Relocating from the UK to the Channel Islands

Making any career move is an important decision, one that is only intensified by the possibility of relocation.

We have reached out to a number of individuals we have assisted over the years who have successfully made a career move overseas.

We spoke to Andrew who we assisted make a move from a mid-tier practice in the UK to join a Big 4 Practice in the Channel Islands.

Nationality: British

Location from and to: UK to the Channel Islands

Experience background: Audit Supervisor with a mid-tier practice in London. ACA Qualified.

Role secured: Audit Senior with a Big 4 practice focussing on financial services clients.

• Why did you first consider making a move overseas? To expand on my professional experience, and gain exposure to overseas work and gain experience in the Financial Services Industry.
• What locations were you interested in and why? Initially Australia and the Caribbean, but decided on the Channel Islands given the Covid Restrictions that were started to come into force around the world at the time I was looking to move jobs.
• What were your personal circumstances at the time of the move – single/married/homeowner? Single person, non-homeowner.
• How did you find out about opportunities and start to apply for roles? I heard of the opportunities in the Channel Islands from Scott Lowes from Levitate Recruitment, and a former colleague who used to work at a top 10 firm in Jersey.
• What useful information was provided to you by the recruiter? Yes, I was given a good insight into the types of roles available in the Channel Islands and the recruitment process.
• How did the Interview process work? There were two interviews, the first one was over the telephone with someone from the HR Department. The second interview happened a few days later, being an online video call with a Manager and Senior Manager from the Audit Department. I received my offer a day after my second interview.
• How long did it take to secure a Visa or work permit and what was required from you? The work visa took several weeks I believe to get sorted out. I believe I was only required to show a copy of my passport for this being a UK Citizen. I also had to undertake a vetting process which is conducted by a third party, who conduct reference checks and checks over qualifications etc. This took about 4-5 weeks.
• Please can you walk us through your first 3 months in the new location/job and how you managed to settle into your new life? When I first arrived I had to spend about a week quarantining in a hotel that was paid for by the company, due to Guernsey’s Covid restrictions in place at the time. Part-way through this, I was able to start my work where I did compliance training and other admin. Once I was able to go to the office I was shown around and introduced to the majority of people who were present. For the first three months there was a lot of learning of the systems and processes in place at KPMG, but there were plenty of people on hand to offer assistance when needed. Guernsey is a rather small place, and so it was relatively easy getting to know the local area. The people at work were great at recommending were the main things nearby were, shops, gym, restaurants etc. There are usually a few people heading out to town on Fridays, which is often a good opportunity to get to know people and the local area when you’re relatively new to the island. I was able to go out a few times when I first joined, and also took part in several activities organised by work in the first few weeks of me joining, which allowed me to get to know more people faster.
• How do you feel it benefitted your personal development? The move has allowed me to gain exposure to new country, at a time when worldwide travel became severely limited.
• How do you feel an international move benefitted you professionally? The move has given me a great exposure into the world of Financial Services, where I previously didn’t have any experience in. Working in a top 4 firm has meant that I often have to work with teams in different parts of the world, and work in much larger teams. This has been one of the biggest changes from my previous role and has greatly improved my teamwork and leadership skills.
• How long was the process from you speaking with your consultant to you actually making the move? I initially touched base with my consultant about a year before I actually made the move. However, the initial discussions were about what potential options there were for as I had recently qualified, at that stage I wasn’t 100% sure whether I wanted to move overseas. From the point of focussing purely on discussing roles in the Channel Islands, to me moving over there, it was about 3-4 months.
• What value do you think working with a recruiter had in securing an opportunity overseas? Enabling me to gain a greater insight into the opportunities over there, and the recruitment process. Working with a recruiter also gave greater access to contacts of those working in the HR Departments of the firms in the Channel Islands.
• What was the hardest part of making an international move? Deciding whether leaving the firm that I trained with was the right move, as I really enjoyed working where I was previously.
• What advice would you offer someone thinking of making a move overseas? Do as much research as you can on the places you’re thinking of moving to, in order to determine as much as possible whether you think you’ll be happy living there. Research on the firms who work in those areas and the type of work that you’ll be doing.

There is currently a soaring global demand for qualified accountants and insolvency professionals. With our extensive network of relationships with large international accounting firms and insolvency specialists, Levitate Recruitment are well-versed in placing talented professionals in overseas roles.

If you are interested in making your career a journey and are considering a move overseas, do not hesitate to contact us.

There is currently a soaring global demand for qualified accountants and insolvency professionals. With our extensive network of relationships with large international accounting firms and insolvency specialists, Levitate Recruitment are well-versed in placing talented professionals in overseas roles.