Careers: Why Did You Leave Your Last Job?
Why Did You Leave Your Last Job? The Right Answer for Interviews
Read how to answer why you left your last job in a way that doesn't scare off potential employers during an important job interview
...(more)jobs, careers, interviewsLabels: careers, interviews, jobs
IT Careers: The 40-Hour Work-Week Era Is Ending
Gartner: The 40-Hour Work-Week Era Is EndingBy Deborah Perelman,
eWEEKIn what the I.T. consultancy calls the emergence of the "Digital Free-Agency," individuals will be expected to blend professional and personal computing requirements in an integrated environment. The effect of this practice, as well as new job descriptions, will change the workplace as I.T. knows it.
By 2015, there will be more workers who interact with technology, but they'll be working a whole lot less hours each week, finds a Gartner research report released on May 30.
Gartner argues that three of the four traditional pillars of work—the living wage, long-term relationships with loyal employers, and government- or company-provided pensions—have already gone the way of the dinosaurs, leaving only the 40-hour workweek.
But this, too, is not long for the employment economy, the report said. Societal views on primary wage-earner and caregiver roles, as well as on retirement, are in the midst of changing, taking with them the de facto 40-hour work week. Individuals are already reconsidering its pervasive influence, the report argues, and the dialogue is becoming increasingly political.
Those most affected are at the helm. Retiring Baby Boomers, working-age mothers and Generation X workers are seeking a more fulfilling work/life balance, and the traditional workplace structure is holding them back. The report said that no longer will the workplace be dominated by single bread-winners who expect to retire at the end of their working life, and that businesses need to reckon with this trend.
"When people in these demographics have marketable skills, employers will find it difficult to ignore their requests for more flexibility," said Brian Prentice, research director of emerging trends and technologies at Gartner, in a statement.
"The additional pressures of an aging population and skills shortages will lead to the adoption of digital free agency and flexible work structures as social, political and business necessities."
The effect of these changes will be felt throughout the employment life cycle. Organizations will be forced to redefine existing roles as well as craft new ones based on what can be realistically achieved in half the traditional workweek.
The report suggests that rather than adopt a draconian measure of cutting in half the working hours of all employees, employers that create 20-hour job descriptions will be in the best place to attract and retain the most qualified workers.
"The 20-hour-per-week job description is a relatively simple way of addressing a growing problem without radically restructuring well-established management models," said Prentic.
Digital free agents as change agentsYet, the decline of the standard 40-hour workweek will not occur in a bubble, but at the same time as a consumerization trend increases the roles that IT plays in people's personal lives.
"It will be very hard to draw a distinction between the personal and work computing environment. The shift in power away from the organization, and in particular, the IT department, will be even more significant with these people," said Prentice.
In what Gartner calls the emergence of the "Digital Free-Agency," individuals will be expecting to blend professional and personal computing requirements in an integrated environment. The report said that the effect of this user-driven practice coupled with new 20-hour job descriptions will change the workplace as IT knows it.
"As IT becomes woven into the fabric of people's lives and traditional work-home boundaries are rendered obsolete, digital free agency will emerge," said Prentice.
Report: The supply of IT pros is down, but the demand is up. Click here to read more. Though this trend is only now in the early stages, Gartner argues that sharp CIOs will see digital free agency as a business-relevant trigger and link it to farsighted business benefits.
"Gartner is asking the CIO to consider a long-term planning scenario that prepares for the 20-hour job description and the rise of digital free agency. That consideration needs to happen now," said Prentice.
The report states that smart CIOs will not wait to address two imminent trends: the need to control the computing environment on one hand, while providing increased user autonomy on the other. Doing so will put IT in the business drivers' seat.
"Ultimately, by preparing for digital free agency, the IT department will be able to position itself as a proactive enabler of true business change," said Prentice.
full articleIT, technology, staffing, HR, careers, IT management
Labels: careers, hr, IT, IT management, staffing, technology
Careers: Answer Any Interview Question
How to Answer Any Interview QuestionDon't be rattled by your next job interview. It's possible to answer any question that comes your way. How? By preparing and knowing how to direct the conversation to the topics you want to cover.
To start, take a tip from consultants who coach executives and politicians on how to handle media interviews. These trainers say you can deliver the message you want to an employer, regardless of the question you're asked.
"Most people don't realize that their purpose isn't to sit there and hope the right questions will be asked," says Aileen Pincus, president of the Pincus Group, a media interview-training firm in Silver Spring, Md. "They need to develop two or three key messages and make sure their point is delivered."
Unlike some politicians who ignore press questions and immediately introduce a different topic in response, job candidates must respect and directly answer employer's queries, says Jeff Braun, vice president and general manager of the Ammerman Experience, a Stafford, Texas, media interview-training firm. However, you can quickly make the transition from your answer to the important points you want to convey about your qualifications, he says.
He suggests when answering job-interview queries applying the formula Q = A + 1: Q is the question; A is the answer; + is the bridge to the message you want to deliver; and 1 is the point you want to make.
"If you take the '+ 1' off the formula, then the interviewer is controlling the session," says Mr. Braun.
Diligent preparation also is necessary to effectively answer any interview question, say senior executives. Theirs and media trainers' tips follow:
Study hard. Learn as much as you can about the job, the employer and its executives beforehand. Use this information to answer direct questions and to then segue into a discussion about your qualifications and fit.
Eric Herzog, a vice president of product line management and channel marketing at Maxtor Corp., a hard-disk drive company in Milpitas, Calif., says he always talks to current and former company employees and analysts whenever possible prior to job interviews to gain as much insight as he can into the employer's challenges and culture. If the company is publicly owned, he studies its financial condition by reading U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission documents, such as annual 10-K shareholder reports on the company's performance. He then tailors his interview answers to the company's issues.
"If the company is having a rough time financially, you can say that not only did you make good products or services, but that you produced things on time and under budget," says Mr. Herzog. "That's a little plus if the company is in trouble."
If you're working with a recruiter, ask him or her about what the company is seeking and its key challenges, says Derek Messulam, vice president of rental market development for GE-Capital Solutions, a financial-services unit of General Electric Co. in Norwalk, Conn. Mr. Messulam says he grills recruiters regarding a job's responsibilities and the attributes the company wants before job interviews. He then makes sure that his answers demonstrate his potential value to an employer.
"When questions come up, you can steer the conversation to how you can demonstrate value," says Mr. Messulam. "You answer the question, but maybe not 100% the way they were expecting it."
Have anecdotes ready. Many interviewers ask questions that require candidates to provide examples of how they handled a difficult challenge or other work situation. Such questions often start with a phrase such as, "Tell me about a time when you faced...."
These questions require a story in response, but it's unlikely you have a story that fits every conceivable query. But the task of preparing becomes easier when you realize that interviewers typically are interested in only five or six general categories, says Mr. Braun. Instead of trying to be ready for every potential question, come up with stories to fit these general issues, such as how you handled conflict or a difficult challenge.
It may help to think of each issue as a bucket and mentally place a story or two in each one, says Mr. Braun. "Be more generic in your approach," he suggests. "When asked a question along one of those lines, you can move to the story you have in one of those buckets."
From his research, Mr. Messulam says he can usually tell what types of things a company might want to know about him and thinks of corresponding anecdotes. "I have seven or eight top stories that tell someone what I am good at," he says.
This strategy also works when interviewers say, "Tell me about yourself," says Lucinda Baier, former president and chief operating officer of Whitehall Jewelers Inc., a national specialty retailer and a former senior vice president of Sears Roebuck & Co.
Ms. Baier left Chicago-based Whitehall in December after it accepted an agreement with an investor to become private. She left Sears in April 2004 when the credit and financial products division she headed was sold to Citibank.
When asked to tell interviewers about herself, she determines how much time she should use and then tries to describe her specific qualifications that fit the company's key issues.
"If you know what challenges the company is facing, you can tailor your response to what the company is dealing with and how you can help," she says.
Be positive about the negative. Count on being asked about a past mistake or blemish on your career record, and don't try to dodge the issue. Ms. Pincus advises. "If you have a vulnerability, you need to be prepared to answer the question," she says. "There should be no lying or dodging. Just answer it and move on."
When discussing a mistake, be ready to say how you learned or benefited from it. "You learn as much by dropping the ball as you do by catching it," says Mr. Herzog. When interviewing for his current job, which he started in August, Mr. Herzog says he mentioned he had been involved in successful turnarounds and one that failed. "And I said what I learned from it," he says.
Email your comments to
perri.capell@wsj.com.
Interview-Prep Tool
Use this
interactive tool to get ready for your next big job meeting.
careers, interviews, interview preparation, job searchLabels: careers, interview preparation, interviews, job search
Top 10 Companies for Executive Women
Top 10 Companies for Executive WomenWhat makes a company a national leader for executive women?
Certainly representation at the top but also the ability for promotion, salary equity, retention, work/life benefits, employee-resource groups, diversity training and strong mentoring programs. See which companies earned spots on the DiversityInc Top 10 Companies for Executive Women.
...(more)Labels: business management, careers, diversity, women
Jobs: Basel II - Credit Risk - Senior position
Long term position working a Global Financial Firm located in Warren, NJ. If you are interested, please reply to this email with current resume. Thanks so much!
- 6+ years of experience in Technology, Finance and Basel II
- Good knowledge of Basel II - Credit Risk (Wholesale, Retail, Securitization and Equities) processes and data
- Understands Basel II Regulatory Requirements
- Good knowledge of Basel II products and sub-products (e.g. OTC, Repo-style, AFS etc.)
- Experience in design of architecture of n-tier distributed system
- Understands tools and technology - ETL, Analytical/Calculator Engine, Databases, Reporting etc.
- Capable to document Basel II logical architecture, physcial architecture, process flow, information/data flow and data model
- Strong communication skills
- Create the Logical Architecture document - Logical/Component Architecture - Systems/Components Process Flow - Integration Architecture
- Create the Physical Architecture Document - Deployment Architecture - Infrastructure Architecture - Physical Architecture
- Create an end-to-end Logical Data Model document
- Create an end-to-end Data/Information Flow document
If you are qualified, available, interested, planning to make a change, or know of a friend who might have the required qualifications and interest, please call me ASAP at (212) 306-0158, even if we have spoken recently about a different position. You may also send me an e-mail or contact me via the chat box at http://www.algomod.com/. If you do respond via e-mail please include a daytime phone number so I can reach you. In considering candidates, time is of the essence, so please respond ASAP. Thank you.
Melody Gingrich melody@algomod.com
Algomod Technologies Corp.
Labels: Basel II, careers, financial jobs, jobs, risk management
Recruitment heats up on Wall Street
Recruitment heats up on Wall StreetInvestment bankers and traders are in high demand, as the market weathers recent shake-ups in the mortgage world and an abundance of cash in hand. Top banks continue to recruit heavily from top M.B.A. schools, although a strong influx of foreign candidates has begun to make its presence known.
full storyjobs, careers, investment banking, sales, trading, finance, derivatives, MBALabels: careers, derivatives, finance, investment banking, jobs, MBA, sales, trading
What Trading Managers Look For in Job Candidates?
What Trading Managers Look For in Job Candidates?
Article by eFinancialCareers What do trading desk managers look for in new hires? Industry veteran and futures trader Larry Levin chats with eFinancialCareers about the skills needed to succeed in today's increasingly electronic trading environment.
Read more...careers, trading, sales, sales skills, analysis, quantsLabels: analysis, careers, quants, sales, sales skills, trading
Private Equity's New Entrepreneurs
Private Equity's New EntrepreneursThey run their own firms, seek out smaller deals that don't generate headlines—and make returns that are on par with the big boys
Read moreprivate equity, finance, leveraged finance, LBO, investment banking, careers
Labels: careers, finance, investment banking, LBO, leveraged finance, private equity
Royal Bank of Scotland strives to become a bigger player in U.S.The Royal Bank of Scotland is planning to move its global banking and markets staff to Connecticut, hire hundreds of people for its U.S. offices and construct the largest trading floor in the world. "The biggest dollar opportunity is in the U.S. where we are an established top-10 player. The next stage is to consolidate a top-five position," said Johnny Cameron, chief executive of global banking and markets division of RBS.
Full story RBS, careers, jobs, trading
Labels: careers, derivatives trading, investment banking, jobs, RBS
Skills for Business - Sector Skills Development Agency
Skills for Business - Sector Skills Development AgencyThe Skills for Business network aims to boost the productivity and profitability of the UK. We're doing this by identifying and tackling skills gaps and shortages on a sector by sector basis. In short, we're trying to get the right people with the right skills in the right place at the right time. The Skills for Business network is made up of 25 Sector Skills Councils (SSCs) - each one is an employer-led, independent organisation. The Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA) underpins the network and is responsible for funding, supporting and monitoring the SSCs.
Main website
http://www.ssda.org.ukSample
Skills Council for Brokerage.
Learn more about SSDA.
jobs, careers, job training, workforce management, HR, UKLabels: careers, hr, job training, jobs, UK, United Kingdom, workforce management
New MBA grads flock to private equity
With MBAs in hand, new grads flock to private equityWant one of those jobs in private equity where the average compensation for even the rookie players averages $289,000 a year? You're not alone. Newly minted MBAs prefer private equity gigs to working in the traditional home of big salaries -- investment banking.
full storygrad school, graduate, MBA, private equity, careers, jobsLabels: careers, grad school, graduate, jobs, MBA, private equity
NYC Politicians Take Sarbox Stance
NYC Politicians Take Sarbox Stance A new McKinsey report says New York is poised to lose more than 60,000 jobs in the next five years, and $25 billion in cash, if securities and Sarbanes-Oxley regulations aren't revised as soon as possible. Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New York Sen. Charles Schumer were slated to "unveil" the report, which was commissioned by the city. The report recommends adopting looser, principles-based regulations. New York Governor Eliot Spitzer admits that his support of the report would doubtless "raise eyebrows" given his quest to end crime on Wall Street when he was the state's attorney general. Nonetheless, he says, parts of Sarbox that are "burdensome" should be changed. One observer notes that the study seems to be skewed; it discusses only the "banking side" of financial services and doesn't address problems that may or may not exist on the listing side.
Read this articleHR, jobs, derivatives, trading, risk managementLabels: careers, financial firms, financial jobs, hr, jobs, NYC, SarBox
Jobs: Financial Reporting, Controllers Analyst (NYC)
Role: Analyst - Financial Reporting Controllers/New YorkCompany: Goldman SachsIndustry: Investment BankingJob Description:The intermediate/senior analyst will be an integral part of the GS Execution and Clearing financial reporting team. This includes assisting in the preparation and submission of the balance sheet and supporting schedules on monthly basis. The analyst will interact with other divisions throughout the firm with regards to Consolidated reporting, FAS 140 disclosure, Inventory and other balance sheet and P&L transactions. Also experience with FAS 109 tax reporting would be a plus.
Principal Responsibilities:- Assist with Monthly Balance sheet preparation
- Subsidiaries financial statement preparation
- Estimate to actual reviewInventory broadening and review
- Tax accruals and associated analysis
- FAS 140 calculation
- Participate in the semi-annual and year end audits
- Special projects
Experience/Skills:
- Degree in Accounting
- 1-3 years relevant work experience (preferably with a public accounting or financial services firm)
- CPA a plus, but not requiredStrong PC skills (Excel, Word, Essbase, DBS Ledger)
- Strong analytical skills and detail orientation
- Excellent Interpersonal and communication skills
Contact via email for further information.
Careers@BizAnalyst.net and gloria.chen-li@gs.com
HR, jobs, derivatives, trading, risk management
Labels: accounting, careers, derivatives, electronic trading, finance analyst, goldman sachs, hr, investment banking, jobs, risk management, trading
Citigroup plans to cut costs by $1 billion
Citigroup plans to cut costs by $1 billionCitigroup, trailing its rivals in profit growth, plans to cut $1 billion in costs this year, Bloomberg reports, citing a source with direct knowledge of the plan. The cost-cutting measures will involve eliminating some jobs, moving others to less expensive locations and overhauling the risk-management unit.
Read this articleIs this the beginning of a cost cutting wave on Wall Street? Feast or Famine.
Take a look at the new hiring trends on Wall Street.HR, jobs, derivatives, trading, risk managementLabels: careers, citigroup, cost cutting, derivatives, electronic trading, hiring, hr, jobs, layoffs, reorg, risk management, trading
Compensation & Negotiation: Please, Sir. I Want Some More.
Please, Sir. I Want Some More. Compensation Negotiation Article by
eFinancialCareersWhat if you're not satisfied when you get your bonus? Could you negotiate for more? Success is rare, and it could be a dangerous path to pursue. "In 20 years at Goldman, I never once saw anyone renegotiate their bonus after it had been announced, ever," says one former department head at Goldman Sachs...
full storyHR, jobs, derivatives, electronic trading, trading, risk managementLabels: careers, derivatives, electronic trading, hr, jobs, risk management, trading
Email Security: Justifying Costs and Measuring ROI
Email Security: Justifying Costs and Measuring ROIJanuary 30, 2007 @ 2:00 p.m. Eastern/11:00 a.m. Pacific
Duration: 45 minutes
Register todayIT staffs often face tough questions:
- How do you keep up with the latest inbound email threats?
- How do you stop information leaks while letting people do their jobs?
- How much security is enough?
- How much is this going to cost?
The rapid explosion of email spawns numerous security threats including spam, viruses, scams, identity theft, and leaks of sensitive information. With each new threat, organizations scramble to defend their networks while keeping mission-critical email flowing. Join Tumbleweed Communications for an upcoming eSeminar exploring these issues. Willy Leichter, director of product marketing at Tumbleweed will host an interactive presentation on "Email Security: Justifying costs and measuring ROI" During this interactive event you'll be able to ask questions and receive prompt replies. You'll have access to reference material you can use. Discussion topics will include:
- challenge of measuring an ROI for security
- effective ways to keep up with the latest email threats
- hidden costs of managing multiple email security systems
- tendency to over-size your email & storage infrastructure to keep up with growing traffic
to enforce policy controls without disrupting business
Featured SpeakersFrank Derfler, VP, Market Experts Group - Ziff Davis Media
Willy Leichter, Director of Product Marketing - Tumbleweed Communications
Register todayLabels: careers, hr, jobs
Outsourcing Heads To the Outskirts
Outsourcing Heads To the OutskirtsGramIT brings tech-services jobs to rural areas-and transforms villagers' lives
Read the articletechnology, HR, jobs, derivatives, electronic trading, trading, risk managementLabels: careers, derivatives, electronic trading, hr, jobs, risk management, trading
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HR, jobs, derivatives, electronic trading, trading, financial advisor, risk management
Labels: careers, derivatives, electronic trading, hr, jobs, risk management, trading
Wall Street adds jobs, boosts salaries in NYC, report shows
Wall Street adds jobs, boosts salaries in NYC, report shows
The securities industry added 9,500 jobs in New York City between 2003 and 2005, triple the rate of other employment figures, according to a report from New York state Comptroller Alan Hevesi. Average salaries on Wall Street have increased 28% since 2003 to reach $289,664.
Read this article
HR, jobs, derivatives, electronic trading, trading, risk management
Labels: careers, derivatives, electronic trading, hr, jobs, risk management, trading
Jobs: Basel II - Credit Risk - Senior position
Long term position working a Global Financial Firm located in Warren, NJ. If you are interested, please reply to this email with current resume.
Thanks so much!
� 6+ years of experience in Technology, Finance and Basel II
� Good knowledge of Basel II - Credit Risk (Wholesale, Retail, Securitization and Equities) processes and data
� Understands Basel II Regulatory Requirements
� Good knowledge of Basel II products and sub-products (e.g. OTC, Repo-style, AFS etc.)
� Experience in design of architecture of n-tier distributed system
� Understands tools and technology - ETL, Analytical/Calculator Engine, Databases, Reporting etc.
� Capable to document Basel II logical architecture, physcial architecture, process flow, information/data flow and data model
� Strong communication skills
� Create the Logical Architecture document
- Logical/Component Architecture
- Systems/Components Process Flow
- Integration Architecture
� Create the Physical Architecture Document
- Deployment Architecture
- Infrastructure Architecture
- Physical Architecture
� Create an end-to-end Logical Data Model document
� Create an end-to-end Data/Information Flow document
If you are qualified, available, interested, planning to make a change, or know of a friend who might have the required qualifications and interest, please call Melody at (212) 306-0158. State that Victor Smith referred you for this job.
Melody Gingrich
Algomod Technologies Corporation
116 John Street
New York, NY 10038
Phone: (212) 306-0100 or (877) 711-8700
Fax : (212) 306-0191
For more job opportunities: www.bizanalyst.net/Careers
HR, jobs, derivatives, electronic trading, trading, risk management
Labels: careers, derivatives, electronic trading, hr, jobs, risk management, technology, trading
