90% of CFOs 100 FTSE are from accounting. Even say the CFO of HSBC, Lyold TSB, and Stanchard all are from accounting

Cause and effect,.. don't put the wrong one in front of the other.

Are they CFOs who happened to have accounting experience (because accountants typically form the largest pool of candidates as the vast majority of finance graduates start their careers there), or did they become CFOs because of their accounting experience?

Was Steve Jobs a success who happened to be a university drop out, or did he succeed because he dropped out of university?

Look deeper... how long did they spend in accounting? Secondly, what was the prior 2-3 jobs immediately before their appointment as CFO?

And the UK is obsessed with "professional qualifications"... judging from how many of these qualifications originate from there. Can you find out how many CFOs of DJI companies are accountants?

This post has been edited by seantang: Dec 25 2011, 03:09 PM

Are you working in Singapore or US? And do you think singaporean don't obsess with professional qualification and academic experience? At least in UK, most FDs don't have MBA..MBA is a way too expensive than prof qualification

This post has been edited by Materazzi: Dec 25 2011, 03:52 PM

Are you working in UK?

CIMA, ACCA, CAT and the multiple regional CAs are all from the UK. If that's not a ridiculous over-obsession with overlapping accounting qualifications, I'm not sure what is.

Hi all forumers;
Just asking, how is the job market in Singapore for a qualified accountant working in commerce and industry? Currently, I am working in Penang as an accountant (nothing special or fancy – just a normal accounting job)...at one of the US MNCs in the electronics field…… and thought about relocating and getting a job in Singapore……

Quite flexible…… can do both financial and management accounting (costing, budgeting)….

Please tell me how the job opportunities are like? Thanks.

How's the rental market like in Singapore (as a tenant)? I've been trying to get hold of a 3-unit HDB to rent somewhere around CBD (or at least within 10-15 minutes of it), and prices that are floating around seems to be about 2.5k-3.5k.

Is the price above fair, and is there something I should know about renting in singapore that people don't tell you (or generally overlook telling you)?

Also, how's the cost of living changed in the past 1 year? (because the last time I tried to apply for jobs, i budgeted to spend about 5SGD per meal, is this still applicable?)

p.s. Dear Accountants, stop hijacking the singapore thread. Make your own

If you are serious about relocating to Singapore, start applying for jobs right now. It could take you months before you get your first interview/job offer. But when you get one, that's the time to weigh the cost and benefits of your relocation based on that particular offer. You won't really get an answer to aid your decision making by asking "how is the job market".

Be persistent and don't give up. If you have friends working in Singapore, ask them to forward your resume to their finance department, you get a better chance for interview. Go to jobstreet and jobsdb, there are many recruitment agencys' contact number/email.

By the way, I am from Penang US MNC too.

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Added on December 25, 2011, 8:05 pmI am renting a 3 bed room unit in Sengkang for 2.5k.
The range 2.5k - 3.0k seems right for units near CBD.

About the precautions, if you can, talk to the residents living near the unit that you intend to rent. Hopefully no gangster or loan shark activities. I mean its generally safe to live in SG but these acitvities still exist!

And I normally spend $3-4 for dinner exclude drinks.
A 2-meat 1-vege economy rice is $3.70 at my area, plus a $1.30 Milo Ice is $5.
And there is a food court chain that gives you 10% discount if you use their prepaid card KOPITIAM!



This post has been edited by Dark NT: Dec 25 2011, 08:05 PM

CPA Australia is kacang putih mar....no need to take exam also can become member...what a real laughing stock.

Good to know cost of basic foods still okay.

Realistically though, do you spend that little for all your meals (like both for lunch/dinner, every day of the week)?
Do you find yourself getting sick of such foods, because from what I gather from other frens of mine, they all came down budgeting SGD500 per month on food, and after a while they just lose it and start spending like SGD900-1500 a month on foods (at fancier places).

Well for me, I am not really particular about food. What you said is very true if you have friends who will frequently go dining together.

I am a bit too old and my friends all have family. My family will be moving here next year so I won't have to eat alone anymore. Tingkat (dinner catering) is a good option for my family since my wife will be working. Dinner delivered to your home on weekdays will be around $300-350 per month (for 2 adults and 2 kids).

no wonder singaporean kids are thin like a paper or changi airport..

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Added on December 25, 2011, 8:45 pmI think the minimum will be S$1.2k for single people for a normal lifestyle.

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Added on December 25, 2011, 8:46 pmI understand why seantang never be proud about it. And he is proud being an MBA.

This post has been edited by Materazzi: Dec 25 2011, 08:46 PM

I didn't understand what you and seantang were arguing about, and I certainly miss your point on this as well.

thanks lot thr

seems like frm website is 8am opens + 20 mins b4 tat + 25 mins walk...mayb will need 2 reach tiong baru mrt by 7:15 am..

btw, merry xmas 2

I would advise you to ignore him/her/it.
He/She/It tends to generalize everything and assumes that is the only case and applicable 100% of the time.

with your budget on food @ $300/month for 2+2. It means 1 person only spent $2.5/day

This post has been edited by Materazzi: Dec 25 2011, 09:36 PM

Thank you Glad to know that.

let me teach u some simple math and reading which you clearly need if you are going to continue in the financial sector.
It is dinner on weekdays only.
So it is not 2.5/day
Catering service is meant for the working parents in the family who wish to provide their kids with a much balanced diet at a lower cost.
So if you can get full with $3.70 on economy rice, why not >$10 from catering for 2 adults and 2 children?

This post has been edited by crazy25kid: Dec 25 2011, 09:52 PM

Tingkats only deliver dinners on weekdays, $300 per month means $3.75 per person per dinner.

I'm renting 4-room (3 bedroom) hdb in bedok, 5mins walk from mrt station, at 2.3k. I viewed a dozen units around this area (bedok tampines pasir ris simei) and it seems to be pretty much par for the course price for this nexk of the woods.

Oh really? Since when do you know what I'm proud of and what I'm not?

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Added on December 25, 2011, 11:33 pmIs that so?

A real measurement of your worth is not how good you think you are (or how bad you think others are) but how much someone wants to pay you.

So, let's cut to the chase. How much do you earn from your non-kacang putih qualifications? Lets trade Linkedin profiles. Based on that, we can immediately tell if you're the laughing stock or I am. I want to see if you laugh harder at me, or I laugh harder at you.

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Added on December 25, 2011, 11:36 pmIf you have a strong resume, then apply online or respond to job advertisements - as higher profile or front office jobs tend to be advertised.

If your resume is not so strong, it's best if you engage a recruitment agent - most back office and lower profile accounting jobs are not advertised.

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Added on December 25, 2011, 11:46 pmI tend to like someplace farther from the CBD, eg. AMK or Yio Chu Kang up north where the rent is cheaper. And there's really no need to pay a premium and stay near an MRT station. As long as you stay near a feeder bus bus-stop, you can get to the MRT station in 5-10 minutes (5-10 stops). Assuming a 15 minute train ride, you're in town within 30-45 minutes from the moment you step out the door.

My place is about 15-20 minutes walking from the MRT station, but there's a feeder bus bus-stop directly underneath my block. And with a smartphone app that shows next bus arrival time, there's minimal waiting time involved.

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Added on December 25, 2011, 11:52 pmYour friends are right. The occasionally frequent "nice" meal will always happen.

Nobody possesses enough will power or underdeveloped taste buds to eat $5 economy meals 3 times a day, 7 days a week. Even if such people exist, they are not very fun to be around.

This post has been edited by seantang: Dec 26 2011, 12:06 AM