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
career guidance
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
Preparing for Busy Season: “Nobody’s Going to Die” and 5 Other Tips
Sleep deprivation, zero social life, eating all the junk food, constantly questioning your career choices; if you’re a young professional working in professional services, you know the busy season struggle. The good news is there are a few things you can do to dominate your busy season and still find time for yourself. Each year, I train young professionals who are making … [Read more...] about Preparing for Busy Season: “Nobody’s Going to Die” and 5 Other Tips
The Fresh-Off-the-Boat Approach to Networking
What I’ve learned about networking and making friends from starting fresh and not knowing anybody on 3 different continents ‘Networking’ has become one of those gag words. There’s a dirty stigma associated with the concept: a stigma that implies networking is only for MLM ghouls or people who have nothing to give and everything to ask. Sometimes, however, networking is … [Read more...] about The Fresh-Off-the-Boat Approach to Networking
Interview: This man went back to audit after 5 years in industry – would you?
If you’ve worked in audit, you’ve heard a million stories about people who have left the public accounting/auditing world for industry, in search of better pay and fewer hours. But how many accountants have you heard of who left for industry, rose up the ranks, and then left it all to go back to auditing (no doubt taking a reasonable pay cut in the process)? Meet Ruan … [Read more...] about Interview: This man went back to audit after 5 years in industry – would you?
You and your firm: Are you getting as much as they’re taking?
It’s no secret that professional services firms - especially public accounting and law firms - demand a lot from their employees. It’s also common knowledge that, as a young professional working in these firms, you’re unlikely to be paid as much your friends who’ve gone out into industry. So why do people even bother working in professional services? They do it because there’s … [Read more...] about You and your firm: Are you getting as much as they’re taking?
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