Tag Archive for Careers

An Average Day in the Shoes of a Banker

January 7, 2015 Money Management No comments
Banker

BankerIt is all very well to say that you?re pursuing a career in banking, finance or accounting. However, when you graduate or are at the brink of leaving?business school, things can get a little challenging. It can help to have a good understanding of the amount of work you will be actually doing and the nature of your role in the organization. Graduates often wonder whether they will be working hard day and night for an impressive paycheck or simply reading reports for most of the day.

Take a look at several happenings in a routine banker?s day to better comprehend what you will be doing when you step into the workforce.

Starting the Day As A Banker

Even before you head to work there are likely going to be emails to check, research to do and reports to hand in at times. Mornings start bright and early when you correspond via email to the senior managers whom you report to. Soon after you might need to head off to the office where you will have time to grab coffee or breakfast after which you will engage with other analysts. Possible discussions could include work complications and how to deal with them as you manage team members.

Keeping a check on production and updating the Directors and Vice Presidents could also potentially be a role you have. There will be tasks that include following the running of a business model and adding or altering impending acquisition goals.

Mid Morning

Conference calls that involve live deals in progress with senior bankers from the industry may be next. You’ll likely need to equip yourself with the knowledge needed to lead discussions over those deals. Projecting particular items to the clients and deciding on deadlines along with discussing potential issues bound to arise are all routine workings.

Afternoon

After a quick break for lunch, you will have to update presentations and reports that are due. Your associate can check them before distributing them to managers. Since your first year out of business school will have been as an associate, you will be accustomed to their way of thinking and foresee any issues they might have. However after a few years you will have the experience necessary to start looking at becoming an investment analyst?or some other similar role.

Early Evening

At every point in an average work day you will have to keep your seniors in the loop and co-ordinate with your co-workers and juniors about the progress on multiple clients and profiles. If everything looks like it is running smoothly, you’ll want to make sure to watch it through to completion.

The truth is that there will be days when work-life will be bustling with tasks to complete, presentations to make and reports to read. However, there are sure to be other days when there will be time for three hour lunch breaks or working on other tasks you find more enjoyable.? Life on the scene of banking in Singapore?is sure to be exciting at every point as you strive to make it big in the thoroughly rewarding field.

 

 

Photo courtesy of: Omar Barcena

Why You May Want to Consider A Career in Accounting

September 15, 2014 Lifestyle No comments
Accounting

AccountingThere is no denying the fact that the job climate over the past ten or so years has been anemic at best. It goes back to a number of reasons really, but the simple fact is that the job climate has not been hot. This presents a number of problems, one of which is what career option to choose from. This can be especially difficult for those entering college and trying to determine what fits them best.

One option to consider, especially if you’re good with numbers or are analytical in nature is a career in accounting. I know that being an accountant may not be a dream job and may not leave much option outside of the traditional work week?but there are quite a number of routes you can take by pursuing a career as an accountant. Those are roles such as tax professionals, auditors and plain accountants to name a few. In fact, an accounting degree has been named as one of the most sought after degrees by employers over the past several years. Beyond that, below are some other reasons why a career in accounting could be a good option to consider.

Much like other careers, you will need an accounting degree to start in this industry. The good news, however, is that this degree can be earned entirely online in your free time. This means that you will not have to quit your current job to start working towards your degree, which can help you to avoid debt as you pursue your goals. Once you have your accounting degree, you can even earn an advanced degree on the subject online, giving you the chance to advance in the industry very quickly once you get started.

You Don’t Have to Be an Expert to Get A Job

When I was in the work force one of the things I continued to see was that employers, or at least the ones I was interviewing with, were wanting people with experience. In fact, many told me they were looking for subject matter experts. I get that on many levels, but it can hold people back in some career fields.

That is not necessarily the case with being an accountant. Yes, you won’t be getting a six figure job managing the accounting department right out of school, but there are generally a good number of options available that will help get you the experience needed in order to move up within your career. It might mean you start out as an Accounting Assistant in some cases, but with some time you can gain the experience needed to move up.

Most Companies Need Accountants

Part of what makes a career in accounting a good option is many, if not most companies, have need for those with experience or knowledge. ?The question then becomes where do you go to find a job as an accountant – to which I’d direct most to look online for job boards that specialize in financial services careers. Most companies today post their job openings on job boards enabling you to search by location or career focus. On sites like?JobTonic.com?you can search via region or focus as well as upload a resume. Just make sure to highlight your skills and experience in the resume and, of course, make sure it’s free from error. Going back to the need aspect, that can only create more demand for those with experience especially if you have a specialization in one area.

Professional tasks and duties

The main task of an accountant, generally speaking, is to look over the financial reports, public records and ensure that all the taxes and paid on time. Of course, these duties may vary from one firm to another because each of them has its own specific circumstances as well as areas that handle more specialized functions. The good thing is that with a little experience you can determine what specific focus you want to take in your career which will in turn allow you to make even more money.

 

 

Photo courtesy of: 401kcalculator