FORKS IN THE ROAD

Instead of advancing up a career ladder rung by rung, Bright sees the modern world of work as akin to a cocktail party. “If you are open to it, you can have these completely chance encounters with people, and opportunities can come from it,” he says.

Rather than waiting for changes to occur, the most “career resilient people” are those who are readily and routinely testing their abilities against market demands. They are also keeping their interview skills up to scratch by attending interviews “even if they won’t necessarily take the job”.

“Sometimes, our work myths and projections are based on the idea of stability, loyalty and long-term employment, but the reality of work is that there is a lot of unpredictability,” Bright says. “The more you can support yourself, the better off you will be.”

“People will come to me really broken, because they were promised an equity partnership in a business and then the owner sells because they get an offer they can’t refuse,” Bright says.

“I think a lot of employers want to do the right thing by their employees, but as events like COVID-19 show, things are not always in their control.”

SKILLS FOR THE NEW NORMAL

“That way, you end up with a collection of maps for different scenarios, so if anything does happen – negative or positive – you can whip out one of these blueprints,” he says.

Secondly, Bright recommends improving transferable skills – those that are not easily automated or replaced.

“People employ people they like, and they employ people who their friends have recommended, so that is why networking is so important.”

However, he advises against being too cynical about your networking efforts – do not only aim to meet people who are more senior than you to help you climb the ladder. Instead, be generous and collegial.

“Social media [is] a great place to network, especially LinkedIn groups or even Twitter,” Bright says.

THINK SIDEWAYS TO REACH THE TOP

“Employers want a business CFO rather than a finance CFO, and by that I mean somebody who has a wider perspective outside of the financial in the way they approach making business decisions,” Kularajah says.

The more cross-industry experience you have, the more versatile you become. “For example, if you are in FMCG [fast-moving consumer goods], then you should also start to look at other finance roles in other types of industries, such as technology, healthcare or banking,” Kularajah says.

However, it’s important that versatility and breadth of experience do not come at the cost of depth. “You have got to try and build both, because that is what employers are really looking for these days,” she says.

Employers want someone who is able to dive deep and look at an issue at a very granular level, as well as being able to telescope out and take a more strategic view. “People who are high performers are able to do both,” she says.

Ref: CPA