Test Owner
As a Junior Manager I Told Bad Jokes
Heard the One about the Chicken Crossing the Playground?
Yes, as a Junior Manager I told bad jokes.
Lame jokes never leave us and such classics are still just as popular in crackers or on ice-cream sticks as they are in the playground.
What's interesting, however, is the fact that your team might actually laugh if you were to tell such a joke. But would it be because you're funny or because their success relies on you liking them?
New Managers
Many new managers fall into the trap of over-using humour. It's an easy thing to do as a junior manager as you're getting to grips with the notion of managing a group of people, some of whom may be more experienced or older than you. It's very human to attempt to cover a sense of discomfort with a liberal application of attempted humour.
So as you find yourself being promoted, you might also find that you start to get more laughs. And the danger at this point is that you start to believe that you're genuinely channelling some serious stand-up comic potential. That is until you realise that you aren't actually that funny at all and your team are simply forcing themselves to chuckle along to preserve their own career trajectories.
As a More Senior Manager
Many managers can become unaware of their standing within teams as junior staff begin to tweak their behaviour around organisational seniority. Most of us remember laughing hollowly at a director's tired old patter, just to seem interested and worthy of promotion. And as a more senior manager, it's essential to retain that all-important sense of self-awareness and the ability to interpret feedback in a genuine way.
First-Time Manager
When you become a first-time manager, the social cues that previously helped you to moderate your behaviour become increasingly less reliable. This is because your new position within the organisation will change some people's behaviour around you.
This applies to bad jokes, endless monologues about your over-achieving children and the 'it's fine' responses when you turn up late to meetings. If your team appear to be endlessly accommodating, attentive and responsive to you, then question their motives and review your behaviour objectively.
Rather than holding the room with your personality and wit, you may find that your words and actions are being discussed by your team the minute that you leave the room. In fact, the best and most experienced managers will severely limit the amount of time they spend joking and chatting with their team. They work hard to show respect to their staff by observing timeliness, processes and good working practices.
So how can you transform yourself from 'embarrassing boss' to a respected manager that people within your organisation aspire to work for?
Be conscious of the changes that a promotion or change in job title creates.
Firstly, learn about organisational dynamics and be conscious of the changes that a promotion or change in job title creates. Your colleagues will begin to treat you differently and your seniority and influence will mean that they need to seek your approval. If you're smart, you'll realise that the things they say to you may not always mirror what they are thinking.
However, that's not a bad thing in some ways as most successful people know the art of internal politics and discretion, but it's still something to be aware of.
Get feedback from your original peer group, who knew you before your promotion and who will have a more balanced view of you. They will tend to be more honest, open and genuine.
Change your social compass, so that it's guided by your own judgements rather than your team's reactions. Aim to be honest with yourself and assess your behaviour. Before taking an action such as rescheduling a meeting, ask yourself how you'd feel if your own manager did it. Put yourself in the position of your team.
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Goals - How to achieve your goals
I was asked to write down both my personal and work goals at work today. With a piece of card and a pen, I sat at my desk wondering why I was doing this. After delving into the depths of my thoughts and imagination I managed to write everything I wanted both in my personal life and at work in the future.
Why do we Create Future Goals
This then led me to wonder, why do we create future goals, do they work and how do we achieve them? Do they work, the answer undoubtedly is yes. Would you set out a long journey without knowing at least the direction of which you are going or your destination? Probably not! Goal setting is a powerful process for thinking about your ideal future, and for motivating yourself to turn your vision of this future into reality.
Setting Goals
The process of setting goals helps you choose where you want to go in life. By knowing precisely what you want to achieve, you know where you have to concentrate your efforts. You'll also quickly spot the distractions that can, so easily, lead you astray.
So goal setting is an important task, but how easy is it to achieve these goals?
Here are 10 ways to create and achieve your goals.
Good luck!
- Make all your goals real by first identifying and then focusing on specific, tangible targets for what you want.
- Maintain at least one clearly defined goal for every major interest and role in your life.
- Set your goals so they are directly aligned with your life’s mission, purpose and passion.
- Create goals high enough to ignite your spirit and inspire you to take action.
- Write down all your goals in specific, measurable detail.
Absolutely, unconditionally commit to hitting each of your targets.
- Share your goals with others for mutual accomplishment.
- Set a whole series of related daily, weekly and long-term goals, complete with starting times and completion dates.
- Take 10 minutes every day to imagine how terrific it will feel when your goals are actually realised.
- Take an action step toward the attainment of at least one goal every day.
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How to beat the other Bulge Bracket redundancies’ - achieving your next career opportunity
When there seems to be large amounts of Bulge Bracket Bankers being thrown overboard, or due to uncertain conditions talented bankers are jumping ship before being asked to walk the plank! Hence making competition tough when looking for that next opportunity!
So how does a Bulge Bracket Banker shine brighter then the rest of their talented competition?
Below are some very basic, maybe even obvious, but none the less top tips on how to be the most wanted banker paving the streets of Mayfair or Bank, the Boutique Banking havens.
Think of finding your next professional home like dating.
- You need to appear to be wanted by everyone, however not arrogant and aloof. It is also vital to be enthusiastic yet not desperate.
Keep your CV short and simple – advertise your achievements!
- Your CV is your promotional tool and your personal brochure. What would you want to read if you were looking at 40 CV’s a day – keep it relevant!
Ensure to build a good relationship with your recruiter make sure they have all the tools to sell you correctly
- a face to face meeting is essential for you. This will ensure your consultant will be able to talk about you with knowledge and animation. Remember that your consultant might have a very influential relationship with the client and therefore could be very beneficial when closing the deal and getting that contract with your name on it.
Register with 3 agencies MAX!
- This will help you keep tabs on where your CV is going and be certain to know exactly which company your CV is being sent too. If your CV goes out to too many companies; you can appear desperate and will eventuate in not receiving interviews.
- Demand to be prepared from your Recruitment Consultant before your interview.
- Even though you may be an interview genius, your Consultant might have that one interview tip that could put you that little bit in front of the rest! “It only takes a horse’s nose to win the race”.
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH!
You can never over research!
- Be Suited and Booted and have a good hair cut and clean nails!
- This may be seem obvious (so you have thought?!) – However a good suit is essential – this will also make you feel more confident and relaxed.
- Relax and be your self, show them you’re human!!
- People want to work with people they can get on with…. Simple!
Hope this helps you secure your next Bulge Bracket Banking Job! Happy interviewing….
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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
How to present yourself and your CV
- Many job seekers believe they are either too young or too old to be considered for certain jobs. The main reason they end up at the bottom of the pile is the way they present their CV.
- Those who present themselves as ‘up to date’ or 'tech savvy' WILL have an advantage, regardless of age.
- If you are worried that your many years of industry experience - or your complete lack of it - will submarine your chances of getting a job, there are a few things you can do to present
- yourself as a strong candidate. The correct contact information is essential.
When writing out your work experience in your CV, choose your words wisely.
A dead giveaway that you're less experienced is when your CV's content is written in sound-bites. While it's not necessarily a bad thing to be short and to the point in a CV, writing that's too short and punchy is likely to point to your age, especially if what you're saying doesn't detail a specific achievement. On the other hand, older job seekers are notorious for using verbose phrases in their CV’s, detailing the different tasks they've been responsible for throughout each position they've held
So…….
How to Write Your CV
It should be clearly and simply written and should point to true accomplishments. Keep it current and avoid being too formal with your language! Steer clear of old-fashioned terminology like something you’d read on an invitation to an evening at the bowls club. And don’t use Comic Sans or Times New Roman. This is my opinion, I'm no expert in the art of Typography but the use of these i generally consider to be a faux pas……they look dated.
With the rise in age of retirement and people looking to the older work force, your CV needs to be spot on more than ever! This is a blank canvas that could go on for pages and pages but these few simple steps could go a long way!
Wise men blog because they have something to say; fools because they have to blog something.
We hope this helps to present yourself & your CV.
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The 2013 Salary Guidelines for Financial & Accountancy staff
Circle Square Talent is delighted to launch The 2013 Financial & Accountancy Salary Guide for London and the Home Counties...
Previously, we have launched this document in mid January but due to popular demand by a number of decision makers we have agreed to prepare this out five weeks early. Please click the link to download the Circle Square 2013 Salary Guideline
We are also pleased to offer an online version as a requirement was expressed
Finance & Accountancy Salary Survey 2013
Key points about the Financial & Accountancy Salary Guide:
This is our 7th annual Financial & Accountancy Salary Guide
Each year we have reached a wider audience. Last year we reached 3,278 recipients
This year we expect to reach over 5,000 decision makers
This definitive Salary report is both more comprehensive and analytical than any of our previous salary guides and relies on more sources than in any one previous version
Our 6th salary guide in 2012 was confirmed as being used by 129 hiring managers for salary benchmarking purposes – if you do please let us know ·
This document is also downloadable from our Corporate LinkedIn profile
Please feel welcome to contact a member of the team on 02074920711 for further information?
We hope you enjoy the Financial & Accountancy salary Guide.
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looking for work... helpful tips
If like me you were in a classroom for the most part of the 90’s, a classroom in a fairly regular British secondary. In front of you is the remnant of the last teacher to take a Latin class in 15 years, a fairly stern individual . He's taken the time out of his diary to school all of the Year 11’s who are about to do their GCSEs in the art of job seeking.
You have done the tests and multiple choice questionnaires that spew out a list of comical answers of what you should be aiming for in life, cruelly as someone with size 13 feet the suggestion of career in chiropody only added fuel to the fire of teasing. However now it gets serious…
The Importance of the Covering Letter & CV
His role in this is to impart the importance of the covering letter and how critical it is to have a good CV. More directly related to our discussion here is the process he outlined – which mainly centred around building a database of companies you would like to work for, writing a cover letter and hassling each of the companies in turn until one of them gave you a job.
The Importance of Networking when Looking for Work
The realisation of late has been the game is still the same but the rules have changed. In modern uber competitive recruitment there now exists forums and events which encourage this interaction and ‘hassling’ under the banner of networking. Take away applying to agency ads, or to in house talent banks if you want to beat the queue, use the back door and get networking.
Even after 5 years of recruiting everyday is a school day at Circle Square Talent and we are not above having a bit of an open session on what works and doesn't from previous experience of networking with the view to encourage you to do the same.
Networking Tips When Looking For Work
- Be selective about who you need to talk and the manner in which the event is being held. Some events are set up as business card swapping exchanges others are more discrete.
- Keep in mind that networking is about being genuine and authentic and getting across who you really are rather than being just a cv.
- How many times as a recruiter we have invested that little bit more effort in a candidate that we want to help, the same applies as a jobseeker.
- It can be daunting the first time on your own, double up with a friend or support and to offer a different angle of your initial approach but don’t hunt in packs – that’s just plain scary!
- Follow through quickly and efficiently on referrals you are given. These are the lifeblood of your search and the ultimate goal. When people give you referrals, your actions are a reflection on them. Respect and honour that and your referrals will grow.
If you are a candidate looking for work at the moment, open up your options and take the plunge and start engaging with people it makes the difference for us and trust me it will for you.
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Our Finance & Accountancy Salary Survey 2015 is now available.
Rise of the M&A Boutique
Over the last 4 years we have seen the credibility of the ‘Boutique Investment Bank’ rise from the depths. Depths far far below the most snobbiest of ‘reading spectacle glares’, to a level competing and niching into a space previously owned by the all conquering ‘Bulge brackets’.
The classic boutiques such as Evercore, Lazard and Rothschild have grown increasingly strong both in numbers and ambition, taking mandates from the major players as they are specialised, competitive and provide a more honest approach to partnership. Bottom line…they care about their bottom line! Service is naturally better and the desire for longer term business is 100% genuine.
Another major factor to consider is throughout 08/09/10 top bankers from the traditional big banks have had to reconsider their future, having either being ruthlessly tossed from the comfort of bulging teams and pension pots or realising that the dream may be ending have sought out opportunities in more stable and growing organisations. Obviously plenty of bankers move across to Boutiques for genuine reasons (which are the ones we want), so the amount of talent on offer to these organisations has increased on a pretty big scale.
This has naturally led to the growth of younger brother and sister boutiques such as Gleacher Shacklock, Arma Partners and Greenhill who have become tier one organisations in their own right due to the calibre of not only the deals they are closing, but also the individuals they are retaining and continuing to hire.
Naturally too much competition is not healthy as Lexicon found out (present long before 2008, graduated at a similar time to close friend Hawkpoint) having recently been gobbled up by Evercore. However this is an example of the strength that boutiques are starting to hold in themselves, other examples fall in line with the previously unattainable Bulge Bracket Bankers seeing value in a move to one of these organisations. In the last three years your average top tier banker has been knocked down a branch or two in the sacred Bulge trust tree and realised, God forbid, they may just get better experience and exposure in a busy, highly credible boutique.
Circle Square - Financial Recruitment
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Venture Capital Jobs Real Estate Jobs Interim & Temporary Jobs Corporate Finance Jobs
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 Recruitment.
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Which Accountancy Qualification for Banking?
Which Accountancy Qualification? AAT, CIMA, CIPFA, ACA,ACCA
CIMA, the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants
ACA, the Association of Chartered Accountants
The ACA, Association of Chartered Accountants generally is broad in it's spectrum of study as it is one of the main providers of qualifications that underpin private accountancy practices which offer audit, tax and general accountancy services. The employees of such partnerships are required to deal with a vast range of clients, which means their understanding ofaccountancy and financial regulations has to be flexible enough to cover anything from a butcher's shop to a large housing association.
ACCA, the Association for Certified Accountants
The ACCA, Association for Certified Accountants produces a qualification very similar to ACA in its focus, with one of the main differences between ACCA and ACA being that ACA requires all students to be articled for a minimum of three years to guarantee that they are given the required broad range of training while studying towards their qualification.
There is no actual accountancy qualification tailored specifically towards the banking industry
However, in general accountancy skills are highly transferable. At the core of any accounting qualification is the concept of double entry, together a thorough understanding of current statements of standard accounting practice. All routes of study will incorporate these at an in-depth level. The guidelines for recommended accounting practice, together with the specific financial regulations relating to the banking sector, effectively bridge the gap between the formal training route and the required specific knowledge base within banking.
Effectively, therefore, all accountancy qualifications can be the basis for a successful accounting career in the banking sector.
However, due to the broader nature of the module bases and the equal emphasis placed on audit and tax when it comes to the actual accounting methods studied, the ACA and ACCA tend to be better choices than the alternative routes.
Written by Adam Tachauer of Circle Square
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Lease Accounting and the Impact of the Rules Changing
Proposed changes to Lease accounting rules could have a significant impact on resourcing in the financial sector.
Published in May by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the proposals include a requirement that all leases exceeding 12 months be included on company balance sheets.
Lease Accounting Deals are Likely to Change
Lease Accounting Proposals Finalise in September
Whilst consultation on the proposals ends in September, it is unclear what the final changes will be or the final time scales for implementation. Amendments to the lease accounting rules have been on the cards for some time. The project itself started back in August 2010, although its original proposals were rejected. Whilst refined and less complex proposals have been issued, there is concern in a number of quarters about their practicality and administration.
Proposed changes to Lease accounting rules could have a significant impact on resourcing in the financial sector.
Published in May by the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) and International Accounting Standards Board (IASB), the proposals include a requirement that all leases exceeding 12 months be included on company balance sheets.
Lease Accounting Deals are Likely to Change
This could lead to a change in the way that lease deals are structured in the future as companies alter the format of their leases in order to keep them off the books. There are a number of ways that this could happen, such as by reducing lease lengths or by using service contracts instead of leases.
Lease Accounting Proposals Finalise in September
Whilst consultation on the proposals ends in September, it is unclear what the final changes will be or the final time scales for implementation. Amendments to the lease accounting rules have been on the cards for some time. The project itself started back in August 2010, although its original proposals were rejected. Whilst refined and less complex proposals have been issued, there is concern in a number of quarters about their practicality and administration.
Centralised Approach to Processes
If the changes do come into effect companies are likely to need a more centralised approach to systems and processes for dealing with leases and appropriate software to support the new requirements.
As a result, the impact of the lease accounting changes are likely to be felt in a number of resourcing areas, including finance, property and IT systems.
Written by Marc Dewdney
Finance Sector puts Reputation First
A Recent Survey Finds The Finance Sector Value Reputation Over Profits
Any business owner in the finance sector or otherwise, who has suffered from a loss of faith in their company will tell you that maintaining a good reputation is absolutely crucial. The staff you employ, the investments you make and the marketing you carry out can all be more critical than you realise. Unfortunately, this often doesn't become apparent until you get it wrong.
Finance Sector Survey Findings
A global CGMA survey conducted by the AICPA and CIMA has recently found that 76 per cent of all senior finance sector professionals would be willing to sacrifice short-term profits to maintain their reputation in the long term. They said that this was because of the increasing demand for transparency, the greater use of social media and seeing what had happened in other firms that had lost their reputation.
Businesses Turn Down Projects to Protect Their Reputations
44 per cent of all businesses surveyed had decided not to participate in a particular project that would have brought them a profit because of the damage it could have done to their reputation. Surprisingly, despite the 76 per cent of finance sector professionals that understood the risks, only 65 per cent of their companies often or always considered the reputational risk and associated financial damage when making investments.
The Finance Sector Need to be Cautious with Social Media's Ability of Viral Reputation Damage
Almost a quarter of all the finance sector businesses surveyed had already suffered a reputational failure. The damage that can be done to a company's reputation is amplified in this age of social media. Whilst a word-of-mouth or standard media boycott campaign can be damaging, it is nothing compared to a viral campaign on social networking platforms.
Companies Need to Manage Risk by Monitoring Social Media
It is worrying that despite recognising this risk, many companies still don't monitor social media in any detail and they lack procedures for calculating the financial impact of a failure to manage reputational risk. Only 20 per cent use social-media feedback heavily, although a higher percentage used it to some degree.
The CGMA Rank Customer Relations #1
Companies that have strong branding, good customer relationships and are defensive of their brand image are more likely to put their reputation first. Every contact that a member of your staff has with a customer or potential customer can change your reputation. Respondents to the CGMA survey ranked customer relations as the most important, followed by employee relations and relationships with regulators and investors.
All businesses should monitor what is being said about both them and their competitors on social media. It is just as important to make sure that you know what your staff say about you because they can be your biggest advocates or your biggest enemies.
Written by Niraj Joshi of Circle Square
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.
Related Posts: Accountancy Graduates on the Increase The Areas CFOs Should Be Concentrating On Financial Markets Point to More Positive Future Job Market Which Accountancy Qualification for Banking?Increasing Pay Levels for Accountants Advance Your Career in Accountancy & Finance with Personal Branding
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