Michaela Cohen’s Post

Great to catch up on all things 𝗧𝗮𝘅, 𝗧𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘂𝗿𝘆 and 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 today - it is definitely a day for outdoor meetings! While the summer holidays are in full swing, it’s a great time to consider your options. We’ve enjoyed so many career advisory coffees over the last few weeks. If you’re curious about your career potential in Tax, Treasury or Practice do reach out, we’d be delighted to support your career journey! Kate Flanagan CTA #CareerAdvisory #YourCareer

It’s that time of year when many students are about to embark on their journey into full-time employment. Recently, I presented my own career path to students at KPMG, where I used my Drake-scale to describe the different ups-and-downs throughout my career so far. Often, we only see the positives on LinkedIn, so I tried to be as transparent as possible and talked about everything from being in a job, where I loved my work, but not the culture to how covid-19 impacted my career path. A few tips I would like to pass on to anyone who is embarking on their first full-time job is: •     Try to get a mentor. Having different mentors throughout my career has been of such great value. Mentors have often already experienced what you are going through and can help give you advice with a lot more clarity and put things into perspective. •     Create an overview of what is most important to you in a job. Is it to learn as much as possible, achieve a good work-life balance, experience a great company culture, or perhaps learn from more senior people? Nothing is right or wrong but can help you navigate to a workplace where you feel the most fulfilled. •     The last tip may be somewhat controversial, but… you don’t necessarily need a 5-year plan. Personally, I have always had an openness to where different opportunities could take me – that’s perhaps also why I, as a digital designer, has both worked in a finance department and also become a consultant. Focus on what brings you energy and what you are passionate about. 

Congratulations to all my peers in the public accounting world on your well-deserved promotions, raises, and bonuses! 🌟 As we celebrate our achievements and perhaps indulge in a treat or two, it's essential to reflect on our career paths. In the tax career realm at large public accounting firms, honing technical expertise, management skills, and driving revenue are pivotal. While many of us excel in the first two areas, some may find revenue generation challenging. If selling doesn't align with your strengths or interests, it might be time to evaluate your career trajectory. If your current firm emphasizes revenue generation, and it's not your forte, exploring alternative paths could be beneficial. Remember, it's crucial to be proactive in shaping your career to align with your goals and values. Time is a valuable asset, and opportunities await those who are ready to seize them! 🚀💼 #CareerReflection #ProfessionalGrowth

Does Merit Really Matter for Promotions in Corporate Careers? Answers: https://lnkd.in/gWxcJkR3 #CareerGrowth #WorkplaceStruggles #PromotionReality Hey everyone! So, I've been grappling with some feelings after a recent situation at work, and I wanted to share my thoughts. Our team has been working hard at a big bank, and I thought that merit would lead to fair promotions. However, it seems like I was mistaken. 😔 Let me give you the scoop. We recently promoted a colleague who, while decent at engineering, has spent more of his time chasing certificates and cozying up to management than actually contributing to the team's output. 🤷♂️ He even took a 6-month parental leave and returned to claim a VP + Team Lead title! Meanwhile, the rest of us did the heavy lifting. This experience has left me feeling pretty disillusioned. I genuinely believed that hard work would pay off—that meritocracy would hold up as a principle in the workplace. Turns out, it doesn't mean much when you can just schmooze your way to the top. 😤 Here are some points that have been on my mind: Hard Work vs. Networking: It's frustrating to see that building genuine skills and putting in ...

The "Big Stay" is here but have you checked in with yourself lately on what you want out of your career and life? My wonderful client, Ellen Taaffe says, "We fall back on what was important to us in the past—like a specific job title or rigidly staying within the industry we majored in—and don't recognize who we are today and what we need now. As we grow our skills, we learn what we do and don’t aspire to, and the types of environments we do and don’t want to work in." Read more below in her Marie Claire article!

FIRST DAY at Work The joining season for all MBA colleges is around the corner, I had this on my mind for a while writing about that awaited debut in the professional world everyone has dreamt of right from childhood. While growing up, financial independence is a dream almost every kid has and thus the excitement of joining your first full-time job becomes an exciting as well as a jittery moment. - How will I do? - Will I be good enough? - How would the people around me treat me? These questions are obvious and can consume a lot of energy as well as headspace. This little draft may help you settle down quicker at your workplace. 1. Talk Less Listen More - The first few weeks are all about gathering information and listening to every meeting, conversation, and interaction very seriously. It will help you understand the perspectives of everyone, choose the right friends, and follow the seniors who align most with your ethics. The reason I say talk less is because you will mostly come up with incomplete solutions/suggestions when unaware of the backdrop. 2. Understand the Expectations - You are hired for a reason, understand why exactly this position opened up or was created. It will help you plan your approach much better. Try to find out the methodologies/approach that was followed before you arrived and build upon it. Remember, disruptions are sustainable only when they are built considering previous mistakes. 3. Dive Deep into DATA - This is the most important of all the things I will be listing in this post. I did this personally and I would encourage everyone to do this religiously. Data speaks volumes and adds significant weight to your words when in meetings. Your ability to assimilate data will certainly decide the time you take to really be noticed and taken seriously. Also, solutions cannot be verbal they can only be built sustainably when backed by data. Find someone who knows the meaning of every column header in that historic dump and correlate them to your KRAs/SLAs. 4. Build on Your Core Values They Will be Your Biggest Strength - I was brought up in a household where empathy and compassion were nonnegotiable. I made sure I applied them at work and it helped me calm those overthinking winds during a storm. These values can come from anywhere, your approach to sports, something your professor taught, or even something your favorite YouTuber said. 5. Conclusions at Work are Rare, try and find Mutual Agreements - The faster you accept that Work discussions do not conclude on most of the instances, the quicker you will be at peace of mind. It usually is a mutual agreement between two parties to settle for something practical. I have struggled the most at this but a cautious effort to train myself has helped me. It is okay to start slow also great when you start with momentum but remember loving yourself will take you places. If any of the above made sense to you and/or helped you at work do drop me a message :) #freshers

Everyone remembers their first job after college. They remember being nervous about it. They remember not being sure what to wear. They remember how long the days felt before they built up their worker stamina. They remember who was unbothered by answering basic questions. Managers should strive to make this a positive experience, but many just go through the motions. Here's my plan to make this experience positive. #management #hiring #newhires #growth

Sticking around in a role you don't enjoy, purely waiting for a title change, is a waste of time. It won't open up better opportunities, particularly when moving within accounting firms. I try to steer clear of generalised career advice, but I think this one is important. I made the same mistake, thinking, "Once I hit Senior Associate, I'll have better exit opportunities." And there is some merit in that. If you play it well, you'll be able to hold that title in a new team. But the truth is, you're better off making the move earlier so you can build the right skill set. Not all skills are transferable. You'll likely end up on the same promotion cycle, but you'll be far better prepared for the new role. There are plenty of reasons to stick around in your current team, but simply waiting for a promotion isn't a good one.

🌟 Placement Preparation Guide 🌟 Here is the second round of the placement drive i.e. Group discussion Group discussions are an important part of the placements and interviews where the candidate is asked to speak and discuss the given topic in a group and is evaluated on the same basis. At the time of my placement drive, the majority of firms did not use GDs in their placement process; however, today, most do as it helps them to know about you. Yes, you heard it right. For the same, let's understand few things: Why GDs? • To know whether you are a right fit • To know whether you are a good team player • To know whether you have good communication and leadership skills What to include? • Give yourself 5-10 minutes before starting the discussion • Be original and creative about your ideas, don't copy anyone • Be the initiator of the discussion as it shows your leadership skills • Be an active listener • Respect everyone's opinion and, if you disagree, speak out without coming across negatively • During interruption, behave calmly • If you have time, always summarise or conclude the points you made during the discussion What to avoid? • Starting abruptly without thinking • Trying to copy or stating someone else's point in one way or the other • Not letting others speak in front of you • Just stating your own views and not caring much about others • Being negatively straight forward and saying "You are wrong" • If you are interrupted by someone, you act irrationally Topics you can practice: • COVID- 19 and economic recovery • Smartphones - enablers or disablers of education • Netflix, Amazon Prime damaging personal and social life • Use of social media a stress buster or a dampener on productivity • Work from Home - Good or Bad • Can technology play the role of game-changer in audit and assurance • Do deadlines destroy creativity? • Social media and e-commerce implications on data privacy All the best guys, I hope this series is helping you with the placement preparation✨ #placement #interviews #corporate #college #students #du #groupdiscussions #ey #deloitte #big4 #learnings #experience #gargicollege

"I get paid fairly at work." It's something many businesses score poorly on in workplace surveys across industries. For those that are performing well, there are perks but what if you're not getting noticed? Early in my #Specsavers career, I had a supervisor, an assistant manager, and a manager. I felt safe knowing I could go to them with my problems and they’d help me deal with them, no matter how big. Not only that, they knew how to operate the business. They looked after us team members and also the business. This might be you. Aligned with the brand, going above and beyond for your customers, counseling your colleagues, doing everything your supervisor is doing, but just not getting paid for it. So how can you get paid more? 💰 #JimRohn said, "We get paid for bringing value to the marketplace... not the time." Ok, so, how can you add more value? #UrsulaBurns started as a summer intern at #Xerox in 1980 and eventually rose to the top, demonstrating outstanding leadership and dedication, eventually becoming the first African-American woman to lead a Fortune 500 company. That doesn’t happen if you can’t be relied on, if you’re coming in late to work, or if you have the attitude of a 13-year-old. Take a look at yourself in the mirror. 🪞 #SteveJobs had to adjust his leadership style and his approach to innovation. It’s this introspection that led to Apple's success. 🍏 Do you play well with others? What's your skill level like? What's your ability to influence like? How empathetic are you? 🤝 Think of others first. What can you offer your workplace that will: Relieve pressure from your manager 😰 Increase productivity of the team 💪 Save the manager's time ⏰ Improve KPIs 📈 Know thyself. Know what motivates you and articulate that to your employer. My mentor once told me, most of us are after one of these: a) Money 💵 b) Position/Power 💪 c) Recognition 🏆 Collaborate. Work with your manager to achieve targets you both agree on. Have regular, protected one-on-one time, fortnightly. Feedback is a really important tool that will help you achieve your goal. Listen, plan, and take massive action on what you get from your one-on-ones. Hold yourself accountable. If you're actively working on these four things, you will be rewarded for the value you bring to the organization. *this picture was taken at a #Specsavers Event in Empire Casino in Leicester Square, London for contributing to the contact lens growth of the business. Umesh Mistry #motivation #careeradvancement #leadership #selfgrowth #value #recognition #JimRohn #UrsulaBurns #SteveJobs #collaboration #contactlenses #businessgrowth #growth #coach #mentor