Five accountancy stereotypes you need to stop believing

Five accountancy stereotypes you need to stop believing by Michael Cheary Think a career in accountancy is boring? Think again…From teaching to banking, many professions have stereotypes that they just can’t shake. But these misconceptions aren’t just misleading â€" they might be putting you off pursuing a career you’d actually love.We spoke to Kaplan Financial, one of the UK’s leading course providers, to clear up five of the biggest accountancy stereotypes â€" and why you need to stop believing them:It’s boring…In a recent survey, 44% of Brits voted accountancy the UK’s most boring profession.This placed it well ahead of other jobs, such as HR Manager and Business Consultant (12% and 9% respectively), but it’s an opinion heavily informed by stereotypes.Common misconceptions include the idea that accountancy is all about maths, spreadsheets and taxes, while researchers from the City University of Hong Kong found that the technical language used by Accountants is partly responsible for this ‘boring’ reputatio n.However, 4 out of 5 Accountants would actually recommend a career in the industry to a friend.And with the opportunity to work on everything from high profile fraud cases to blockbuster movies, a job in accountancy can be anything but dull.It’s a dead-end job…Accountancy is often seen as a job that you’re stuck with for life.However, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, accountancy was seen as the best profession for career advancement for jobs in London and the South-East â€" the areas with the most people working in the industry.And it isn’t just jobs with the ‘Big Four’ that allow you to grow. Accountants could find themselves advising CEOs on national product launches, forecasting costs for big building projects, and everything in between. Many even go on to start their own business, or work for companies on a freelance basis.So whether you want to become self-employed, help promote the latest iPhone, or build a brand new Ferrari, it’s all p ossible in accountancy.It doesn’t pay much… OK, but once you’re qualified your pay won’t increase too much, right? Wrong.Although Brits believe Business Consultants earn the most money, an Accountant’s average salary is far above their well-paid peers (earning an average of £51,868 vs. £44,830).And you don’t stop earning once you hit a certain level. With further training, such as CIMA or ACCA, and the right level of experience, you could specialise in one particular area â€" and see your salary jump well beyond £60,000 per year.So if you’re looking for a lucrative position with no ceiling to what you can earn, this could be the career for you.It’s too competitive…A lot of people might be put off of accountancy because the industry seems difficult to break into.But the fact is, all businesses need to keep accounts â€" no matter what size they are. So not only is it one of the safest careers in terms of job security, it’s also one that comes with a large number of available opportunities when it comes to finding something new.And it isn’t just open to those with a degree or many years’ worth of experience.Everyone from a recent school leaver, right through to a career changer with no financial experience, could find a career as an Accountant.All you need is the right mindset, and a willingness to learn.It takes too long to get qualified… Finally, some employers may look for certain certifications before you get started. But that doesn’t mean that the career is out of your reach.Some accountancy qualifications, such as AAT Foundation, can take less than a year to complete â€" and can even be studied part-time, meaning you can fit your learning around your busy schedule.Once you’ve completed your course, you’ll then be able to apply for Trainee Accounting Technician and Accountant Assistant roles right away, with the potential to earn a salary of around £20,000.And with dedicated tutors to help you stay on track, and flexible p ayment options to suit your budget, there really aren’t any excuses not to give a career in accountancy a try.To find out more about a career in accountancy, talk to Kaplan today.Kaplan Financial are the UK leader in financial, accountancy and business training. Their mission is to help individuals achieve their goals and realise their potential.  Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features What job suits me?

Personal Brands Dont Pack More Than You Can Carry - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands Don’t Pack More Than You Can Carry - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career According to Sunday’s New York Times, the new CEO at Xerox does her own grocery shopping and most of her own household chores. Ursula Burns flies on the corporate jet, but she parks her car in the parking lot and carries her own bags. This is an extraordinary person. Reared by a single mother, along with her brother and sister, CEO Burns reports there was a lot of life learning to be had in their home. Her mom took in laundry to pay the rent and cleaned doctors’ offices to barter for their medical care. Ms Burns recalls that her mother had many sayings; mostly blunt ones that she repeated over and over to ingrain their refrain in her children’s brains. “Where you are is not who you are. Don’t act like you’re from the gutter, because you live in a place that’s really close to the gutter.” Wow. Personal brands, answer these questions: So what baggage are you carrying around? Where does your behavior say you’re from? Have you gracefully risen above the shortcomings and scarcity, or indulgence and extravagance, of your childhood? When is the expiration date on the claim you’re a victim of whatever bad, even really bad happened, that you survived? Among the best qualities CEO Burns appears to have is a brutal truth filter in her brain. On her climb up the ladder, she has listened to top management declare one new initiative after another (or again and again) while not holding anyone accountable. She calls the lack of productive conflict “terminal niceness.” Loosely translated that means people being so conflict averse that the culture kills the organization. Her personal brand is characterized by honesty, ambition (for her company and herself) and cooperation. Personal brands: how about you? Do you tell yourself the brutal truth? Are you holding yourself accountable for stating goals but straying from them? Is your behavior killing your chances for success? Of course, CEO Burns didn’t leapfrog to her position. She studied mechanical engineering as both an undergrad and graduate student. She joined Xerox as a summer intern, three decades ago. Take heart: she proves that internships are a great way to the CEO sphere. Oh, and one last thing. Contrary to what other CEOs have been saying lately: CEO Burns doesn’t like failure. In fact, she doesn’t even allow for it, because if you do: it happens. Personal brands: ask yourself the hard questions. Do the hard work. And, don’t pack more than you can carry. Author: Nance Rosen is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen.

Personal Brands Are More Successful in Diverse Teams - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Personal Brands Are More Successful in Diverse Teams - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Today, I spoke with Scott E. Page, who is a professor at Michigan and is extremely knowledgeable when it comes to diversity. For the benefit of my blog readers, I asked Scott a lot of questions on how diversity in teams is crucial to building a strong personal brand. One of the main conclusions youll see is that if you supplement your skills with a diverse team, you will be able to solve problems faster and smarter. Scott, what is the real power in diversity? I think everyone recognizes that solving hard problems and anticipating the future in a complex world requires enormous cognitive capacity. Given a cognitive task, we have two options: we can hope one person has the ability to accomplish it we can choose to rely on a team or a collection of people As the task becomes harder, the team or collection becomes the better choice. Why? Diversity. Each person brings a unique set of tools, representations, and heuristics to bear on a problem. The value of diversity should be obvious: if you have cognitive diverse people, you have more tools to bring to bear. To see diversity as having pragmatic benefits much in the same way that we see ability as useful. What are the pitfalls of having a small business, where everyone has similar skills and personalities? Common personalities arent necessarily bad. They can allow people to feel comfortable and to interact easily. The problem with skill homogeneity though is crucial. If all the employees went to the same school, had the same major, belong to the same identity group, etc.. theyre likely to see the world the same way and, though that helps with communication, it means theyll have common blind spots and get stuck on the same suboptimal solutions. Rarely will people say I wouldnt have thought of that. If youre not saying that at work, your firm isnt diverse enough. Why can teams of people find better solutions than individuals working independently? A team brings multiple ways of seeing a problem. If one person gets stuck, another person can often see a path to a solution. Further, different people know different tricks, different rules of thumb. This enables diverse teams to locate better solutions and to locate them faster. Theres a ton of evidence that diverse teams produce more solutions. This stems from these differences in seeing and thinking. Personal brands dont scale but corporations do. Do you believe this statement to be correct? Why? Im not sure. Its an interesting question and something Ill chew on. Ill have to ask some people with different experiences than me and see what they think. Twenty years ago, I would have agreed but now I think that Oprah has scaled. Would you rather have someone with an enormous IQ or a diverse group of people working together? Should individuality and creativity be celebrated in the workplace? It depends on the problem. First, Im not a huge fan of IQ as a measure, but heres a brief take. If the task is conjunctive if everything has to be connected in a coherent whole if I need someone to write a novel or to write advertising copy I might go with the solitary genius. If the task can be broken into parts to some extent, if solutions to one part of the problem lets saying making the engine more efficient can be done independently of other parts lets say designing the dashboard, then give me the team any day. Scott E. Page is professor of complex systems, political science and economics at the University of Michigan. He also is a senior research scientist at Michigan’s Institute for Social Research and associate director of the Center for the Study of Complex Systems. He researches how diversity improves performance and decision making, when ‘diversity’ means what we look like on the outside, rather than what we look like withinâ€"the tools and abilities that make each of us unique. He is the author of The Difference: How the Power of Diversity Creates Better Groups, Firms, Schools, and Societies, about how we think in groups and why collective wisdom works.

The Most Dangerous Person in Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

The Most Dangerous Person in Business - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Do you know this person? He has one idea. It might have been a good idea awhile back. It might be a reasonable place to begin thinking about solving a problem. But, when you boil it down, one idea makes for lousy problem-solving. It makes for a lousy workplace. That one idea person might be your boss. The Boss’ Way This is how we open mail. This is how we send out invoices. This is how we interact with vendors. This is how we eat a sandwich. I actually watched the principal of my elementary school teach the entire student body how to eat a sandwich at a school assembly. “You take a bite from either end and then the yummy one in the middle.” Even at eight years old, I knew this guy was a control freak (I just didn’t know the term). Obviously, the scene still haunts me. There’s nothing more disempowering than having to do things one way. It narrows the opportunity for growth, productivity, agile competitive actions and fun. The one way or the highway approach is definitely is a joy-killer. Are You the Boss of You? You might have one idea about work, like the kind of work you’d like to do. Geographically, where you want to work. The size of the company. The type of company. The pay. The work alone at home or work in a skyscraper, Don Draper style. Maybe you have piled up a lot of student loans, studying to do that one thing, learning the way you thought you would always want to do that thing. You invested a lot financially, psychologically and personally. Maybe you devoted yourself to Engineering. Anthropology. Business. Journalism. Fashion. Accounting. In our society, we reward people for being single-minded. We call it laser-focus. We believe all go-getters needle nose their way through the pinhole that is uber success. They have their eyes on the prize. They run the race as the crow flies, without detours. They miss the backpacking through Europe and the street food in Asia. But, they got where they landed in record time. But, then they began to suspect there was more to life than the way they were living it. That’s an awful penalty. And, living out the one idea way is a tough road, even if the destination made sense at one point in time. It narrows the opportunity for growth, productivity, agile competitive actions and fun. The one way or the highway approach to work is definitely is a joy-killer. Yup, just like the one-idea boss. The Remedy For the One Idea Try the second best idea. Then the third. Fourth and so on. Make a list of what you might do. Write it all the way down to the least logical thing. That might be astronaut. Or fire eater. Or accountant. Or fashion blogger. Don’t be afraid to be ridiculous. Make yourself laugh. Then, post the list where you can see it and let your brain go to work. See if you can unstick yourself from where you are, and take the journey to where you might better belong. Repeat as necessary. Author: Nance Rosen  is the author of Speak Up! Succeed. She speaks to business audiences around the world and is a resource for press, including print, broadcast and online journalists and bloggers covering social media and careers. Read more at NanceRosenBlog. Twitter name: nancerosen

Marc and Mark Answer Listener Questions [Podcast] - Career Pivot

Marc and Mark Answer Listener Questions [Podcast] - Career Pivot Episode 76 â€" Mark Anthony Dyson of The Voice of the Jobseeker joins Marc Miller to read and respond to listener questions Description: In this episode, Marc works with his friend and fellow podcaster Mark Anthony Dyson to answer the questions on the minds of listeners of both their shows. Along the way, they share stories about themselves and others. Key Takeaways: [:48] Marc welcomes you to episode 76 of the Repurpose Your Career podcast. Marc invites you to share this podcast with like-minded souls. Please subscribe, share it on social media, write an honest iTunes review, or tell your neighbors and colleagues. [1:18] Next week, Marc teams up with Joe Harper, the Executive Director of The Texas State Small Business Development Center. The episode will be the audio portion of a webinar they did together for the Career Pivot community on how to use your Small Business Development Center â€" a free, hidden gem in many U.S. communities. [2:02] This week’s show is the QA episode, with Mark Anthony Dyson of the Voice of Jobseekers podcast. Together, Marc and Mark answer listener questions. To get your question on a show click on the Contact Me button at CareerPivot.com or use the voicemail tab on the right side to record your question to play on the show. [2:36] Marc welcomes Mark Anthony Dyson. Both host’s shows made the Mac’s List Top Career Podcasts list. They discuss Marc’s episode with Alexander Buschek and Marc’s pivots that led to CareerPivot.com. Download Link |iTunes|Stitcher Radio|Google Podcast|Podbean|TuneIn|Overcast [4:59] Q1: How do you break out of a job search rut?I’ve been on the job hunt for more than a year. I felt like I’ve tried everything with various resume formats, networking, industry associations, cold-calling and Toastmasters and I’ve had three final interviews with no offers. Would love your input, James from Akron. [5:37] A1: Mark answers this question. The listener’s name is not a traditional American name. There may be bias involved. Mark also knows this listener never followed up after his interviews. Mark coaches people always to follow up with a thank you. Even send a card. Mark gives an example. [8:43] Marc says, “be a polite pest.” [8:59] Marc shares an example of one client who was put through eight hours of interviewing without a lunch break and then was told two of the interviewers thought he couldn’t keep up. The interviewer liked him, though, and put him in line for a different position. If you don’t ask, no one will tell you. [10:48] Give gift cards also to ones who give you referrals. You want to be memorable. [11:10] Q2: I’m under a lot of stress at work. At the same time, I’m looking for a new job and not getting anywhere. I’m thinking of quitting, getting healthy, and striking out on my job search. What do you think? Do you have any suggestions? [11:30] A2: This client came to Marc a year-and-a-half ago. She was seriously stressed and threatening to bring charges against her boss for bullying. Marc suggested she go on disability leave. With a psychiatrist, she worked for three months on her mental health. [12:14] When she came back, she was in a lot better shape than when she left. She also had learned what her boss’s triggering points were. She had learned methods for releasing her own stress and she took breaks to exercise. She’s getting close to finding that next job. [13:20] Marc has had a couple of different client’s who’ve been able to go out on Disability and really focus on their health while maintaining their insurance benefits. Mark stresses getting the support of HR, especially if they know your manager has a tendency to drive people out because of his ways. [14:44] Mark tells of a situation with the largest law office in the world, that he left because of horrific stress. Tell your spouse before you leave, though. [18:23] Q3: I worked for a family business for so many years. So many jobs want references that aren’t family members. How do I reconcile no having references? [21:12] A3: Mark gives examples of ways to leverage your management experience and good people for references you have had contact with over the years for the work you have done in a family business. [23:37] Q4: I’m working on updating my LinkedIn profile and looking at the profiles of others who have jobs like mine. They all look so different. I’m confused on how to go about updating my LinkedIn profile. Can you give me some hints or guidelines? [23:59] A4: There is no right way to write a LinkedIn profile. Think first, “What message do I want to deliver?” Do you want the kind of job you have now, or are you looking for something very different? Think about your hero image, your backdrop image, and your current job title, as well as of jobs you have had in the past. [27:42] Marc discusses Alexander Buschek and how he moved in media towards digital transformation. Lean toward the career you want. Marc talks about one of the members of his online community and how he’s pruning his old connections and growing new ones in his preferred field. [30:42] Mark tells how he has researched optimum job titles through Google. Make it a relevant title for the future, not for today, or for the past. Don’t say MSDOS programmer. [32:14] Mark explains a hack to find titles through a Google search targeted toward LinkedIn. Marc has changed his title from Senior Training Manager to Senior Learning and Development Manager. That’s the trending title. [34:29] Listen to Mark’s The Voice of JobSeekers, twice a month. [36:26] Marc invites you to check back next week to hear Joe Harper talk about how to leverage your Small Business Development Center. Mentioned in This Episode: Careerpivot.com The Texas State Small Business Development Center Mark Anthony Dyson The Voice of Jobseekers Alexander Buschek Susan P. Joyce Job-hunt.org TheVoiceofJobSeekers.com Please pick up a copy of Repurpose Your Career: A Practical Guide for the 2nd Half of Life, by Marc Miller and Susan Lahey. The paperback, ebook, and audiobook formats are available now. When you have completed reading the book, Marc would very much appreciate your leaving an honest review on Amazon.com. The audio version of the book is available on iTunes app, Audible, and Amazon. Marc has the paid membership community running on the CareerPivot.com website. The website is alive and in production. Marc is contacting people on the waitlist. Sign up for the waitlist at CareerPivot.com/Community. Marc has three initial cohorts of 10 members in the second half of life and they are guiding him on what to build. He is looking for individuals for the fourth cohort who are motivated to take action and give Marc input on what he should produce next. He’s currently working on LinkedIn, blogging, and book publishing training. Marc is bringing someone in to guide members on how to write a book. The next topic will be business formation and there will be lots of other things. Ask to be put on the waiting list to join a cohort. This is a unique paid membership community where Marc will offer group coaching, special content, and a community where you can seek help. CareerPivot.com/Episode-76 Show Notes for this episode. Please subscribe at CareerPivot.com to get updates on all the other happenings at Career Pivot. Marc publishes a blog with Show Notes every Tuesday morning. If you subscribe to the Career Pivots blog, every Sunday you will receive the Career Pivot Insights email, which includes a link to this podcast. Please take a moment â€" go to iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, or Spotify through the Spotify app. Give this podcast an honest review and subscribe! If you’re not sure how to leave a review, please go to CareerPivot.com/review, and read the detailed instructions there. Email Marc at Podcast@CareerPivot.com. Contact Marc, and ask questions at Careerpivot.com/contact-me You can find Show Notes at Careerpivot.com/repurpose-career-podcast. To subscribe from an iPhone: CareerPivot.com/iTunes To subscribe from an Android: CareerPivot.com/Android Careerpivot.com Marc Miller Like what you just read? Share it with your friends using the buttons above. Like What You Read? Get Career Pivot Insights! Check out the Repurpose Your Career Podcast Do You Need Help With ...

How Does the Elderly Use the World Wide Web [Infographic]

How Does the Elderly Use the World Wide Web [Infographic] Many young people think that most baby boomers still don’t know how to use a computerâ€"but thats miles away from the truth. The infographic by MedAlertHelp youll find below shows that the three popular beliefs regarding seniors and their Internet usage are as false as the stereotypes young adults and millennials have about seniors. However, before you scroll down to the infographic, lets do some myth debunking!  Baby Boomers Are Still Reluctant to Use the Internet  It’s true that compared to the general population, the elderly have been slow in adopting advanced technology. However, nowadays, this age group is more digitally connected than before. Namely, 70% of Internet users among baby boomers go online on a daily basis.  Baby Boomers Like to Stay Away From Social Media  Social Media has long been regarded as the realm of teen spirit. But guess what, our grandpas and grandmas have infiltrated that area. A survey reports that 49% of baby boomers use a social media site. While they have a sizeable presence on Twitter and Instagram, it is Facebook they love most, just like us (hmm, so much for the generation gap). It has been reported that 61% of people aged between 50 and 59 and 36% of baby boomers aged over 60 have a Facebook account.  Interestingly, seniors are 19% more likely to share content on the most popular social networking site than younger generations. This might well be down to them being more comfortable in their own skin, unlike young people who are more affected by peer pressure.  Baby Boomers Aren’t Having Much Fun on the Internet  You couldn’t be more wrong if you think this claim is valid. For sure our oldie-but-goodie folks know a thing or two about having a lovely time online. Reports reveal that 20% of people aged 60 and over watch videos on sites like YouTube, every day.  Also, a large number of Internet-savvy baby boomers play online games on a regular basis. It seems our old folks prefer brain games, like Solitaire, Chess, Sudoku, and Crosswords, more than adrenaline rush games so popular among young people.  Want to know more about technology adoption among baby boomers? Take a look at this infographic. We’re sure you’ll be surprised to find how well our seniors have warmed up to the Internet.

What is a Free CV Builder?

What is a Free CV Builder?When searching for a free CVs online, you will find that the number of results is often overwhelming. If you want to find the best CV builder site, you need to know what you are looking for. There are many CVs builders out there that will offer you an array of tools to help you put together your CV.The best free CV builder site is one that has a unique layout and design. You will also need to know that a free website is going to have a small amount of space on their site. You will want to make sure that you have the right tools to put together your CV, or else you may not be able to submit it at all.Your CV should contain your most important information on it. This is usually your education and experience. When you fill out your CV online, you will need to make sure that you have all of this information. The more you put in the better your CV will be.For the free CVs to be of any use, you need to make sure that you understand everything on your CV. Most peop le get confused when they are filling out their CV. By using your free CV builder website, you can ensure that you are clear about everything on your CV.One of the biggest mistakes that people make when they are trying to use their free CV builder website is that they put in the wrong information. By doing this, you could lose your job as well as any opportunities that you might have had. You can avoid this by making sure that everything on your CV is correct. You can also include your contact details so that you can get more in touch with the recruitment agency.When looking for a CVs website to use, you will find that the best of the lot will include a template for you to download onto your computer. When you do this, you will be able to save your CV easily. By being able to save your CV and getting back to it again, you can review it again. You will also be able to place it into a folder so that you can easily find it.You will need to put in your skills on the free CCV Builder tha t you use. It will help if you list them so that you know what areas you need to focus on. Once you start looking at the free CVs, you will be able to identify which ones you like best. From there, you can choose to go with the one that you like the best.By using your free CV's builder, you will be able to identify which tools are useful to you. You can place your CV online so that it can be seen by potential employers. By using your free CVs, you will get a good idea of what the best free CV builder's sites are, and you will know what you need to put on your CV.