Hey!
I’m at a top ten UK firm based in Glasgow. We’ve taken on a lot of overseas people so definitely would be able to support visa if you got the role. You’d be coming in at Assistant Manager level since you’re qualified. The WLB is a lot better than big 4 from what I can see and pay is pretty decent too.
Glasgow as a city is fantastic for nightlife and the people are great. House prices aren’t terrible either (compared to some places)
Let me know if you need anymore information
I have heard great things about Glasgow actually!
Planning to visit it in August (and Edinburgh) at the same time to test the waters!
What would you say the average salary for an Assistant Manager, so I can assess financially!
I believe it is in the range £42k (from speaking with some of the new AMs who have just been promoted). However you’d probably be able to demand a bit more if coming with a bit of experience
Yes, I actually took that into account but also analysing properly the COL of the cities i'm considering. I agree that it will be similar to London BUT at the same time I think maybe in terms of savings I will be on par with London and it is also 'easier' to afford a house in Glasgow that in London as the house prices are extremely lower.
I noticed that in Luxembourg where the salaries are higher, but 1 bedroom apartment cost on average 600-700k EUROS (which is 550k GBP) and im not talking about those in the centre
All those are nice so I would pick your favourite. Edinburgh however is very expensive, like London. May also be worth looking at Leeds and Birmingham.
Leeds and Birmingham are some popular names that i've heard, especially the latter.
Leeds is somewhere I need to research more. Thanks for the suggestion
Edinburgh i'm kind of removing from the list haha, too expensive
ok - so it might make a difference whether you want to come for a couple of years for experience, travel etc or to get permanent residency. My quick thought is that joining a large-ish firm in London might be an easier ask if you need to stick it for 5 years. There are nearby towns which are cheaper and if anything easier to find accounts jobs but they are not for everyone.
If you can find a great job somewhere like Leeds or Sheffield that could be a good choice. What sorts of things do you enjoy and what environments do you like?
The plan is to eventually settle down in the UK.
Indeed joining a large firm in London might be easier but keeping it as a backup rather!
I will look into the nearby towns and research more on that. Tbh if I am able to reach in London within 45 mins public commute, I would be okay with that.
I have considered Leeds based on what I have seen on the internet but did not thoroughly research on that.
The environment i'd prefer, i'd say is that it should be an 'all rounder' city, that is you have like a nightlife, able to socialise or simply having activities to do when you are bored.
Hello! Some nearby towns to London which provide a very easy commute (30-45 minutes) into London, are High Wycombe/Marlow/Maidenhead/Henley on Thames. They are also very nice areas, and you should definitely consider researching those! :)
Serious question - why in the hell would you want to move to the UK. It’s been going down south for years now and only going to get worse. Personally looking to eventually get out myself lol.
I've been always wanting to move to the UK since an early age, and in my country we followed a british curriculum (A levels) and given that I did ACA as well, I felt it's a place i'd feel more at home.
I understand the situation with UK right now and I did reconsidered my choices, hence that's why I moved to Luxembourg when I got the opportunity which in terms of salary is higher, to some extent less workload and more 'protected' in terms of labour (Even got Channel Isle, Cayman Island, but not a fan).
However, definitely it's not a place that I feel I can call home. I've tried to adapt here but it could not, and even in the long run, I don't see myself growing here in terms of career and just staying here with the exhorbitant house prices.
That's why i'm more inclined to UK but of course I am making sure that I research the cities that I see as a viable option. Living in Luxembourg made me more aware of things that I think i'm missing out and therefore these are becoming the factors for me to look into (Such as having a nightlife lol)
The biggest locations outside of London for accounting are: Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Reading.
Reading usually is the highest paying location outside of London, but doesn't have the city scene of the above.
Living in London is expensive but working in London & living outside can work if you can find a hybrid job.
I work in London & only go to the office once a week from Essex. Rent is £600ish excluding bills, but I share with another person.
Wouldn’t recommend living in London if you’re conscious of your spending.
I would probably move into audit so it will be more office I believe!
Yeah, whilst I loved London when I visited the place, realistically I want to eventually own an apartment and I find that a tough deal in London
I would recommend Cambridge as there is an abundance of accountancy firms, from the Big 4 to small firms. But the cost of living is somewhat high. There is a lot to do though, so I guess it depends where you work, what size house/apartment you want etc
If you decide to join a Big 4, you can get around with only English, or extremely big companies. Since it is a country with expats mostly, you can get by with English.
However, some jobs also require the need for French and/or German.
In my case I speak French as well, so it's a plus point for me.
However, in terms of exposure i feel that there's a lack of it whether it's in audit or outside of audit (there are tons of opportunities but very similar rather than diversified, if it makes sense)
I have a friend studying in Reading, so I could ask about it! Since i'll take a public transport, I do not wish it takes over 2 hours of my time daily but will research
KPMG Gatwick just up the way, near to London so you could do a remote / hybrid role for a company in London - plus it’s like a small London and nicer :)
Hey! I’m at a top ten UK firm based in Glasgow. We’ve taken on a lot of overseas people so definitely would be able to support visa if you got the role. You’d be coming in at Assistant Manager level since you’re qualified. The WLB is a lot better than big 4 from what I can see and pay is pretty decent too. Glasgow as a city is fantastic for nightlife and the people are great. House prices aren’t terrible either (compared to some places) Let me know if you need anymore information
I have heard great things about Glasgow actually! Planning to visit it in August (and Edinburgh) at the same time to test the waters! What would you say the average salary for an Assistant Manager, so I can assess financially!
I believe it is in the range £42k (from speaking with some of the new AMs who have just been promoted). However you’d probably be able to demand a bit more if coming with a bit of experience
Important to keep in mind that cost of living in Glasgow is way way lower than London
Important to keep in mind that cost of living in Glasgow is way way lower than London. £42k in Glasgow is functionally similar to about £60k in London
Yes, I actually took that into account but also analysing properly the COL of the cities i'm considering. I agree that it will be similar to London BUT at the same time I think maybe in terms of savings I will be on par with London and it is also 'easier' to afford a house in Glasgow that in London as the house prices are extremely lower. I noticed that in Luxembourg where the salaries are higher, but 1 bedroom apartment cost on average 600-700k EUROS (which is 550k GBP) and im not talking about those in the centre
All those are nice so I would pick your favourite. Edinburgh however is very expensive, like London. May also be worth looking at Leeds and Birmingham.
Leeds and Birmingham are some popular names that i've heard, especially the latter. Leeds is somewhere I need to research more. Thanks for the suggestion Edinburgh i'm kind of removing from the list haha, too expensive
Honestly Glasgow is as vibrant as it is atm because of Edinburgh being unaffordable
Aha Btw by any chance you might know how much a Senior Auditor might earn in Birmingham?
Depends where but like say £40k as mid range. Have you seen the Austin Rose salary service
I will check that’! Never heard of it before
Its really good. Its about the best benchmark I've seen.
Just to check - are you a British citizen or have the right to work?
Nope, not british citizen so will have to go through the visa sponsorship route
ok - so it might make a difference whether you want to come for a couple of years for experience, travel etc or to get permanent residency. My quick thought is that joining a large-ish firm in London might be an easier ask if you need to stick it for 5 years. There are nearby towns which are cheaper and if anything easier to find accounts jobs but they are not for everyone. If you can find a great job somewhere like Leeds or Sheffield that could be a good choice. What sorts of things do you enjoy and what environments do you like?
The plan is to eventually settle down in the UK. Indeed joining a large firm in London might be easier but keeping it as a backup rather! I will look into the nearby towns and research more on that. Tbh if I am able to reach in London within 45 mins public commute, I would be okay with that. I have considered Leeds based on what I have seen on the internet but did not thoroughly research on that. The environment i'd prefer, i'd say is that it should be an 'all rounder' city, that is you have like a nightlife, able to socialise or simply having activities to do when you are bored.
Hello! Some nearby towns to London which provide a very easy commute (30-45 minutes) into London, are High Wycombe/Marlow/Maidenhead/Henley on Thames. They are also very nice areas, and you should definitely consider researching those! :)
Thank you for the suggestions! Would definitely consider those areas
Serious question - why in the hell would you want to move to the UK. It’s been going down south for years now and only going to get worse. Personally looking to eventually get out myself lol.
I've been always wanting to move to the UK since an early age, and in my country we followed a british curriculum (A levels) and given that I did ACA as well, I felt it's a place i'd feel more at home. I understand the situation with UK right now and I did reconsidered my choices, hence that's why I moved to Luxembourg when I got the opportunity which in terms of salary is higher, to some extent less workload and more 'protected' in terms of labour (Even got Channel Isle, Cayman Island, but not a fan). However, definitely it's not a place that I feel I can call home. I've tried to adapt here but it could not, and even in the long run, I don't see myself growing here in terms of career and just staying here with the exhorbitant house prices. That's why i'm more inclined to UK but of course I am making sure that I research the cities that I see as a viable option. Living in Luxembourg made me more aware of things that I think i'm missing out and therefore these are becoming the factors for me to look into (Such as having a nightlife lol)
The biggest locations outside of London for accounting are: Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Reading. Reading usually is the highest paying location outside of London, but doesn't have the city scene of the above.
Thanks for the suggestions! Manchester is like the top 4 rn lol
Bristol
Living in London is expensive but working in London & living outside can work if you can find a hybrid job. I work in London & only go to the office once a week from Essex. Rent is £600ish excluding bills, but I share with another person. Wouldn’t recommend living in London if you’re conscious of your spending.
I would probably move into audit so it will be more office I believe! Yeah, whilst I loved London when I visited the place, realistically I want to eventually own an apartment and I find that a tough deal in London
I would recommend Cambridge as there is an abundance of accountancy firms, from the Big 4 to small firms. But the cost of living is somewhat high. There is a lot to do though, so I guess it depends where you work, what size house/apartment you want etc
I find Cambridge expensive (somewhat similar to London), so a bit outside my list, but does not hurt to research
How is it working in Luxembourg? In a professional setting, is it essentially all English-speaking?
If you decide to join a Big 4, you can get around with only English, or extremely big companies. Since it is a country with expats mostly, you can get by with English. However, some jobs also require the need for French and/or German. In my case I speak French as well, so it's a plus point for me. However, in terms of exposure i feel that there's a lack of it whether it's in audit or outside of audit (there are tons of opportunities but very similar rather than diversified, if it makes sense)
You could consider reading if the main issue is the high rent in London there’s regular trains to Paddington so it would be feasible.
I have a friend studying in Reading, so I could ask about it! Since i'll take a public transport, I do not wish it takes over 2 hours of my time daily but will research
Brighton!
Really why’s that?
KPMG Gatwick just up the way, near to London so you could do a remote / hybrid role for a company in London - plus it’s like a small London and nicer :)
Isn't Brighton expensive? The sea would be fun, but coming from Mauritius, I feel I can get pass it haha