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As the NASDAQ slides further and the mystery of the Internet is no longer, the time of the dotcoms' future income projections of zero profitability are nearing their end. We are now at a time where profitability is critical to the survival of not only established companies but the dotcoms who are nearing extinction. In both arenas, financial professionals are more important than ever. Their role is figuring out if shareholder value is being created in each company's activities. They can tell you exactly where the company's strengths lie and how to capitalize on those, and where its weaknesses lie and how to combat those. The financial professionals description of the pencil-pushing bean counter is now extinct. Financial professionals are now viewed as consultants that are instrumental in a company's success and failure. The finance market has a very strong occupational outlook. Although certain areas such as Investment bankers may have already hit their high with the dotcom frenzy, the need for financial professionals should never be underestimated.
Whether you are looking to get into the promising financial market or you want to accelerate your career there are some key skill sets to display. Here are some key traits that Fortune 500 companies are seeking out in today's financial professional.
Problem Solving Most finance jobs require solving problems utilizing intuitive and analytical strategies. The ability to look at the big picture and foresee market changes, new competition and potential financial opportunities for the organization is essential in becoming a successful financial professional. So begin to think back to times that you solved problems in your firm on a personal and corporate scale. Commit these stories to memory because they will more than likely be the target of a few questions in your next interview and you do not want to be caught unprepared!
Decision Making Confidence in your decisions and overall business acumen is key in making multi-million dollar decisions for an organization. Decision making plays an integral role in the success of an organization and typically involves a financial prospective. You should thoroughly convey your ability to excel in this area to any potential employer. Can you imagine a financial professional that could not make a decision when they were pressed to make decisions on the financial side of business?
Communication As it becomes clear that the 30-second spot during the Super Bowl for $1 + million along with 25+ other dotcoms is not a sound financial decision on the part of the organization, it is vital that strong communication is in place. Good or bad, the financial professional must at all levels be very communicative, approachable, and open minded. The ultimate goal of all employees of a company is the ultimate success of the business through doing each of their separate jobs efficiently. As in all great operations, effective communication is key, while breakdown is a disaster.
Teamwork It is crucial that a financial professional be a team player, no matter the level on the organizational chart. It is important that in any level of finance, a professional is able to work with others to accomplish a common vision or goal. To the executive level financial professional, relationships are key. For a CEO, the chief financial officer is a financial whiz, strategist and right hand man. Their relationship needs to be strong in order to guide the business into attaining highly profitable returns. When the brick and mortar organizations and dotcoms join forces the CFO will be the true leader of the team.
Leadership Company's want to have strong leadership ability in their financial officers. The financial leader of the future will have tremendous experience with the dynamics of the financial markets and be innovators in their particular market. Wouldn't you agree that strong companies have strong leaders guiding the business from within?
Now we need to tie the aforementioned qualities together to work in your favor in your resume, as we know they will be the main focus for a hiring professional. The resume is your opportunity to demonstrate you ability to excel in your field and to market your skills so that every potential employer will be after your vast array of experience and expertise. This is not a time to simply list your job description as a Corporate Finance Executive. This is your chance to let them know why you would be the obvious choice for the open position. Demonstrate your ability to lead a company through a merger and how it resulted successfully. Most times the financial professionals are so concentrated on the duties of the position they fail to mention their successes in a manner that would propel them into heights way above the competition.
If your resume says something like:
Responsible for restructuring corporate debt.
You could be on the wrong track ? think results-oriented...What effect did this have on the company's net worth?
Instead mention that you:
Restructured corporate debt and increased company net worth by more than 100%.
Give a direct result of your action that benefited the company. This will demonstrate to another company how your ability to increase company net worth by 100% could easily benefit their company. They will be drooling at the prospect of increasing profitability. Use this as an opportunity to turn the dollar signs that future employers are seeing into a better job with a higher salary They will appreciate your ability to perform and invite you for an interview over the 100 other guys with your same background who failed to mention their ability to move their company forward. This will separate you from the 6 million resumes out in cyberspace and allow you to stand out among the masses.
After spending years in school and on acquiring on the job experience, you know that your chosen profession means more than just number crunching. A financial professional must be a leader willing to make important decisions that will benefit his team of employees. If money and profitability are the backbone of a company's success, then you are the brains behind it. So now that you know they want more than just another bean counter, use your skills in your resume to go out there and lead yourself and a new company to financial success.
As the NASDAQ slides further and the mystery of the Internet is no longer, the time of the dotcoms' future income projections of zero profitability are nearing their end. We are now at a time where profitability is critical to the survival of not only established companies but the dotcoms who are nearing extinction. In both arenas, financial professionals are more important than ever. Their role is figuring out if shareholder value is being created in each company's activities. They can tell you exactly where the company's strengths lie and how to capitalize on those, and where its weaknesses lie and how to combat those. The financial professionals description of the pencil-pushing bean counter is now extinct. Financial professionals are now viewed as consultants that are instrumental in a company's success and failure. The finance market has a very strong occupational outlook. Although certain areas such as Investment bankers may have already hit their high with the dotcom frenzy, the need for financial professionals should never be underestimated.
Whether you are looking to get into the promising financial market or you want to accelerate your career there are some key skill sets to display. Here are some key traits that Fortune 500 companies are seeking out in today's financial professional.
Problem Solving Most finance jobs require solving problems utilizing intuitive and analytical strategies. The ability to look at the big picture and foresee market changes, new competition and potential financial opportunities for the organization is essential in becoming a successful financial professional. So begin to think back to times that you solved problems in your firm on a personal and corporate scale. Commit these stories to memory because they will more than likely be the target of a few questions in your next interview and you do not want to be caught unprepared!
Decision Making Confidence in your decisions and overall business acumen is key in making multi-million dollar decisions for an organization. Decision making plays an integral role in the success of an organization and typically involves a financial prospective. You should thoroughly convey your ability to excel in this area to any potential employer. Can you imagine a financial professional that could not make a decision when they were pressed to make decisions on the financial side of business?
Communication As it becomes clear that the 30-second spot during the Super Bowl for $1 + million along with 25+ other dotcoms is not a sound financial decision on the part of the organization, it is vital that strong communication is in place. Good or bad, the financial professional must at all levels be very communicative, approachable, and open minded. The ultimate goal of all employees of a company is the ultimate success of the business through doing each of their separate jobs efficiently. As in all great operations, effective communication is key, while breakdown is a disaster.
Teamwork It is crucial that a financial professional be a team player, no matter the level on the organizational chart. It is important that in any level of finance, a professional is able to work with others to accomplish a common vision or goal. To the executive level financial professional, relationships are key. For a CEO, the chief financial officer is a financial whiz, strategist and right hand man. Their relationship needs to be strong in order to guide the business into attaining highly profitable returns. When the brick and mortar organizations and dotcoms join forces the CFO will be the true leader of the team.
Leadership Company's want to have strong leadership ability in their financial officers. The financial leader of the future will have tremendous experience with the dynamics of the financial markets and be innovators in their particular market. Wouldn't you agree that strong companies have strong leaders guiding the business from within?
Now we need to tie the aforementioned qualities together to work in your favor in your resume, as we know they will be the main focus for a hiring professional. The resume is your opportunity to demonstrate you ability to excel in your field and to market your skills so that every potential employer will be after your vast array of experience and expertise. This is not a time to simply list your job description as a Corporate Finance Executive. This is your chance to let them know why you would be the obvious choice for the open position. Demonstrate your ability to lead a company through a merger and how it resulted successfully. Most times the financial professionals are so concentrated on the duties of the position they fail to mention their successes in a manner that would propel them into heights way above the competition.
If your resume says something like:
Responsible for restructuring corporate debt.
You could be on the wrong track ? think results-oriented...What effect did this have on the company's net worth?
Instead mention that you:
Restructured corporate debt and increased company net worth by more than 100%.
Give a direct result of your action that benefited the company. This will demonstrate to another company how your ability to increase company net worth by 100% could easily benefit their company. They will be drooling at the prospect of increasing profitability. Use this as an opportunity to turn the dollar signs that future employers are seeing into a better job with a higher salary They will appreciate your ability to perform and invite you for an interview over the 100 other guys with your same background who failed to mention their ability to move their company forward. This will separate you from the 6 million resumes out in cyberspace and allow you to stand out among the masses.
After spending years in school and on acquiring on the job experience, you know that your chosen profession means more than just number crunching. A financial professional must be a leader willing to make important decisions that will benefit his team of employees. If money and profitability are the backbone of a company's success, then you are the brains behind it. So now that you know they want more than just another bean counter, use your skills in your resume to go out there and lead yourself and a new company to financial success.
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