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
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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
Quote: Dealing with failure
Success is not final. Failure is not fatal. It is the courage to continue that counts.- Winston Churchill This well-known Churchill quote has been something that will resonate with anybody who has failed recently. Whether you failed an exam or failed at a specific task, what you need to know is that everybody fails at something in their lifetimes; most of us fail many times! … [Read more...] about Quote: Dealing with failure
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
Short-term secondment: 5 reasons why you should go
A crazy number of people pass up the opportunity each year to go on secondments to other countries, especially those of the shorter-term variety. This is something that has me perplexed, so I figured I'd share my own experiences and reasons and let you make up your own mind. If you work at a bigger audit firm that allows you the opportunity to travel for work I would encourage … [Read more...] about Short-term secondment: 5 reasons why you should go
Quote on regular motivation
People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing — that's why we recommend it daily. - Zig Ziglar This quote speaks directly to why we started Trench Life in the first place. Your life as a young professional, slogging it out at an audit/consulting/law firm will test your character and motivation on a daily basis and be some of the toughest years … [Read more...] about Quote on regular motivation
Leadership quote of the day – 1 March
Be the leader you would follow."" - Various Today's leadership quote is one that's stuck with me for years, and one that I include every year when hosting my senior readiness workshops. Every one of us can think of a leader we've worked with who simply rocks at their job. They're approachable, great at coaching, empathetic, have time for everyone and somehow still get their … [Read more...] about Leadership quote of the day – 1 March
So you failed your big exam. Now what?
My social media feeds blew up on the 14th of February. To my supreme shock, the content was 0% secret admirers and 100% screen grabs of text messages saying the individual had passed the APC exam. These snippets were captioned with messages of thanks and gratitude to friends, family and every deity known to man (sometimes all of them at once). Without taking anything away … [Read more...] about So you failed your big exam. Now what?