Smart Move
Author:
Ronan O'Loughlin
The Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland (ICAI) has launched its new student promotional material under the title Smart Move. Smartmove replaces the Go-Far campaign launched by the Institute three years ago.
The new material, designed by the agency Atomic, reflects the new and changing business environment. Atomic was the agency behind the original Go-Far campaign.
The years of the Celtic Tiger are behind us and the competition to recruit graduates has changed with it. With its long established tradition, its prominence in the business community and the wide ranging nature of its training, chartered accountancy remains appealing to students when other careers seem to have had their day. The Smartmove campaign aims to appeal to students willing to make the long-term investment in their career training necessary to succeed in this competitive age.
The campaign colour, reflects both the solidity of the profession and the vibrancy of new opportunities opening up to newly qualified CAs. The arrow motif represents the continued dynamism and the strength of direction of the profession. The smartmove campaign will be the backdrop of the Institute's campaigning to attract the best candidates and school leavers over the next few years.
The smartmove material includes both a flyer and a more comprehensive brochure setting out how to become a CA. It sets out the differing roles available to the modern Chartered Accountant, the global nature of the profession, the rewards available to the motivated student and details on the various paths that trainee Chartered Accountants can follow to reach their end career goal. Commensurate with the times there will also be a smartmove.ie website.
The Institute is also producing a new training brochure to compliment the smartmove campaign. The brochure is being produced for students who want access to more detailed information than that contained in the smartmove marketing material. The intention is to ensure that potential chartered students have detailed information on the profession when making their career choices.
This is the first time the Institute has produced a training brochure per say. Previous material concentrated on either training in practice or in business. The new training brochure puts both routes on an equal footing. While training through practice remains the primary route followed by most chartered students, the Institute is keen to encourage both students and firms into the training in business route, reflecting the growing number of CAs working in business, financial services and industry.
The Smart Move campaign will be promoted at careers fairs in the forthcoming months all over Ireland.
Events include the Irish Times Institute of Guidance Counsellors, University College Dublin, Queens University Belfast, Cork Institute of Guidance Counsellors, University of Limerick, FAS Opportunities 04, AIESEC and various Institutes of Technology all around Ireland.
It will also be marketed directly to second level students through the nation's career guidance network. District society members will be encouraged to support the work of Institute staff by taking the campaign directly into local schools and second level institutions.
At a time when the job market is particularly competitive for new entrants and in the post Celtic Tiger environment, students need to be made aware of Chartered Accountancy as a 'smart' career choice.
Smartmove is the answer!