ACCA Canada ORIENTATION GUIDE INFORMATION TO ASSIST ACCA MEMBERS AND STUDENTS ARRIVING IN CANADA
INTRODUCTION There are over 1,900 ACCA members and affiliates and over 800 ACCA students in Canada presently. Many ACCA members are employed across Canada in public accounting firms such as KPMG, Ernst & Young, Deloitte and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Others are employed in various other industries, including government agencies, Human Resources and recruiting, manufacturing, oil & gas, etc. ACCA Canada is engaged in a number of initiatives designed to raise awareness of ACCA with the business community, such as a high profile conferences, articles and advertisements in major business magazines and newspapers, and Sustainability Reporting Awards. Other ACCA members in Canada are also very supportive of new members arriving to Canada so prospects for ACCAs are improving. While the ACCA designation does not have statutory recognition in Canada for the practice of public accounting, opportunities exist in various industry sectors, public practice and government agencies. Members will need to demonstrate their skills and training to Canadian employers and recruiters, and be prepared to promote awareness of the quality of the ACCA designation. For convenience, summary information about the standard of the ACCA qualification is provided below. ACCA is governed by the regulations of the UK Companies Act which state that the final level of the examinations must be at least equivalent to a three year UK degree. Completion of Parts 1 and 2 of the syllabus provides the option for students to apply for a BSc in Applied Accounting awarded by Oxford Brookes University. The Part 3 examinations are comparable to that required in the final examination of a UK Masters degree. Should you have further questions concerning the ACCA program, please contact ACCA's global customer service centre or ACCA Canada office:
ACCA Connect 2 Central Quay 89 Hydepark Street
ACCA Canada 55 St. Clair Ave. West Suite 255
Glasgow G3 8BW United Kingdom Tel: 011 44 141 582 2000 Fax: 011 44 141 582 2222 E-mail:
[email protected]
Toronto, ON M4V 2Y7 Canada Tel: 416 966 2225 Fax: 416 967 6320 E-mail:
[email protected]
This guide has been produced by ACCA Canada office. Every effort has been made to ensure that the information in this booklet is accurate and up to date at the time of publication. ACCA accepts no liability for inconvenience or loss caused by the publication of any out of date or inaccurate information, January 2010.
ON ARRIVAL On arrival in Canada we suggest that you: 1. Contact ACCA Connect to update your mailing and employment details. Alternatively, you can do this yourself through the ACCA website and your MyACCA login. If you do not update your details, you will not receive correspondence from the Canadian office, as well as newsletters and information about various activities and events in Canada. 2. Apply for your SIN (Social Insurance Number) number and apply for the GST (Goods and Services Tax) rebate – request the forms for new immigrants for both of these from the Canada Revenue Agency. 3. Apply for child tax benefits if applicable. The form is available from the Canada Revenue Agency. 4. Apply for your driving licence. 5. Open a Canadian bank account. 6. Prepare your resume (CV) in Canadian format (see examples at the back of this guide). 7. Prepare your portfolio showing references from various sources i.e. bank and character references as well as those referring to previous employment. 8. Be prepared to take any reasonable job offered to get some initial experience in the Canadian workplace. 9. Consider taking a part-time job or contract work until you are established here. The Canadian job market is actually far more geared to this kind of employment in the 21st century, even for all levels of senior financial management and members should be prepared to adapt, if necessary, to this job market. 10. Utilize some of the resources not-for-profit agencies and employers have been developing to assist ‘New Canadians’ to find their way more easily into the workforce and build up the contacts and network they need, for example, job preparation programs, mentoring, internships, and volunteer board positions with registered charities and voluntary work placements. 11. Obtain an evaluation of your qualifications by World Education Services or other Canadian institutions such as CGA-Canada (Certified General Accountants of Canada). It is very important that you keep your thoughts on the positive side while settling in Canada. A positive attitude will be evident to the people you meet with and will go a long way to helping to secure employment. LOCAL ACCA CONTACTS Profiles and Contact Information for the ACCA Canada Committee, including representatives in the different parts of Canada are given on the ACCA Canada Website under ‘About ACCA Canada’ and ‘ACCA Canada Board of Officers’. EMPLOYERS Through various profile-building activities ACCA Canada has raised the awareness of the ACCA designation with many Canadian employers in order to assist members and students in finding employment with these organizations in Canada. Listed below are the Canadian Approved and Linked Employers. However, your search for employment need not be limited to this list.
APPROVED & LINKED EMPLOYERS These organizations have been approved by ACCA to cover members’ Continuing Professional Development (CPD) requirements through their learning and development systems. Members can complete their ACCA Realise requirements automatically as employees of these organizations in Canada. Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) is one of the major Canadian banks and posts many of its accounting and finance or senior financial management positions as open to ACCAs: www.cibc.com. Ernst & Young LLP is a Big Four accounting firm who have posted jobs in the national press including ACCA as one of the designations that they are looking for from candidates. The firm has recently obtained its Approved Employer status in support of the Continuing Professional Development of ACCA members for all its Canadian operations: www.ey.com. OMERS (Ontario Municipal Employees Retirement System) is a leading public sector employees pension fund with extensive operations and ownership of other enterprises in Ontario, Canada and globally. They became an Approved Employer for CPD with ACCA in September 2007. www.omers.com. The Bank of Montreal (BMO Financial Group) is a major Canadian Bank. www.bmo.com. UBS Global is a premier global financial services firm offering wealth management, investment banking, asset management
and
business
banking
services
to
clients.
UBS
is
globally
approved
with
ACCA.
www.ubs.com/canada. Hewlett-Packard (HP) is a technology solutions provider to consumers, businesses and institutions globally. They have global accreditation as an Approved Employer with ACCA for the training and development they provide their staff: www.hp.com. Other global Approved Employers for CPD purposes with significant operations in Canada include: American Express General Electric HSBC (www.hsbc.ca;
[email protected]), IBM Worldwide Accounting Microsoft Philips The Proctor & Gamble Company Thompson Reuters Shell Standard Life Unilever There are also a number of firms in the process of applying for approval and who have conditional approval with ACCA until this process is finalized. If you are employed by one of these firms then you might expect your CPD will be covered under their learning and development systems in due course and announcements should be made
within the firm, at that juncture. KPMG LLP is one of the Big Four Accounting firms with offices across Canada. www.kpmg.ca. For job opportunities please visit their Careers section at www.kpmg.ca/en/careers. PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) LLP is one of the Big Four accounting firms www.pwc.com/ca/en. For job opportunities please visit their Careers section at www.pwc.com/ca/en/careers. Schwartz Levitsky Feldman LLP is one of the largest accounting firm in Canada with offices in Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa, the firm has applied for Approved Employer. For job opportunities please contact
[email protected]. Schwartz Levitsky Feldman LLP is also a member of HLB International - a worldwide network of independent professional accounting firms and business advisors www.hlbi.com. Scotiabank is one of North America's leading financial institutions and Canada's most international bank. The bank is in the process of extending this approval to all its global operations. www.scotiabank.com.
OTHER EMPLOYERS Canadian Tire is one of Canada's 35 largest publicly traded companies and operates an inter-related network of businesses engaged in retailing (hardgoods, apparel and petroleum) and services (financial and automotive). www.cantire.ca. Direct Energy is a leading North American supplier of energy and related services for residential and business customers; a subsidiary of a major UK energy company (Centrica). To view their current employment opportunities please visit: www.directyourenergy.ca. Alcan is the world’s second largest producer of primary aluminum and a predominant global producer of valueadded engineered products in aerospace, automotive and beverage cans. Headquartered in Montreal: www.alcan.com. City of London, Ontario is a city of 350,000 people about two hours to the west of Toronto. London is regarded as a superior place to live and the City is actively interested in recruiting financial staff for its operations. Interested members should check the City’s website, www.london.ca or contact Tina Tewkesbury in the Human Resources department,
[email protected]. Dell Canada. Dell are a leading technology provider who are an Approved Employer with ACCA in Ireland and the UK. www.dell.ca/toronto. DHL Express Canada. Global organization with over 30 years of international experience, domestic coverage to every postal code in Canada and worldwide coverage to over 220 countries. www.dhl.com. You can send your resume to
[email protected].
Other Canadian organizations that are familiar with the ACCA designation and have recruited or have ACCAs on their staff, and who you may wish to contact or peruse the websites of, for suitable jobs opportunities, include:
ABC Group
EPI Environmental Products Inc., Vancouver
Accountemps
Esso Resources Canada Ltd., Calgary
AccPac International Inc.
EthicScan Canada
Agricore United, Winnipeg
Executive Risk Services Limited
Agrium, Calgary
Export Development Corporation
Alterra
Fairchild Radio Group Ltd., Vancouver and Toronto
Assante Financial Management
Falconbridge Ltd.
ATI Technologies
Federal Express of Canada
Aventis Pasteur Ltd.
Fern Mist Enterprises Ltd.
Bell Canada, Vancouver
FNF Canada Company
Benjamin Moore & Co Limited
Financial Institutions Commission, Vancouver
BlueCat Networks Inc.
Gerling Global Reinsurance Company
Brookfield Residential Services Ltd
GlaxoSmithKline
Canadian Business for Social Responsibility (CBSR)
Goldfarb Shulman Patel & Co.
City of Vancouver
Grand & Toy, Montreal
Canada Mortgage & Housing Corporation
Grant Thornton, Vancouver
Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
Hakim Optical
Canada Revenue Agency
Hattin Moses Sugarman & Co
Celestica
Hays Personnel
Cellex Power Products Inc
Hudsons Bay Company
Centennial College
Hydro One
CIBC World Markets
Imax Corporation
Cigna Life Insurance Company of Canada
Inco
Cirque du Soleil
ING Canada
City of Mississauga www.mycitycareer.ca
International Financial Data Services
City of Toronto
Investors Group, Markham, Calgary, Edmonton
Coats & Clark Canada
Kellogg Company www.kelloggs.ca/career
Coca-Cola
Kingsway College
Colliers Macaulay Nicolls Inc., Vancouver
Kingsway General Insurance
Community Living British Columbia
Lipton Wiseman Altbaum & Partners
Conseil Scolaire De District Catholique Centre Sud
Little Mountain Residential Care & Housing Society,
Domtar, Montreal
Vancouver
Doubleday Canada Limited
Loccitane En Provence
Duke Energy
Malaspina University College, Nanaimo
Dyadem International
Manulife Financial
Encore Cruises
Maple Leaf Foods
Enerflex Systems Ltd., Calgary
Marsh Canada Ltd
EPCOR, Edmonton
Mintz & Partners
Moore Stephens Cooper Molyneux LLP
Sobeys
Morguard Investments Ltd
St. Lawrence Cement
MRS Group of Companies
State Street
Nestle Canada
Stikeman Elliott LLP, Vancouver
Nexen Inc., Calgary
Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada
Oilexco, Calgary
Suncor Energy, Calgary
Ontario Management Board
Sunnybrook & Women's College Health Sciences
Secretariat www.gojobs.gov.on.ca
Centre
Ontario March of Dimes,
Syncrude Canada Ltd
Ontario Ministry of Finance, www.gojobs.gov.on.ca
T & T Supermarket Inc., Richmond BC
Ontario New Home Warranty Program
TD Bank Financial Group
Organon Canada Ltd
The Bank Of East Asia (Canada)
Petro Canada, Calgary
The Canadian National Institute for the Blind
Phillips Petroleum, Calgary
The Great West Life Assurance Company
Potash, Saskatoon
The Nature Conservancy of Canada
Prime Management Group
The Sacks Partnership
Radian Communication Service
The TDL Group Ltd.
Robert Half Management Resources
Toronto Police Service
Rogers Communications Inc.
Toronto Public Library
Rosenberg Smith and Partners
Toyota Tsusho Canada, Inc., Cambridge Ontario
Royal & Sunalliance Insurance Co
TransCanada Turbines Ltd., Calgary
Royal Bank of Canada (RBC Financial)
Truster Zweig LLP, Richmond BC
Royal Canadian Mint, Ottawa
Turner Moore LLP
SB Partners
Twentieth Century Fox/Incendo TV Distribution Inc.
Sears Canada Inc
University of British Columbia
Shoppers Drug Mart
Van Houtte Coffee Services
Sing Tao (Canada) Ltd., Vancouver
Vancity
Smith-Nixon
William F White Ltd
Smucker Foods of Canada Co.
Workplace Safety & Insurance Board
NETWORKING Networking is very important in Canada. Try to build up your networking group through student and member contacts, social engagements and other groups, particularly professional, with which you may become involved. ACCA Canada events are listed here. Please also see the article ‘Networking Your Way to the Top’ after the sample resumes at the end of this guide. RESOURCES FOR NEW CANADIANS The government and large Canadian employers have become aware of the difficulties new immigrants to Canada face and the need for the Canadian economy to integrate these new Canadians rapidly into the workforce. As a result, many resources have been developed, especially in Toronto, to assist foreign-trained professionals. Job Preparation Programs The first thing new Canadians need to do is attend and complete a Job Preparation Program to give them the job search and other related skills to be able to properly look for and find suitable positions in their local economy. These programs are usually government or community agency funded and available through Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) and can be found on their website http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/eng under Policies and Programs. There are a number of organizations in the Greater Vancouver Area as well that work with skilled immigrants to help them integrate into the labour market with services that have been developed to meet the local labour market needs. One of the organizations is Immigration Employment Council of BC www.iecbc.ca. Here are some of the pitfalls that may stand in your way of obtaining employment: Top 10 Things that Might be Holding You Back from Landing Your Dream Job… 1.
Don’t let your parents get too involved with your job search – your parents can definitely offer you some
great job searching advice and even give you some great contacts for networking but don’t let your parents hand out your resumes for you. 2.
Don’t use the same resume for every job application – think of your resume as a sales and marketing
tool and tailor it accordingly to the audience. 3.
Don’t think the job will find you rather than you finding the job – start creating a path to your desired
position rather than waiting for one to appear. 4.
Ineffective use of networking – networking can be extremely valuable, think of the 6 degrees of
separation and how you can use that to your advantage. 5.
Expectations are too high for the position you are looking for – don't expect to start at the top, or even
the middle. You have to prove yourself from the ground up. 6.
Don’t work on a job search in-between going to the beach and the gym – treat your job search as a full
time job. 7.
Looking for jobs rather than looking for companies – when you pursue a job you are actually setting
yourself up for a series of opportunities within that company. If you have a company that you really want to work for, contact them periodically to find out whether they are hiring or not.
8.
Not tapping into the ‘hidden job market’ – you may be uncomfortable at first but alumni associations,
professional associations, meetings and events, conferences and trade shows, member directories, etc. could also be of great value to your job search. 9.
Neglecting to apply for volunteer positions – volunteering is a great way to expand your network and
gain industry experience. 10.
Be optimistic!
New Canadian Job Fairs These are offered all across Canada by the North American Strategizing Institute. They feature many employers who are looking for a diversified workforce and recognize the potential that internationally-trained professionals bring to Canada and its businesses. You can find out about upcoming ones and locations from their website: www.nastrategyinstitute.com. You may also want to check out some of the job banks: Job Bank is a governemnt of Canada website, which not only offers services to job seekers and employers, but also provides information on Canadian labour standards and labour market. www.jobbank.gc.ca. TorontoJobs.ca is a job search website www.TorontoJobs.ca, and a full-service recruitment firm. It provides services to both job seekers and employers within the Greater Toronto Area. Monster.ca is a job search website, which will also help you put together your resume and cover letter, as well as provide career advices. www.monster.ca. Workopolis.com is a job search website, which contains jobs from various industries. www.workopolis.com. Jobs.ca is a job search website, which also connects job applicants and employers. www.jobs.ca. Internships and Mentoring The Toronto Region Immigrant Employment Council (TRIEC) is a multi-stakeholder council that is working to improve access to employment for immigrants in the Toronto region, to utilize the skills, education and experience brought to Canada: http://www.triec.ca/. From this site you can contact two other primary resources: Career Bridge creates paid internship opportunities with employers that are committed to providing relevant work experience to professional-level newcomers www.careerbridge.ca. The Mentoring Partnership matches skilled immigrants with established professionals who share the same occupation. ACCA Canada is a corporate partner of TRIEC and The Mentoring Partnership and has also utilized this program to assist us in running our own mentoring program for members in Canada. Members who have established themselves in Canada can satisfy their CPD requirements by mentoring more junior ACCA members. Members who are new Canadians can gain help from this program so they are better able to use the skills, education and experience they bring with them to Canada. www.thementoringpartnership.com. Mentees need to meet specific screening requirements and to have completed a Job Preparation Program as detailed above to qualify. Please see the Mentoring Partnership website for more information on this program.
Candidates who do not meet program criteria may nevertheless be eligible for an online mentoring program called Canada Info net which can be accessed at: www.canadainfonet.org. CanadaInfoNet provides mentoring, resources, and forums that assist skilled, experienced, and expert professionals and business and trades people who are new to Canada, or are considering immigrating to Canada. There are also a number of organizations in the Greater Vancouver Area that work with skilled immigrants to help them integrate into the labour market with services that have been developed to meet the local labour market needs. Here is a website that is very useful for identifying community resources and programs: http://www.lookingahead.bc.ca/immigrant. Other Co-Op Opportunities North American College provides mentoring, experience and exposure to the preparation of financial statements in Canada, operating a Canadian Experience Reference Building program. www.nacollege.com. ACCA MEMBER SUPPORT Many members also actively assist newer members and new immigrants to Canada. You will have a chance to meet them at ACCA Canada events. You should also send a copy of your resume in Canadian format to the ACCA Canada office in case members provide the office with information on openings with their organizations. Members and students can find Canadian jobs posted on the global website www.accaglobal.com by loging into their MyACCA account from the top bar. TRADE/INDUSTRIAL DIRECTORIES AND PUBLICATIONS Visit the public libraries and make use of trade publications, such as Scott’s Industrial Directory and The Commercial Trade Directory. These will include the names of all companies in any given area. These publications can be a very useful aid in the search for job. You can obtain details of contacts within organizations (targeting those sectors in which you have previous experience) and then ‘cold call’ to see if they have any openings. Door to door job searches can be very effective and impress prospective employers. RECRUITMENT AGENCIES A recruiting firm matches companies with people seeking temporary or full-time employment. A recruiter presents positions to candidates based on the specific requirement that a client company has; and how that requirement matches a candidate's skill set. Be sure to invest some time in screening firms to make sure you select the best partner for your job search. Identify firms that meet your needs based on the information you have, and develop questions to ask representatives at each firm. To maximize the benefits of your relationship with a recruiter, be proactive by contacting them regularly to keep them informed of your job search and to learn of positions they are working on. Robert Half Canada
www.roberthalf.ca
David Aplin Recruiting
www.aplin.com
BestJobs.ca
www.bestjobsca.com
Hays
www.hays.ca
Global Recruitment Solutions Canada
http://grscanada.com/
Marberg
www.marberg.com
NEWSPAPERS CLASSIFIED ADVERTISEMENTS Canada has two national newspapers and hundreds of local newspapers. The Globe and Mail runs advertisements every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Their website address is www.theglobeandmail.ca. The Financial
Post
section
of
the
National
Post
primarily
advertises
senior
executive
positions
www.nationalpost.com. You may also want to check out local newspapers: Toronto Star, Toronto Sun, Calgary Herald, Edmonton Journal, Montreal Gazette, Ottawa Citizen, Vancouver Sun and others. FURTHER FINANCIAL QUALIFICATIONS: A Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) exists between ACCA and the Certified General Accountants of Canada (CGA-Canada) allowing reciprocal membership if a member has completed the required local tax and law courses. There are also opportunities to obtain further related financial qualifications lke CIA, CFE or ACFI which can assist ACCAs to develop their careers in particular specialist areas. Some ACCA members also pursue other recognized Canadian designations like CA or CMA. Listed below are further information on these.
Certified General Accountants Association of Canada (CGA) 700-1188 West Georgia Street Vancouver, British Columbia V6E 4A2 Tel: 604-669-3555 Fax: 604-689-5845 Website: www.cga-canada.org E-mail:
[email protected] This MRA strengthens the already excellent relationship between the two bodies and provides a route for qualified members of either body to become a member of the other body, and to enjoy the benefits which both organisations can offer, which include increased international recognition and improved professional mobility. Central to the agreement is the requirement that, in order to gain membership of each body, members of both bodies must successfully complete an overview course in Canadian/UK tax and law, approved by both ACCA and CGA-Canada. The CGA-Canada course is now available online, thereby allowing ACCA members to commence the application process to become members of CGA-Canada. Please note that:
Members of both bodies who apply under the terms of this agreement will be required to maintain membership of their original designation;
The MRA does not convey practice rights; members of both bodies wishing to obtain a practising certificate for general public practice or audit work from either ACCA or CGA-Canada will have to meet the additional requirements specified by each body.
CGAs wishing to apply for membership of ACCA should use the application form in the 'Related documents' area on this page. ACCA members can obtain the relevant CGA application form directly from CGA-Canada by using the link on the side of this page. Details on Overview of Tax and Law Course If you are not exempt from taking this course, please complete the online course ‘Overview of Canadian Tax and Law’ on CGA-Canada’s website as follows: Go to PD Net at https://www.cga-pdnet.org and click the ‘Register Now’ button. Complete the online registration form and ensure that ALL fields marked with * are completed as they are mandatory. (Be sure to confirm that you are not a CGA or student). Once you have completed the registration process you can access the course for purchase. Click on ‘Professional Development’ then select ‘Online Courses’ (under ‘Filter by Type’). Click on the title of the course or access the course by typing ‘Overview of Canadian Tax and Law’ into the ‘Search’ function. This will bring you to the course description page where the course can be purchased by clicking on the ‘Buy now’ button. When you successfully achieve pass marks of 70% for each of the quizzes, print your Certificate of Completion. CGA Degree Requirement CGA also requires members to have a degree. Members who have completed the BSc in Applied Accounting through the ACCA-Oxford Brookes partnership will satisfy this requirement. ACCA members need to be aware that, per UK university matriculation requirements, it is not possible for the ACCA members to go back once complete on their ACCA and obtain the Oxford-Brookes degree, you would have to be enrolled whilst taking your ACCA exams to qualify for the degree programme. If you do not qualify for the Oxford-Brookes BSc in Applied Accounting, there are a range of options, should you wish to fulfill the MRA requirement in order to obtain a CGA designation, to assist you with your career in Canada and internationally: Depending on the stage of your career you may wish to consider obtaining an MBA or other Masters degree to further your career in this direction. Here is the link to the on-line MBA ACCA offers in partnership with Oxford Brookes http://www.accaglobal.com/oxiif/home. ACCA also offers an opportunity for ACCA Part 3 students, affiliates and members to can gain a fast-track entry through free-of-charge credit transfer and exemption when they matriculate for an MSc in Financial
Management offered by Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University. The MSc offers specialist study in the areas of corporate finance, investments and risk management and is available on-line. Further information on the programme can be found by visiting www.ebsglobal.net. The Open University in the UK grants significant credit to ACCAs and it's possible to get a bachelors degree with only a year's full time study. This may not be a very good option for those members already in Canada, but may be an option for UK-based ACCAs without a degree who are contemplating migration to Canada and would like to meet the CGA MRA or other requirements for a degree: http://www3.open.ac.uk/credittransfer/professional/award000472_4_BD.shtm Members applying for CGA membership through the MRA will be qualified to take the Bachelor’s programme offered by CGA Canada through Laurentian University, Athabasca University and Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT). Further details can be obtained from the CGA Canada website www.cga-canada.org. Similar programmes may also be offered by other local community colleges and universities. You should check with Conestoga College who offer programmes through the University of Windsor and Seneca College in Toronto that now offers degree programmes.
Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) 173 Homewood Avenue Willowdale, Ontario M2M 1K4 Tel: 416-223-5326 E-mail:
[email protected] Website: http://www.theiia.org/index.cfm?doc_id=5136 ACCA Exemption Information: http://www.theiia.org/index.cfm?doc_id=82 ACCA now has an agreement in place with IIA, ACCA is moving towards the global implementation of this partnership and does recognize the IIA’s leadership in establishing professional standards for internal audit. In Canada the IIA has over 3,000 members. ACCA members can complete a Certificate in Internal Audit (CIA) by passing three examinations, as this body grants part-exemptions from the CIA program to ACCAs. Canadian employers realize you have top-level finance and accounting skills once you have a CIA and an accounting qualification, and would not tend to be concerned that your accounting qualification is not a local Canadian one, once you have a CIA as well. For more information on the CIA program please go to their website. Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFE) 3266 Yonge Street Box 1408 Toronto, Ontario M4N 3P6 Tel: 416-480-9475 Fax: 416-480-1813 Email:
[email protected] Website: www.acfetoronto.com
This qualification in combination with an accountancy qualification also holds good weight with Canadian employers. ACCA members need to become associate members of ACFE, submit a certification application and
pass the CFE Examination - a self-administered, Windows-based program that tests your knowledge and expertise in the four primary areas of fraud investigation: Fraudulent Financial Transactions, Legal Elements of Fraud, Fraud Investigation, and Criminology and Ethics. For more information on the program please go to their website.
Association of Canadian Forensic Investigators 81 Chaplin Cres. Toronto, Ontario M5P 1A4 Tel: 416-226-3018 Toll-free tel: 1-877-552-5585 Fax: 416-482-3363 Email:
[email protected] Website: www.acfi.ca The ACFI is a non-profit Canadian organization whose objective is to promote and foster a national forum and governing body for the affiliation of professionals who offer to the public, governments and employers, their expertise in the areas of fraud prevention, detection and investigation.
The Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA) 277 Wellington Street West Toronto, Ontario M5V 3H2 Tel: 416-977-3222 Fax: 416-977-8585 Contact CICA: click here Website: www.cica.ca Despite giving reciprocity to the ICAEW who have exactly the same standing as ACCA in the UK, the CICA seeks to discriminate against ACCA members and treats the ACCA designation as a starting point for their program, giving exemptions from 16 of the 17 pre-requisite university programs but not from their accountancy program. You would also have to complete 30 months of training in a Chartered Accounting firm in order to become a member. This policy is well-outlined on the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ontario website, www.icao.on.ca under, ‘Become a CA’ and then ‘Foreign-trained Accountants’ and the fact sheets listed there. We also know that in Alberta, CA students go through the, so called, CASB program which consists of 7 modules and a unified final exam (UFE). ACCA members who have an ACCA practising certificate can get an exemption from all modules except for module 7, which is preparation for the UFE. After passing module 7, CA students only have to take the UFE. Members with a practising certificate may wish to investigate whether similar provisions exist with their provincial CA body. Information on ACCA Practising Certificates is available here: http://www.accaglobal.com/members/professionalstandards/prac_info/practisingcertificates/
Certified Management Accountants of Canada (CMA) Mississauga Executive Centre One Robert Speck Parkway, Suite 1400 Mississauga, Ontario L4Z 3M3 Tel: 905-949-4200 Toll-free: 1-800-263-7622 Fax: 905-949-0038 Website: www.cma-canada.org The Certified Management Accountants are generally considering Canadian university credits for entry into their program and do not give any exemptions to internationally-trained accountants.
Canadian Institute of Management 15 Collier Street, Lower Level Barrie, Ontario L4M 1G5 Phone: 705-725-8926 Toll free: 1-800-387-5774 Fax: 705-725-8196 Email:
[email protected] Website: www.cim.ca ACCA members would satisfy entry requirements for CIM Professional Manager Designation (P.Mgr.). For more details please visit their website. Masters Degree Programs The University of Windsor recognizes the ACCA qualification for entry into its Executive MBA programme. For further information on their programs please go to their website, www.uwindsor.ca/business or contact Associate Dean, Academic Operations, Dr. Diana Kao,
[email protected]. Athabasca University, ACCA qualification has also been approved as a designation with which to apply for entry into Executive MBA program along with five years of progressive management experience. For more information please visit http://www.mba.athabascau.ca/. ACCA also offers an online MBA in partnership with Oxford Brookes University in the UK. Full details on this program can be found here: http://www.accaglobal.com/oxiif/home. ACCA also offers an opportunity for ACCA Part 3 students, affiliates and members to can gain a fast-track entry through free-of-charge credit transfer and exemption when they matriculate for an MSc in Financial Management offered by Edinburgh Business School at Heriot-Watt University. The MSc offers specialist study in the areas of corporate finance, investments and risk management and is available on-line. Further information on the program can be found by visiting www.ebsglobal.net.
STUDYING ACCA IN CANADA Students studying for ACCA in Canada do so by self study, utilize the website resources on the ACCA global website or purchase correspondence courses as advertised in student accountant magazine. Recently some universities and colleges have also begun providing face-to-face tuition in ACCA courses or courses that can be equivalent to this as detailed below. Examinations can be sat in examination centres across Canada. Please note that all required textbooks can only be obtained through the UK (www.bpp.com; www.foulkslynch.com, www.kaplanpublishing.co.uk). The Odette School of Business, University of Windsor, is registered under the ACCA University and Colleges Registration Scheme (UCRS) and by studying their BCom and Masters of International Finance programmes one can gain exemption from Parts 1 and 2 of the ACCA Professional Scheme. For further information on their programmes see their website, www.uwindsor.ca/business. Dorset College located at 1885 West Broadway in Vancouver, BC is looking into the possibility of becoming a tuition provider for ACCA students on the West Coast. Finalized details have not been determined at this stage but interested students can always contact the College directly or check their website to determine the latest developments in this regard: Tel: 604-879-8686 Web: www.dorsetcollege.bc.ca There are also a number of university and college programs in Canada that can offer a range of exemptions from ACCA exams and enable students to advance well in the ACCA program by attending their degree or diploma courses. These include: Athabasca University, Bachelor of Commerce (all Fundamental Level papers except F7); Diploma, F2 & F3. Carleton University, Ottawa, Ontario, Bachelor of Commerce, F1 – F3. Columbia College, Diploma in Accounting and Finance Management (all Fundamental Level papers except F7). Concordia University, Bachelor of Commerce (F1 – F4). McGill University, Diploma in Management (F1). Mount Saint Vincent University, Bachelor of Business Administration (F1 – F4). Queen’s University, Kingston, Ontario, Bachelor of Commerce (F1 – F4). Seneca College of Applied Arts and Technology, Diploma in Accounting, six semesters (F1 – F4). Note: Seneca also has a Graduate, Bachelor of Applied Business in International Accounting and Finance currently under review for further possible exemptions. St. Francis Xavier University, Bachelor of Business Administration (F1 – F4). St. Mary’s University, Bachelor of Commerce, Accounting (F1 – F6, & F9). University College of Cariboo, Bachelor of Business Administration (all Fundamental Level papers except F7). University of Alberta, Bachelor of Commerce (F1 – F4). University of Lethbridge, Bachelor of Management (F1 – F4). University of Manitoba, Bachelor of Commerce (F1 – F4); Masters of Accountancy (F1 – F4). University of Saskatchewan, Bachelor of Commerce (accounting major F1 – F5 & F9; other majors F1 – F4).
STUDY SUPPORT ACCA Canada organizes student meetings and study facilitators who can give assistance to ACCA students studying in Canada. These meetings are usually being held before examinations sessions and can assist students to network, find what resources exist to assist them with their studies in Canada, find study buddies and/or develop study groups for themselves. TEXTBOOKS Textbooks should be ordered from the usual suppliers, as advertised in Student Accountant, including: Foulks Lynch (ACCA approved publisher) 4 Griffin Centre, Staines Road Feltham, Middlesex, TW14 0HS United Kingdom tel: + 44 (0) 11 8989 0629 e-mail:
[email protected] web: www.foulkslynch.com Kaplan Publishing (ACCA approved publisher) Kaplan Financial Flexible Learning West Gate, 6 Grace Street, Leeds LS1 2RP United Kingdom Phone: +44 (0) 113 200 6375 Fax: +44 (0) 113 243 0133 Email:
[email protected] web: www.kaplanpublishing.co.uk BPP Publishing Limited 142-144 Uxbridge Road Shepherd's Bush Green London, W12 8AA United Kingdom tel: +44 (0) 20 8740 2222 fax: +44 (0) 20 8740 2240 e-mail:
[email protected] web: www.bpp.com Some students have bought textbooks from www.amazon.co.uk and found this to be slightly cheaper than ordering direct from the publisher. Also Canadian students occasionally have textbooks to sell, in which case you will receive an e-mail from ACCA Canada notifying you of which secondhand textbooks are being sold. Currently, Stouffville College also has textbooks available for most ACCA courses. For further information on this contact the college directly: 416-850-3030 or
[email protected]. NEW QUALIFICATION TEXTBOOKS The Canada office does not have staff that are familiar enough with all the details of the new Qualification syllabus or the previous Professional Scheme syllabus in order to be able to determine the suitability of former textbooks for the new Qualification examinations. EXAM CENTRES
Students are sent out an exam entry form and exam centre list just after the results are sent out each session. The student must then select which of the options for exams they want to take; they must also choose which centre they want to sit at from the list. If there is no centre near them on the list, then they can make a written request for a special centre in their own town (or anywhere they want to sit). On the exam centre list there are regular centres (Toronto, ON) and special centres (Calgary, Edmonton, Montreal, Vancouver). Special centres carry additional fees to cover the costs of running the centre – this applies to special centres which are requested by students. SPECIAL EXAM CENTRES The price of Special Exam centres varies for different cities and in some cases depends on the number actually enrolled for one sitting at a particular centre, for this reason you will be billed separately for Special Exam Centre fees by the supervisor of examination centre. AUDITING AND TAXATION STREAMS There is no Canadian stream and it is unlikely that one will be developed in the near future. In Canada, about one third of the students study UK stream about another third study International stream and the rest a mixed collection of streams from Africa, Asia and Europe. Canada is a former British colony and so taxation and auditing law are relatively similar to the UK. As Canada plans to adopt International Accounting Standards in 2011, you may also want to consider the new international options depending on where you see your career in accounting and finance taking you. OTHER USEFUL COURSES Personal and Corporate tax courses are available through companies such as H&R Block and Softron Tax.
SAMPLE RESUME #1 SYLVIA B. PLATT ACCA 3392 Winchester Road Toronto, Ontario M1H 2K5
Bus: (416) 999-9999 Res: (416) 888-8888
Senior Financial Executive with extensive experience across a broad range of diverse businesses. Particular expertise in strategic planning and control, treasury, information systems, human resource management, divestitures and taxation matters. Strong administrative and people management skills combined with a keen business sense and ability to identify and manage change. XYZ Company Vice-President, Finances and Administration, 1992 - 1998 XYZ Company is one of Canada’s major industrial contractors specializing in mechanical and electrical installations for both new and existing plant facilities, in addition to manufacturing and distributing steam generators to the international marketplace.
Managed financial, taxation, information technology, insurance, human resources, industrial relations, health and safety, and audit functions with accountable staff of 25 through five managers.
Extensive day to day involvement with Corporate Bankers to secure improved operating terms and maintain an excellent relationship with the banks during a period that the Company was highly leveraged.
Planned and implemented tax strategies, financial organizational structure and business plans that met shareholder objectives.
Negotiated new short and long-term capital financing packages, with both Canadian and International financial sector, such as the start up of a joint venture partnership with a Canadian based company to manufacture “once thru steam generators” for worldwide distribution.
Designed new Group Retirement Savings Plans for all salaried employees and significantly enhanced the benefits package while assuming the human resources role.
Completed sale of significant volume of buildings and equipment which improved company’s overall cash position.
ABC Company Chief Financial Officer/General Manager, 1990 - 1992 ABC Company distributes building supplies to both the construction and retail markets in Ontario.
Provided direction for day-to-day operations of Company in all areas, including sales, marketing, administration and financial reporting creating a more unified operation.
Directed Management and Sales Training Programs which enhanced sales volumes and led to reorganization of branch sales operations.
RST Incorporated Chief Financial Officer, Treasurer, 1986 - 1990 RST Incorporated produces and sells water treatment and specialty chemicals for the Canadian marketplace.
Managed financial, MIS and human resources administration with accountable staff of thirty through three managers. Also a member of Management Committee comprised of the President, five Senior Managers and outside Board of Directors.
Identified and implemented new IBM 38 computer hardware system and relevant software, on time and on budget.
Improved visibility and confidence in the Financial, Administration and Management Information Divisions by implementing staff reduction and reorganization programs.
Improved operational cash flow procedures to accelerate collection of receivables and lengthen payables days, enabling parent companies to maximize return on investment.
Designed new financial reporting package which improved accuracy and timeliness of information.
DEF Limited Vice President, Finance and Administration, 1985 - 1986 DEF Limited is a manufacturer of trackless mining equipment used in underground hardrock applications with sales throughout the world.
Managed total finance, MIS and human resources function, resulting in an improved financial operation which enabled Shareholders to sell Company. Played a key role with President in divestiture of company.
Installed new inventory and control system which reduced costs and brought inventories under control.
Collaborated with Marketing Division in structuring offshore joint ventures and distributors to increase market segments.
Truckers Group Secretary/Treasurer, 1980 - 1985 Corporate Controller, 1978 - 1980 The Truckers Group was a privately owned Canadian designer, manufacturer and marketer of Champion Motor Graders to over 80 different countries, with manufacturing facilities situated in both Canada and the United States.
Managed financial administration of Group with accountable staff of 50 through five Controllers. Directed control of budgets, operations analysis, audit, legal, banking and facilities management. Member of 6 person Executive Committee which directed 800 employee operations.
Directed all tax matters resulting in considerable savings to Company through sale of R & D tax credits, aggressive stance on many areas in filing returns and coordination of tax audits.
Completed review of corporate insurance coverage, and made subsequent changes which resulted in over $250,000 annual savings in premiums.
Coordinated acquisition and divestiture of various companies outside of the Group’s manufacturing operation helping them to achieve their business objectives.
GHI Company Chartered Accountant, 1974 - 1978 Student Auditor, 1972 - 1974 LMN INC. Student Auditor, 1971 - 1972
EDUCATION Honours Business Administration University of Calgary - 1971 Certified Chartered Accountant - 1974 Extensive seminars and courses including taxation, MIS, acquisitions, public offerings, insurance and human resource management.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Member, Canadian Tax Foundation Institute of Chartered Secretaries & Administrators Past Treasurer of many organizations
SAMPLE RESUME #2 ROBERT (Bob) REDMAN ACCA 51Downey Street London, Ontario N5L 4Q5 (519) 666-7777 E-mail:
[email protected] PROFILE A strategic thinker with in-depth experience in the packaged goods industry, with expertise in financial operations management. A participative leader who demonstrates a high concern for people while maintaining a results oriented bottom line focus. Excellent analytical and facilitation skills with a pragmatic approach to problem solving. CAREER SUMMARY XYZ Company., London, Ontario 1965 – 1999 A group of private companies manufacturing and distributing cookies, candies and crackers in a global market. Assistant Treasurer (1998 – 1999) Led Credit, Cost, Accounting and Computer Systems staff team of 15 developing both short and long term goals which supported management. Established and monitored financial, cost and credit control policies and systems to create a climate of better
performance measurement. Worked with external income and sales tax auditors to ensure tax compliance and minimize the tax liability. Prepared the Corporate Canadian and U.S. tax returns in conjunction with staff in a timely and accurate manner. Negotiated long distance telephone rates which resulted in a 50% annual reduction in rates.
Handled the due diligence reporting for the acquisition of a U.S. food manufacturing operation.
Controller (1981 – 1998) Managed Credit, Budgeting, Cost Accounting, Financial Reporting, Computer Systems and Office
Administration, in a team environment with 5 direct reports, coaching and developing staff to achieve their personal goals. Developed the financial reporting systems migrating from a manual to a computer system serving both operations and management with over 5,000 general ledger accounts. Established and coordinated the budgeting process ensuring managerial input from all sectors of the company, with annual updates and supplied budget to actual comparisons every four weeks. Designed, with an outside consultant, and supervised the renovation and construction of 3,000 square feet of office space in London and Toronto, resulting in better utilization of space, and improved office efficiency. Served as a member of the SAP/R3 Implementation Team responsible for Financial Accounting and Control. Analyzed through the Cost Accounting system, historical cost information, current costs to benchmark and projected future costs of new and existing products to forecast gross margins. Forecasted, at the corporate level, sales by territory and product to identify costs to gross margins and incorporated into the annual budget. Monitored the discounts and rebates by customer to ensure they were in line with corporate policy.
Finance and Budget Manager (1979 – 1981) Supervised a staff of 15 in Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable, Payroll, Invoicing and Computer Operations.
Prepared the annual budget and developed the entire system using Lotus 123 in order to distribute the budget over the 13 accounting periods for approximately 100 cost centres.
Cost and Budget Manager (1971 – 1978) Computerized the manual cost system, creating a more timely and efficient process. Developed a daily efficiency reporting system for plant operations, indicating labour utilization and material consumption compared to standard. Prior to 1971 supervised accounts receivable and cost accounting. EDUCATION AND PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
CGA designation Numerous managerial, business and technical courses Proficient in Windows 98, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word), Lotus 123, WordPerfect 6, internet and email Working knowledge of PowerPoint and Access
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT President of London Bookers Board of Directors (current) Ward 1 Chairperson London Charitable Society door to door campaign Member of London YMCA (current) Past President London Chapter of Certified General Accountants Association of Ontario and current member
Past President of Grand Valley Chapter Administrative Management Society Past member of Smith College - Business Administration - Management Studies Program Advisory Committee
SAMPLE RESUME #3 TONY L. BROWN FCCA 342 Juniper Crescent London ON N5A 3E9 Phone: (519) 444-3333 E-Mail:
[email protected] CAREER SUMMARY Product Management and Senior Marketing manager with 20 years experience in the High Tech field. Proven success in managing strategies and programs from conception, through development and onto execution. Effective in achieving results by generating common focus through coaching, team building and objective setting in an often changing environment. BUSINESS EXPERIENCE ABC Limited 1997-1999 General Manager (1998-1999) Control Room Display Systems Business Unit Managed all business unit activities including Sales, Product Management, Marketing Communications and Support. Worldwide mandate with budget responsibility of $30 million.
Spearheaded the development and execution of an Integrated Business Plan that addressed all aspects of the business including Market Analysis, Competitive Analysis, Product, Sales, Distribution, Marketing, Support, etc. This created the foundation for success for the Business Unit, generating over $20 million in revenue in 1998.
Redefined the sales and distribution strategy resulting in a more focused and more cost effective means of selling, distributing and supporting Control Room display solutions.
Director of Marketing (1997-1998) Projection Systems Division Responsible for all aspects of Marketing including, Product Management, Marketing Communications, Sales Order and Support with a staff of 24.
Created a new Product Management Process including Job Description, Skills Definition and Objective Setting, giving the team a better understanding of their roles and responsibilities.
Defined and introduced a customer focused approach to determining market/product requirements, enabling the company to develop and deploy the industry’s first large screen projector built specifically for the Rental/ Staging Market, achieving major success in its first seven months of introduction.
Initiated and managed the creation of new templates for sales tools designed to increase sales productivity within the direct and indirect channels. These tools helped standardize presentations and they reduced inconsistencies in the selling stories.
Defined and deployed numerous formal marketing processes for Product Requirements, Releases/Launches and Pricing which resulted in quicker time to market. Released approximately 30 major products and 45 minor enhancements over a two year period resulting in new sales records for the months of July ’98 through to December ’99.
Conducted market research and analysis of the worldwide installed base of Control Room projectors in order to develop a clearly defined sales and distribution strategy.
Defined and supervised the creation of an internal and external Internet Home Page designed to improve the availability of information and sales productivity. Recognized as one of the best Home Pages in the industry.
RST LTD. 1979–1997 Director, Product Management (1993–1997) Image and Payment Systems Business Unit, Woodbridge Managed a staff of up to twenty-one Product Managers in their efforts to successfully define, develop and deploy solutions for the worldwide Document Imaging and Item Processing markets.
Led restructuring initiatives through five major reorganizations within a twelve month period, maintaining focus on program deadlines while improving Employee Satisfaction from 45% to 85% during a time of tremendous insecurity and change.
Identified market requirements for the European and emerging markets (e.g., France, UK, South Africa, India, China). Combined with our ongoing success in North America we became the industry leader in worldwide ship share and installed base (i.e., 60%).
Supervised thirteen major releases and the creation of an internal and external Internet Home Page, increasing revenue by 22% over 1996 results (i.e., $110M vs $90M) while maintaining one of the highest gross margins in the company.
Defined and implemented a better way to track and report monthly sales activities and developed an aggressive plan to ensure that maximum revenue was realized.
Product Manager/Senior Product Manager (1984-1993) RST Document Management System and Item Processing Solutions, Woodbridge Accountable for the commercial success of a number of product lines within the RST financial product portfolio. Included market research, competitive analysis, the creation and execution of Business Plans, Product Requirements and Product Releases while working as a team member with all of RST’s externally and internally focused organizations.
Developed a new sales and distribution channel for RST’s first document imaging solution, known as RST DMS, achieving $300 million in worldwide sales within three years of introduction.
Defined and created two major releases/launches of the RST DMS within the first two years of introduction.
Conducted extensive market research for a major replacement program resulting in: Establishing a new benchmark within the corporation for Business Planning. Creating well defined Product Requirements. Having minimal change to the Product Requirements during the development phase.
Developing the product on schedule and within 10% of budget. Creating a very focused and well understood release/launch of the product. Increasing installed base from 65% to 73% and annual ship share from 70% to 76%. Achieving $31 million in annual revenue.
Becoming the sole provider for this kind of solution in the world.
Product Marketing Manager (1981-1984) Retail Systems Division, Woodbridge Created, developed and managed sales and marketing plans for various products sold to the General Merchandising and Hospitality segments of the Canadian retail industry.
Redefined the target markets for the General Merchandising and Hospitality vocations within the division. This resulted in reducing the sales staff by approximately 35% within two years while maintaining a steady growth in sales and a dramatic increase in profitability.
Released ten new products within two years. Each product proved to be successful in increasing market share and profitability for the division.
Sales Representative (1979–1981) Retail Systems Division, Woodbridge Sold cash registers and computer systems to the retail trade located in South Western Ontario.
Increased sales by 30% within the assigned territory within one year.
EDUCATION Degree: Honours Business Administration (BBA) Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario Major: Industrial Marketing PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT Internal and External Courses: Numerous Technical, Sales and Marketing
topics Shared Values/Common Bond and Teaming Influence & Negotiation Effective Writing and Presentation Skills
Employee Targeted Performance Assessment
Financial Management Time Management Just-In-Time (JIT) Principles
SUMMARY OF SKILLS Management Skills: Process Skills:
Cross Functional Business Planning, Objective Setting, Coaching, Directing, Strategic and Operational Planning Market Research, Product Requirements, Product Development, Competitive Analysis, Pricing, Release, Deployment, Life Cycle, Sales and Support
Technical Skills:
Computer: MS Windows, Office, Word, Excel, Power Point, Outlook and Exchange. Familiar with Client/Server (UNIX, DOS, OS/2 and NT) solution issues
COMMUNITY CONTRIBUTIONS Chairperson, Woodbridge P.S. Fact Finding Committee Vice Chairperson, Woodbridge P.S. School Council
1998 - Present 1996 - Present
Woodbridge Optimists Club Woodbridge Country Club
1990 - Present 1984 - 1997
Networking Your Way to the Top Networking has always been a great way of hearing about job opportunities that you might otherwise not hear about. With some studies saying that up to 80-90% of jobs are found through the hidden job market, it’s important to know how, when and where to network. Networking involves making contact with people and nurturing those relationships. The experts at TorontoJobs.ca have come up with a few tips to help you in your networking: Always Be Networking Most people only choose to start networking when they’re looking for a new position. If you network continuously, when you begin to look for a change in employment it won’t be something you need to switch on and off. Your network may pay off even when you’re not expecting it. Anyone Can Be Part of Your Network You don’t have to be speaking to a President of a multi-national company for you to be able to network with people who can help you. Your network can consist of friends, family, relatives, previous and current associates, your hairdresser, banker or mechanic or former classmates or people you recently met at a party. The list can be large. Ask people who they know and you will be surprised as to how your network can expand. Give and You Shall Receive If you let others know about job opportunities or things that might be of interest to them when they might least expect it, they might let you know of opportunities when you least expect it. Be sure to pass on anything useful to your contacts when you see something that might interest them. Organize Your Network! Organize your contacts so that you can stay in touch with them on a regular basis. With contact management systems that are affordable and easy to use, you should be able to stay in touch with your network on a regular basis quite easily, even if it’s just wishing them the best during holiday periods. Do What You Say You Will By not contacting people if/when you say you will, you are sending a message that you’re not that reliable. Following up is so easy to do, requires a few minutes of your time and sends a very positive message about you. Get Others Talking by Asking Questions Don’t fall in the trap of thinking that networking is telling others about yourself. Networking is about sharing information. If you’re not comfortable talking, ask questions about the other person – their background, experience(s), what they like doing, etc. so a conversation will be easier to get started. It’s Not Just Who You Know Your network consists of not just who you know, but also who your contacts know. Keep that in mind that if you show you’re willing to pass on names of people you know, others will do the same for you. Build Relationships A relationship isn’t created by meeting someone once. Stay in touch with people. Create a rapport with them. Make Yourself Available Go to Chapter meetings, volunteer or join networking groups. There is never a shortage of places where you can meet people – ask around and you will be amazed at places where people are. Make the time to go to these
events, but don’t expect a lot the first time you meet someone. Like sales, most of the benefit of networking doesn’t come in a first contact. Thank People for Referrals Let people know the result(s) of their referrals, even if nothing happened. It sends a positive message that you are thankful for the referral. Tips at Networking Events When you go to networking events, keep in mind some simple things: Bring business cards Listen carefully to what others are saying If you’re nervous about going to an event alone, ask a friend to join you. Make eye contact with the person you’re speaking with – don’t keep looking at who is coming into the room every two minutes Shake hands and smile Don’t talk with your mouth full!
Don’t fill up your plate with appetizers at a reception. Don’t just meet one person and talk to that person the whole time….mingle. Don’t flirt! Don’t use off-colour jokes!
Conclusion If you stay in your own circle you’ll be limited to what opportunities you will hear about. However, by continuously expanding your network you will hear about opportunities that you might never have imagined. TorontoJobs.ca is a local job board serving the Greater Toronto Area and has been in operation since 2002. With millions of hits per month and growing, TorontoJobs.ca is best suited for candidates looking for opportunities and clients looking for the best candidates in the Greater Toronto Area. You can contact TorontoJobs.ca at
[email protected]. Careerjet is an employment search engine for Canada. In one simple search, Careerjet gives the job seeker access to a massive selection of jobs that are compiled from various internet sources, saving the trouble of having to visit each site individually. www.careerjet.ca
