ifey1900:

@ the admiral and everyother well informed armed service person
i am in uk studying engineering and i as a person dont like civilian life but the issue is what i want to do after school
and am considering joining either the navy, army, or police but really need some advice on whether its gonna pay off
because if i stay in this country i will be paid abt 40-50 thousand pounds a year but the the whole tax, mortgage thing and ma dislike for civilian life wont suite ma needs
so i need your advice people and what rank will be starting from if i decide to join any of the above armed forces

thank you

I dont think the above information is correct. A fresh graduate earns between £20K to £28K depending on the sector. Even oil and gas companies will not pay you the amount you stated in your post above.

Sorry for this, it's just the truth.

worldz:

Thanks tos,

But from ur own point of view which wd u suggest putting these sectors into consideration? I was thinking yesterday, and i thought i shd just opt for Adv. Auditng & Ass. (AAA) since employers in public practice in the UK see it as a requirement (never can tell, i might just fall in there b4 moving on to my investment career) and may be other sectors too like UK banks may require it, so i dont want to be left out.

I felt even though i have passion for AFM, not taking it does not prevent me from studying and writing CFA which wd open way for my investment career. When i was writing ICAN, i never did SFM in previous levels but got to learn it in PE3 and passed it. So using this mentality i felt i shd just opt for AAA and when am ready with CFA, go all out and prepare adequately for it. Afterall so many people without Accounting qualifications are doing CFA and passing through studying, so why cant i!

I'll need to know what u think, i might still be wrong. Thanks!

All the sectors listed in my earlier post are good. You can be successful in any of the sectors especially investment banking with the ridiculous bonuses being paid by the banks despite the attempt by the government to stop it.

I agree that you can still pass CFA without having to take AFM in ACCA. But note that AFM is CFA is a different ball game compare to ICAN. You need to assume zero knowledge of the subject to pass it. If you are very much interested in working in the UK public practice, you are welcome to take AAA as optional paper in ACCA as it will give you a greater chance of getting a job. Most guys in the Big4 usually move to IBs after 2 or 3 years as the experience can get you a job in any sector.

Again, I believe you can pass CFA without prior knowledge of accounting. I have a friend that abandoned ICAN in Nigeria but came to the UK and passed CFA.

worldz:

Thanks alot Tos for your prompt response, I really appreciate it. U’ve really helped me cleared some bordering issues.

Can you still give me more advice about this ACCA qualification? I just got qualified from ICAN and thinking of going ahead with ACCA, but am kind of in a crossroad on whether to opt for Adv Audtng & Ass. or go for Adv. Fin Mgt cos am looking forward to writing CFA in the future and I thought Adv. Fin Mgt wd give me an in-depth knowledge in order to prepare me for CFA; I want to establish a career in Investment Banking in the long term but just want to do ACCA for now. So which of the courses would you recommend?

I don’t know if Nigerian audit firms look at the importance of these courses in ACCA, cos someone might want to get in there for a start.

And also, does public practice in the UK mean the likes of KPMGs, PWCs, etc? and what are my chances of getting a job in the Big Four ( even in other depts.) or other Multinationals abroad if Adv. Audtng & Ass. isn’t part of my ACCA qualification, what do I stand to lose if I should opt for one in the expense of the other.

I wd really appreciate your response towards this post and also from everyone. Thanks a lot!

I think AFM will help if you are thinking of going the CFA route and plan to have a career in investment banking. The UK employers consider the subjects studied when making employment decisions unlike their Nigerian counterparts. If you are not planning to leave the country, I dont think it is necessary to take ACCA. I'll suggest you take CFA which will give you a wide spectrum in the investment banking arena. Not that it really matters to Nigerian employers that much though but it will come handy when looking for jobs in any of the western countries.

In the UK, qualifications from institutions such as CIMA, ACCA and ICAEW are given priority depeneding on the industries you wish to work. For CIMA is good for the industries (e.g. manufacturing, airline, etc), ICAEW is good for the public practice and ACCA is good for public sector, banks, insurance, etc). However, employers in all the sectors will still consider your ACCA qualifications depending on the subjects taken as optional papers in your exams.

The public practice in the UK is a sector where you have firms that provide accounting, auditing, taxation and other services for other companies and individuals. Some of the big public practice firms include PricewaterhouseCoopers, KPMG, Deloitte Touche and Ernst and Young. There are also many regional and local firms. This differs from working in the accounting department of some other type of non-accounting business such as a manufacturing company.

I hope this clarifies your concerns.

worldz:

Thanks Sharp man for that insightful comment,

I wd still also like to know whether Oxford Brookes degree is still worth it after ur Nigerian Accounting degree.

And also, how valuable is Adv. Auditng and Assurance cos someone said its advisable to opt for it as one of the optionals as its compulsory inorder to work in firms in the UK- How true is that?

Every comments wd be highly appreciated to enable me chart a way forward.Thanks!

Hi worldz - I dont think you need to opt for Oxford Brookes with a Nigerian degree. It's only necessary when if you have HND as it will give you an opportunity of converting to a university degree.

Are you in the UK? AAA as an optional paper is necessary to work in public practice in the UK. You are expected to have some knowleldge of auditing before you can practice. Though some people gain this knowledge through experience but without prior experience in the UK, it's very difficult to find a job in practice without the knowledge of auduting.

mcgboye:

@tos & TKY147
While i enjoyed some parts of your exchanges while it lasted and actually benefitted from the revelations, i think you guys should be more mature about this. come on guys, i am sure Seun didnt start this post to look for trouble.

however, some quick questions: how long does KPMG take after Medicals to offer employment? can anything go wrong at the medicals? if yes, what sorts of things? i had my medicals for the september K-BAC but am yet to hear anything. could it have been becos my urine sample for the medicals was colored, for example? or what?

plus, as per the salary stuff, it's still a little bit ambiguous. i am going for audit, which means i will be required to sit ICAN. but a frind who joined last october said the take home is 105k, though it sometimes goes up. can you guys explain this?

@McNiche, so what stage are you now? i finisdhed my one interview last year, but couldnt take up an offer with the Risk Management unit last year cos i was keen on making an impact at my 40k-a-month job. would u believe it?

Hello mcgboye - Sorry I was unable to respond to your question earlier. Please stop worrying about what the colour of your urine was when you did your medicals. KPMG does not consider "fever" before offering jobs to successful applicants. The fact that the Firm asked you to do the medicals shows that you have crossed all the hurdles. The results of the medicals are usually sent to KPMG between 1 and 2 weeks after the test. However KPMG usually send out KBAC letters about 1 month to the training. Even some people receive their letters a week or two weeks prior to it even if they have done their medicals 5 months earlier.

The pay of KPMG fluntuates when a special/one-off payments such as bonuses (usually in january), clothing (i think in september), etc. are made to staff. But I believe the monthly take home pay now should be in the region of N120 to N150 depending on whether you are on ICAN path.

nike4luv:

yes, you have helped quite alot. although i have chosen accounting and management, i do have the opportunity to change as times goes on because we and the financial accountants study some modules so it shouldnt be so hard to change over if needs be. btw, are you an accountant as well. Does the accounting degree include more business studies than necessary because am more of a maths, chemistry and philosophy person which i think its better if one is to use theoretical ideas to analyse.

Yes, i'm an accountant and currently work in the Europe. I did science in secondary school as well. I think a non-business student can strive in accounting as long as the person is good in mathematics. However, you need to create extra time to study good accounting textbooks such as "Frank Wook" (sorry i'm not sure about the most updated volume/edition).

nike4luv:

but thinking about the broadness of the course, is financial accounting incorporated into managerial accounting or the way round. a lecturer told me that managerial accounting has more infomation but financial accounting is more fancy sort of

according to research, the professional qualifications of the two aspects are different. what if one is more recognise. like management accounting, you are not included in ACCA. its quite confusing. which one is the hardest gan?

Hi nike4luv - to be a versatile accountant, you must have very good knowledge of both financial accounting and management acconting. Career-wise, you can establish yourself in either of the two as there are numerous opportunities in the two areas. Though I personally think that management accounting is a more sought after apect of accounting than financial accounting. A financial accountant only needs to understand the principles of double entry to be successful as all his works are based on historical data/information, while a management accountant is a strategist who needs to undetstand historical information to be able to make decisions about the future. He is an analyst and a decision maker.

Accounting professional qualifications are becoming more harmonised compared to the way they were in the past. You may be an ACCA/ICAN qualified and still be able to practice as a management acccountant. I understand that CIMA is planning to increase the number of tax topics in its taxation papers to enable its members to be allrounder instead of having to work only in the industrial sector. The contents of the syllabuses of professional exams of accounting bodies such as ICAN, ACCA, ICAEW, CIMA, etc are becoming similar such that a student only need to be a member of anyone of them to be able to work successfully as an accountant.

Though recognition of qualifications earned from professional bodies depends on the country where you intend to practice but each employers in country will always have a preference for the local accountancy qualifications. For instance, in Nigeria, employers usually require a potential employee to be a memeber of ICAN, while those in Pakistan prefer ICAP. However, there is usually opportunity for conversion wherever you go. In the UK, an ICAN member only need to pass papers in the professional level of ACCA to become a member of the body.

I will advise you not to make a decision in relation to the aspect of accounting you want as a career path yet. Your passion either of the management accounting and financial accounting at the university will surely dictate a path for you.

I hope i've been able to help!

rhufffryda:

My cousin was recently offered employment with these two companies in the UK. Considering his background degree in Accounting, he is inclined to KPMG but several opinions from wllwishers have been angling towards Exxonmobil.

Whats your take?

Pray, help with constructive advice.

Your cousin must be a very lucky person. KPMG is a good starting place for an accounting graduate as this will provide an opportunity have different industries experience instead of being restricted to the oil & gas. The person will be able to choose whichever sector his passion lies when leaving KPMG.

However, if your cousin is more interested in money at this point, I'll suggest he chooses Mobil. Though they also send staff on overseas training like KPMG but it doesnt usually happen until your third or fourth year with them.

fs:

I'll start by saying I'm an outsider, at least in regards to the Big 4 in Nigeria. I worked for a Big 4 (Deloitte) in the US.

From what I've seen/heard, in Nigeria, KPMG seems to be the most respected, then PwC, then Deloitte. I have no idea where E&Y stands or if there's even an E&Y in Nigeria. In the US, the status of the firms depends on what city you are in. I know when I was in Boston, PwC, Deloitte & E&Y came to recruit at my school and we never heard good things about KPMG, but that was in Boston. In general, it doesn't matter what big 4 you work for, but when you are aware of their little differences, definitely take that into consideration. They are all internationally well recognized so at the end of the day, they'll all add value to your resume. If I was the original poster (who I'm sure has already made his/her decision by now), I'd go with PwC, although in the US, I prefer Deloitte and even E&Y to PwC.

Thank you fs for your contribution. There is Ernst & Young in Nigeria though not as big as KPMG, PwC and Deloitte. The decision to choose one of the Big 4 depends on individual. I have worked with KPMG and PwC in NIgeria and I know the one I prefer between the two. I work in Europe now and I know the one that has a better hold around here.

tkb417:

hmmm, we have one NSP and we have 20 partners in KPMG. Kunle Elebute is refered to as a Managing Partner in KPMG
i cant remember discussing general pay for the staff but the entry level pay. so whats the point in all these?
check ur facts again.

I have not misled anybody on this blog. If you have doubts or the use of English is your problem, check for the word mislead and stop throwing tantrums

ill indulge you. A yoruba adage goes like this, Agba ofifo lo ma n pariwo ju
Im not in any contest with you. I'm learning how not to join issues with street urchins so ill let it pass

I rest my case.

tkb417:

LOL!
hehehehe, I had a one on one meeting with Elebute and Seyi on the setting up of a CFA society in Nigeria
I was a scribe in one of the syndicate sessions in the Infrastructural summit in Abuja where Igbokwe facilitated.
Like i said earlier, you attach so much importance to the name KPMG that im beginning to think the salvation of your soul is attched to how many times the name is typed here.

Elebute is a managing partner in KPMG just like Seyi who is the National Senior Partner. NSP not Senior National partner (coming from someone who worked in KPMG. LOL) so what is the misinformation?
If you check my antecedents on NL, i use so much vulgar and foul words at ease but im restraining myself cos this thread doesnt call for it.

Next time you attempt at throwing cheap shots, i'll so much be magnanimous in my dossier that you will think its much more than that.
Feel free to be stupid by alluding to so much bunkum.
at ur age? KPMG is ur seal of arrival
u need a lobotomy.

Be wise and free me

and pls, i put it to you that you never worked in KPMG cos u lie with ease

Back to the topic
The entry level pay in KPMG is equal to FBN and Union. FACT.

The difference in pay between an entry level in Audit and say Financial Advisory is about 30,000 - FACT

KPMG is much more respected in Nigeria - Subjective but you can ask anybody who works or has workd there
DAYOKANU on NL can say a word here

Elebute is a Managing Partner in KPMG and i cant remember saying he was the National Senior Partner.
stop crying like a wolf. Im not after your fcking life. stop bitching and address the issues.

which of my posts is wrong and if none, hold ur peace for life or be ready for personal attacks from me
ive condoned ur ill manners and stupendous buffoonery but i wont take it again, i swear

PS: post where i called Elebute the NSP here for all to see

There is nothing like "Managing Partner" at KPMG. It was changed to "National Senior Partner" in 2004. Seyi is the NSP and he manages KPMG franchise in Nigeria. Kunle Elebute is only the head of FAS and nothing more. Though he's the third on the chain of command after Bisi Lamikanra who is the head of BAS. How can you have MP and NSP? Can you tell me the difference?

I have not compared the pay of FAS and Audit as they earn the same and staff in the two divisions are required to be ICAN qualified. However, staff in BAS or BRS earn more than staff FAS, Audit, Tax (where they are both not qualified). The difference in pay is used to cover the cost of ICAN which the firm pays.

Entry level staff at FBN and UBN still earn net income of N100k per month (about N1.5M per annum) and that is a FACT. Comparing salaries at KPMG with this is absurd and without basis.

FYI, I cant deny that KPMG gave me the first break of my professional career. I do not hold any grudge against you or anybody on this forum. I only advise that you should stop misleading people with wrong information. The fact that you were a secretary at a forum which partners at KPMG attended does not make you know things about the firm.

tkb417:

what have you said?
whats the arguement all about? how much they pay entry level? this disjointed piece doesnt make meaning to me
misleading arguement? do you know me?

FACTS: Entry level pay is about 150k just like FBN and Union Bank so whats the misleading info

ur friends are managers in KPMG?
hehehehe. It will interest you to know that a lot of guys here have worked in those places, are chartered and are captains in finance industries already
i do not have to blow anything to make points.
very well said mr. elebute (lol)

i have chosen to ignore ur posts henceforth.

all the best man

It is better to let you be than to engage in a senseless and baseless exchange with you.

Thanks for referring to me as Kunle Elebute. I will prefer to be likened to someone like Seyi Bickerseth (who is their managing partner) or Yomi Sanni. Oh! I just noticed you told misled people on another thread by referring to Elebute as SNP of KPMG.

tkb417:

@Otuwe
Lemme tell you this, if you really wanna work in a world class environment that can shape your life for the future then pwC and KPMG will do justice to that. In terms of pay, they wont really offer much but the training will open doors for you in future

in Nigeria, KPMG is by far the best. Anybody that has worked in the 2 places will know what im saying
the pay for entry level will range from like 120-150 depending on some allowances
and note that in KPMG you can earn your promotion yearly with the increase in pay.

If you do well and get ur ICAN (in KPMG) or ACCA ( in pwC), then the sky is the limit.
Guys knowing fully well that u have your charter and the experential learning you have got will latch onto you like a bee will do honey

if you have to choose between pwC and KPMG, KPMG is the place to go
cheers

You have not justified this advice.

You have opportunity to be trained in either of the two. Staff are usually sent to attend trainings mostly in Europe and US and at times SA. PWC is flexible with the charter you pursue but KPMG is not. At KPMG, staff are only expected to take ICAN but PWC gives you options between ICAN and ACCA.

If you want to be in Tax, KPMG is the place to be as they have a well structured Tax division. However, PWC offers more in other areas such as transaction services, business advisory, audit, etc. The most important is the flexible working conditions (this is based on my experience with the two).

otuwe:

hi Tkb417 and tos

i have another question, i dont mean to sound stupid or dumb but what exactly is the take home pay (monthly) for KPMG,

i dont usually believe in all these 2.1m and all that (judging from where i am coming from) whats on paper is usually way higher than what you actually take home at the end of the day

pls can any of u clarify (cos i can see that the two of u are OBVIOUSLY former staff, of KPMG at one time or the other)

The take home pay is about N150K assuming you pay the maximum PAYE tax at the rate of 20%. It was far higher than this until they cancelled their DCP scheme. Though bonuses are usually paid in December of every year. New staff dont usually take this until a year after they are recruited as they are perceived not to have contributed in generating the profit that result to the bonuses.

tkb417 is not a former staff of KPMG. He does not have any information that proves this.

tkb417:

and if you read well, i have told you my facts are based on 2009 figures.
the banks in question will match KPMGs pay as at today. (entry level)
FYI, the difference in pay betwen those on ICAN track and those that are not is about 30,000 after all deductions
You can check.

tkb417

Why have you chosen to argue blindly? Must you give misleading information for the sake of winning an argument?

How much do you think it cost KPMG to sponsor an employee to take each diet of ICAN (you can only take one diet per year except staff taking the foundation stage)? The cost of attending lecture at Wyse or SAFE (which are the two they use) is more than N30k per diet, with the cost of transportation which is approximately N10k per person. The firm also pay the cost of the exams which in most cases is about N25K and each staff will be given 6 weeks holiday to prepare for the exams and the days of the exams to sit.

If the salary of a staff per month is about N200K, the total cost to the firm to sponsor the exams per year is about N300K (30+10+25+225)K. I qualified when I was with them and I still communicate with my friends who are now managers (i had to call them again today to confirm this).

tkb417:

ol boi relax

i dont have time for too much talk. Youre not the only one who worked in the coys in question. A lotta guys have passed thru those coys and i can be categorical that u may need to re-check ur 'facts'

in terms of pay, just like i said, the entry level of the coys can be compared to the banks i mentioned.
The entry level pay for those in Audit in KPMG is less than 2.1million but greater than 2.0 million as at today 24-june-2009 so what are you on about?
check ur facts pls

I'm beginning not to understand the logic behind your argument. I said if you are on ICAN track, you pay should be about N2.1M (as at effective October 2006). I'm sure they'll be earning more at present as they increase salary every year. If you dont need ICAN in your line of work, then N2.5M is salary (The N300K differential is used to cover the cost of ICAN for those on ICAN path).

First Bank as at 2006 was paying less than N1.2M to entry level staff. So how can you compare that to KPMG's salary?

otuwe:

is it all units that work on weekends or only audit

and what does 'tos' mean by tax and BRS?

Sorry about this. BRS was formerlly Business Regulatory Services. This is made up of only lawyers. I understand it's been merged with Tax now. The other one I wanted to mention was BAS (Buisness Adviory Services). You dont need to be an accountant or on ICAN path to be here. As at 2008, their pay at entry level was about N300K more than what entry level staff (on ICAN path) in other divisions receive.

tkb417:

i dont know what ure talking about but i know in pwC you work on weekends too.
when its nearing the year end of the banks, u can be rest assured u'll work on sundays too till midnite
kpmg and pwC are same in terms of working conditions

in pay, yeah kpmg is better
overall, i prefer kpmg by a billion miles

Pls read my post very well before making your comment. I never said you dont work on weekend at PWC but they are more flexible. Only audit guys are expected to work on weekends and this will depend on the deadline agreed with clients for the completion of audit engagements. Other divisions dont compel their staff to do that. PWC allows their staff to work from home occassionally.

I dont think you are in a better position to say which one is better between the two. I have worked with both firms and I know the one I prefer when it comes to working condition. Concerning pay, you cannot compare the pay of entry level staff at PWC or KPMG to those of UBN or FBN like you stated in your post. That is very misleading. As at 2006, entry level staff at KPMG (ICAN path) were earning N2.1M and those not in ICAN path were earning N2.3M. So tell me how you can compare that to what FBN and UBN pay their staff?

otuwe:

what of PWC and KPMG

WHICH ONE IS BETTER??

I think KPMG is better in term of pay but I prefer the working condition of PWC. You will have to make sacrifices like giving up your weekends, especially if you are in audit at KPMG. Tax and BRS are a bit better. Though its not entirely a bed of roses too at PWC but they are very flexible.

I've worked in both places and that's my personal experience.

blunt1990:

UK is a different place my dear except you are a citizen. I personally detest working for people,''all paid jobs absorb and degrade the mind''. While I was registering a company in UK, I found out that except you are a citizen, you can not run a coy in UK except if you have £200k capital, I had to make my brother in-law who happens to be a citizen a borad member. If I break down my wage and bills here, you will understand why UK is not a 'land of opportunities'' like US.

I can categorically tell you that a £22,000/annum earner goes home monthly with about £1250 with average monthly bill of £600-£800 and personal monthly upkeep of £100-£200.

A £32,000/annum earner goes home with the average of £1700.

I think Nigeria needs me more than any country. There is a big gap in service delivery, utilities, in Nigeria and that happens to be my field and am going back to put in my best.

Sorry just a slight adjustment to the stated take home pays for the two income levels above.

£32000/annum = over £2000 if you dont have personal pension (Over £1800 with pension) - Pls note that NI deduction has also been considered

£22000/annum = Over £1300 (with pension) - £1400 without pension

KnowAll:

When i was still in the states, I had $25,000 after my first year straight out of college. This was after paying credit card bills that i incurred as a student as well as all my regular bills. My savings only kept going up as the years went by so enough with all this 250 pounds in your account. You can save if you want to.

Gentle man I am sure you did not save that $25,000.00 without completing your degree. So your capabillity to save that $25,000.00 in one year was based on you working with your degree. You could easily have saved the same money if you get a job in Nigeria with your degree from the states working in either the bankig, telecoms or oil and gas industry in nigeria.

You now compare yourself with myfriend who saved £22,000+ in 8 months doing his own personal business from an intial investment of just £2000.00 and he did not have to go through the rigour of burning the mid-night oil in college. Dont forget he has already settled his kids in a boarding school in nigeria and has payed 2 years rent for a property in lekki. The balance is the N5.6 million in his account. There is no basis of comparisim.

Do you henestly believe that your friend made that kind of money with just £2k doing a legitimate business in Nigeria in 8 months?

The kind of business you described in your post cannot generate that kind of return within the period stated by you. I would have believed your story if a more substantial capital in the region of £8k had been invested.

I'm not trying to debunk you claim but in the Nigerian situation that i'm very much familiar with, your friend did not tell you the full story.

I was in the same situation as you are about 2 years ago. My wife was not working and she had to go and take up a new job to enhance my chance of getting the visa. To make matter worse, she had about 40p in her bank accounts, though we still went ahead to submit this.

Fortunately for us, the ECO considered my ability to secure a job when I get to the UK as a mean of maintaining myself. I had about £4k in savings and some assets that I had to sell then and the proofs were presented to the ECO.

You have done the right thing by printing copies of the various applications you have made so far. However, you hubby will need to send a coppy of his employment letter and possibly a letter from his employer supporting his employment status. Though I think it rests on the either of you to proof maintainance ability rather than both of you.

Let me know if you need anymore info.

[quote][/quote]

9jaganja,

I'll sugest you get your fact straight before posting anything malicious.  You need to understand the difference between the Imams and the "Alimajiris".  The imams are religious leaders while the latter only do what they do to survive.

Do not make statement that will culminate into religious arguments.

[quote][/quote]

9jaganja,

I'll sugest you get your fact straight before posting anything malicious. You need to understand the difference between the Imams and the "Alimajiris". The imams are religious leaders while the latter only do what they do to survive.

Do not make statement that will culminate into religious arguments.

BollyAddy,

I beg to differ on the statement that one cannot use ICAN to work outside Nigeria. For your information, I am presently in the UK and i've been using my ICAN qualification to work since I got here. I have switched jobs once and that was about 6 months ago. My first employer did not even ask me to take ACCA. I am now working as a senior management accountant.

Please note that I am not saying that employers do not accord greater recognition to ACCA compared to ICAN but you can still break into the finance job market in the UK with your ICAN qualification.

Also on the statement that employers in Nigeria recognise ACCA more than ICAN, I do not think that is correct. Do you bother to look at the newspaer in Nigeria to confirm what employers usually ask for? I am sure the answer is "No". Please do not mislead people with false information.

The staff at Airfrance told me they've been instructed not to give any advice with regard to visas. They directed me to the embassy.

I will print a copy of the article on the cancellation and take it with me to the airport as I dont think most of the Airfrance staff and the immigration officers have heard of it.

Thanks for your advice

Thanks Funkybaby for your response. I am still using a Nigerian passport.

I have made several attempts to ask the staff at the French embassy here in the UK without success. The embassy staff are so rude and do not even understand their own immigration rules. That is why I have decided to post my question on Nairaland. Though, I have sent an e-mail to the embassy since the last one week and till now I have not gotten any response. Guess I have given up on them.

Concerning the cancellation of ATV by Airfrance, is it possible for an Airline company to do such? Or was the cancellation made by the French government?

I am planning to travel to Nigeria next month via Airfrance. I will be having a stop-over in Paris before proceeding to Lagos. I will like to know if I am going to need to obtain a transit visa to France before the trip.

I am resident in the UK on a temporary resident permit. I do not want to have the same experience I had in Amsterdam in 2007 when I travelled via KLM and was not allowed to return to Nigeria after my Schegen via expired. Please someone should help to answer this question before I make my reservations with Airfrance.

Moves - Thanks for your post. Sorry for not responding earlier as i've been going to the library to study. Clearly, i'm in a discussion with intelligent people and surely agree with what Moves said. It can be easier for you here as you dont have to know an uncle to get a decent job.

Debosky - My argument is that other people have done the same thing I did and have also come out successful. They even achieved what I did in a shorter time. If I had been privy to the information I have now when I just came to the UK, I am sure it would have been a different ball game. It is the lack of sufficient information about the UK job market that usually break people when they come to the UK. I was advised by a former colleague to take up a voluntary job when I just got to the UK to game some UK experience but I refused as I didnt want to do any work for anybody for free (a typical Nigeria mentallity). But most people are taking that path now and they are making it. A former junior in my university days even asked if I can set her up somewhere on a voluntary job for few months to enable her get some good UK references just yesterday. She even told she doesnt mind paying to have the experience for three months. I heard that some institutions like Kaplan, BPP, LCA, etc now collect money from people to find voluntary work for them.

The argument is that people are now realising the importance of taking up voluntary work when they get to the UK as no employer will be willing to take you up without having some decent experience in the UK.

By and large, I am not advising any body to relocate to the UK or any other western country at this point. The credit crunch is really having its bites on the ecomomies of these countries right now. I understand that the UK economy may not recover at all from the recession in 2009. But the job market may start picking up slowly in the third quarter of the year (2009). If you are applying for any tier 1 visa at this time, it is better to put it on hold until the economy start opening up a bit.

Wumiabo

I dont think you are getting the point i've been trying to make.  Relocating abroad should be individual decisions based on individual circumstances in Nigeria.  In the UK, there are Nigerians that are doing fine and there are some that are struggling.  The fact still remains that the proportion of those struggling in Nigeria compared to the so called "well to do" is increasing at an alarming rate.  

I was doing very well in Nigeria prior to my relocating but with all the big salaries.  But I never considered getting a driver to take me around.  I remember buying a car about four months ago (still wondering why I bought the car) and had to sell it due to the high cost of insurance, road tax, gas, etc.  It was difficult to even get a buyer for the car as no one wanted to buy.  It is convinient for me getting to my various destinations by public transport.

Have you ever had a medical emergency when you are broke in Nigeria before? I lost my mum because a government hospital wanted me to deposit some money before even touching her while she was dying.  I lost my niece because I couldnt get my car to my brother's house on time to take to the hospital due to the barricades i came across on my way (almost all streets have barricades for security reasons).  Is that possble in a well sturctured and organised country?

I still insist that people relocate due to various reasons, varying from economy, security, health, etc.  But whichever a person's reason is, should be done with the appropriate documentations (visas).

Debosky

I dont really understand what you mean by generalisation. I dont think my case can be different from that of any other person if we took the same course of action in the way I relocate and search for job in the UK. I was a qualified accountant in Nigeria and the fact that I got my qualification in Nigeria has not hindered my progress here so far. Although I recognise the importance of having a professional certificate in the UK but personally it doesn't bother me. Like I said in my earlier post, I earn more than most of my white colleagues on the same level with me. While i'm being paid at spine point 33, most of the guys on the same level are being paid at 31 and 32.

I am not saying what I did came on a platter of gold. I had to work for free for about two months to be able to break into the UK job market. And I never did any menial job as it never crossed my mind. Yes, luck could be part of the success story, but i'm sure anyone that takes the same or similar part will definitely achieve the same. I dont have English accent but I still make people understand when I talk


Wumiabo

I believe the key to being successful here is having your complete papers and knowing what you are doing when it comes to your profession. I have a friend who did the same thing I did when he came to the UK and he singing the same song right now.

Mind you, there are people in the UK that are languishing in abject poverty and suffering here. Most are illegals. I also have certain negatives that I can point out from my personal experience so far. The cost of leaving is killing. My monthly rent here pays 6 months out of my yearly rent when I was in Nigeria. And I dont remember incurring a bill off more than £500 or monthly basis as well. But I know i'm aying for comfort here (with the exclusion of the cold weather).

Why not ask your friend what he's been doing since he got here? Do you know what he's into? Is he in the UK legally. I have friends in the UK that are doing well, even though some of them work in Asda, Sainbury, Tesco, etc. but they are making attempts to better themselves by studying and not indulging in illegal activities. At least they make their money now rather than be asking their parents for money at 10 years after graduating or doing yahoo yahoo to put food on their tables. Ask these guys whether they prefer it in Nigeria to UK, and listen to what they will have to say.

All about UK should not be potrayed as negatives. Every country has its good, bad and ugly.

I will like to contribute to this thread. I am very happy that someone took the initiative to start a thread like this. As much as I agree with most of what the starter of the thread said, there are certain things that you cannot generalise as individuals have peculiar circumstances.

I have been in the UK for 10 months (i think it was 10 months yesterday). Although I cannot say it has all been bed of roses all the time, but I am still happy about my decision to relocate. I was a big salary earner before leaving Nigeria and there was never a time when I was leaving that I thought I was going to be an instant hit when I get to the UK. I have changed jobs during the few months I have spent in the UK so far and I get paid a lot of money. I am not saying there is no racism in the UK but I have never been a victim of it. I guess if you are a professional i your own field, they do appreciate it and give you credit for it. Presently, I am the only black person in my office and I earn a lot more that most of my colleagues that are white and with UK degrees. Please note that all my degrees were gotten in Nigeria.

Please do not misinterpret what I am saying. It is safe to come here when you have your papers with full right to work. I have seen friends without papers that languish in poverty here. Though, I try to help in my own little way. Contrary to what people are saying, there are people that can afford to accommodate others for an extended period of time without asking them to leave or pay rent. I have done that for people without having any people withem whatsoever. I still have two people staying with me and my family at the moment and my wife feeds them without ever complaining about them. When they have, they give her but we always understand when they have to take care of people back home or have school fees to pay.

To be honest, I sometimes think about my decision to relocate, especially when it comes to savings. I was saving more on monthly basis in Nigeria that I am doing in the UK even with a far bigger salary (more than £12k more than what I was earning in Nigeria). But when I look at the bigger picture (considering safety for your family, constant electricity, ever available water, spare time to spend with my family and friend, etc), I tend to convince myself that I have made the right decision. The only thing i am losing is a £200 less in my savings.

As I have earlier mentioned, it is not worth it coming here without your papers and ambitions. A friend of my started working with M&S when he got to the UK even though he has a degree in finance (he was doing well at the time). But after few months, he was able to secure a very good job. An illegal person would nothave been able to achieve this.

However, inspite of all I have said, even for professionals, this is not the right time to come to the UK. Stay where you are at the moment and make the best of it.

Let me allow others to say their piece.