If you’re anything like me, a young professional working in a globally-recognised field, you’ve probably thought about uprooting your life and moving to a new country. With travel and broadening cultural horizons front of mind, moving overseas with work is a tantalising option. But there’s something that often keeps us from taking that leap of faith: fear. We fear failure. We … [Read more...] about How to move overseas and not hate your life
Knee-deep (Standard blogs)
An introvert’s guide to a world of teamwork
Ask anyone new to the world of work how it’s going, and you’ll no doubt be treated to a lengthy list of growing pains. As a textbook introvert, however, I found the headfirst tumble into the working world to present a challenge I’d never even considered: teamwork. Sure, I’d battled my way through projects at university with the standard set of groupwork headaches, and … [Read more...] about An introvert’s guide to a world of teamwork
Ceding your articles: Jumping ship or broadening horizons?
Ed: 'Articles' refers to a 2-3 year internship done in the legal and accounting professions in some countries, which is required to obtain a certain qualification (e.g. attorney or chartered accountant). It’s the ultimate taboo. Attorneys and accountants alike quake at the very mention of the phrase “ceding my articles." It goes against everything we have been told and all … [Read more...] about Ceding your articles: Jumping ship or broadening horizons?
Searching for greener grass?
Note: This post was originally posted by the author on his personal blog last year. It is reposted here with his permission because we think it’s super relevant to all of you Trench Lifers! Over the last few years, I’ve found myself cautioning those who have left our office in search of something better. “Be careful,” I catch myself telling those who’ve voiced their … [Read more...] about Searching for greener grass?
How to get the performance reviews you deserve
If you’ve spent any time in a professional services firm, you’ll know that it’s a high-performance culture. You’ll also know that the trouble with that is everybody’s definition of “high performance” is different. Whether you’re a young attorney, auditor, consultant, or anything in between, you’ll be all too familiar with having regular performance reviews. Sometimes these … [Read more...] about How to get the performance reviews you deserve
The trick to telling someone they’re wrong
If you're working in any sort of professional services environment, chances are that you have to review other people's work. For those of us working as auditors, this is especially true; we are constantly looking at work done by our clients. More often than it should be, the work is wrong in some way. This means the chances are that you've had to tell someone they're wrong. … [Read more...] about The trick to telling someone they’re wrong
Anxiety and insecurity: The dark side of professional firms (A true story)
Insecurity and anxiety: these are two states of mind which everybody suffers to some degree. The unfortunate reality is that, within some of us, these feelings are amplified significantly. Sometimes, the feeling of anxiety can be crippling. You see, professional services firms - especially big 4 audit, or major law firms - are geared towards high performers; those high … [Read more...] about Anxiety and insecurity: The dark side of professional firms (A true story)
Defining your niche: The big question for young attorneys
“Can I call you to bail me out of jail?” and “what type of law do you want to specialize in?” These are the two most frequently asked questions I get after explaining that I am a Candidate Attorney. The first question is easily answered (of course I can) but the second question - defining your niche - is slightly more daunting. Much like choosing what to study, some people … [Read more...] about Defining your niche: The big question for young attorneys
Are you indispensable?
If there was ever a time to ask yourself this question, it’s now. I write this post as the status quo in the world is being severely disrupted by COVID-19 and the response of many of the world’s nations to limit its impact. I write this at a time where the complacency of many is going be their downfall. The thing with complacency is that most of us don’t realise that we’re … [Read more...] about Are you indispensable?
How COVID-19 is answering Millenials’ prayers
Coronavirus has had serious consequences across the globe, with the stock markets collapsing along with everyone's common sense. Yes, it's a pretty shitty situation (especially for those who didn't stockpile toilet paper) but the panic-propelled pandemic presents a silver lining for Millenials and young professionals worldwide. For what feels like ages, we've been crying … [Read more...] about How COVID-19 is answering Millenials’ prayers