Around the World: Surprise Goldmine of Jobs in South Africa with World Bank

Is an accounting qualification genuinely still a route into front office investment banking?

Back in the day, if you failed to get into a front office investment banking job (in this case corporate finance or equity research) as a fresh graduate, you still had options. The best one was to join a Big Four Accounting firm and to gain an ACA qualification. Thereafter, as long as you had first time passes and had achieved a good degree from a good university, you had a chance of achieving a job in M&A or equity research. [Scotland]

There are plenty of opportunities with the World Bank in Africa

When looking for a job, there is something to be said for aiming high. Positions that seem unattainable and institutions that appear out of reach may actually be within the grasp of a determined, resourceful and well-informed individual. [South Africa]

An international Islamic investment bank is looking to expand in the Middle East

For all the pomp around Islamic finance, it’s still rare that a dedicated Islamic institution actively talks up expansion plans, particularly in more sophisticated areas of the industry. [Middle East]

Expats bid farewell to top jobs at the big four audit firms in China

Talent localization in China has been given a boost with the recent regulatory changes announced by the Ministry of Finance last week. By the end of this year, Deloitte, Ernst & Young, KPMG and PricewaterhouseCoopers – which operate as joint ventures on the mainland – have to hand over control of their operations to their Chinese partners. In addition, firms have to be helmed by a mainlander within three years. [China]

Wing Lung Bank is hiring account managers for its new private wealth management center in Hong Kong

China Merchants Bank (CMB) has established its first overseas wealth management center through its Hong Kong subsidiary Wing Lung Bank in a bid to tap into the growing demand for private banking services from PRC nationals in the territory. And it wants to recruit more account managers. [Hong Kong]

It’s simple: financial services headhunting is no longer a lucrative career

If you happen upon a financial services headhunter, spare a dime, or two, or three. Things are not what they were. As banks cut recruitment, they are also taking a serious look at the fees they pay headhunters. In many cases, they’ve come to the decision that it’s just not worth it. [UK]