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As a KAM, you need to communicate the value of your offerings both strategically and financially to your customers. Long-term success depends on being able to demonstrate value to the customer. This requires a keen sense of timing, killer presentation skills, and the confidence construction bookkeeping to hold their ground and push back when necessary. At the end of the day, the KAM’s goal is to build the lifetime value of their customer. In order to do this, they not only need to sell to the customer but also negotiate terms so both parties end up happy.

Transferable skills from engineering include data analysis, quantitative problem solving and the ability to work individually as well as within a team. While risk management involves working within a corporate team, it’s not a client facing role and can sometimes involve working in isolation. It’s also quite a specialized field requiring relevant qualifications or experience, with options such as FRM certification recommended. An engineer’s problem solving and critical thinking abilities, and experience in developing specific solutions to meet objectives is also a great transferable skill to have in this career. The role can sometimes be solitary, but there is still plenty of communication with clients. In a large organization, a pool of accountants often share the workload.

Chapter 6: Professional Skill Building

Most people who follow a career in portfolio management start off as analysts within a firm, which involves gathering and analyzing data, and using financial modelling to help guide investment decisions. Engineers have some clear advantages when it comes to management consulting. An ability to analyze and interpret data, and strong mathematical skills are of course an advantage. Interviews are crucial for landing the job you want, and therefore it makes sense to develop your technique to help you be successful. From doing well in phone interviews, to knowing how video interviews work in finance, take the time to prepare answers to questions you’ll likely encounter. You should also consider all the other aspects such as body language, tone of voice, and a professional appearance, as these can all make a difference.

Because of this, it may not be possible to have all the employees in leadership positions. Therefore, a few employees who show the ability to lead generally take charge of the others. A big part of getting the greatest value from your transferable or marketable skills and capabilities is to stop viewing yourself as “being” a specific job or occupation. During the past year or so, the economy has taken a toll on occupations that used to employ large numbers of age 50+ people. Some industrial sectors may come back in time, while others may not experience a significant recovery during our working lifetimes.

Find a role in finance that’s right for you

If you’re a software or computer science engineer, then an engineering role at a finance firm could be a great way to get a foot in the door. As your knowledge of the business develops, then you might find an internal move to a more financially related position is achievable. There are a wide range of financial career paths, so it’s vital to find one that not only offers what you want from a job, but that you are also a good fit for. Engineering skills are practical and highly mathematical, and should help you make a transition to finance. Skilled individuals in areas such as quantitative research and analytics are very much in demand. Every sector of the retail industry performs a huge number of transactions on a daily basis.

In addition, you work in teams on class projects or take on leadership positions in a student organization. As an intern, you begin to build your professional portfolio as you help employers solve problems and meet customer needs. Make a list of your experiences both on- and off-campus and develop an inventory of skills. Being able to understand and analyse data is another skill employers will search for. Business administration can involve roles such as accounting, finance and project management. Each of these will require data analysis and using programmes such as Excel to input and extract data.

Accounting Careers

Tax planning and tax preparation are both services that could serve as the foundation from which you build your client base as you consider whether or not you wish to expand your offering to include investment planning. You may choose to locate your practice within a large firm, thus benefiting from the branding, or to stay independent. Either way, if flexibility and autonomy are important to you, being a self-employed financial planner is likely to satisfy you.

• The emergence of ever-smarter technology, coupled with health and safety requirements, are having an incredible impact on the workplace.
• And career changes you can make as a Billing Analyst, based on skills you already have.
• This figure varies depending on topic of study, style of instruction, geographic location, and student status .
• Even if you don’t specifically say that you “used adaptability skills,” describing a situation where you successfully pivoted in the face of change will show the employer you have these transferable skills.
• Accountants use various software products, and likely have to configure automations, alerts, or actions based on conditions.

A recent LHH LinkedIn survey found that the vast majority—89%–of respondents were planning to upskill in 2021 in order to stay on top of their game. For some this means becoming an early adopter of the latest technology tools that start to appear, while others will be picking up new skills to shift the focus of their career and find a new position. If the cause of your unhappiness with your role as an accountant has anything to do with working as an employee, self-employment as a financial planner may be the way to go. Making a career change to financial planning will involve some risk and likely a decrease in earnings in year 1 and 2, however, long-term, the benefits and increased earnings are likely to make up for any short-term stress.