Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Tips for Career success in Entry Level.


After my graduation from college with a MBA Degree,my first desire was to get a good paying job. I dashed off application after application to some of the best firms and waited for the outcome. After a long wait, I landed my first job in firm that seemed good. The firm paid well and I started my work with zeal and enthuiasm. Soon I came to know that to succeed in the Corporate world I have to change some of my basic habits and completely makeover myself in accordance with the habits of the Corporate World. It is needless to say that after changing my habits I have had success in my career. I now wish to share this with those young persons who are trying to find out the most important and basic habits for career success.
I was really lucky to have some of the best and most understanding seniors to who nurtured and coached me just like their son when I first entered the working world. They passed to me what seemed like, at that time - pretty obvious things one would do when in the working world.
What seemed pretty obvious as habits for career success isn’t always so. As you start on your career path you begin to forget some of these basic habits. Therefore, it is essential to drill these habits deep enough to remember them.
As I progressed in the corporate world, I noticed that these are good habits that should be passed down to my own people just as I have benefited from internalizing them. Here are the 5 basic yet important habits for career success:
1. Get OrganizedRegardless of your work, you need to get organized. If yours is office work, you will surely have filing to do. What about your emails, your electronic documents and folder system? Ever had colleagues who ask you to resend them the email you sent last week? No matter how many times you sent, they seem to have deleted it or lost it? And it is the same thing with electronic documents?
When you organize your clutter, work space and computer, you become more productive. You become efficient and effective. This adds to your good name as you progress in the organization. It is also a good habit to cultivate as you move up the corporate ladder. Imagine having more work to organize as you progress?
2. Manage Your TimeThis is another simple and obvious habit amongst the habits for career success list. But I assure you; this habit is some of the biggest weaknesses people have in the corporate world. I urge you as a career newbie to start cultivating this habit of managing your time early.
Managing your time isn’t rocket science. Start with a simple to do list and a daily, weekly, monthly and year scheduler. All you have to do is to pen in all the meetings, appointments and tasks in the scheduler. As you get better you can start to use more sophisticated techniques. Managing your time is all about planning what you do and doing what you plan.
3.Under Promise, Over DeliverAs a career newbie, you would have a tendency to try to impress your bosses, colleagues or even clients. This can be driven by your raw enthusiasm. However, remember that in your quest to impress, you run the risk of destroying what little reputation you are starting to build. This is especially so when you fail to deliver on your promises regardless of how small. It could be a simple report your bosses asked but if you fail to deliver it on time, the size of the report doesn’t matter. Fact remains that you did not deliver.
Always remember that one of the important habits for career success is to under promise and over deliver. It is about managing expectations and it is about measuring your own strengths and weaknesses. It is also about knowing how to manage your own time. So, while volunteering for additional tasks is a good initiative, you may want to gauge if you can live up to that promise.
Under promise and over deliver means to say “yes” when opportunities present themselves and learning to say “no” when you know you cannot deliver.
4.There Are Always Next StepsThere are always next steps after meetings. Never let any meetings end without a clear action plan that include who to do what by when. We attend far too many meetings in order to let them slip by without clear next steps to follow through. Having clear next steps ensures you become more productive and time is well spent in meetings.
Meetings are important to assign, brief and clarify. You should not let them slip by without clear next steps. If you are chairing one, makes sure this happens. If you aren’t then ask for your set of next steps. This is one of the basic habits for career success you would bring with you for a very long time.
5. Feed Your Mind,Read motivating books; listen to tapes and watch inspiring movies. We are sometimes so inundated with negative vibes at work that you should feed your mind with positive energy. One way is through books, tapes and movies. They need not be self-improvement and self-help oriented although I find them extremely useful.
Of course, a healthy body is important too. Eat healthily and exercise. This ensures you have the energy to take the work-week with a healthy body, mind and soul.
Start cultivating these 5 important habits for career success and make a difference in your work life.

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Some useful Indian Websites

Agharkar Research Institute - Pune http://www.aripune.org/
Army Institute Of Hotel Management & Catering Technology (AIHM&CT)Bangalore http://www.aihmctbangalore.com/
Army Placement Agency(APA) http://www.apa.in/
All India Institute Of Medical Sciences http://www.aiims.ac.in/ http://www.aiims.edu/ Biotech Park - Lucknow http://www.biotechcitylucknow.org/
Bharat Earth Movers Limited http://www.bemlindia.com/
Central Tool Room & Training Centre http://www.cttcbbsr.com/
Central Council For Research In Ayurveda And Siddha(CCRAS)http://www.ccras.nic.in/
Central Electrochemical Research Institute http://www.cecri.res.in/
Centre For Development Of Advanced Computing - Kolkata http://www.cdackolkata.com/
Central Leather Research Institute http://www.clri.org/
Department Of Ocean Development http://www.dod.nic.in/
Dr.Babasaheb Ambedkar National Institute Of Social Sciences http://www.baniss.org/
Directorate General Factory Advice Service & Labour Institute http://www.dgfasli.nic.in/
Damodar Valley Corporation http://www.dvcindia.org/
Internet Shopping http://www.e-productsandshopping.com/
Foundation For Innovation And Technology Transfer http://www.fitt-iitd.org/
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited http://www.hal-india.com/
Hindustan Salts Limited http://www.indiansalt.com/
Indian Institute Of Public Administration http://www.iipa.ernet.in/
Indian Agricultural Research Institute(ICAR) http://www.iari.res.in/
Indira Gandhi National Open University - IGNOU http://www.ignou.ac.in/
Indian Institute Of Banking & Finance http://www.iibf.org.in/
Indian Institute Of Plantation Management http://www.iipmb.com/
Institute Of Liver And Biliary Sciences http://www.ilbs.delhigovt.nic.in/
Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Limited http://www.iffco.nic.in/
Indian Institute Of Tourism And Travel Management http://www.iittm.org/
International Scholarships Scholarships
Loknayak Jayaprakash Narayan National Institute Of Criminology & Forensic Science http://www.nicfs.org/
L.R.S.Institute Of Tuberculosis And Respiratory Diseases http://www.lrsitbrd.nic.in/ http://www.mohfw.nic.in/
National Institute Of Oceanography http://www.nio.org/
National Environmental Engineering Research Institute - NEERI http://www.neeri.nic.in/
National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd http://www.ntpcindia.com/
National Mineral Development Corporation Limited http://www.nmdc-india.com/
National Institute Of Rock Mechanics http://www.nirm.kar.nic.in/
National Productivity Council http://www.npcindia.org/
Northern Coal Fields Limited http://www.ncl.nic.in/
National Trust http://www.nationaltrust.org.in/
National Institute For The Visually Habdicapped http://www.nivh.org/
National Council Of Science Museums http://www.csm.org.in/
National Innovation Foundation - NIF http://www.nifindia.org/
Online Shopping Mall http://e-purchase.blogspot.com/
Power Finance Corporation Limited http://www.pfcindia.com/
Postgraduate Institute Of Medical Education And Research http://www.pgimer.nic.in/
Questions With Answers http://www.questionswithanswer.com/
Railway Recruitment Board http://www.railwayrecruitment.org/
Rail Wheel Factory http://www.rwfindia.gov.in/
School Of Planning And Architecture http://www.spa.ernet.in/
S N Bose National Centre For Basic Sciences http://www.bose.res.in/
Society For Applied Microwave Electronics Engineering And Research http://www.sameermumbai.com/
Tata Memorial Centre http://www.tatamemorialcentre.com/
Tamil Virtual University http://www.tamilvu.org/
The Indian Law Institute http://www.ilidelhi.org/
Uranium Corporation Of India Limited http://www.ucilindia.nic.in/
Vigyan Prasar http://www.vigyanprasar.gov.in/

List of Management Schools In India:

1. Management Colleges In Andhra Pradesh

2. Management Colleges In Assam

3. Management Colleges In Bihar

4. Management Colleges In Delhi

5. Management Colleges In Goa

6. Management Colleges In Gujarat

7. Management Colleges In Haryana

8. Management Colleges In Himachal Pradesh

9. Management Colleges In Jammu & Kashmir

10. Management Colleges In Jharkhand

11. Management Colleges In Karnataka

12. Management Colleges In Kerala

13. Management Colleges In Madhya Pradesh

14. Management Colleges In Maharashtra

15. Management Colleges In Manipur

16. Management Colleges In Orissa

17. Management Colleges In Punjab

18. Management Colleges In Rajasthan

19. Management Colleges In Sikkim

20. Management Colleges In Tamil Nadu

21. Management Colleges In Uttar Pradesh

22. Management Colleges In Uttaranchal

23. Management Colleges In West Bengal

Melbourne University, your perfect choice!

Why choose Melbourne?
At the University of Melbourne, we are serious about education and the opportunities it provides.
The University is Australia's no. 1 research university*, and is ranked at no. 9 in the world for its graduates employability. It is a publically funded institution.
As a student, you will:
benefit from the University's
leading international reputation; and
first-class study options.
develop the skills and attributes required by graduates for the future, resulting in excellent global career outcomes;
enjoy a true campus experience;
experience integrated student support services;
take advantage of our global partnerships and community connections.
What's it like to study here?
One way to find out is to ask a student.
Whether you are living in Melbourne, rural Australia, or coming to us from around the world, you will:
Study in an atmosphere of intellectual excitement supported by excellent facilities and access to some of Australia's best libraries and online resources.
Benefit from the wealth of cultural, institutional and recreational opportunities available.
Enjoy a learning community and curriculum that is internationally and culturally diverse
Study alongside highly motivated and successful students
Find students who are active in clubs, sport, community service and reaching out for international experiences.
The best and brightest students from many different backgrounds choose to study here. Diversity is valued, multiculturalism is celebrated, and the integrity of the individual is respected. At the University of Melbourne, you'll have the opportunity to make lifelong friends from around Australia and the globe.

* According to key indicators used by the Australian Government to allocate competitive research funding**The Times Higher World University Rankings, Times Higher Education Supplement (THES), UK, 2008
For more details visit.....http://www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/

Job Outlook In Corporate Finance

The outlook for folks in corporate finance and in-house accounting is bright. In spite of the credit crunch that took hold in summer 2007, putting a damper on mergers and acquisitions, the market for money has continued to loosen. That means more corporate spending, more mergers and acquisitions, and so on and more work for corporate finance types.

Longer term, globalization means more opportunities for sophisticated financial analysts and planners. Increased merger and acquisition activity will create more opportunities for people in finance who are able to think strategically. This means a greater demand for people with higher degrees who can develop more theoretical financial models, develop currency hedges, or estimate another company's future earnings and current value.

As more and more accounting functions become automated by software, those accountants and financial analysts able to do analytical work and think strategically will have much better prospects than those who stick to keeping the books. Graduate degrees, extensive analytical experience, and good regulatory knowledge will help keep you employed over the long term.

Career Tracks

Although conditions vary at different companies, people going into corporate finance generally start their careers either as staff accountants (for the corporate reporting function) or as financial analysts (for a business group or function). In both roles, you'll supply management with the information it needs to make smart, opportune decisions.

Staff accountants consolidate information for the official corporate financial reports primarily comparing the present to the past. Financial analysts, on the other hand, are assigned to either a product line or business unit. They help management set up profit objectives, analyze current unit results, and anticipate future financial performance. Over time, financial analysts and staff accountants eventually specialize in one of the areas described below.

General Accounting
General accountants are responsible for producing all of the financial records a corporation uses to track its progress internally and to meet government regulations. Such workers also gather all the information needed to compute a company's balance sheet, profit and loss statements, and income statements. They also track the corporate budget, cash flow, and pay all the bills.

Usually, your first job in general accounting will be in accounts payable or accounts receivable. Success in accounting might lead you to a position as a controller, overseeing a larger group, aggregating information, or working on portions of the corporate budget.
Internal Audit
When most people think of an audit, they think of an outside audit a large accounting firm like Ernst & Young checking the corporate books on behalf of the shareholders. However, most large companies have an internal audit group that regularly visits individual company branches and checks the company's accounting systems.
Internal auditors perform the investigative and corrective work that ensures the external auditors don't find anything. The internal audit group reviews the quality of the data, making sure it's both accurate and complete. They also evaluate whether the corporate accounting procedures are effective and universally followed. Finally, internal auditors introduce or revise procedures to improve efficiency and reduce costs.

Divisional Financial Services
In this area, you work with each division's business team to prepare financial plans, make forecasts, and compare actual financial results to forecasts. You may also evaluate the financial consequences of alternative strategies.
Responsibilities include everything from analyzing new business opportunities to restructuring a business or developing a capital spending program. The primary concerns are to find better ways of using company assets, reduce costs, and research better methods of forecasting. Financial services evaluates the risks versus potential return of any course of action and develops recommendations so that managers can pick the most profitable strategies, depending on their goals.
Tax
Activities in this area involve administering taxes (i.e., paying taxes on time or finding loopholes to avoid paying them) and determining how to decrease the company's tax burden. Responsibilities include working with attorneys on tax litigation, researching tax laws and reporting requirements by nation (if the company is international), and keeping up with new government rules and regulations.
Large companies have an entire department dedicated to recommending methods to minimize the tax impact of any business decision such as a new division launch, a capital spending plan, or purchasing a new company. Investments and pensions also need to be managed with an eye toward minimizing taxes. The tax department helps structure transactions, makes recommendations on the timing of acquisitions or sales based on what else will be written off that year, and can decide what corporate reporting structure reduces taxes for example, creating a wholly owned subsidiary versus having an
Treasury
The treasury department is responsible for all of a company's financing and investing activities. This department works with investment bankers who help the corporation raise capital with stock or bond sales or expand through mergers and acquisitions. Treasury also manages the pension fund and the corporation's investments in other companies. The department also handles risk management, making sure that the right steps are taken to safeguard corporate assets by using insurance policies or currency hedges.
Cash Management
This is a company's piggy bank. The cash management group makes sure the company has enough cash on hand to meet its daily needs. The group also sees to it that any excess cash is invested overnight by picking the best short-term investment options. And it negotiates with local banks to get regional business units the banking services they need at the best price.
Corporate Development and Strategic Planning
Corporate development involves both corporate finance and business development. (For more on these types of jobs, check out WetFeet's business development career profile.) Finance experts in corporate development study acquisition targets, investment options, and licensing deals. Often they assess the best firms to buy or invest in, such as pre-IPO cutting-edge technology companies with complementary products that could either extend the company's product line or mitigate competition.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Careers in Corporate Finance



Today in the modern business, firms and multinational companies, Corporate Finance Managers, Chartered Accountants, Cost Accountants, Book Keepers and other accounting professionals are largely responsible for managing a companies financial requirements, the source from where adequate finance can be obtained, giving proper advice and helping the Management and their subordinates in deciding how to use it so that greater returns can be generated. The Corporate Managers and their subordinates take into account even the smallest details in the Spreadsheet find out possible means for greater cash flow, increase the income of the firm and find out ways and means to curtail the expenses. The Corporate Finance Management is responsible for finding out ways and means to free up capital, increase the profitability, and curtail expenses so that the Company may have greater profitability, greater market, increase production and sales. If a wing wants to make a heavy expenditure over an item or production, it is the Finance Wing or Department of the Company who has to ensure that adequate funds are available for undertaking the Project. It is the duty of the Corporate Finance Managers to find out ways and means for greater growth rate of the Company, whether acquiring another company will be profitable, whether the Company should reinvest it resources in other fields so that it may expand its business. In other words, the corporate finance wing of a Company is the main deciding factor in all business plans of a Company.


A company's size, complexity, industry, and stage of development for example, whether it’s a startup or established business determine its corporate finance department's specific responsibilities. All companies need to balance their books. But some large technology companies, for example, also need to hire financial experts to valuate potential acquisitions. Others (e.g., insurance companies) have hundreds of millions of dollars to invest and need financial wizards to manage that money. Note that for the purposes of this career profile, "corporate finance" does not refer to those in investment banks who help their corporate clients raise funds. To learn about this and other areas in financial services, read WetFeet's industry profiles of investment banking, mutual funds and brokerage, commercial banking, insurance, and accounting. These profiles detail a variety of specialized financial functions beyond those in private industry.
What You'll Do
Corporate finance includes two key functions: accounting and finance. Accounting concerns itself with day-to-day operations. Accountants balance the books, track expenses and revenue, execute payroll, and pay the bills. They also compile all the financial data needed to issue a company's financial statements in accordance with government regulations.
Finance professionals analyze revenue and expenses to ensure effective use of capital. They also advise businesses about project costs, make capital investments, and structure deals to help companies grow.
In spite of their different roles, finance and accounting are joined at the hip: The higher levels of accounting (budgeting and analysis) blend with financial functions (analysis and projections). Thus, finance and accounting are often treated as one, with different divisions undertaking particular tasks, such as cash management or taxes.
Requirements
Finance and accounting jobs require strong analytical and quantitative skills. If you have a knack for using numbers to understand patterns that influence business, you'll be of great value to your employer. If you can't crunch and analyze numbers, this isn't going to be the right job for you. You should also enjoy and excel at solving problems and be able to think critically about the numbers you're working with. Think of it as cracking a code: You need to take all of these numbers income, expenses, profits, investments, cash flow and decipher them in order to make the best decisions for the company.
To succeed in these careers, you need a strong attention to detail. To make wise business decisions, your employer will be depending on you to get the numbers right every time. In order to do that, you’ll also need to have an understanding of and interest in business. That includes reading industry and business publications to understand market conditions, economic forecasts, and trends. Finance professionals need to look at external factors that could potentially help or hurt profitability. This may be the career for you if you can effectively evaluate business scenarios and recommend a course of action based on quantitative research. If you're in college and want to work in corporate finance, your best bet is to demonstrate your interest in finance with relevant undergraduate courses in accounting, finance, and economics. Get involved in business, accounting, or investing clubs on campus. Internships are always a great way to strengthen your resume and differentiate yourself from other candidates. An MBA will make you attractive to companies hiring for budgeting, planning, and strategy functions.
Many firms hire outstanding undergraduates and MBAs for training programs; some programs are finance- and accounting-specific, and others rotate trainees throughout the company. If you have your heart set on corporate finance and analysis, do a knockout job during that particular rotation and develop a good relationship with your manager.
If there is no formal finance or accounting program at your company, you'll have to make the most of on-the-job training, so try to find a position that will expose you to a variety of projects. Find out what the career path in corporate finance is at your company and cultivate a mentor. A mentor can explain what projects will round out your background and what courses you can take to prepare yourself for a higher-level assignment. You can also check out job listings on the Web to see what kind of experience and certification are required for the jobs you're interested.
If you want to pursue a lifelong career as a number-cruncher, you'll probably have to knuckle down and get an advanced degree or certification a CPA, MBA, or CFA, depending on the career at least to work in the more senior budgeting, planning, and strategy functions. You'll also need to keep track of the regulatory changes that affect how information is reported.
There are other ways to get your foot in the door in a corporate finance career. Experience with an investment banking firm can lead to a financial analysis position for a specific business line or to a corporate development position if you have several years of experience. At the higher levels in accounting, one of the most straightforward routes to becoming a controller (a supervisory accounting role) is to start working for one of the large accounting or auditing firms and then go into corporate finance. The largest accounting firms and investment banks hire BAs directly from school.