Ensure your LinkedIn page optimises the right key words as part of your job search, the most obvious place is under skills and experience as consultants will use Boolean LinkedIn searches. Use the correct key words wherever possible.

I wanted to share with you a few simple but effective ways to improve your visibility online. These days good consultants employ excellent boolean search strategies and are always determined to find good candidates.  We are less reliant on advertising responses and particularly for specialist roles rely upon proactive searching of candidates via LinkedIn or key recruitment websites.  So if you don’t want to go to the effort of applying for roles, simply optimise yourself and you will be certain someone like me will find you!

These days most of us know about SEO (search engine optimisation). For years companies have been working out the search engine algorithms employed by Google.  I read a fascinating book which I would recommend named after the Goolge button, ‘I’m Feeling Lucky’ . This book gives you an insight into the early inner circles of the Google sanctum.

How does this relate to your job search?

There is a more passive way of finding a new job by ensuring your web presence is optimised! Firstly start with your CV.  If you place your CV on websites like Monster you are prompted to select your key words to maximise your visibility.

Make your CV SEO friendly

Consultants like me will attempt to hunt you down with boolean search strategies to identify the closest fitting candidate to our jobs. If you want to be found, just like your company website, you will need to be SEO friendly.

For example, if I am recruiting for Head of eCommerce, I will search under the key words ‘Head of eCommerce’ or ‘Head of online’ and so on.  If your job title is senior online and content Manager, I may not find you.

If you are looking for a particular job title, repeat these key words on your CV to ensure you come appear high in searches.

Optimise your LinkedIn profile

Ensure your LinkedIn page optimises the right key words as part of your job search, the most obvious place is under skills and experience as consultants will use Boolean LinkedIn searches. Use the correct key words wherever possible.

boolean, Curriculum Vitae, cv, Linkedin, online cv, Search Engine optimisation, SEO

Are you thinking about resigning from your job?

If you are, there’s a chance you’re focused on getting from your current role to your next. But I urge you to take a longer-term view; the way that you conduct yourself during the resignation process can affect your reputation and your contacts, two of the most important building blocks of your career. You wouldn’t want to ‘burn your bridges’ with a manager and then face them at an interview panel several years later!

Here are some tips to keep in mind:

• Prepare: As with most things, it helps to be prepared. Set up a meeting with your manager at a mutually convenient time, in a place where you won’t be disturbed. Expect your manager to take an interest in why you want to resign – be confident in your reasons and willing to answer a few conversational questions.
• Resignation letter: Take your printed resignation letter with you. Keep your letter brief and formal, and be sure to express appreciation for the opportunities you received from the company (even if you’re not feeling particularly grateful!).
• DON’T: lose your composure, be defensive, bad mouth the company or colleagues, gloat about your new position or slacken off during your notice period. Leave the meeting on a positive note – agree on a wind-down plan, which may include a hand-over.
• Social media: Save any constructive criticism for your exit interview, not Facebook, and don’t update your LinkedIn status until at least your first week at your new job.
• Buy back: Your employer may try to entice you to stay (also known as a ‘buy back’). Consider the offer but weigh it against the ‘push factors’ that led you to tender your resignation. It might help to bear in mind that 80% of buy backs leave within six months.

Overall, remaining courteous and professional will leave good communication channels open, even after you’ve left. You never know when your paths may cross again.

career path, Careers, exit interview, jobs, reptation, resignation, resigning

To organise a confidential chat,email Eleanor at ebarry@morganmckinley.com

Continuing from my last update on the Australian technical and engineering market, the industry continues to show strength across Australia despite the global economic downturn. Perth, South Australia and Queensland continue to have high demand for engineering professionals driven predominantly by the mining and resources boom while in New South Wales the specialist areas leading the way are infrastructure, construction and rail. There is a shortage of talent for the mid-senior level positions across project management, design and business development and candidates with international experience, a degree/chartered qualification and over ten years’ experience are particularly sought after.

There is no question that making the move abroad can be daunting particularly given the number of opportunities available and the diverse range of locations roles are based in across Australia. Two important factors to consider which can have a significant impact on the success of your move are the types of projects you would like to be involved in and the sort of lifestyle you are seeking. For example would you live in a remote location with limited access to social and leisure activities in return for higher pay, better benefits and interesting work or would you prefer to live in a city near beautiful beaches with great opportunities to build friends and networks for you and your family even at the expense of a few extra dollars.

Working for one of the multi-disciplinary consultancies headquartered in Sydney could potentially offer you the best of both worlds. Your family could be based in one of the best cities in the world and you could still work on a range of interesting assignments as you are seconded to projects based in Sydney and across the wider country. In Sydney there are a number of major developments currently under way including the Barangaroo development, the Southern City Freight line and the Port Botany expansion to name a few and many of the companies involved in these developments are also running significant projects across a range of locations around Australia.

So if you are considering making the move be sure you do your research and carefully consider each opportunity presented to you.

Lets us take the time to understand what’s important to you and ensure your move to Australia delivers all that you are seeking.

To organise a confidential chat, email Eleanor Barry at ebarry@morganmckinley.com

Australia, Construction, design, engineering, Global economic downturn, infrastructure, international experience, moving to Oz, Oz, Project management, rail, Skills, skills shortage, Technical

I read a very interesting article on the Accountancy Age website recently about the lack of female progress onto boards. The author, former PwC director Francois Moscovici, discussed whether the chronic under-representation of women on boards is a talent pool or company issue, and suggested ways forward. She believes more companies need to refine their recruitment practices, systematically include women on board short lists and better manage their executive pipelines – steps I very much agree with.

View the full article here

The facts and figures around this issue continue to be disheartening. According to Corporate Women Directors International, almost a quarter of the world’s 200 largest companies still do not have a single woman on their boards of directors. And the picture in the UK definitely needs improving. The representation of UK female board directors (14.3%) lags well behind Norway (39%), Latvia (23%), Sweden (21.9%), France (20.5%) and other nations.

I believe that increasing these percentages can only be a good thing. Surely greater diversity in boards will lead to more informed, sounder decision making? In her article, Moscovici argues that women lack the confidence and attitude to push themselves through the glass ceiling and that they will only apply for a job if they are 100% confident about their competence. In my experience as a recruiter I haven’t noticed a significant difference between the genders in this respect but in this current economic climate, perhaps a few more risk averse board members is just what we need!

Source: Accountancy Age, 12/09/11

Accountancy Age, diversity on boards, women on boards

As the economy hovers perilously above recession, the role of the chief financial officer (CFO) has once again been pulled into focus. Pressure is mounting on finance professionals to manage growth in line with controlling costs; to maintain a lean operation but also an agile one that can capitalise quickly on improved conditions. History has shown us that upturns can gain momentum very quickly and companies don’t want to find themselves on the back foot.

I would argue that the global economic downturn has affected the job descriptions of CFOs more than any other C-level position. The ‘to do’ list of a CFO in 2011 is very different to that of a CFO in 2008. The scope of responsibilities has widened considerably: today’s CFO is not only expected to be technically strong and an expert on matters financial and regulatory, but a strategic-thinker, a visionary, a leader. More a navigator of a ship rather than a chief mate, if you’ll allow the metaphor.

In turbulent times, boards tend to put proven, practical and shrewd performers at the helm. This is certainly something I have witnessed over the past few years. I wasn’t surprised to read in Accountancy Magazine that 54% of FTSE 100 companies have a chairman with a background in finance.

So, are CFO salaries rising in line with these added expectations? Well, it is hard to comment in the overall as there is such a range but there has been a noticeable trend towards incentivising CFOs within commerce and industry with bonus schemes. This is in contrast to the financial services sector, where intense public scrutiny resulted in the scaling back of bonuses this year and last.

CFOs are definitely becoming more prominent within companies and have ‘louder voices’ when it comes to top line strategy. We are seeing this trend – this shift in role requirements – trickle down to finance professionals at all levels. Companies are increasingly seeking commercial accountants with sharp business acumen who can add value and affect their bottom lines, rather than just operating as a back office or support functions. Accountants are now expected to interact with a wider circle of stakeholders, adopt more strategic mindsets and translate financial data coherently and accurately.

For these reasons (among others), finance professionals with good interpersonal or ‘soft skills’ in addition to technical expertise are now in high demand. The feedback I’m receiving from employers is that these value-adding skills will become even more important over the next 12 months.

But back to CFOs and a final word of caution. With all this increased strategic and operational importance, the weight on their shoulders will be heavier than ever. A number of CFOs have notoriously tried to achieve too much on their own and have become withdrawn from their teams, too reactive, overworked and consequently, ineffective. As the role of the CFO evolves, so will a greater reliance on the collective. CFOs will need to adopt more of an ‘open door’ approach than in the past. They’ll need to delegate more and foster their teams. No man is an island!

This blog appeared on The Huffington Post on 13/09/11

CFOs, economic downturn, Huffington Post

ICB Chairman, Sir John Vickers this week published a report which he feels will ultimately safeguard the UK banking system and separate the ’casino’ style risks the City has been perceived to be taking with domestic savings. Two of the main highlights of the report are: 1) ring-fencing domestic deposits and leading banking away from ’trading-book’ activity; and 2) increasing the capacity to absorb losses.

Ring-fencing

Separating retail banks and wholesale/investment banking divisions is a move seen to be protecting the taxpayer. The implications of this though are flexible and, somewhat murky at this stage as banks will be lobbying to understand exactly what levels of flexibility there will be. The fact that ’universal’ banks will no longer be able to cross-sell products to one anothers customers and in effect work in a ’third-party’ style of relationship will have a number of potential outcomes. This will also affect organisational structures as retail banks must now have boards of directors independent to investment banking divisions – in theory creating different company cultures.

This is one step removed from the separation of the universal banks, but in itself does also create opportunity. As organisations restructure, there will be opportunity for new talent to come in approaching things with fresh eyes and the potential to guide the implementation of the report’s recommendations and ensure the future rigour of the firm. We may see, new departments and role functions created to be the interface between the parts of the business either-side of the ring-fencing.

Increasing the capacity to absorb losses

Enhanced regulatory control over the sector is nothing new and it is important to remember that there are already measures in place such as Basel II and the subsequent implementation of Basel III.

The Vickers Report is suggesting that UK banks will need to exceed internationally agreed Basel III recommendations against risk weighted assets (RWA) to somewhere closer to 17-20%. This will have huge implications for the sector, particularly as banks are already struggling to raise capital in the current economic climate.

The impact of all this on the recruitment market may at first sight appear bleak, however there are absolutely opportunities for certain areas of the recruitment market to flourish through this transition period.

The demand for individuals with regulatory (Basel III), Capital allocation and RWA experience is already high and will now will go through the roof; creating more opportunities for people to enter this specialised area. As the importance of these functions is instilled throughout the industry, we expect to see more candidates seeing regulatory risk management as an area they can enter and continue to grow and develop their careers as the perception is they will always be in demand.

Summary

It is important to remember that this legislation will affect only the UK banks. There is a feeling that the Vickers Report could create a two-tier banking system. Banks that are affected by the ring-fencing will need to safeguard their staff from overseas banks operating in the UK as they will not be affected by the reforms. These firms may be seen as more attractive options to staff due to the comparatively lower amount of red-tape.

The next few months will be telling as banks will be lobbying hard to minimise the impact and cost of this legislation. There is still a large grey area in the policies outlined which will need to be clarified to ensure transparency throughout the industry.

The Chancellor George Osborne has vowed to give clarity on how this legislation will be put into place by the end of the year. Until then, we will all wait and follow with interest…

Banking, banks, Financial Services, legislation, profits, retail banking, Tax, Vickers, Vickers system

So now you’re fully qualified! You’ve passed all your exams and done your time to become a fully fledged chartered accountant. But what next?

With over 6,000 newly qualified accountants this year alone, what you really need is a CV that’s going to get you noticed above the competition. Here are a few tips:

First impressions count

Aim for 1.5 – 2 pages but avoid using large fonts, double line spaces, and eccentric type faces to fill up the space and make it look longer – they didn’t work at school and they don’t work now! Ariel, Calibri or Times New Roman, in size 11 is the norm.

There’s a fairly standard layout for CVs, which is usually:

• Name, address and contact details, plus visa status where applicable, as a header
• A brief personal summary, where you work, your strengths, your goals etc.
• Education details (e.g. university, school, A-levels, GCSE grades etc)
• Any language skills and level of proficiency
• Your work experience, starting with the most recent first and working backwards
• Personal interests and achievements

Show your personality

It’s really important to express your personality as this is what often separates you from other job seekers. This doesn’t mean witty one-liners, more that you should add some detail on what you do outside of work so people get an idea of you as a person. If you’ve climbed Kilimanjaro, or knitted a blanket for charity, then that’s worth mentioning and it will really make you stand out from the crowd.

As a newly qualified accountant, your CV is more likely to be ‘chronological’ rather then ‘functional’ which is more common at the senior end when you are targeting a specific role or company. Your employment history on a chronological CV should follow the traditional format of: dates of employment; name of employer; size and business type; followed by your job title; responsibilities you’ve had and any specific achievements in the role. Try to avoid short 2-3 word bullet points – a coherent sentence for each bullet reads much better.

The best CVs for a newly qualified accountant in practice should also include your top two or three clients and what you did for them. Perhaps it was a specific IFRS conversion Or maybe you audited one of your clients’ overseas entities? It really helps to give potential employers a good feel for what you’ve done and the types of companies/industry sectors you’ve had exposure to.

Check – and then double check

Finally, read it and re-read it to check for any spelling mistakes and grammatical errors. Get friends, family or colleagues to give it a once over too before you apply for a position, because once you’ve pressed send, you can’t get it back!

ACA, CA, cv, CV tips, exams, ICAEW, Newly qualified ACA, Practice

The Banker’s recently published annual Top 1000 World Banks report contains some interesting insights and changes from FY 2009 to FY 2010.

The report starts by highlighting that ‘the good times are back’, an interesting statement as it then goes on to highlight some significant issues for the banking system in Europe. Some of the differences in data when ranking US banks against European banks are down to interest rate changes – with the euro and sterling having depreciated against the dollar in 2010.

Particularly notable highlights for FY 2010 from the Top 1000 World Banks 2011 report:

•Globally banks profits are up 77% to $709bn – $80bn short of the pre-crisis peak in 2007
•Total Tier 1 Capital* for the top 1000 banks rose by 10.5% on last year
•105 banks returned to profit in this year’s ranking from last year’s losses – while only 14 have tipped from profit to loss
•In the UK, Tier 1 Capital and assets both fell
•Among the top 25 banks, all UK and eurozone banks slipped down this year’s ranking (except for Asia-focused HSBC)
•Only one of the top four Greek banks suffered a loss in 2010 – largely due to conservative underwriting and funding strategies pre-crisis
•China’s share of global banking profits has more than doubled to 21% from 2007 to 2010
•Japanese banks saw year-on-year profit growth of at least 50% in the financial year ended March 2011 (partly due to the Yen appreciating 11% in 2010)
•Asian banks are showing sustained outperformance relative to the most developed markets: 17 of the top 25 banks for asset growth are from China

As leading global financial services recruiters, we look with interest to see how global bank performance changes and what economic, political and legislative changes will impact the market over the remainder of H2 2011.

*Tier 1 Capital is a key indicator of banks’ financial strength from a regulator’s perspective. It is composed of core capital and disclosed reserves and may also include non-redeemable, non-cumulative preferred stock.

No tags

Do recruiters exist to send over multiple CVs hoping that one will fit the bill?  Or telling candidates exactly what to say to impress hiring managers?

Actually no – there’s far more work that goes into matching jobs with professional job seekers.

Networking
Good professional recruiters gain their reputations from being able to provide an overview of the entire market. Very few HR or line managers have the time or network to know who to approach, what their competitors’ hiring strategies are or what is being paid in bonuses at any given time. It takes constant research and communication with employers and job seekers to gain this knowledge.

Facilitating the process
Managers tasked with hiring can rarely afford the time involved in the recruitment process. They will focus on the selection process. So what makes the job seeker think that the company is an attractive place to work? How do they go about negotiating remuneration?  Who keeps them in the loop when there is a delay in the process? That’s where the recruiter comes in – picking up where the hirer just doesn’t have time, keeping the candidate interested and the process moving.

Specialist knowledge
In industries like banking, IT and life sciences recruiters will not go far unless they know the market. It’s hard to recruit a product controller for a bank or a java developer for a business intelligence company without understanding what the role involves and where it fits in the business. Employers are relying on recruiters to be well-briefed on market developments to anticipate demand and meet clients’ hiring needs.

Finding the elusive candidate
The best person for a job may is often not looking for a new role. This is the candidate that a business will rarely attract alone. The recruitment company however, is expected to know who is out there whether actively looking or not. They will do the research, make the approach and in many cases present their clients in the best light to a job seeker, making a job move highly attractive.

So, there are a number of assumptions and expectations of professional recruiters that actually require a great deal of research, networking, communication and negotiation behind the scenes. The fees attached to this work are a reflection of the hours involved in ensuring that an employer hires the very best person for their job and somebody with the potential for a good career with that company.

the role of the recruiter, what recruiters do

On last night’s episode of The Apprentice, both teams struggled to grasp the idea of the reinvestment task, whereby they were given a pallet of stock from a wholesaler to sell to the public. The real challenge was to make a profit by reinvesting in stock they knew would sell. At the end of the show, chatterbox Melody Hossaini was silenced by Lord Sugar when she became the latest contestant to be fired.

Over the course of the season we’ve watched Melody demonstrate some great skills; consistently taking big risks and putting herself forward as project manager.

It was clear that firing Melody was not an easy decision for Lord Sugar to make. Unlike the usual slaughter house style axing, Sugar commented, “You three have given me a bit of a dilemma to consider here”. Lord Sugar’s final line before dismissing Melody was “It is with regret, Melody, that you’re fired”. After Melody left the boardroom he said, “We have a woman of exceptional ability there I think, but it is a cruel process”.

Will Lord Sugar live to regret his decision? Like he did in the 2010 series after sacking Lizz over Stuart Baggs? Time will tell.

The advice we can offer:

Employers – clearly you won’t be under as much pressure with cameras rolling to make a decision on the future talent of your company, but choosing the right professional, no matter how many rounds of interviews are done, is always a gamble. Using an experienced recruitment consultant will  reduce that risk so always seek their advice and make sure you are working with the best.  Remember, a recruitment consultant’s success is measured by matching the right individual to the right role, consistently.

Job seekers - clearly Melody was talented, Lord Sugar thought so, and so are you, but often when you are up against competition that appears equally as good as you, it’s hard to not feel bruised when you’re not chosen. Learn from knock backs and work to gain more experience until you get that offer.  Be patient, confident and believe in yourself. The right role will come along for you. Trust me, I am a recruitment consultant…

BBC, BBC1, Careers, Karren Brady, Lord Sugar, Melody Hossaini, recruitment, The Apprentice