Product control specialists in hot demand

The current shortage of candidates with product control skills has led to increased salaries as well as investment banks looking offshore for applicants.

To be suitable, applicants will already have equity product accounting experience - and it doesn't matter if firms have to search overseas for this skill set.

In terms of entry level positions, appropriate candidates have sound accounting skills or come from a chartered accounting background. Moving up the ladder, a definite career path emerges in product control and specialists in this sector are rewarded for their skills.

Sian Morris from Sydney-based headhunting firm Ambition Careers is currently looking to place an equity product accountant, and she says that these types of roles are "reasonably niche-like".

"A senior manager, responsible for an equities product control team, can earn a base salary of A$130,000 upwards, plus bonus," says Morris.