The Analyst Down Under

If you don't like getting stuck to your seat and finding out one day the world has passed you by, then keep upgrading your skillset to stay ahead of the market. The combination of a solid understanding of databases and project management is sure to give an edge over the competition and at the work place. If you haven't already invested into these two entry level certifications , this may be a good place to start. Getting a quality education to iteratively upgrade yourself is but a click away. For access to free programs from the best educational institutions in the world look no further than edx.org (founded by Harvard University and MIT in 2012, edX is an online learning destination and MOOC provider, offering high-quality courses from the world’s best universities and institutions to learners everywhere). At the end of a typical 4-8 weeks free learning course (scheduled to run between certain dates or current self-paced) that requires 8-10 hours per week of your time...

If you're still in Uni or doing an MBA it might be worth your while to invest in a couple of certifications that are bound to set you apart from the competition. You know you will inevitably be dealing with technical teams and managing project oriented work, so formally certifying yourself can demonstrate both your technical knowledge as well as your versatility in gaining relevant exposure. Neither certification requires anything more than a high school or graduate degree background and won't set you back more than a few hundred dollars. Even mid-level or senior analysts who don't have the time or resources to go in for the more advanced levels should probably not miss out on the opportunity to earn a professional industry certification by simply studying a couple of weeks to clear a single examination for each of the respective qualifications. Earning these credentials can give you a confidence boost and stand out on your resume. Microsoft Technology Associate (M...

Sometimes we need a reminder for the most obvious things we should be doing: 1. There are some habits that should never be broken, such as getting to work on time. Make sure you arrive at least 10 minutes earlier than your boss, client or whoever it is you job to serve for the sake of courtesy at the very least, or let them know if you will be late. For career suicide: Always rock up late, sneak into the office and pretend you've been there the whole time and no one noticed. Everyday. 2. You are not just a person, you are a brand.  The same way you would expect a good brand of Nike's to last for years, you should carry your personal brand in everything about you - especially playing on your strengths and visible aspects such as communication skills and products of your work. For career suicide: Keep advertising your wild mood swings and reflect that in the quality (or lack thereof) of your work. Be a wildcard so no one knows what to expect from you or when you will ...

While landing a job seems like the light at the end of the tunnel, it's really just the beginning. This blog post from one of my favorite blogs, careerealism.com , gets me thinking. While it's focusing on millennials and talks about corporate America, the message is quite resounding - a reasonably good paycheck is no excuse to dwell in a cubicle.  I wasn't meant to sit on my a** all day. The corporate gig should be used as a training ground to gain leadership skills and work experience, with the end game being to branch out and start your own enterprise.  Couldn't be phrased better in ordinary language. And in the words of my Guru: Don't be service minded - be business minded So my goal isn't to work for my paycheck, because then I'd be no more than a corporate slave. My vision is of course to get as far as possible in as little time until life is on auto, but take the time to look around and appreciate the fundamental a...

You've understood exactly what the pain is and you know you have the right skill set to tackle the problem. That's because you've done this kind of thing before - you've been the knight in shining armor with one leg resting on the carcass of a similar dragon. You've impressed them with stories, but you also sneaked a chance to whip out the laptop and show them some real examples to demonstrate your talent. But throughout you've kept a very keen eye towards what they're really looking for. You've noticed the slight change in body language when things get interesting and you've kept heading up that path. Eventually your credentials and qualifications don't seem to matter anymore. The conversation has drifted towards the actual situation and you are discussing remedial strategies. In the follow up interview, you are presented with a format to sample your talent. You've got all the basics down in your presentation on the white board (i...

It's that time of the year again when recruiters are tapping the market and actually calling some applicants. Who knows, maybe they really mean to get some of them hired. So you've barely sat down to dive in to your large bowl of breakfast when the mobile rings. It's a land line number you haven't seen before. As expected, it's a recruiter who's struggling to pronounce your name. That gives you the perfect opportunity to break the ice and fetch your corporate wig for the rest of the call. Sounding monotonous, desperate or disappointed it wasn't one of the better jobs you applied to is sure to get you a rejection email much sooner than later. Being upbeat, bubbly and friendly is the right way to go. Since you've probably applied for every conceivable role, it's best not to start describing your work history as soon as they ask for it, since it's sure to be off target. Ask them for more information about the company and the role, and the...

An application on the company website got me in for the video interview and then on to the case study interview within the span of a week. In the initial conversation with the Talent Acquisition Manager, I learnt the case study interview would be a one-hour session with the group director and involve a case scenario where I would be assessed for my: communication skills analytic thought process and real-life business acumen ability to probe for more information and think on my feet story-telling capabilities using a well-composed format with a beginning, middle and end solution to the problem at hand The case scenario would be a journey with a certain outcome and no right answers. On her YouTube video , Hanna says the case study interview is about solving a real-life problem and solving it in a logical and methodological way. Analyzing the key drivers of the business and being able to really put yourself in the client's shoes is a major part of the case study, ...