The fame game |
| Are today's recruits more interested in the X factor than skill factors? |
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Fast-track to qualification |
| KMPG has created a fast track to the ACA qualification - you can be nearly qualified in just one year |
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Pay gap narrowing |
| Women still earn less than their male ICAEW equivalent - but not by much now! |
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Online competence checklist for ACCA PQs |
| The ACCA has published an interactive checklist of competencies |
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Do you know where your CV is? |
| Lisa Dendle warns of the potential dangers of posting your CV online |
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Body language speaks volumes |
| According to the research we carried out for 2013 Page Personnel Finance Salary Survey, 31% of hiring managers think that ‘the right attitude to work’ is the biggest factor that job seekers today tend to lack at interview. So what is the ‘right’ attitude and how do you go about demonstrating that you have it? |
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The future of finance |
| PQ magazine takes a look at the Hays accountancy and finance market overview and salary guide 2013 |
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The last taboo? |
| Gay staff need to be given the freedom to ‘be themselves’, said KPMG’s senior partner Simon Collins at the recent launch of advocacy group Outonthestreet.org in London. He claimed that old-fashioned attitudes towards gay staff were still prevalent in the financial services industry. |
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Gender politics: In the boardroom |
| All executive search firms are being urged by the Business Secretary Vince Cable to publish the numbers of men and women they place in senior positions. This emphasis on transparency will help highlight those firms that are going the extra mile to find high-calibre female candidates and tackle gender imbalance in UK companies. |
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How to make a great impression |
| Our latest 2013 salary survey shows that almost one in 10 hiring managers think interview technique is the skill most job seekers tend to lack. Our top tips here will help you buck the trend. |
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Employer survey: Swings & roundabouts |
| PQ magazine takes an in-depth look at what part qualifieds want from an ideal employer |
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What PQs want |
| PQ readers just want employers to understand a bit more |
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Never too old to be a PQ |
| The perception that all accountancy students are graduates who leave university and begin training should be ditched, according to the figures compiled by the Professional Oversight Board. |
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The cream of the crop |
| Kelly Bridge is Reed’s very own PQ of the Year. We asked her about her life and her road to success |
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Evaluating a job offer |
| Your search could be over; you’ve applied to jobs to within an inch of your life, gone through the interview process, outperformed the other candidates and now the hiring manager is offering you the role. |
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Around the regions: Northern Ireland |
| Nicola McCallum highlights the areas of opportunity for PQs in the province |
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Social media: use to your advantage |
| Giles McIntyre reports on the influence Facebook and the like has on prospective employers |
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The office: How to beat the afternoon slump |
| We all know that time after lunch when your desk starts to resemble a feather pillow and, as your vision blurs and your eyelids droop, you notice the office collectively falling into a lull. But duty calls: you’ve got reports to write, calls to make and other things (deemed important enough that you’ve written them on a Post-it Note) to do. |
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Fast-track your career |
| So how are you planning to get ahead in your career? The latest report from CIMA and the AICPA (with a little help from Hays) points out you can rely on good old-fashioned luck, or simply use the hope-and-pray method. |
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CIMA PQ salary survey |
| PQ magazine casts an eye over the institute’s salary survey for 2012 |
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Can you avoid Catch-22? |
| PQ editor Graham Hambly steers you in the right direction when it comes to matching your work experience with your exam success |
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The art of the presentation |
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Around the regions: London |
| Dominic Morton assesses the jobs market for PQs in the capital |
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A matter of confidence |
| The results from the latest PQ magazine recruitment consultancy survey are in. So how have things changed in the year since we last conducted a survey on your attitudes to recruitment consultants? |
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Creating PQs with true grit |
| So why have Big 4 giants KPMG and Deloitte joined forces with the Chartered Accountants’ Benevolent Association? To create tougher PQs, that’s why! |
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Getting the balance right |
| FTSE 100 firms should be aiming for a minimum of 25% female board representation by 2015 and the FTSE 350 should be setting their own challenging targets, according to review by Lord Davies in February. October’s six-month progress report revealed 61% of the 100 FTSE companies have responded to the Davies review, acknowledging that gender diversity is an issue, with 33 setting themselves targets for the percentage of women they aim to have on their boards. |
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Looking for the positives |
| If you had an excellent interview but didn’t get the job it doesn’t necessarily mean you weren’t good enough and should set your sights lower. |
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Around the regions: Scotland |
| So what are job opportunities like for trainee accountants in Scotland? Roddy Adair has some good news |
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Creating a cover letter to get you noticed |
| First things first, have you properly read the selection criteria for the job you’re applying for? If you haven’t taken the time to read the criteria, you may miss something, or address something that’s irrelevant to the job. |
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Around the regions: Essex & East Anglia |
| So what are job prospects like for accountants in the east of England? Rupinder Sagar reveals all |
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An ethical dilemma: performance issues |
| This month’s CCAB case study deals with staff performance issues |
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The workplace: spreadsheet skills |
| Improving your IT and spreadsheet skills can give you the edge over rival job-hunters, says James Brent |
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Have you developed job hunting bad habits? |
| If you’ve been involved in a long job hunt you can easily develop unproductive an routine. So check that you haven’t fallen into these seven common bad habits… |
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Around the regions: West Midlands |
| Latest salary guide figures from Hays show that pay for part qualified accountants in the Midlands has remained steady over the past year. |
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The workplace: Perfect your people skills |
| Soft skills are vital and should not be neglected, says James Brent |
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Polish your CV |
| We explore what employers and recruiters look for in a CV |
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The workplace: Interview checklist |
| Just like exams, preparation is everything when it comes to that interview, says James Brent |
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The merits of mentoring |
| As you progress through the stages of your professional qualification you will find there are times when you could use a bit of advice or guidance on the best way to tackle new problems, or make the most of the opportunities available. |
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The workplace: Making presentations |
| Making a presentation to prospective employers need not be an ordeal so think positively, says James Brent |
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Could Facebook stop you getting hired? |
| The web now plays a huge role in the recruitment process for both employers and for candidates. With the increasing popularity of online CV searches, digital portfolios and online job boards, the recruitment process has firmly shifted into the online domain. |
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Change brings challenges and opportunities |
| James Brent looks at how the skills and qualities sought after in PQs and finalists have been changing as the UK economy recovers. And who is likely to be actively recruiting over the remainder of the year? |
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Jobs focus: the North West |
| In the first of a new series on the UK’s jobs market Kelly Lightfoot analyses what’s happening in the North West |
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Recruitment consultants: a survey |
| Walker Dendle’s Kelsie Bufton explains how to get the most out of your recruitment consultant |
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Seven job hunting bad habits you should quit |
| If you’re currently job hunting, check that you haven’t fallen into these seven common bad habits... |
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Do all of us lie on our CVs? |
| Be careful what you put on your CV. Truth will out! |
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In the round |
| PQ magazine got together with some students at top recruitment consultancy Walker Dendle’s HQ to get their thoughts on how they see 2012 panning out. PQ editor Graham Hambly was on hand to scribble some notes |
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In with the new |
| New year, new job: we outline what you need to be doing to progess your career in 2012 |
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After exam success |
| Passing exams is only the first stage of a career in accountancy and finance. James Brent offers some advice on how professionals can plan and influence their career |
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Creating a career plan |
| This is a good time of year to take stock of your career, and start planning a long-term strategy |
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Large firm or SME? |
| James Brent of Hays Accountancy & Finance offers advice for PQs having to choose between roles in a small or large organisation |
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Careers roundtable part 2 |
| PQ magazine talks to the top consultants about the state of the job market and what you need to do to get ahead. Our panellists see thousands of CVs each year and talk to hundreds of employers. We asked them for an honest assessment – we know that is what you want |
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Careers: I love my job |
| Enjoying your work is vital – think of all the time and effort you put into it! So find a role you really love, and you’ll find your career will take off |
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Your brand: how to manage your career |
| Hays Accountancy & Finance’s Mark Sheldon highlights the importance of taking control of your career |
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Temporary workers: who’s in control? |
| David Wilson explains how a recent VAT Tribunal ruling has altered the landscape |
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Interview technique: Brush up your skills |
| With your new professional qualification safely under your belt – or your results perhaps still en route by post – we understand that your focus will now shift to finding better and brighter job opportunities. |
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Market report: from public to private |
| James Priestley of Hays offers advice on how professionals can move from the public to the private sector |
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Is there life after exams? |
| We outline the steps you can take to further your career if you don’t – for whatever reasons – get the exam results you wanted |
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Market report: retail on a roll |
| James Priestley, UK Head of Part Qualified recruitment at Hays Accountancy and Finance, provides candidates with an update on PQ demand in the labour market |
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People skills make accountants count |
| Excellent technical qualifications and a well-presented CV may be enough to get you noticed by potential employers, but won’t be enough to keep their attention for long if the rest of your skills set doesn’t measure up |
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Careers clinic: I need some Sage advice |
| Lisa Dendle of recruiter Walker Dendle tackles your workplace problems and issues. Here she offers advice about accounting software |
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Bribery Act: stay on the right side of the law |
| The all-new Bribery Act reforms the criminal law to provide a modern and comprehensive scheme of bribery offences that will enable courts and prosecutors to respond more effectively to bribery at home or abroad. |
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Two heads are better than one |
| Our guest editor this month, Lisa Dendle, pictured above at work, explains how the job market works and how to best utilise the services of a recruitment consultant |
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Time to cash in |
| The economic outlook may remain uncertain – but part qualifieds are already out of the starting blocks, says Hays Accountancy & Finance |
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Talkin’ ‘bout my generation |
| A survey from the Association has revealed the truth about the so-called ‘Generation Y’ – the under 30s who are beginning to move up the career ladder into positions of importance. Do you recognise yourself here? |
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The workplace: women on board |
| Companies need to redouble their efforts to exploit the best talent available for the boardroom, irrespective of gender or background, the ACCA says in its response to Lord Davies’ recent report, Women on Boards. |
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Immigration noticeboard |
| Genuine students should have nothing to fear from imminent changes to immigration rules, says Dak Patel |
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The workplace: the importance of networking |
| Geoff Collings, director at Hays Accountancy & Finance, outlines how networking can further your career |
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A bad career choice? |
| In our last issue we published a letter from a ‘disillusioned CIMA PQ’, who seemed to be regretting his career choice. We’ve reprinted parts of his letter here, along with a response from PQ Agony Aunt Lisa Dendle |
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Women on top |
| We spoke to two women who’ve made it in accountancy about who they are and how they achieved success |
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Love the sound of breaking glass |
| CIMA’s new campaign aims to help ‘progress’ female members into leadership roles. Graham Hambly reports |
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Just who are recruitment consultants working for? |
| Recruitment consultants need to do more to inspire confidence, say PQs in our latest survey. |
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Why temping works |
| Keval Patel looks at the many advantages temping offers, including the opportunity to get a wide range of experience and contacts |
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Inequality rules |
| Female CIMA members need help if they are to close the gender pay gap that exists around the world, according to CIMA. |
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An Inspector Calls |
| Our guest editor, Heather Miller, spoke, to Dave Clifford, a bike-mad CTA student about his studies, interests and career to date |
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Life at Deloitte |
| Jemma Hill, 22, is an indirect tax associate based in London. She has a degree in Accounting & Finance from London South Bank University. |
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ISS adopts ‘grow-your-own’ philosophy |
| All good football clubs have their own academies where they train their recruits, by careful nurturing, to be the best team players. |
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time to shine |
| The search has begun for nominations for the PQ Awards 2011. Shouldn’t you be there? |
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where are we going? |
| So what’s the job market going to look like in six months’ time? We asked our experts for their opinions |
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State of the market |
| So what is the state of the UK jobs market for PQs? Hear what our virtual round table experts had to say |
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so do accountants have personality? |
| There’s no doubt that AAT Francesca Harper, PQ magazine’s current Personality of the Year, is everything we believe in. A PQ, a human being – and great fun! |
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Location, location, location |
| Think about the regions if you want to get ahead in accountancy, says top firm Ernst & Young. It stressed recently that this year’s graduates need to be much more flexible about where they work and must look beyond the major capital cities for opportunities. |
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Leadership – Walking the walk |
| Leadership has a massive role to play on the road to recovery, says management guru Rene Carayol. For him leadership is all about attitude and behaviour. |
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Mum’s the word… |
| Abby-lee Widger, recently crowned PQ of the Year AT our awards, describes in her own words her life, loves, career and hopes for the future |
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The CFO – Your Time Has Come |
| The role of the CFO is now paramount to a company’s success. So we take a look at a recent ACCA report that outlines how finance departments are taking the lead |
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Posh Kids Only Need Apply |
| So how do the professional bodies react to the accusations that accountancy is an elitist profession? |
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Gay Friendly Employers |
| Gay rights organisation Stonewall has published its list of leading gay-friendly employers – and Ernst & Young has made it into the top three. |
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Glass ceilings – a PQ magazine update |
| Disengagement from career and the workplace during career breaks, to have children or undertake other caring responsibilities, is a major challenge to retaining women in the profession, says the ICAEW. |
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Gender pay gap – just got bigger |
| The good news first: The pay gap between male and female accountants under 30 appears to be narrowing, now the bad news: the opposite is the case for those over 45s. |
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PwC Email |
| An ex-PwC employee has a rant over the company email system. |
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The world according to CIMA PQs |
| What were the main findings of CIMAs first-ever global salary survey of its PQs? |
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DOES ACCOUNTANCY = SOCIAL EXCLUSION? |
| ACCA UK director Wyn Mears says it how he sees it |
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What leaders really do |
| Most organisations are over-managed and under-led, said Jeff Grout, the star speaker at a recent CIMA Training and Development Conference. |
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Surely one charter is enough...? |
| You would think that after all the hard work that goes into gaining that all-important accountancy qualification you would have reached the pinnacle of professional status. But in today's tighter jobs market, is one set of professional letters after your name enough? |
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Heart of the north |
| Manchester is the UK's fastest growing city – and a very good place to be a PQ, writes Warren Hindle |
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Bounce back from redundancy |
| Unemployment has stormed past the two million mark in the UK and 49% of British finance workers feel 'less confident' about job security than a year ago – we are in a new economic era. |
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The state we're in... |
| There are a lot of mixed messages out there about what the UK jobs market is like for newly qualifieds. So we thought we would get the experts in to find out what is really going on |
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Striking out |
| Lin Diaby is a local government accountant with a difference – she's one of only 46 women to ever row across the Atlantic. |
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Flying high |
| Meet the extraordinary Mark Wong, filmmaker, actor, Big 4 accountant – and our new PQ of the Year |
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Coping with change at work |
| Nobody likes change, but with the economy taking a nosedive companies are tightening their belts and making organisational changes to survive the downturn. |
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Value of the Brand |
| PQ magazine recently dropped in on the ACCA's new CEO, Helen Brand, to find out how she was getting on. |
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Working in Birmingham |
| Despite the economic downturn, Britain's second city is full of opportunities for the ambitious PQ, writes Daniel Saunders of Michael Page Finance. |
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Face to Facebook |
| Social networking websites and the workplace |
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The workplace: what not to wear |
| Should you worry about what you wear to work? |
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A modern view of audit |
| John Griffith-Jones co-chairman of KPMG Europe outlined his modern view of audit at the recent ICAS Aileen Beattie memorial Lecturer |
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Finger on the button |
| Nintendo UK finance director Tom Pearce tells all |
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Money isn't everything |
| What you get paid each month is very important, but it shouldn't be the only thing that helps decide about a new job
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Practical Experience |
| What do CIMAs need to do to get their practical experience up to date? |
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Visit our Careers Section |
| and get yourself on the right track for your future moves ... |
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Who you gonna call? |
| We drop in on the forensic and dispute services department at Deloitte |
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Simply the best |
| Following KPMG's placement at number one in the Sunday Times list of the best big companies to work for, we thought we'd find out why they won |
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A sporting chance |
| Accountant Paul Rawnsley speaks to PQ Magazine about the world of finance behind football |
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What's in a name? |
| We look at the rise of glamorous and inventive roles for accountants |
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Flying high |
| Want the job of your dreams? Witan Jardine's recent 'Leaders of Tomorrow' event was designed to get you where you want to be. |
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Follow the leader |
| Becoming a proficient accountant is only part of your training. Learn the art of leadership. Phil Attenborough reports |
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No accounting for age |
| Does age really matter these days? We don't think so. Gwen Cheeseman spoke to the oldest and youngest CIMA PQs from the Midlands to qualify last summer |
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Local hero |
| What drives an AAT and CIPFA qualified to the very top at the tender age of 35? Heidi Early went to Croydon to talk to Nathan Elvery and find out |
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YO! FD |
| Zoe Tindall, 33, is the finance director for the trendy restaurant chain Yo! Sushi. She is ACA qualified and her CV includes a large bank and an internet start up. She talks to PQ Magazine about raising eyebrows, taking risks and whether she has ever lied about being an accountant... |
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The snake charmer |
| Karan Bilimoria CBE says his accountancy training played a big part in building his empire |
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Different strokes |
| Firms are increasingly looking to create an 'inclusive culture' in the office – in other words, everyone's welcome! |
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20 Temping things |
| Ever considered working as a temp? If not, why not? Temping has much going for it, says Lisa Dendle. |
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Sourcing a job |
| Finding a new job is a job in itself. All career moves need a great deal of thought if they are to be successful. Consider your plan of action carefully. |
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Any company's strongest asset – you! |
| Reg Bettridge's ludicrous CV has become legendary. Make sure you don't make the same mistakes. |
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The perfect CV |
| A good CV is simply one that gets you an interview for the job you want. It should document your experiences and qualifications giving a good first impression of you and your skills. |
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