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Trench Life

A blog for young professionals navigating careers in the trenches!

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“How are you?” – The 3 most infuriating words in the English language?

August 14, 2021 by Mark Atkinson 3 Comments

Going to War against "how are you" - Simpsons

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

August 10, 2021 by Christine Marais 6 Comments

Walk and talk - young professional lifestyle

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

August 3, 2021 by Pieter Senekal 6 Comments

Woman on swing overlooks Paris skyline

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

July 12, 2021 by Mark Atkinson Leave a Comment

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

July 8, 2021 by Mark Atkinson 2 Comments

Becoming a leader - 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

July 4, 2021 by Christine Marais 6 Comments

Climbing out of the trenches - from the bottom up - audit 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

June 30, 2021 by Sohini Sewpershad 2 Comments

When things go wrong - guilty dog!

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

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