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Making yourself indispensable
Ever wondered how to make yourself indispensable to your employer? We find out how with help from experts at Michael Page and Robert Half
How to gain work experience
We look at some of the best ways to gain work-based experience in order to boost your career prospects
LinkedIn: gaining extra value
We look at some of the best ways to gain work-based experience in order to boost your career prospects
Profile series: Saw Leng Koh FCCA
Introducing Saw Leng Koh; My ACCA journey; An eagerness to learn; Guiding me through the ‘audit years'
From Nigeria to the US
Rotimi Diyaolu FCCA CPA sits behind a desk in New York City as the controller of Bellevue Hospital Center, the United States’ oldest hospital. He's come a long way since 1989 in Lagos, Nigeria, when his career almost took a very different path
Meet Raji Srinivasan
Since 1993, when Raji Srinivasan had just completed her accounting degree in India, she has got married, had two children, moved to Hong Kong, gained the CAT certificate, had several (good and bad) jobs, started her own company and, just recently, finally achieved ACCA membership
CV – showcase all your highlights
There are a number of key personal highlights that are frequently left off trainees’ CVs. Alex Miller highlights the most common ones – and why they are so important
The perfect balance
We look at achieving the right balances in your career and the reasons why it is so important
Skype: an etiquette guide
Leading recruitment experts bring you expert advice on the dos and don’ts when having a remote business meeting
Inherent ambition
When deciding whether or not to take the BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting, it’s time to think ‘Sir Alex Ferguson’ rather than ‘average Premier League manager’, suggests Amish Dudhia FCCA. Intrigued? Then read on...
Why ACCA? The expert view
Year in, year out, ACCA recruits new students and welcomes new members across the world, further extending its network of finance professionals that form a bedrock of support for one another’s career progression. Neil Johnson asks industry experts and ACCA members why the believe the qualification is so worthwhile
The ‘most difficult’ interview questions
We ask leading recruitment experts to reveal the hardest questions they have ever heard asked of trainees in an interview situation
Create a winning CV
You apply for a role, your CV arrives on the desk of the HR department... along with at least 100 others. What can you do to make sure your CV makes an impact for all the right reasons?
When did it all start?
Everyone needs an accountant, or so the saying goes. But why would that be? Accounting’s history can be traced back thousands of years to the cradle of civilisation in Mesopotamia and is said to have developed alongside writing, counting and money. The early Egyptians and Babylonians created auditing systems, while the Romans collated detailed financial information
To-do lists: regain control
We suggest a few easy steps…
Email overload
With the rise of mobile technology, apps for everything and a surge in instant messaging, you would be forgiven for thinking that email is a dying technology. You would be wrong
Balancing act
A better work-life balance is now a top priority for accountants worldwide and employers are responding to this demand. Iwona Tokc-Wilde reports
The view from the BBC
Stephen Bowen FCCA, lease accountant at the BBC’s Centre of Excellence for Accounting and Reporting, tells us about his career
The perfect social media profile
A social media profile that makes you easy to find and showcases your expertise (as well as portraying you as professional, skilled, hardworking and yet human) isn’t impossible to achieve, but it is attention to detail that will make yours stand out. If you are serious about the professional face you are putting out there, Adam Gordon, managing director at Social Media Search, has the following recommendations
The joys of problem solving
Many accountants enjoy problem solving more than number crunching. So what typical problems can you look forward to cracking at work? Iwona Tokc-Wilde reports
Meet Jennifer Michelson
Jennifer Mitchelson has a five-year-old daughter. She also works 30 hours a week as a planning and finance co-ordinator at the University of Sunderland. That’s enough to keep most people extremely busy, but Jennifer is also studying for her ACCA Qualification
Meet Martina Stromkova
We meet Martina Stromkova, a Kaplan student who works in the EMEA management reporting team at major multinational Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corporation in London
What do recruiters want from you?
Gain the insight of our career specialists to make it easier for you to find your dream job
Know your potential employer
Before applying for a job or attending a job interview, researching all aspects of a company is crucial to your chances of landing the job
Don’t get caught out
Any exaggeration on your CV can come back to haunt you and could cost you dear
Targeting ACCA membership
Achieving ACCA membership will be a mere formality for affiliate Nourihan Abdul Barry from Oman if the motivation she has displayed so far in her career is anything to go by. She tells us all about her current role, her career goals and why a healthy work/life balance is so important
Conquering career doubts
At some point during your studies you may question whether accountancy was the right career choice. Iwona Tokc-Wilde offers some advice on how to overcome the jitters
Cyber security challenge
Cyber threats are a growing risk to businesses, and cyber security is now part of the day job for accountants
Why job hopping can be good
We take a look at why it can be beneficial to keep moving jobs on a regular basis
A bucketful of career clichés?
Job descriptions can often resemble a list of super-adjectives over a page of endless bullet points. They can leave you feeling that no one is that perfect for a role, especially not you
Outrageous excuses
Recruitment experts can easily identify plausible – and less plausible – reasons given by candidates for missing job interviews
Meet Shahzad Jawaid
Shahzad Jawaid ACCA was absolutely determined to find the ideal job. Now that he feels he has, he shares some advice for current ACCA students facing similar challenges
Sustainability and accountants
What will a future in which sustainability is increasingly a business fact, as opposed to an option, look like for accountants?
Watch your timekeeping
We look at the importance of good timekeeping for creating and retaining the right impression. Alex Miller writes
Marathon or sprint
Leading recruitment experts discuss the best ways to prepare a long-term career plan
Meet Shamraiz Qureshi
We speak to Shamraiz Qureshi, a new ACCA member from Pakistan, about how he approached his studies and the practical experience requirement, and how he thinks students can develop essential employability skills
Identifying your strengths and weaknesses
We take a look at how you can take stock of your strong and not-so-strong skills sets. Alex Miller writes
How to avoid office gossip… and why
Nothing good is ever likely to come from involving yourself in office politics and gossip
What it takes to become a partner
We take a look at how you can take stock of your strong and not so strong skills sets. Alex Miller writes
Developing a career plan
Leading recruitment experts explain some of their best methods for trainees to consider when looking to develop a career plan
Sleep tight, study right
Sleep – we all need it, but in today’s get-ahead, high-pressured world, how many of us actually get as much of it as we really need, or try to get by on a little less than is probably good for us? The situation is further compounded when trying to combine work with studies
Mind the gap
We take a look at how and when to best explain any employment gaps on your CV
Maintaining your motivation
We explore some simple steps to boost your motivation at work
Enhancing your employability
It always helps to make yourself as attractive as possible to potential employers, such as through a sparkling CV, composing a compelling covering letter and knowing how to conduct yourself in interviews
Importance of company benefits
There are a wide range of company benefits on offer for trainees. In this article we take a look at the most important to consider
Job for life
We take a look at whether a job for life is much of a consideration for trainees any more
How to stand out on LinkedIn
LinkedIn can be a noisy and chaotic place – 313 million people all trying to network. So how, as an accountancy student or a junior finance professional, do you stand out in all this commotion?
Getting into finance
What are the paths into accountancy and what jobs could you expect to see advertised? Here is the first in a series of articles looking at key entry-level roles
Disruptive finance
The financial services industry is being turned upside down by innovative businesses that are changing the way we borrow, lend, invest and move money. Iwona Tokc-Wilde provides a low-down on the alternative finance revolution
Meet Apollo Ekelot FCCA…
Apollo Ekelot transferred to membership in March 2009, after having completed his final exams in 2008. Now finance director of ChildFund International, he tells us about the opportunities that have come his way since becoming an ACCA member
To accept… or not to accept?
We examine the fine line between receiving a gift and a bribe in business
Towards better diversity
Diversity is a finance issue – one that requires all the analytical, governance and management skills the finance function has to offer
The big data effect
As businesses are being transformed by the impact of big data and data analytics, the role of accountancy and finance professionals is set to change too. Iwona Tokc-Wilde reports
Different roles in accountancy
Today the role of the accountant is broadening even further and even more exciting opportunities are on offer
Turning negatives into positive
You can cut down on stress at work by managing criticism effectively, whether you are the sender or the receiver
Time for a new job
We take a look at the classic symptoms that suggest the time has come for you to consider looking for a new job. Alex Miller reports
Top tips for better handwriting in exams
We talk to a couple of recent prizewinners on the topic of handwriting to discover how easy it is to improve your writing and thus avoid losing unnecessary marks in the exams
Top questions to ask in an interview
We look at some of the most impressive questions to ask the interviewer the next time you go for a job interview
Big ambitions – starting your own practice
It may be just a dream when you are studying, but once you qualify you may seriously consider setting up on your own. Iwona Tokc-Wilde looks at what this entails
Have you got the right DNA?
Some of those who enter the accountancy profession aspire to become a finance director or chief financial officer one day. But what does it take to be a successful FD or CFO? And what does the job actually involve?
My journey towards ACCA membership
Student profile: Kerstin Benthack, financial analyst, American Express, London, UK
Powerlifting student
Student profile: Jo Whiteley, head of finance, Flair Rugs, UK
Making finance count
Many accountancy professionals play key roles in their organisations, roles that go far beyond the stereotypical perceptions of accountants as ‘bean counters’ and ‘number crunchers’. Iwona Tokc-Wilde reports
Keep fit for a healthy career
We take a look at how regular exercise can benefit your career prospects and productivity
Career development: working abroad
Why working abroad can work for your career
International study
Many thousands of students choose to study abroad and often end up working somewhere other than their home country. But what challenges does this present? How much effort should you make to immerse yourself in another culture and will it damage your career if you don't?
Why mentoring matters
Christine Sahadeo FCCA has enjoyed an eventful working life. Here, we discover how she has gone on to devote much of her time to providing the next generation of professionals in Trinidad and Tobago with their own opportunities to flourish
Business scandals
We take a look at what recent business scandals tell us about today’s business expectations, and the practical systems and practices that are now considered necessary to be implemented
Making the right moves
Body language is more innate for human beings than language and even facial expressions – it comes pre-programmed within us, which is why people who are born blind can use the same body language expressions as those who are sighted
Maintaining a work/life balance with the temptations of technology
For many trainees, technology has increasingly blurred the lines between work and leisure time. Alex Miller takes a look at how to manage technology correctly to maximise your work/life balance
Managing your online presence
Social and business networks are part of everyday life now and it is fully expected that anyone under the age of 70 will have an online presence (with an increasing number of over 70s catching up). But how do you strike the right balance between presenting a professional front and posting pictures of your Saturday night on Facebook?
Avoid the CV clichés
We take a look at some of the biggest clichés that regularly appear on CVs – and how best to avoid them
New routes to the top
The traditional career path is no longer enough. ACCA’s Jamie Lyon outlines the new must-haves for high-fliers
Being the best you can
You don’t have to have aspirations to be a multi-millionaire, globally recognised high flyer to learn lessons from those who are, and ensure that your work ethic helps you in your own career
Prepare to meet thy cyber-doom
The speed of technology change and the colonisation of the workspace by personal and mobile devices have allowed cyber-criminals to outsmart businesses by targeting their staff
Networking goofs and bloopers
By now, you’ve probably received quite a lot of advice on how to network but it’s sometimes easier to remember what not to do. Iwona Tokc-Wilde reports.
The pros and cons of temping
We bring you a snapshot of the temping market and find out what are the pros and cons of such a career move
What salary should you be earning?
Knowing how much the average salary is for a trainee in your country is vital in determining whether your earnings are up with market rates or not. We bring you a salary snapshot from around the world and several of the global pay trends and benefits. Alex Miller reports
Becoming a high-performing professional
What are some of the common characteristics of top performers and what steps can you take to reach the pinnacle of your profession? Iwona Tokc-Wilde finds out
Surviving a company merger
When your firm or company joins forces with another, you may feel overwhelmed or even threatened. Iwona Tokc-Wilde finds out how to cope during the crucial first few weeks
How to use social networking and blogging to find a job
Social networking has become increasingly important as a tool to help find a new job over the last few years. We explore how to ensure you can maximise the value of channels such as Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn
Fitting in
Corporate culture – ‘the way we do things around here’ – gives each organisation its unique identity. Iwona Tokc-Wilde explains why both employers and employees must find the right ‘fit’