As I continue to progress through my career, I have uncovered that there are a few things we have been taught about climbing up the corporate ladder or building a career that simply aren't true. Let’s get myth-busting! Career Myth 1: You NEED to absolutely love your job One defining factor here is the fact that job ≠ career. These concepts are often used … [Read more...] about 3 Popular Career Myths – Fact or Fairytale?
Knee-deep (Standard blogs)
Taking the Leap of Faith – Why You Should Live Overseas for a Year
Travel has a way of bringing great fulfilment to our lives. If you've ever traveled to another country, you've broadened your horizons somewhat already. You may have experienced a radically different culture in India. Your palate might have been treated to some tantalising Spanish tapas. Perhaps your eyes have feasted on grandiose architecture in Paris, or maybe your emotions … [Read more...] about Taking the Leap of Faith – Why You Should Live Overseas for a Year
5 Ways to Manage Without Micromanaging: Avoid Being a Nightmare Leader
It doesn't make sense to hire smart people and then tell them what to do; we hire smart people so they can tell us what to do. Steve Jobs Micromanagement is the Achilles heel of any high-performing team. From an organisational perspective, it typically leads to a decrease in productivity, lower employee engagement, and less innovation. Simply put: if you're a junior team … [Read more...] about 5 Ways to Manage Without Micromanaging: Avoid Being a Nightmare Leader
“How are you?” – The 3 most infuriating words in the English language?
An IM notification from a colleague pops up on your laptop. "Hi, how are you?" [Thinking: "I'm living through a pandemic and hate my life." ] "Good, you?" You scroll through the conversation history. This is the fourth time Samantha has asked you how you are... in the last 3 hours. You thought you were okay, but now you start to doubt yourself. The scenario repeats … [Read more...] about “How are you?” – The 3 most infuriating words in the English language?
Tomorrow Is Too Late – 3 Critical Lifestyle Reminders for Young Professionals
The beauty of this blog is that it allows you to learn from others’ mistakes before you make them yourself. Here are 3 things I’ve done, learned the hard way, and am still learning as a young professional navigating the big, big world. 1. Your future starts NOW Often while we are in the trenches the future seems like a distant dream. We’re young, wild, and … [Read more...] about Tomorrow Is Too Late – 3 Critical Lifestyle Reminders for Young Professionals
Lady up, Gents
By way of introduction, my name is Pieter Senekal. This is a line I was taught by a manager at the audit firm where I completed my articles. A simple line, but one that softened the blow of an otherwise very sudden transition from being a student to a young professional at a Big Four audit firm. As with any young professional, I’ve been fortunate to meet many amazing mentors … [Read more...] about Lady up, Gents
Mentors that Matter: Finding the Right Mentor at Work
I’m a firm believer in the thought that a single conversation can change your life. I keep this in mind when I am coaching others, and I do my best to align myself with mentors in my career with whom I find I have impactful conversations more regularly. Sadly, when most of us are allocated a team leader/coach in our organisations, we end up disappointed. We hope for someone … [Read more...] about Mentors that Matter: Finding the Right Mentor at Work
How to Not Suck as a Leader
4 ways for new managers to overcome imposter syndrome and win team support It could be that the term “imposter syndrome” was designed for the points in time when we first become leaders. I can’t keep a pot plant alive but, hey, the world deemed it okay for me to manage teams of high achievers. I can’t always be sure of what day of the week it is but we’re all okay … [Read more...] about How to Not Suck as a Leader
5 Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier About Serving Articles
The path to qualifying as a Chartered Accountant (CA) is challenging, to say the least. Looking back at my time during articles* I often think back to things I would have liked to have done differently or maybe even the things that I did do that have greatly benefited my career. So here are 5 things I wish I had known during life in the trenches. *” Articles” … [Read more...] about 5 Things I Wish I’d Known Earlier About Serving Articles
5 Simple Steps for When Things Go Wrong
To err is human. Working in any professional services environment where we are required to adhere to specific requirements or deadlines can (more often than not) lead to situations where things go wrong. When it’s too late to go back and fix what we’ve done, however, then things get serious. Whether it's someone (usually your manager) who has … [Read more...] about 5 Simple Steps for When Things Go Wrong