Revealed What Banking Finance candidates really want from employers

Revealed What Banking Finance candidates really want from employers by Michael Cheary Looking for a career in Banking Finance?We recently attended the Talent Leaders Connect event on Banking, Financial Fintech, and revealed some key stats about jobseekers in the finance industry â€" and what they’re looking for when it comes to finding the right role.To help you learn more about what to expect and what’s really on offer, here are some of the key things we found Banking Finance candidates want from employers:Higher salaries It may come as no surprise that graduate salaries offered in the banking and finance industry consistently rank above national averages.However, whilst the actual number is around £2500 more than the all-sector average ( £29,145 vs. £26,546), it isn’t always enough to attract the best candidates.In fact, for the first time in five years ‘expected salary’ outstripped actual starting salaries offered by employers working in finance.And, in spite of the fact that salaries have seen a minimal dip during this time period, graduate expectations continue to rise â€" asking for 27% more than they did five years ago.A faster interview processOK, so jobseekers in many industries will be hoping for a higher salary.Unfortunately though, for many businesses this might not be a practical solution. Especially with no clear indication of how our finances will fare in a post-Brexit Britain.However, how professionally a company handles the recruitment process also plays a part in leaving a positive impression â€" especially when it comes to punctuality.85% of the Banking Finance candidates we surveyed suggested that they expected to be interviewed within a fortnight of making an application.Comparing this to the national average of 78% only further highlights that, in a highly competitive industry, employers need to act fast if they want to guarantee they don’t miss out on the right people for the role.A level playing field  A fairer recruitment process also consistently came up form candidates as a desirable quality for potential employers.Recognising the need for change, the ‘Big Four’ accountancy firms are updating the way they target graduate talent.Some of the new practices they’ve introduced include flexible interviewing (e.g. one-day assessments, video and group interviews), and ‘blind CVs’, which take non skills-based factors such as your name and the name of the university you’ve attended out of the hiring decision.They’re also working on removing the barrier for academic qualifications, with higher grade A levels no longer being seen as pre-requisites. Something which has been a legacy item in the industry for some time.In short, it’s becoming more about attitude and mindset than educational achievement and background â€" something which could have a huge impact when it comes to improving the office environment, not to mention retention rates.Ensuring their recruitment drive is as progressive is the best way to reach the top talenttl;drThe five top tak eaways from the data are:Starting salaries for banking and finance graduates are 10% higher than the all-sector averageExpected salaries amongst candidates are higher than actual salaries on offer â€" for the first time in five years85% expect to be interviewed within two weeks of making an applicationThe ‘Big Four’ are evolving the way they recruit â€" focussing on a better candidate fit, rather than qualificationsStill searching for roles in banking, finance fintech? View all available jobs now.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the terms and conditions applicable to our service and acknowledge that your personal data will be used in accordance with our privacy policy and you will receive emails and communications about jobs and career related topics. Features What job suits me?

DIY Garden Decoration Ideas

DIY Garden Decoration Ideas It feels like summer has been coming for a very long time this year, and we can finally start to feel its soon coming presence. The evenings have gotten longer, and the weather a little more bearable, and soon enough the warmer days will be upon us. Once summer is in full swing there is no doubt you’ll be spending a little more time in the garden, and like any other part of the house, if you’re going to be spending more time there, you’ll want it looking its best. We’ve put together some great garden decoration ideas, most of which won’t break the bank, but will have an instant impact! Getting thrifty and repurposing things you already have around the house is always a great move, as it saves spending any additional money and can look great. This water feature is simply made from an old bucket and floating candles, then you can just add some flowers you have in the garden. (Source: Pinterest) This picnic bench has been completely transformed by the retro lights and tree stumps used to hang them. Outdoor lighting can really change the look of a garden, and classic bulbs like you can see above are timeless and look amazing! Do make sure whatever lights you buy are suitable for outdoor use though, we don’t want any electrical mishaps. (Source: Pinterest) Painting the back door creates a real differentiation between the inside and outside of the house. You’ll need a nice wooden door to create the look like above, and you can get untreated and treated options from companies like Oakwood Doors. You can go for a nice natural earthy colour, or really mix it up with a nice bright colour pop. Whichever paint you use, make sure it is specifically for outdoor use on wood. (Source: Pinterest) If you or anyone you know is having to cut down a tree, don’t let the wood go to waste! There are loads of things you can do in your garden with a good bit of timber, DIY flower beds being just one. (Source: Pinterest) If you’ve got a shed, turn it into a summer house! It may be hard to find a new home for all the tools and other bits and pieces, but it could be so worth it. A shed can turn into a lovely little garden retreat, perfect for reading a book in the shade or a bit of extra warmth after the sun has set. (Source: Pinterest) Get creative with your garden fence. As much as a treated wooden fence looks great, it still looks very much like a fence. These painted cans add a wonderful colour pop and can be changed each year to freshen things up, plus, other than the paint, they’re pretty much free. Transforming your back yard into a soothing retreat doesnt have to break the bank.  Use your imagination, look around at whats available, and make it happen!

6 Warning Signs Your Candidate Will Flake

6 Warning Signs Your Candidate Will Flake Few things beat the exhilaration of finding the right person for the job. They generally come along a bit too late for comfort, after many revised job spec drafts, and much too much trawling through the internet. But then you’ve got them! Woo hoo! You call them up, give them the run-down, let them know what’s what with the prospective company, and generally groom them to be more diamond, less rough. Then the worst happens. They either ace the interview and refuse the offer, or bail on the whole process completely. All of your time and work is wasted. Now, any recruiter would want to avoid the above, but try to remember that the person you’re dealing with is just that a person. Another human being. Rarely are people out to lie or waste your efforts. You yourself know how competitive the job market is today, and while ideally we want to find a candidate who has presented a brilliant, tailored CV someone who only has their sights set on the job you’re advertising the reality is, it’s possible that your candidate currently has multiple applications on the go because of the scarcity of available avenues of employment. And while much has been done in recent years to quell bad practices in human resources and talent acquisition, you should appreciate that some candidates may have had terrible experiences with other recruiters, including through biases against race, gender, and sexual orientation. No matter how guarded or ‘flakesque’ your candidates may appear, you need to be nuanced in your assessment to avoid losing the candidate through irritation or ignorance. You must also understand that Millennial and Gen Z candidates often have different career aspirations and habits than people of other ages may have. In the past, for example, career-hopping may have been a sign that applicants are fickle and prone to restlessness, but today, major career changes every few years is the norm. It’s generally considered that the onus is on the employer to create a career system that truly benefits the company and the employee in a symbiotic way, rather than it being an employee’s responsibility to remain loyal in a top-down working environment. Now, this may all be a lot to take in, but don’t fret. The real take away is that while there are signs that point to an inappropriate candidate, they aren’t always obvious to spot in the ways people often assume they are. Below are six actual indications that your contender isn’t committed to your project and six that only seem to say so. Read them with an open mind, and you’ll be able to spot a flaker for miles. 1. A real warning sign: Candidate is unwilling to adjust CV to better suit the job spec. Not a real warning sign: Candidate is unwilling to present work in a face-to-face interview. It may come as news to many of us that applicants don’t always know to edit their CV for a particular job. Most orientation done around this in school emphasises the importance of creating one, solid CV that is assumed suitable for a bevy of opportunities. So, if you see that a candidate has potential, ring them up to see if they are willing to adapt their CV to the job at hand. If their answer is no, they’re not altogether very interested in what’s on offer. Flake alarm! However, asking aspirants to present on a relevant subject, or come up with some ideas or designs for the company theyre applying to is asking for free labour. This is only okay in instances when presentation is an integral part of the job description. With creative roles, it’s never alright to ask for usable samples when an existing portfolio is available for view. 2. A real warning sign: An eagerness to disparage a current or past employer. Not a real warning sign: When asked, an applicant is honest about former employees. There are nasty employers out there, but it’s considered inappropriate for candidates to give a long list of complaints against a current or former employer. Tact shows that an applicant is respectful, and more likely to follow-though. But don’t confuse this with frank answers to probing questions from you. It’s easier said than done, but spotting the difference between a person who has shown emotional intelligence in their dealings with former employers, and someone too quick to point to mistakes and shift blame, is key. 3. A real warning sign: Shows clear indications of not having researched the company and how they relate to it. Not a real warning sign: An applicant is unable to answer a very specific question about a company, or hasn’t got a grasp on industry stats. Please, people. Can we stop trying to catch out candidates with questions few of the current employees themselves could answer? Again, unless it’s part of the job description, don’t expect applicants to know the names of competitors or the like. Instead, ask questions that will evoke answers that reveal whether a candidate has actively thought about their contribution to the company. 4. A real warning sign: The candidate does not express interest verbally, or through their portfolio, or CV. Not a real warning sign: The candidate appears reserved. To find the best person for any position is often to find the most passionate applicant. You want your candidate to show interest in a company’s work and values. Sometimes this might be as simple as someone saying, ‘I love X about this company,’ other times, you may need to prompt with a question, or read genuine interest through their past career choices and projects. However, don’t make the mistake of mistaking reservation for a lack of interest. Unless the job calls for a people-person or extroverted demeanour, you can’t expect every applicant to have an excellent telephone manner. 5. A real warning sign: A candidate presses to know about benefits early on. Not a real warning sign: A candidate has frank questions around compensation. We can’t all live the lives of tragic artists who sacrifice a steady salary for doing what they love, and neither can rent be paid with the feeling of a job well done. Salary is important, and asking after it does not designate an applicant as money-hungry. However, when it comes to company extras, these should really only be an addition to a great place of employment, not the reason they’re there. If your candidate pushes to know more about benefits before the interview stage, it may be that they aren’t very keen on the job as it is in the description. 6. A real warning sign: The applicant is always delaying communication. Not a real warning sign: The candidate has unexpected issues come up in the recruitment process. Finding a job is an important part of a person’s life, but it’s not the only thing that calls for an applicant’s attention. There may be some delays, lateness, or confusion as candidates go through what is understandably, a daunting change in their day-to-day. That said, candidates who are truly interested in the position will make these challenges clear, and crucially, find solutions for them. Someone who repeatedly delays communication between them and yourself aren’t all in. About the author: Alez Odendaal  is a careers advice writer for  Inspiring Interns, a graduate recruitment agency which specialises in finding candidates their dream internship.

Trust Your Worth - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

Trust Your Worth - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career No matter what you’re doing personal branding for, there will come a time you’ll get asked that terrifying question: “how much?”   That’s the one most people struggle with the most: you don’t want to be too high â€" or you won’t get the business, and you don’t want to be too low â€" or you’ll end up feeling taken advantage of. The problem is, your client or your future employer is looking to get the best value for their money.   (As they should!) So how can you handle that situation when you name an amount and get the inevitable lower offer? A mentor of mine told me a story that really clarified how important it is for you to trust that the amount you’re naming for your service is worth it’s value.   When my mentor was just starting to work as a salesperson, she had a client extremely interested in the service she was selling. She thought that she had the sale all lined up, when he asked her the question that every person in sales hates: “Can you give me a lower price?” My mentor really wanted to make this sale, but she had already quoted a great price. So she looked her prospect right in the eye and said “Sure. I can absolutely give you a lower price. Let’s talk about what part of the service you want to cut back on to get to the amount you want to pay.” She got the sale â€" at her original price. And her customer confessed that he had been testing her. If my mentor had been willing to drop her price just to make a sale, he would have known that she was padding the price she quoted to him. But because my mentor stood firm â€" and said she’d have to cut part of the service to reach the price he needed her prospective customer knew that my mentor was giving him a price she believed was fair. Hearing that story was a revelation to me. It taught me that being the lowest bidder isn’t necessarily the best way to make a sale. It’s more important to be confident that the product or service you’re offering is worth the price you quoted for it. Since I heard that story, I’ve found myself in those types of situations many times. When I was a beginning freelance writer, the prevailing wisdom is that if you want to get clients as a writer, you have to build your business by being the cheapest one out there. You work for free to build a body of work, and then for peanuts to get higher profile samples, and then eventually, you earn your way to the big bucks. (But usually you burn out before you get to that point.) But doing this has a huge disadvantage. If you value your services as worth only $5/article, your clients will also see your work as only being worth $5. And serious business people don’t want to hire bottom-of-the-barrel writers. They want to hire great writers who can give them the high-quality content they need. So even if you are the greatest business writer in the world, offering to work for the lowest price tells your prospects that you feel you offer a low value amount of service. So, when I started working as a freelance writer, I started off at a rate that was still reasonable, but that also communicated to my clients that I was a professional writer. And because I was confident that my services were worth the amount I quoted to them, my clients felt confident in that as well.   And when they needed a lower price, I remembered my mentor’s story and gave them options for what they could cut to reach that lower price. So how do you get this type of confidence that you’re naming the right number? Know your market. You have to know what is a reasonable, fair value for your product or services. If you don’t know how the market values what you are offering, you are at a distinct disadvantage. In those cases, you risk giving an estimate that is either way too high, or way too low. Either way, your prospect loses confidence that you’re offering them the best value for their money. Know exactly what it takes to deliver your product or service. If you have no idea what goes into your products or services, you have no idea if you’re giving a reasonable price estimate or not. But if you know that it takes 4 hours of preparation time and 10 hours to write a White Paper â€" or you know that bringing in Neurologists to be respondents for a project costs a certain amount, you are able to justify the price you’re telling your prospect â€" and that’s a powerful tool. And most importantly, hold your ground. If someone asks you for a lower price, don’t just give it to them. You know you are offering a fair estimate for the value of your product or services â€" so if your prospect needs to go lower in price, give them some options about what can be taken away to reach that price. Especially in this tight economy, your clients or employer will want to get the best value for their money. And giving your clients/employers the best value for their money should be your goal as well. But that doesn’t mean you have to give everything away. Instead, you need to be confident that your products or services are worth the price you’re quoting. And standing up for the value you provide is an important part of showing that you are worth what you’re asking. After all, if you don’t believe it, why should they? Author: Katie Konrath blogs about creativity, innovation and “ideas so fresh… they should be slapped” at www.getfreshminds.com.   She  works  for leading innovation company, Ideas To Go, and attributes her job to personal branding â€" both through her blog and by attending  the events in her field.

Want to be Successful Become a Morning Person CareerMetis.com

Want to be Successful Become a Morning Person â€" CareerMetis.com Source: iStock photo by NomadThey say the most successful people are morning people. As it turns out, there is a science to proving it.According to Christoph Randler, a biology professor at the University of Education in Heidelberg, Germany, morning people are more proactive than evening types.By definition, to be proactive means to create or control a situation by causing something to happen rather than responding to it after it has happened. Dynamic people anticipate issues rather than being blindsided by themâ€"a particularly beneficial trait in business.evalIn the morning your mind is more rested, making you more motivated and less distracted. Also, morning people are less likely to procrastinate.In 2014, a study conducted by the Journal of Applied Psychology found that supervisors perceive workers who clock in later as less conscientious than those who start earlier, even after considering total work hours and overall job performance. Looks like the old saying, “the early bird gets the worm,” rings true, even today.What Does it Mean to be a Morning Person?Being a morning person means you wake up with ease and are more alert for the first half of the day. Whether you are a morning person or not hinges on your body’s circadian rhythm.When it comes to circadian rhythms, people typically fall into one of four categories called chronotypes. Your chronotype is a genetically prescribed biological rhythm that regulates your sleep and wake times and other daily functions that rely on the ebb and flow of hormones, enzymes, and circulatory activity for their timing. Your chronotype determines the optimal times for you to work, be creative, socialize, eat, drink â€" pretty much every event that fills your day.Morning people fall into two of the four chronotypes: bears and lions.Bears make up about half of the populationAs the largest chronotype group, a bear’s bio-rhythm dictates the modern societal schedule, and their chronobiology follows the movement of the sun. Bears wake up easily near sunrise, ready to start the day and begin to power-down as the sun sets.Lions make up a smaller portion of the population You tend to wake up before your alarmYou are not groggy in the first hour of being awakeYou feel most productive in the morningYou get out of bed with ease each dayYou feel tired in the eveningYou feel like you’ve wasted your whole day if you sleep past 10 a.m.Benefits of Becoming a Morning PersonBeing a morning person comes with more benefits than just a tendency for being successful.Some studies suggest that being a morning person may make you happier. Subjects deemed “morning people” in one study were linked with higher self-reported happiness. Although the study did not conclude waking up early causes happiness, there was a positive correlation between the two factors.Other research has found that early birds tend to have a lower BMI. Additionally, people who rise with the sun have also been proven to keep weight they’v e lost off longer than those who rose later in the day.How to Become a Morning PersonevalLike I said, your sleep-wake schedule falls in line with your circadian rhythmâ€"the internal biological clock that determines whether we feel sleepy or awake. This organic schedule If you suffer from disturbed sleep on a regular basis, whether you go to bed at 9:30 p.m. or 1 a.m., take a look at your sleep hygiene from a holistic point of view. Are you sleeping on a mattress causing you pain? Are there light and noise disturbances keeping you awake? Assess your environment and make sure it is conducive for a good night’s sleep.Source: iStock photo by Vera_Petrunina2. Make a Wind-Down Routine and Stick to ItOur brains don’t automatically shut-off when the clock strikes twelve. They need prepping for sleep. Just as we discipline ourselves regarding diet and exercise, we should also have bedtime discipline. About an hour before going to sleep, dim the lights, stash the screens and, begin signa ling it’s time for bed.3. Adjust your Bedtime GraduallySpeaking of bedtimes, if you typically hit the hay after midnight, you won’t magically fall asleep at 8:30 p.m. the first night you try to adjust your sleep schedule. Instead, move your bedtime up 15 minutes each night until you reach your desired bedtime.4. Avoid Taking Long NapsShort naps tend to be harmless for most, but long naps during the day make it harder to fall asleep at night. Unless you’re exhausted, try to nix the naps in favor of a longer and deeper nighttime rest.5. Skip the Late-Afternoon Caffeine FixevalCaffeine has a half-life of around 5-6 hours, meaning that it takes most people five or six hours to work half of the stimulant through their system. So, if you drink 100 milligrams of caffeine at 5 p.m., 50 milligrams could remain in your body at 10 p.m. Though half the caffeine is gone, it could still act as a stimulant, making it hard for you to fall asleep (and stay asleep). Avoid caffeine after 3 p.m. or so if you’re after an early, uninterrupted rest.

The Social Media Way to Follow Up After an Interview - CareerEnlightenment.com

Make your profile interview-ready by evaluating it from the perspective of the hiring manager. Are your messages helping to support the answers to your interview questions or your personal brand?Finally, sending the invite to an interviewer is a great way to build in a thank you note. Sure, you hear career coaches say to send a paper thank you note. But a LinkedIn invite with a thank-you written into the customized message area will gain you far more advantages than just having your Hallmark card tossed away.As an MBA, I interviewed for GE’s leadership training program. Although I came very close to getting into the program, I wasn’t accepted. Despite this fact, I’ve kept in touch with my interviewer for the last six years. We often ask each other questions and provide each other with resources in our mutual yet distinct careers.What’s wrong with that?After all, if you were genuine and made a good impression in an interview, there is no reason to have a huge breakup if you do n’t get the job. Believe me, it wasn’t personal! And you might as well get some benefit from it.

How to Write a Korean Resume

How to Write a Korean ResumeWriting a Korean resume is not as hard as some people make it out to be. The main thing you want to keep in mind when you are writing your Korean resume is that it is your chance to stand out from the crowd. This article will talk about how to write a Korean resume the right way.When writing a Korean resume, keep it short. Try not to go over three pages long. Using a Korean name can be annoying if you do not use a particular person's name too often. Also, avoid using an individual's Korean surname.Writing a Korean resume for the job you are applying for is one of the most important things you will ever do. You have to make sure you can meet the requirements of the company before you apply. Keep this in mind and ensure that your application has all the correct information that will help them select you. It should be at least twice as long as your CV, but shorter than a résumé. Remember, people are a lot quicker when they are reading a short form than when they are reading a long one.Make sure you are consistent with what you include on your resume. Your resume is your entire identity. Always be polite and honest when writing a Korean resume. The information you include on the resume should reflect your personality and should not include anything you do not believe in. You should also know when to stop writing a Korean resume and what to say after you have completed it.Never use any curse words or rude language in your Korean resume. Also, do not use slurs when talking about others. Again, this can be a source of embarrassment and the best thing you can do is make sure you follow these basic rules. You have to make sure that the Korean employee can easily understand what you are saying. If you are stating the company's goal, ensure that you spell it correctly.Make sure you use correct grammar when writing a Korean resume. Always use all the tenses that you would use in a normal English resume. If you are stating the position you held previously, use the correct spelling. Also, avoid mentioning personal names.Finally, do not write on a Korean resume more than one time. If you have gone over your allotted word limit on your Korean resume, try to review it and get it to fit into the space you have available. Keep it brief, to the point. Having a short Korean resume can work to your advantage when you are trying to get the job.If you follow these simple rules when writing a Korean resume, you will be able to do it quickly and easily. The best thing to do is to take a look at some of the sample resumes that are available online, and see which one you feel is the most professional and concise.