Will I ever succeed...

[alittleworried]

...in a career in accountancy now I have a money laundering conviction?

I wont bother going into it in too much detail unless required, would just like clarification as to where I might stand.

Thanks

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

Do you mean joining one of the professional accountancy bodies with a ML conviction - I don't think I have come across that being asked before so for the ICAEW I would suggest a call to their help line. They will tell you their view on this I should think.

 

[Banned]

Oh come on, just joined and a first post like that. It has to be a wind up.

 

[captaincloser]

ML conviction ? Should get you a gold standard scholarship into one of the big 5 surely ?

 

[alittleworried]

Elaine - thanks for the reply, was just hoping to put the feelers out before making any calls.

No joke I can assure you guys. I made a huge mistake and I'm worried now it'll be with me forever, even though I've already paid the price ten times over. I worked for Barclays previously, took a few yrs off, went down the wrong road, paid for it and now I study a bit of bookkeeping. Numbers are my passion! Do you think a potential employer would ever even hear me out or would the CV go straight in the b1n file?

 

[elaine@cheapaccounting]

I think you can answer that yourself can't you ... in this day & age, in this job market, with the competition for every role - what would you do if it landed on your desk?

 

[hendyphilhendy]

I really think you should be looking t an alternative career.

That said technically you could probably set up on your own. With the lack of protection for the term 'accountant' you could easily set up and people would never know. Coukd you morally do that though if you are looking to be 'clean'

My advice would be to contact the accounting bodies and ask them if you can apply. At least get some qualification to back yourself up.

 

[captaincloser]

ML conviction ? Should get you a gold standard scholarship into one of the big 5 surely ?

Sorry, should have said Big 4. Arthur Anderson disappeared after the Enron implosion and fraud cases.

Only 4 left. But it would be a bit hypocritical for any of them not to invite you in

 

[businessfunding]

Sorry, should have said Big 4. Arthur Anderson disappeared after the Enron implosion and fraud cases.

Only 4 left. But it would be a bit hypocritical for any of them not to invite you in

Either that or perhaps a job as Government advisor or 'Guru'. They seem to get their recommendations either from TV Quick or direct from the fraud office.

More seriously, it will be a bit of a risk taking you on, perhaps you could get something 'back-room' with a smaller outfit to rebuild trust and credibility.

 

[alittleworried]

Joking aside, this line of work really is my love - I couldn't imagine ever wanting to do anything else.

In a nutshell, I basically committed a crime in another country (nothing to do with fraud, laundering, abuse of power or anything like that) and later got 'caught' spending the proceeds i.e. a money laundering charge under the proceeds of crime act.

I think we all know the various bodies would most likely turn me down but i'll perhaps contact them anyway just to put out the feelers. Could I 'morally' work for myself without ever declaring the conviction? Most definitely. What I did is well in the past and believe me i've learnt from what was a very young naive mistake - albeit a major one.

Would I consider taking on somebody with an ML conviction (or any other criminal record for that matter)? I would actually as mad as that sounds. Each case should be judged independently, a leopard can change his spots - i'm living proof of that.

 

[Tim at Tall Tanks]

For some jobs it is probably a good point.

I heard of an accountant who had reported his previous 3 employers to the serious fraud office. He declaired, in his interview, that if the new employer was on the fiddle, don't hire him he had had enough of it!

 

[KBFL]

Realisticly if youve made a misstake and you are sorry and paid your debt to society then yes I beleive you should be given a second chance.

But not to disclose such information shows no signs of remorse, and if anyone did find out it would be instant dismissal. I would think twice