Career As A Financial Consultant

The Changing Recruitment Trends

I am a final year student of Bachelor of Commerce and is enthusiastically waiting to join the professional business world subsequently completing my Graduation. From the age of 12, I have developed keen interest in Finance and Account following my father. During my internship days, I have joined Real Estate Company Ltd as a part time Junior Finance Consultant. The major job role there was mostly assisting the Senior Finance Consultant in client meeting fixation, communicate with them, shortlisting client profiles as per urgency and need, financial data collection of theirs and developing future financial plan blueprints and I also helped the senior financial consultant in his decision making when asked for and provided my response to him (Baker 2016). Now I am qualified and well acquainted with the ongoing market competition and business trends (Kishore and Sutcliffe 2015). My inter-personal skills are noteworthy which will aid me in gaining the large customer base in future jobs. My speaking ability, specially fluency has improved considerably after attending a number of company clients’ meetings. My business awareness, situation analytical skills and business negotiation skills has been reinforced and I have learnt to give consideration to every minor detail which previously I was not aware of (Bakharia et al. 2016). Decision-making under situations of pressure is the main approach that would distinguish a finance aspirant from the rest of other job roles. 

With time and opportunity needs the trend of recruitment have changed considerably. Before the advent of globalization, face to face direct interview was the only suitable process of recruitment in organizations. But at present modern techniques of recruitment include video-conferencing and teleconferencing interview modes (Burns et al. 2014). Now a number of round sessions starting from preliminary interview then followed by non-verbal interview, main verbal interview, technical round if any and final HR round are held to judge the capability of the candidate for the job role. The complexity of processes has been widened by technological advancements and competition has influenced the scope of ‘survival of the fittest’ in the organizational hierarchy (Grant and Hartley 2013). Modern system of job automation process requires the candidate to be completely technology cognizant and have full awareness of prevailing market trends.

The major drift of change has been faced by Finance and accounting. In the past book-keeping and record maintenance were manually monitored. But with the emergence of e-commerce the processes have changed and Accounting Information System (AIS) has substituted the monotonous and tedious work of a traditional accounting system (Mohan and Mulla 2013). As a result of which, key job roles have transformed accordingly. Present day businesses want technologically sound finance candidates and candidates having basic acquaintance of the accounting software like sage one, Xero, Zoho Books, and wave accounting (Rivera 2015).  Bookish accounting knowledge has become secondary whereas accounting tools knowhow and practical outlook of them have become primary concern at present.

Transformation of Finance and Accounting Sector

Now let me focus on the present-day HR trends of organizational recruitment. Present day job opportunities on any field emphasis more on soft skills and personal attributes. A job-fit candidate needs to have higher emotional quotient, cultural intelligence, empathy and cross-cultural fusion (Smith 2017). Knowledge in academics is the entry pass of job selection where final decision of job-role is confirmed by cross-cultural competency and diversified behavioral profile. Present day Corporate culture is a result of mixed culture where increased team cohesion improves ultimate organizational productivity. Organizational policies have changed over time, and today’s financials highly acclaim the Value-proposition budgeting technique (Stefan-Duicu and Stefan-Duicu 2015). Leaving aside the core financial data management responsibility, financial planning, plan implementation, plan evaluation has become the primary work of a financial manger. The calculative data evaluation is left behind to the software tools.

Gradual learning and vigorous training sessions have shown me the prevailing finance trend. As a back-up alternative I have finished the full project on VCE & AIS and is now proficient enough with the various financial accounting techniques and software tools. I have focused on improving my soft skill areas and for this I am intermingling with people from every arena of jobs. To improve interview skills, me and my fellow-mates have started preparing for sessional mock interview so that it become easier to face challenges on the final day of interview. My short-term goal is to be a financial consultant in a well- known and esteemed Financial institution but opening my own business in future is my long-term prospect and I need to be experienced enough for that challenge. I need to work on my problem-solving skills, negotiation skills, decision-making skills, experience-based forecasting skills, communication skills, and also customer management skills (Rivera 2015). The internship experience will help in re-shaping my focused career goal and I am sure, my sincerity and flexibility to new ideas will accomplish me in my desired job role soon. 

At present the leadership styles and trends has transformed considerably. Now leaders are highly flexible and are support authority delegation style. They support their team roles likewise in strategic decision making. More diversified outlooks in group decision making resulted in higher the degree of acceptance of the decisions. The structural framework in organizations has become flexible with time and change need is stimulated when required. The recruitment process now focuses on diversified job profiles to be the fittest job role criteria. In this context, I have the most diversified job profile and I also have added advantage of job experience that will help in competitive gain in my future job prospects.

Trends in Present-Day HR Practices

My application

Cover letter 

Name of applicant

Address

Contact details 

Date 

Name of interviewer

Address

Contact details 

Dear Mr/Ms Surname of interviewer,

As a response for application for the post of Financial consultant in your organization I am writing this letter to apply for the same. As mentioned, I hereby enclose a copy of the job application letter and my updated resume. I will provide references if required.

I have found the role of the financial consultant in your organization very alluring and would like to showcase my competence for the same. I am assuming my robust academic credentials; accounting software knowledge and my practicability of technological prospects will offer me a place for the financial consultant position run. The factors that differentiates me include,

• I have a junior finance consultant experience at Real Estate company Ltd.
• I have full knowledge of various technological shifts as I am a regular writer (blog) where I share my opinions on technological innovations and related financial developments.
• I have strong cross-cultural linkage and communication skills resulted from my upbringing. I have lived in a varied number of places.

At present I am pursuing my Graduation degree and is a final year student of Bachelor of Commerce. I have profound knowledge of Accounting Information System and is qualified in utilizing its tools and techniques. For your convenience, you can cross-check my resume for details of experience and other required credentials. 

You can reach me anytime on call (telephone number) or contact at (email id)

I heartily thank you for your valued time and helpful consideration. I am looking forward about this employment opportunity and talking to you to the earliest.

Sincerely,

Signature

Name

RESUME

Contact Details Name:  Date of birth: Address: Contact information: Deakin College email: [email protected] Summary  Course: Bachelors of Commerce Campus: Deakin college Burwood About me:  I am a Commerce Graduate student in my final year. I have working experience as a junior consultant in Real Estate company Ltd under the supervision of Mr. Sherlock Martin, senior Finance Consultant. I am enthusiastic in studying about market trends and stocks and valuation fascinate me. I have spent my childhood in many places and is currently is well-settled in Australia, but I am open to job offers at any location across the globe. I was brought up in the most culturally diverse atmosphere anyone could ever had. I like socializing with people from different cultures and I found this as the best chance to join such a well-integrated and diversified work culture of yours. I find this job role very interesting and so was obvious to face the interview round. Work experience: Job title: Graduation Project Internship • Company: Real estate company limited • Start date: 17/9/2016 • End date: 17/10/2016 • Experience type: I have practiced a number of functions of a fiancé consultant, like what do a consultant actually do in reality? how customer satisfaction is maintained? how targets are achieved?  I have learned every facts and processes of file documentation, financial planning, decision making, customer handling and client negotiation aspects. Post-training results have enhanced both my practical outlook and soft-skill development. I have also grown increased level of confidence and my self-reliability has increased. • Role and responsibilities: The primary responsibility areas include an inclusive understanding of fixation and scheduling of client meetings, client profile acknowledgement, effective communicate strategy development and collection of clients’ financial plans.  I supported a number of decisions and have given feedback on some as well. I learnt to emphasis on every minor detail provided by the client and have also learnt how those could act as the change initiators. I assisted the Senior Consultant in his works. Achievements / Qualifications Achievements: I have taken active participation in interclass presentations, debates and GD sessions. For my financial outlook I have been awarded several times. I have good consulting skills from an early age as I assisted my father in running his corporative business works.  Qualifications: VCE Certificate of Completion and AIS certification Memberships: I am a dynamic member of Financial Daily blogging site and share my thoughts in the form of articles and blogs on financial markets and tech-innovations. Career goals: For this time being, I want to be experienced as a Financial consultant in a reputed Financial Institution and considering long term goals, I am eager to start my new business venture in future. Personal brand: I am a very empathetic and cheerful person who loves mingling with people, I like working in teams and have good social skills. I also love accepting challenges and therefore set higher standards for myself. Both my robust negotiation skills and good team organizing capability help in dealing with any complex situations effectively. I am a self-motivated human being. It is true that many a times I miss out small details that need to be focused, but I am sure to learn them gradually with time. I am very enthusiastic and passionate about my work field in finance. Areas of interest: I love to study on new innovations and I am also a creative writer. Travelling around the world and exploring new places are my interests and I love to study new cultural people and intermingle with them to increase my soft-skill knowledge. I attempt to learn their languages and customs and try to upsurge my list of diversified interests.

Three selection criteria which I think are my strengths are,

• Previous experience for the same job role being offered here. I have applied for the financial consultant post for which I already have experience. This will be my primary asset for this job application.
• Strong Cross-cultural skills and high cultural intelligence. I have lived in a number of places in my life and this widened my respect for every people of different cultural backgrounds.
• I am efficient with the latest technological advancements and financial mobility, crucial for highly uncertain market situations. My practical outlook is exemplary and STAR Framework Support

Situation	My internship experience has helped me in dealing with a lot of challenges. One such case was the details related to the documentation process. I was working on and filling the documents of a retired man and lost one vital point of his financials. He told it but I unintentionally missed it out while documenting.
Task	The Senior consultant when provided me the respective original papers I found that there was a discrepancy. I got confused, thought deeply but could not discover it, and my senior told me finally what I missed and how that point was of utmost importance for the case. I again rechecked everything for my own satisfaction.
Action	I re-listened the audio tape of the retired man’s discussion and could actually find out what I actually missed. I was told that I need to be very cautious about attentiveness and need to focus on every small details of a case. I appreciated my senior’s advice and understood how a simple miss out point could be fatal for a finance consultant.
Result	From that time onwards, I pay consideration to every small relevant or irrelevant detail and has learnt to contemplate the key factors for change. My listening skills has improved and so are the logical sense development skills.

Situation	I made some religious sentimental remarks when I was young, which I was supposed not to make. I hurt one of my close friends who was from different cultural background, through my words. He was upset and stopped talking to me. I felt really bad and tried to sort things out.
Task	I even thought of apologizing to him but he was not prepared to talk to me.
Action	I then take help of one of our common friends and cleared the confusion and apologized to him from the core of my heart. After that he accepted my forgiveness.
Result	That incident has changed my cultural prospects hugely and I have learnt that every culture needs to be equally honored and respected regardless of country, religion, nationality or other variances. My viewpoint of cultural mingling changed after that.

Situation	My father runs his own corporation business. Previously he used physical calculation approach for financials. I suggested him to implement the new automated machines that will reduce time and effort and will increase end result precision. But he was concerned about the cost. I suggested him to look for some good low-cost models available in the market.
Task	After I received the internship stipend, I bought a low-cost model and handed the machine to my father. He was not cognizant of its operational ways and I showed him how it functions.
Action	I helped my father a week or so in his financial transactions and he learnt them gradually, I was really pleased and satisfied that my effort has abridged his effort to a large extent.
Results	I understood one true thing and that is learning process is endless and it never goes in vain. It is of great help in crisis situations and I really thank my desire for inventive knowhow for it. My father was happy for me and my practical outlook.

I would like to question them on,

one of their main strengths and how it helped them in dealing with practical real-life problems? This question will showcase their problem-solving skill.

Next, I would like to ask about their emotional quotient. If they are having high EQ then how it is helping them in communicating and vice-versa? I will also ask them to support the answer by real life instances. The purpose will be to increase awareness of the importance of EQ in workplace because modern work culture is deficit of EQ.

I will ask about their hobby, because hobbies will reflect passion and it will showcase an embedded expertise area of the individual.

The mock interview has acted as an anchor in shaping my career direction. I have understood how hard it is to face real world business competition. It is true that only theoretical bookish knowledge will not anchor me to the future position I desire to go. I have known about my confidence level. Frankly speaking, I was quite nervous facing the interview panel and need to work on my overall kinesics. I need to improve eye contact. I have stated all things clearly and expect the interviewer will be able to understood my viewpoint. While listening to others about their skills I feel anxious and lost focus. I need to concentrate more on my own interview and keeping calm will help a lot. I also require to move the mirror interview session to real life personal session and include my friends and parents in working my interview lines. So, it was a decent start and fair attempt and I loved my presentation in the mock interview. Now I feel extra-motivated and will give my best in the next interview session.

During the early days of my Graduation Trimester, I was more relaxed and less concerned about my profession as I am now. Studies and getting good grades were on my priority list at that point of time. I have broadened my range of familiarity with time and now involves more in creative and pioneering learning. I have joined online courses and other side sessions on Accounting as I have learnt that I need to have extensive workability outlook. I have joined some respectable certification courses which have added weightage to my resume. I completed my job of a junior consultant with valor and utter seriousness, during my internship days. I was acknowledged with positive feedback and huge encouragement from my seniors there and their token of appreciation will help me a lot in my future endeavor 

References

Baker, T., 2016. The End of the Job Description: Shifting from a Job-focus to a Performance-focus. Springer.

Bakharia, A., Corrin, L., de Barba, P., Kennedy, G., Gaševi?, D., Mulder, R., Williams, D., Dawson, S. and Lockyer, L., 2016, April. A conceptual framework linking learning design with learning analytics. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Conference on Learning Analytics & Knowledge(pp. 329-338). ACM.

Burns, G.N., Christiansen, N.D., Morris, M.B., Periard, D.A. and Coaster, J.A., 2014. Effects of applicant personality on resume evaluations. Journal of Business and Psychology, 29(4), pp.573-591.

Grant, A.M. and Hartley, M., 2013. Developing the leader as coach: insights, strategies and tips for embedding coaching skills in the workplace. Coaching: An International Journal of Theory, Research and Practice, 6(2), pp.102-115.

Kishore, A. and Sutcliffe Jr, P.A., Careerimp, Inc., 2015. System and method for improving a resume according to a job description. U.S. Patent 8,930,398.

Mohan, G. and Mulla, Z.R., 2013. Openness to experience and work outcomes: exploring the moderating effects of conscientiousness and job complexity. Great Lakes Herald, 7(2), pp.18-36.

Rivera, L.A., 2015. Go with your gut: Emotion and evaluation in job interviews. American journal of sociology, 120(5), pp.1339-1389.

Smith, G.S., 2017. The accountant: a character in literature. Meditari Accountancy Research, 25(1), pp.2-27.

Stefan-Duicu, V.M. and Stefan-Duicu, A., 2015. Global analysis of the financial analyst’s job within a company. Procedia Economics and Finance, 26, pp.261-267.