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ACCA, November 9th 2022: ‘Navigating a high demand job market… in style’

Do you know how to Navigate a high demand job market… in style? ACCA spoke to Victoria McLean, founder and CEO of award-winning career consultancy City CV, to find out how…

Below is a short excerpt.

Recruiting finance professionals has been a tough proposition for some time now. Even before the Great Resignation muddied the waters further, qualified accountants were hard to come by.

Simply put, there aren’t enough people to satisfy demand, with the upstream talent pipeline into the profession not strong enough to counter a downstream compounded by ageing populations, early retirees, people stepping back to care for families, career changers.

This bottleneck, on paper at least, puts finance professionals and those entering the profession in the driving seat.

‘From the candidate’s perspective, there’s a better choice of positions and these positions tend to offer better salaries and benefits as employers know they have to compete with each other to recruit the best talent,’ says Victoria McLean, CEO & founder of career consultancy City CV.

‘This means candidates can expect a little more in terms of salary and should be able to negotiate good benefits, such as hybrid working, health options, study support etc. Candidates will probably also find that employers try and sell themselves on the strength of their culture or reputation.’

Be prepared to negotiate 

‘Candidates are in the driving seat, which means you hold a position of power in terms of negotiating your salary and overall benefits package,’ says McLean. ‘Firstly, it’s important to know your value (check the average salaries for the position) and what you want in terms of benefits. You may be able to negotiate flexible working, wellness benefits, a good personal development plan, training opportunities, and more.’

McLean recommends brushing up on your negotiating skills, as much to know how far to push as to push at all. ‘Employers won’t look too kindly on candidates who push too far – there is always a limit. And while there may be other opportunities around, you can’t bank on getting them all and having your choice of role or company. Be respectful and authentic, and be mindful that you’ll potentially be working alongside the people you’re negotiating with and you don’t want to leave them with a bad taste in their mouth before you even start.’

Reichwald also points out that throughout the recruitment process employers are assessing your ability to deal with their clients, so consider your outward image.

The article can be read in full here.

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