand is always much more then supply here) then they certainly consider from other countries.
I would suggest u start applying through their career web, and hope for best.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Thanks a lot for your advice! I will search for jobs in Singapore.
The market in Pakistan has demotivated me a lot. Especially because I don't have any reference. And the number of ACCA's has increased immensely over the past couple of years. Competition has gone really severe.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
If u r local there is no way you would not have a job here with ACCA. But in your case u need to put some extra effort basically just focus on Delloit, EY, PWC and KPMG, do not wast your time on small firms. Go to their career sites and fill in your application.
Better still if u have friend in any of these companies u can ask for referral r working at top positions here.
But I must warn you these companies always have shortage for a reason, extremely long hours in audit environment, high pressure job coupled with (in your case) you need to pay for your housing thus reducing your montly income.
On plus side their increments r higher then other industries. Singapore offers a very safe place where u can live and walk even middle of night without any fear of being robbed or any other crime against women.
Also after working for few years u can get permanent residance or even citizenship. Anyway good luck to your job search do let me know if u need any further info.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Thanks a lot for your advice! I will search for jobs in Singapore.
The market in Pakistan has demotivated me a lot. Especially because I don't have any reference. And the number of ACCA's has increased immensely over the past couple of years. Competition has gone really severe.
By the way r u base in Karachi?
Do big 4 in Pakistan hires ACCA, are they only take CAs?
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Hmm, well being a girl I highly doubt my parents are going to support my decision of moving abroad just for working there. For education, it would have been fine for them. So its going to be a long shot. I will surely apply, but if i end up getting a job, will have to pull a lot of tantrums and fights lol :P
Its interesting that you are saying this about singapore. When i was looking for applying to study internationally, I was told that singapore is not really a place you would want to be in and I should more focus on being around UK or Canada etc. People said that its not really safe and ethical. Guess it was just rumors!
Yeah, I am going to apply for the Big4. I have had first time passes and a distinction, but I highly doubt I will be able to get in. I have absolutely no reference at all. So will be applying to the smaller firms too, just in case.
I am not a resident of Karachi. But yes in Pakistan, big four firms do hire ACCAs however they have theirs conditions. Like you are told to get registered with CA once you start your training. Its a compulsion in Fergusons/PWC, as far as I know - I might be wrong. But you are hired after you have completed your ACCA, which was previously termed as being equivalent to CA Inter. Though there has been a new policy change, after which ACCAs are no longer CA inter equivalents. They have to appear for some exams of Module B, C and D in order to qualify as CA Inter. This policy change will be applicable from April 2011, so lets see what the hiring eligibility shall be after that.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
I have been living in Singapore for past 20 years, it is One of the safest country in the world, extremely low crime rate, also it's universities r NUS and NTU are one of top ranked in the word (my daughter graduated from NTU).
I would advice u just focus on big 4, they r the one more likely to hire u and, getting work visa for them would be easier as well (smaller firms would not get work permit easily)
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Oh you have been a resident from a long time, ofcourse you'll know it the best.
Thankyou for your help! I will apply to the firms there and see what happens. :)
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Yes it is nice Place to live, there r masjids every part os Singapore, most of building in central area has place for muslilms to pray the call it SURAU.
Most fast food chains including McDonald, KFC, Burger King and Dele France only serves Halal food, here we have public holidays on both Eids.
It is fantastic place to live, Only draw back is too small size. So most of singaporeans travel to Malaysia during holidays. Malayisa is cheap beautiful but crime rate is slightly higher then Singapore.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Yeah I did ACCA. Currently resident in Pak. I guess you went through the CA route?
yes..the situation 2 years ago was very good everywhere...including pakistan and middle east...so basically things have gone downhill everywhere...
aishah i have gone through one of big 4...and my advice would be to do articleship in pakistan...try as hard as you can and commplete the articleship, even in top 10 firms (those with international affiliation)..but articleship is necessary in all cases.
Re: CA/ Accountants Job market situation in Middle East
Are there jobs nowadays? i heard UAE economy went down and no jobs there.....what abtout other Gulf Countries? any idea?
There are opportunities, especially in KSA but references do play a big role there. I know you can easily get in the big 4 with a decent reference, a lot of the partners there are Pakistani. It is hard to get accounting jobs through proper routes there, but I know for a fact that ACCAs and CAs can earn good money in KSA.
As for accounting firms in Pakistan, i'm not a big fan of them. I worked for an accounting firm for a limited time while looking for jobs, left it as soon as I found one. I guess working for an accounting firm is good for experience, but as far as pay is concerned you really get exploited here. I had the opportunity to join Fergusons/PWC but I couldn't imagine myself working those long hours for peanuts for three years.
Do big 4 in Pakistan hires ACCA, are they only take CAs?
They do but they are unwilling to support ACCA's in their exams, so you have to complete all the exams first in order to be eligible to apply.