To get a good job at home, future accounting professionals may first need to work abroad, a new survey contends. Seven of 10 (71 percent) chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said international experience would he necessary for accounting and finance professionals five years from now. This is up from 56 percent in 2002, when the same question was asked of finance executives, according to Robert Half Management Resources, an international placement firm for temporary senior-level accounting and finance professionals, which developed the survey. An independent research firm conducted the survey, through telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs from a random sample of U.S. companies with 20 or more employees.

"The accelerating pace of globalization and the impending U.S. adoption of International Financial Reporting Standards will continue to drive demand for accounting and finance professionals with international business experience," Paul McDonald, executive director of Robert Half Management Resources, said in a release about the survey report. "Professionals who are bilingual and have had exposure to other countries' tax, compliance, legal and regulatory issues have a competitive advantage in the job market, particularly among the largest firms."

McDonald added, "Job seekers who are unable to work in another country can still enhance their career prospects by gaining an understanding of different cultures, languages and business protocol to better serve their companies and clients around the globe."

Robert Half Management Resources has more than 150 locations worldwide, including one in Syracuse, and offers online job search services at http://www.roberthalfmr.com

© 2008 Central New York Business Journal Provided by ProQuest LLC. All Rights Reserved.