Competition for Accountancy & Finance Jobs Drives the Need for Personal Branding

Marketing Your Personal Brand

Personality Behind the Brand

Be Clear & Concise about Your Personal Brands Unique Selling Proposition (usp’s)

Market Research & Performance Benchmarking for Personal Growth

Analyse the Research Results to Build Your Brands Core Values

Your Brands Packaging or Appearance & First Impression

Another element of a good product is its packaging. This equates to the first visual impression a potential employer will have of you. It should make them feel confident in you and interested to find out more.

Finally, remember that if your true identity and personality is not at the heart of the brand you construct, this will show up in inconsistencies and under difficult questioning. So try not to over-claim because putting your true self in the best possible light is better than being all spin and no substance.

Written by Adam Tachauer of Circle Square - Financial Recruitment London

If you are looking for a Finance or Accountancy Job our dedicated career advice section or more information on our finance & accountancy recruitment.

If you're not sure which career move would best suit your skills and experience take a look at our Finance & Accountancy Job Profiles: CFO Job Description    Finance Manager Job Description    Project Accountant Job Description    Financial Accountant Job Description    Financial Controller Job Description    Management Accountant Job Description

We have also tailored advice on finance & accounting qualifications and career options - ACCA Qualification  ACA Qualification  CIMA Qualification  CPA Qualification  CA Qualification

Career Options - ACA Careers   CIMA Careers    ACCA Careers     CA Careers    CPA Careers

Our Finance & Accountancy Salary Survey 2015 is now available.

To contact one of our specialist consultants call 0207 492 0700 or email: enquiries@circlesquare.co.uk

How to Survive Redundancy

Despite the fact most of us can expect to be made redundant at some point in our career, it doesn't make it any easier when it's you in the firing line. These days there is no such thing as a job for life and many organisations are forced to downsize as the country remains in the grip of recession.

Use Your Redundancy to Find a Better Job or Change Career

While it's always a worrying time, it's worth reminding yourself that it's the job that is being made redundant, not you. Your skills and experience remain and many individuals use redundancy as a spring board to find a better job or change career.

Being Made Redundant Can Dent Your Self-Esteem

Knowing all this won't necessarily make it any easier. Being made redundant can put a huge dent in your self-esteem and leave you with the additional worry of how you will pay your mortgage and other living expenses.

The Right Mindset & a Job-Seeking Strategy

The good news is that the right mindset and a job-seeking strategy should bring you one step closer to getting your career back on track. Picking yourself up and moving on is never easy, but the sooner you do it the better.

Talk to Contacts

Don't be afraid to seek advice from colleagues and friends. There is nothing to feel ashamed of, as most people will have experienced redundancy themselves. More importantly, they may be able to suggest job opportunities or recommend you to their contacts.

Consider Re-training

If you've got a redundancy package, or have some savings, consider investing in re-training. You could learn new computer skills or train in something new. Think about what you really want to do and use the extra time to make that dream become a reality.

Rewrite Your CV

Now is the time to really hone that CV and make it stand out. Be honest about your redundancy and try to fill in the time in a positive way by volunteering and learning new skills. Targeted CVs are vital in the current climate, so ensure that yours is tailored for each position that you apply for. For further CV Writing Tips.

Sign Up with Recruitment Agencies

Cast your net wide by looking in the Jobcentre, signing up with agencies and searching the web. Take time to consider your options and don't rush into accepting the first job offer. For Interview Tips, Common Job Interview Questions or Career Advice.

Being made redundant needn't be the end of the world 

Many individuals find the experience can be a catalyst to help them land a better job, re-train in something new or even start their own business.

If you are facing redundancy, try to remain upbeat and remember it could be the start of an exciting new career.

Written by Adam Tachauer of Circle Square 

If you're looking for your next job opportunity?

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OUTPLACEMENT SUPPORT

If you have been made redundant and are looking for outplacement support, Circle Square now provides an outplacement

We are hired by companies who wish to provide an outplacement service to soften the blow of redundancy and also by executives

Getting New Employees Started

Day one in a new job is an important milestone for both the employee and the employer. You put a lot of effort into interviewing and finding the right candidate for the job, so it's important that you put the right strategies into place to make sure they're working effectively right from the start.

Integrating New Staff

First Day

Engaging an Employee

The best way to get a new employee on board is to engage them in the business. Set them an interesting task to do which gets them thinking. This would be a great way of having a fresh pair of eyes look over a problem or find a new angle for a long-standing client. It has advantages for both sides, as it allows them to show you what they can do whilst feeling a valued part of the business.

Working as Part of a Team

Working as part of a team is important in any organisation and it's best to start this on day one. If it's possible you should plan a team lunch. This allows the new employee to get to know everyone in a more casual environment and shows how they'll fit into the dynamic.

Lasting impression on Employees

First days make a lasting impression on employees and could mean the difference between them wanting to make a long-term commitment or looking for another role. It's important that you engage them and that they see themselves as an important part of the team.

Your New Employees from the First day in a New Job

Further Your Knowledge, Further Your Corporate Finance Career

Corporate finance careers are suitable to those with a head for numbers and a passion for problem solving. Specific duties can vary but those working in corporate finance are soon likely to find their niche. Whether it's acquisitions or venture capital, financial experts are often at the heart of the business, its strategies and its successes.

If you are Thinking about a Career in Finance

Looking for a new Job in Finance?

Looking for your First Finance Job & the Opportunity of a Financial Career

Prove your Passion for Corporate Finance by Demonstrating Industry Knowledge

If you're not sure which career move would best suit your skills and experience take a look at our Job Profiles. 

The profiles provide advice on the qualifications, skills and experience required for each career option. The job profiles also outline salary expectation, job responsibilities and career progression: 

M&A Analyst    M&A Associate    M&A Director    M&A Vice President

If you are looking for advice we have a dedicated career advice section. Our advice is not just generic recruitment advice we have tailored advice for each of the recruitment divisions we work in including: 

executive search, accountancy & finance, temporary & interim, Real Estate, private equity, capital markets & M&A. To view our M&A Jobs

To contact one of our specialist financial recruitment consultants call 0207 492 0700 or email: jobs@circlesquare.co.uk Connect with us on Google+  & Facebook

Join our groups on Linkedin: London Accountancy Jobs    London Investment Banking Careers

Have you Considered Quitting Your Job?

The old paradigm of a job for life, safe corporate jobs, a clear and linear career path and a guaranteed retirement plan is firmly in the past. However, this isn't necessarily a bad thing and new ways of working are emerging from innovation, technology and changing societal patterns.

At the heart of making money lies the premise that you need to sell something, whether that is a tangible object or a service. So surrender yourself to the notion that you need to create something inherently useful for the benefit of others in order to be successful yourself.

Quitting Your Job & Joining the Growing Number of Brave Entrepreneurs?

If you're brave, you may in fact just find yourself quitting your job and a growing wave of brave entrepreneurs are shaking up the status quo and doing just that.

The fact is that a new world requires a new approach. The middle classes are disappearing and society is polarising. Yes, more people than ever have entered the upper-class bracket within the past year, but more people have also entered the working class or at least they would have done if those tired and rigid old definitions still rang true.

Traditional Jobs Already Becoming Redundant

The other thing to realise is that people are being replaced by technology, temporary staff, outsourcing and a general move to productive and efficient operational models. This means that traditional jobs are disappearing and many of the roles we learned about at school are already redundant.

Additionally, money is not the source of happiness. Salary increases are proven to provide marginal increases in happiness at best, above a certain basic level. This is because most people will spend what they make.

The Ideal Business Model for Those Quitting Their Job for Entrepreneurship

The new model means that more people are working in a diversified range of roles in various projects, so that no single person has the power to take a 'make or break' decision to either fulfil or destroy your life dreams. This can't happen overnight, but smart individuals are already planning ways to seek their own destinies. Those same people are also seeking projects and businesses that will satisfy a range of personal needs, whether they are physical, mental, emotional or even spiritual.

The best advice for getting started is to set your goals. Work out your objectives and the daily practices you need to put into place to achieve them. Seek to create real and genuine value for someone or a niche group of people. Ask how you can help others and you will learn to help yourself.

Technology Changing the Face of CFO's

CFO's will take a More Strategic Approach in the Future

The role CFO's play within a business will change in the future, as they take a more strategic approach to the company.

The increased use of technology and the greater reliance on outsourcing will take away some of the day-to-day operations performed by CFOs. This doesn't mean that their role will become redundant. Instead, their remit will change. As a CFO they work within different areas of the company and understand exactly what's happening across the board. They'll now have the time to use this knowledge to move the company forward. 

As well as changing the way CFOs work, technology will also alter the role that IT plays within a business. In the past, a business was concerned about the cost of IT and how they could reduce this. IT departments will increasingly be outsourced, changing them into a profit-centre and making them more cost efficient. 

These changes will ultimately lead to better performing teams, as the business becomes more competitive. The CFO will play an important role in driving IT projects forward and highlighting the business benefits.

Data is an important business tool and a CFO's role will be to make this area more cost efficient. An effective data strategy needs to extract as much useful information as possible from it. A CFO will need to report to the business how this data has been analysed and what advantages it has for the company. 

These databases are among the most important assets a company has and it's very important to understand the exact value they provide. A solid list of contacts is vital for any business and could be used as a hook for a competitor to bid for the company.

Not all businesses place enough emphasis on keeping data secure. One of the challenges for a CFO is to show how important data is to the business and the impact it would have on them if they lost it. This could be due to anything from an earthquake to a hacker. Companies shouldn't have an over-arching security package. Instead they should implement varying degrees of security based on the perceived level of threat and the importance of the data. 

As companies look to improve their profitability, it will be the responsibility of CFOs to create more cost-effective solutions that will help secure their future.

If you are deciding which Accountancy qualification is best for you review our other guides - ACA Qualification    CA Qualification   CIMA Qualification    CPA Qualification   ACCA Qualification

We also have a dedicated career advice section and guides on your options with each accountancy qualification - ACA Careers    CIMA Careers    CA Careers     CPA CareersACCA Careers

If you're not sure which career move would best suit your skills and experience take a look at our Job Profiles. The profiles provide advice on the qualifications, skills and experience required for each career option. The job profiles also outline salary expectation, job responsibilities and career progression.

For information on our Finance & Accountancy Recruitment or to view Finance & Accountancy Jobs.

Our Finance & Accountancy Salary Survey 2015 is now available.

To contact one of our specialist financial recruitment consultants call 0207 492 0700 or email: jobs@circlesquare.co.uk    Connect with us on Google+ & Facebook

Join our groups on Linkedin:  London Accountancy Jobs  London Investment Banking Careers

The New Banking Reforms

There are two primary schools of thought. The first group thinks that the proposal represents a climb-down for Mr Osborne and that it opens up the topic of optimal structures for UK banking and creates fresh uncertainty for British banks in the process. The second group feel that this change will be largely cosmetic and the strength of feeling in this camp does clearly indicate how little regard the public now has for this beleaguered industry.

There is a possibility that the distant threat of break-up will focus the minds of each bank and provide a strong incentive to view the ring-fence in a genuine and serious way. However, even this change will mean little to the critics, who believe that both the Independent Banking Commission and the government should have pushed for clear separation from the beginning.

The problem is that if you believe that a ring-fence will be ineffective by nature, or that the government continues to allow the banks far too much leeway in setting their own terms, then you'll probably feel that the concept of 'electrifying' the ring-fence will make very little material difference. After all, let us not forget that even the world's most stringent ring-fence would not have been able to prevent the fall of Northern Rock, which didn't even have a 'risky' investment arm and instead had a basic mortgage and retail operation.

Written by David Archer of Circle Square - Financial Recruitment London

High-Stress Industries Take Their Toll on Body and Mind

Investment Bankers Health & Mental State

Large % of Bankers Turn to Alcohol

Many Investment Bankers Driven to Indulge in Illegal Substances

The nature of an investment banker's work is not sustainable in the long term and once the body has started to crash, the mind is sure to follow. Many bankers have begun to indulge in illegal substances, including cocaine and speed and these substances then trigger a need for over-the-counter drugs to reduce feelings of anxiety and prevent the body from crashing. Both legal and illegal substances can be very addictive, harming the body and mind whilst ensuring the user makes it through a day of work.

A Banker's World can Become Very Small

Investment bankers are by nature incredibly ambitious and will stop at nothing to reach the top or maintain a successful portfolio. A banker's world can become very small, especially if they only socialise with other people in their industry and never break ranks to enjoy their own downtime. The long-term health effects of continual pressure can cause personality disorders.

The blatant disregard of the need for a healthy mind and a healthy body are at the root of many investment bankers' main problems  A balance between work, leisure and healthy living needs to be attained in order for underlying issues to be addressed and not manifest as addiction or alcoholism.

Written by Andrew Pringle of Circle Square - Financial Recruitment London

If you're not sure which career move would best suit your skills and experience take a look at our Job Profiles. The profiles provide advice on the qualifications, skills and experience required for each career option. The job profiles also outline salary expectation, job responsibilities and career progression.

M&A Analyst      M&A Associate      M&A Director      M&A Vice President

If you are looking for advice we have a dedicated career advice section. Our advice is not just generic recruitment advice we have tailored advice for each of the recruitment divisions we work in including: executive search, accountancy & finance, temporary & interim, Real Estate, private equity, capital markets & M&A. 

To view our M&A Jobs

Part-Time Jobs to Finance Your Studies

With the cost of living and studying on the increase from year to year, more students than ever are turning to part-time jobs to help finance their studies. But is working while you study really a feasible option? Here is what you need to know if you are considering it.

Depending on the subject you are studying, you are likely to have more or less time on your hands. However, while a science subject might take up more room on your timetable, don't forget that if you are studying for an arts degree and only have ten hours a week scheduled teaching time, you are still required to do a lot of reading. Therefore if you are seriously thinking about getting a job, make sure you leave enough time for your studies. You will also need to be organised and as committed to your job as you are to your degree your boss will most probably not be sympathetic about those deadlines you have known about for months. 

Many Universities Actually Discourage Students from Working Part-Time 

Particularly ones with intensive term schedules such as Oxford and Cambridge. Of course, it is possible to look for work outside term time, but bear in mind that you will probably have academic work to do during this time as well.

The Part-Time Opportunities Available are unlikely to Enhance Your CV

If it is work experience you are looking for, most jobs you can realistically hope to get as a student will not enhance your CV very much. You can expect part-time opportunities in bars, caffs or call-centres mostly unskilled jobs and paying little above the minimum wage. However, it is not impossible to find jobs in law firms or newspapers, though these are most often internships which cover only expenses rather than offering a wage as such. On the positive side, any work is always good experience. Not only does it give you an introduction to the working world and teach you the discipline you need to work with and for others, it can be a good way of meeting new people and socialising too.

Many Student Unions Advertise Job Opportunities

Of course, there are some students who really cannot complete their studies without supplementing their income. If this is the case for you, there are things you can do to make it work for you. Many student unions advertise job opportunities, which are likely to be understanding of students' circumstances. Some opportunities may even be within the university itself, in the student bar, shop or library. There are also websites and recruitment agencies which specialise in finding jobs for students. 

Make Sure You Have an Excellent Work Ethic

Once you have found a suitable position, always make sure that you have an excellent work ethic. This means turning up on time and giving notice if you need to take time ofthing an employer wants is an employee who lets their social life and hangovers get in the way of work avoid this at all costs. The key is to be organised and realistic about what you can achieve.

Finance and Accountancy Recruitment - Interim and Temporary Recruitment

If you're looking for your next temp job - Temporary Jobs

To contact one of our specialist financial recruitment consultants call 0207 492 0700 or email: jobs@circlesquare.co.uk

Celebrate a Different Kind of Valentine's Day & a New Approach to Your Life & Career

Do you approach your life and work in a hungry way?

A New Way of Thinking About Your Career

Valentine's Day - The Perfect Time to adjust your Life & Career

Putting the Philosophy into Action

Valentine's Day & A New approach to Your Life & Work