Category: Career

Over the past few years, one of the greatest challenges for HR departments has been the talent acquisition and the employee specialization in the Financial industry. Fintech is evolving rapidly, and companies need to stay on top of changes by the use of up-to-date software and hiring top experts in the field. But things are changing so fast that sometimes it’s very hard to keep up, especially for economy majors who need to become technology experts within a few years. Lately, the bitcoin revolution showed us just how much we depend on technology when it comes to developing new financial markets. It also shows, the importance of keeping up to date within changes in your industry and having a broad understanding of new technologies and trends, with everyone from HR, customer service and your sales department, having access to resources and industry knowledge.

Today, the Financial Services (FS) industry is facing several challenges, including rapidly developing technologies, over-regulation, and shifts in consumer spending. This being said, it’s likely to be talent management that becomes fundamental to staying on top in 2021 and future years.

Talent acquisition and management are some of the fastest-growing concerns in the financial industry with a need to upskill employees as a result of industry shifts. According to the 19th Annual Global CEO Survey for PWC, 70% of financial services CEOs see the limited availability of skills as a threat to growth. This is likely a result of changing skill sets as well as a significant increase in competition, which suggests it’s time to rethink talent management strategies and prepare your teams to embrace the developing industry landscape.

Changing demands in the FS industry have highlighted skills gaps, opening up opportunities to train and upskill staff, allowing both individuals and organisations to benefit. It’s not a new idea that employees thrive in a culture wherethey are encouraged to learn, it’s one of the foundations of staff development. Supporting your employees to embrace trends within the industry allows you to stay one step ahead, allowing you to develop a workforce that is informed of developments and changes in consumer activity and can identify opportunities. This investment improves staff retention, productivity, and output, which can only further benefit the wider team and company objectives.

In some circumstances, promotion within a team or an organisation is the natural next step for employee progression but it shouldn’t be considered the only desirable option. Supporting the development of specialised skills, and rewarding this financially, creates new experts within your workforce, but also enables individuals to take responsibility for their next steps. It builds out their expertise with skills and insight relevant to 2021 and the years to come.

Supporting your workforce through specialisation in specific derivative products, for example, upskilling individuals on spread betting, CFD and trading, is a way to embrace industry changes, ensuring talent is fully-prepared for further evolution in the FS industry.

Successful employee relations rely on embracing the notion that each employee will have a different inclination and drive. Understanding an employee’s ambitions, interests, and skills within the FS industry, and providing training and support in this area is something that both improves your company culture and can be maximised for growth.

In light of changes to the sector, some traditional companies will likely struggle to sustain competitive relevance, however, if opportunities are seized, this presents a chance to re-engage with the workforce and customers.

Developing talent to be able to adapt to challenges is likely to be the cornerstone to success in people management in the coming years. Especially in the FS industry, where change is happening so rapidly, upskilling your workforce encourages them to be forward-thinking and entrepreneurial, providing momentum for your organisation to be ready to maximise on opportunities.

According to an Accenture study from 2017, only the financial companies that overcome the classical bureaucratic management models will be able to stay on top, with liquid workforce that can learn new technologies within its core company.

In this modern and growing world where everything is unpredictable, security is more important than ever. That is why the security industry is growing so quickly in recent years. More importantly, the term ‘hire a bodyguard‘ had been trending on Google for several months now.

Sense of security and protection is a great blessing whether it is for an individual, family, property, business, or workplace. In our society where the crime rate is increasing at a very fast rate, the security system is in high demand. Furthermore, this industry provides a lot of job opportunities as well. 

The whole industry has not developed to this point at once. It has grown and expanded with time. Given below is a summary of how the security industry has developed all its way till present:

The Evolution Of Private Security

Since the development of civilization, the risk to people’s life, property, and belongings started. Those security risks continue to increase and result in the formation of the private security system. Some major issues that support the evolution of the security system in society are as follows:

• World wars

World wars used the majority of soldiers, weapons, and guards for defense against the opposition. Then came the trend of many forms of security system like property guards, personal guards, and private investigators, etc. Nowadays, the security industry has grown so much that we have a proper network of investigation firms and security guards.

• The Formation of governments

With the formation and development of the government, the security sector and departments were established properly. With further modification in the official matters of government, distinct security departments are formed.

The police force, intelligence department, and FBI started working under the government. With the further rejuvenation of the system, it became difficult for the government to manage alone on its own. There started the private security system that further resulted in the growth of the security industry.

• Modernization

With the advancement in time and technology, the security industry is also upgraded. As the digital world is growing, many new forms of crime have started prevailing. These include cybercrime, hacking, crime communication, and pedophilia, etc. 

In this way, private security is further grown to different forms. Now there are many branches of security systems like cybersecurity, investigation firms, intelligence agencies, and many more.

The Reason Behind The Growth Of the Security Industry

There are multiple reasons behind the growth and success of the security industry. Its success is beneficial not only at the individual level as job opportunities are increased in this way. But also for the safety and protection of mankind. Given below are some of the major reasons behind this development:

High Employment Rate

There are numerous jobs for security guards and private investigators every year. This can reduce the rising rate of unemployment in our society. Job opportunities are open as security guards and personal bodyguards at different buildings, business firms, schools, colleges, and hospitals. 

Good Option As A Part-time Job

If you are a single earning person in your family and have to support a big family, you can work as a security officer as a part-time job. This flexibility of the job timing makes you able to provide your security services at any time when you are available. 

You can work as a caretaker of a building at night time while giving time to your job and family in day time hours. Or you can sell your services at a school building in just school hours. Thus security-related jobs are a good option as a way of part-time earning.

Offers Variety Of Jobs

As a security officer, you have various job options. This is because every company has a working environment that is distinct from others. Some offer a stationary post as a guard while others need a patrol service. Also, you can choose whether you want a day duty or peaceful night hours to serve.

Maintenance Of Safety

The safety of human lives is above all other matters. Being a part of the security industry, you get a chance to []. You can protect their lives, property, and other belongings by all your means. 

Crisis Management 

A security professional can help to save from crises like fire, flood, and other emergencies. He is the one who is well equipped with weapons and possesses special skills to cope with every kind of emergency efficiently. For this, he should be watchful and vigilant enough to detect any danger quickly to protect the folks from the risk of damage.

Prevention Of Crimes

Another most important and major reason behind the growth of the security industry is its role in preventing crimes. For example, Armorous Security and Protection provide the best possible security services at different levels. Their highly trained security guards and investigators save people from loss of lives and damages to their property due to shitty acts of criminals.

Satisfaction & Sense Of Purpose

There are many people in our society that are not satisfied with the job they have. At the end of the day, they don’t feel content with what they are doing. They only work for the salary they get in reward.

If you choose the security industry to sell your services, you have to protect humanity and their belongings by your best means. This gives you a sense of purpose to serve and you end up being satisfied with your duty.

Improve Customer Service

Being a security guard, you have to save people as they are your customer and you are here to serve them by your servings. Customer service and security go hand in hand. You work your very best to save your customer as part of your business. In this way, your abilities as a customer service provider improve and help you if you apply for other jobs in the future.

The first and foremost thing is security whether it’s of person, family, or businesses. That is one of the prime reasons for the growth of the security industry. It is evolving with time and expected to develop further in the future. This growth of the security system has not only reduced the crime rate but also increased employment opportunities in society.

Technology and digitalization have significantly influenced the careers that people choose. The desire to be relevant and modern has led many to choose professions that integrate with technology. This trend, as a result, has impacted the world of blue-collar jobs as few people are willing to take on such careers. Blue-collar jobs require technical skills and physical manual labor.  

And why is skilled labor called the blue-collar job? In the past, skilled workers used to wear dark clothes, in many cases blue, as dirt picked from their work wouldn’t show as it would on bright uniforms.

Blue-collar jobs are still a necessity though they seem to be unpopular. We still need someone to drive our child to and from school, an electrician to assist with our power needs, a delivery man to deliver our order, as well as a truck driver to move goods from one point to the other. Below are four careers ignored in the career path choices;

School Bus Driver

The image that comes to mind is of a gentle, mature, and resilient driver patiently waiting in the school bus for students to board. This career, though not very popular, has always existed and most likely will always do. A bus driver saves families’ expenses they would h incur as they drop and pick their child from school. More so if these are parents with several children schooling in different institutions. 

School bus drivers have to safely drive in all kinds of weather, traffic while transporting students with differing behaviors. The day of a driver starts with early morning trips, after which he takes another job as he waits for the afternoon trips. Then, during school breaks, the school bus driver takes other jobs.  

School bus drivers have licenses with an (S) to indicate they qualify for the position. Though this job is not so popular, it’s still a career path one can choose. To be a school driver, one has to be conversant with the routes he works at, have strong interpersonal skills, organized and patient. 

A Delivery Man

A delivery person collects and transports different items such as; foodstuffs, medicine, electronics, and equipment safely to their owners. To deliver items, he uses a motorcycle, car, van, or even a truck. 

The delivery man collects the items from the supplier and reviews the purchases to ensure they are complete, in order, and well charged. From here, he transports the orders to the client safely and on time, as deliveries are time-tracked. As he delivers items, he ensures the client is satisfied and signs to authenticate the delivery. 

To work as a delivery person, one has to be a licensed driver or motorcyclist. The delivery man must be conversant with all the routes and locations of the area he works. He as well must be adept in problem-solving skills, people skills, and attentive to details. Working in the postal service, for instance, is demanding since mail has to be delivered. Starting your career as a mailman isn’t complicated, as with a high school diploma, you are set to go. If you are not an office kind of a guy, this should be your kind of job. 

Being a delivery guy is a go-to career; it is very necessary and useful. The COVID pandemic significantly boosted this service as many people preferred to make orders from the safety of their homes to avoid exposure to infections.  

An Electrician 

The mere thought of a novice trying to sort a power issue sends a shiver down the spine. Yes, that’s why, though not a popular career, a professional electrician will always be handy. An electrician repairs, fixes or replaces wiring and electrical fixtures. 

The digital world needs electricity as well. The two go hand in hand, and this has increased the demand for electricians. A failed switch, fluctuating lights, and a piece of overheating electrical equipment will always lead us to an electrician. Electrical services are a must-have in industrial and construction sites where wiring and power connections are needed. As many homes continue to be connected to power, the need to have skilled electricians rise. 

To qualify as an electrician, one has to have at least a high school diploma. Most technical colleges train on electrical skills and give electrical exams which a student must pass. The course includes basic electricity knowledge, circuity, and electrical safety. An electrician gets a license once he passes the electrical exam. On skills, an electrician should be a detail-oriented person, confident, and able to follow instructions. 

A Truck Driver

Nic Allen, the general manager of Training for the Freight Transport Association, is quoted by Transportbusiness.net saying there is a shortfall of employees as the demand for truck drivers is higher than the drivers available in the industry. This concern confirms that truck driving as a career is not very popular. A truck driver transports goods and material things from the supplier to another location. It is an essential service in the industrial and manufacturing world. 

In the supply chain, truck drivers are essential. First, truck drivers transport the raw materials from their source to the manufacturing places. Then, the same drivers will distribute the finished products to different locations. They as well transport products to the coastlines and railway stations for further shipping. 

When a truck driver collects goods and materials, he verifies the accuracy of the load, ensures the records are in order, and delivers them as instructed. The driver is responsible for the truck and has to regularly check its mechanical operation and weigh the load on the weighbridges.  

A qualified truck driver should have a Driver’s Certificate of Professional Competence and Heavy Goods Vehicles driver’s license. Skills required in this field are mechanical knowledge, attention to detail, focus, and endurance since the job involves long-distance and overnight journeys. 

 The above blue-collar fields represent many others that are not popular career paths as white-collar jobs are preferred. But as the article has stipulated, these skilled professionals are still a necessity. Compared to white-collar jobs, blue-collar jobs are easier to get. Blue-collar professionals have the option of starting their businesses that in turn creates employment. However, they do not appeal to the masses as they require technical skills and physical manual labor. It is time to draw attention to this area to alleviate the levels of unemployment in the market.

STEM careers include everything involving science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. With such skill involved, it’s understandable that many of those careers provide a high salary. Which are the most lucrative, though? If you have a STEM-focused mind and want to enter a role that’ll give you a comfortable (and even luxurious) life, here are ten STEM careers with lucrative salaries.

1. Data Analyst

Average Salary Per Year – $71K

Data analysts collect and analyze data to help a business grow and make the right decisions. Data analyzing is a skill that most businesses require, which means there are plenty of different settings for those wishing to pursue this career, including finance and marketing.

Who would make a great data analyst?

To thrive in this role, you must have great attention to detail and excellent mathematical skills. It’s also recommended that you pursue a master’s degree. An online master’s in statistics (requiring no GRE) provides analytical skills that are necessary to succeed as a data analyst while also being able to study from home.

2. Civil Engineer

Average Salary Per Year – $86K

Civil engineers focus on the designing and building of infrastructure, which includes bridges, buildings, water systems, and roads. They also ensure quality maintenance.

Who would make a great civil engineer?

Civil engineering requires excellent communication, technical skills, and critical thinking. You also need to be highly organized and able to work as a team, as projects are worked on by many. If you’re interested in becoming a civil engineer, expect to spend at least four years in higher education attaining your bachelor’s.

3. Environmental Scientist

Average Salary Per Year – $70K

Environmental scientists use their specialized knowledge to identify and solve environmental damage. There’s a lot of variety within this career depending on expertise, but most spend their time conducting research and devising ways to solve environmental issues.

Who would make a great environmental scientist?

It’s not just the technical skills needed for great environmental scientists – it is also a true passion for the environment. The best environmental scientists would be those who are highly analytical, organized, innovative, and care deeply about the earth.

4. Nurse Practitioner

Average Salary Per Year – $109K

Nurse practitioners have more responsibilities than registered nurses, as they can perform physical exams, prescribe medication, and diagnose illnesses. They work in a range of settings, including clinics, nursing homes, hospitals, and schools.

Who would make a great nurse practitioner?

On top of deep knowledge of medicine and treatments, great nurse practitioners are those who have genuine empathy and can communicate well. It’s not just about providing treatment – it’s also about being caring and comforting while you do so.

5. Software Developer

Average Salary Per Year – $105K

Software development is a particularly lucrative career, and it’s not hard to see why. The role is to design, maintain, test, and create software systems, which is something that many businesses seek out.

Who would make a great software developer?

To succeed as a software developer, you must have extensive knowledge of coding as well as high levels of organization, problem-solving skills, and accuracy. While some people imagine software developers as alone, they often interact with multiple people in one day, so excellent communication skills are also essential.

6. IT Manager

Average Salary Per Year – $84K

Information technology managers help companies with their computer needs. As they are in charge of the IT team, they are responsible for organizing the IT department and the maintenance of the business’s computer systems.

Who would make a great IT manager?

Not only do IT managers need to be tech-savvy, great with computers, and effective communicators, but they also need to be stellar leaders, as they are responsible for managing the entire IT department in a company. That is what makes this career more lucrative than others.

7. Dentist

Average Salary Per Year – $169K

Dentists don’t just examine teeth – they perform surgeries, diagnose oral diseases, take x-rays, and advise patients on optimal oral health. It’s a challenging role and one that requires a lot of knowledge. For this, they earn an extremely high wage.

Who would make a great dentist?

Dentistry requires a hard-working, intelligent person who has a passion for helping people. You’d also need to be willing to put many years into the study, as dentists typically spend around eight years in higher education before becoming qualified.

8. Web Developer

Average Salary Per Year – $74K

Website developers design, build and maintain websites for clients and businesses. Many web developers work freelance for several different clients, while some work for a specific company. 

Who would make a great web developer?

To become a successful web developer, you’d need a great handle on code as well as a keen eye for design. It’s crucial to be organized and self-disciplined, too, especially if you’re a freelance web developer.

9. Psychologist

Average Salary Per Year – $77K

Psychologists take up a part of healthcare that revolves around mental health. They assess, diagnose, and treat mental health patients with a wide range of problems, from depression to eating disorders.

Who would make a great psychologist?

Many psychologists hold a doctorate, so someone willing to learn is required to become a great psychologist. It’s also crucial to be empathetic, patient, and organized in this line of work, as no two days are ever the same, and sometimes a patient or general situation might be challenging to handle. 

10. Biochemist

Average Salary Per Year – £94K

Biochemists use their knowledge of biological processes to aid healthcare. For example, a biochemist might study the cell development of cancer cells to understand them better for treatments. Due to this, they play a pivotal role in the development of medicine and healthcare research.  

Who would make a great biochemist?

To become a biochemist, you must be analytical, have excellent mathematical skills, and maintain a high level of accuracy. Due to the nature of the role, biochemists have little room for errors, so perseverance and organization are also crucial.

By choosing to study one of these ten STEM careers, you’ll end up with a satisfying and lucrative career.

If you work with SQL Server then your role will invariably require you to fall back on a plethora of different skills in order to fulfill your responsibilities effectively.

Of course with such a variety of requirements on the table, knowing which areas to focus your attention on, and how to make improvements, is not always easy.

To help you out, here are a few ways you can build upon your existing abilities and foster new strengths as you progress your career in SQL Server administration.

Pay attention to server performance for troubleshooting & optimization insights

Hiccups in SQL Server performance can leave many database admins scratching their heads, and yet your troubleshooting tasks will become much more manageable if you are attuned to the advantages of persistent monitoring.

Tracking everything from storage usage and CPU load to TempDB status and the deployment of SQL integration services will give you a clearer idea of the moment to moment health of a server instance, as well as providing clues and evidence of issues that need addressing before they have had the opportunity to spiral out of control.

Embrace interdepartmental communication & listen to feedback

If your main job involves keeping SQL Server infrastructure up and running, then it is easy to be blinded to what is going on in the rest of the organization, when in fact you could actually benefit significantly from communicating with colleagues in other departments and being receptive to the input they provide.

Communication skills are worth working on if you are a database administrator, not only because it will provide you with the means to make meaningful improvements that are appreciated elsewhere in a company, but also because it can turn what is potentially a very solitary job into one that involves much-needed human interactions. And of course if you are improving your communication skills, these are entirely transferable to other roles further down the line, in a way that SQL-specific experience is not.

Use project management tools to your advantage

Having a structure or framework to use as the underpinning of your daily workload is sensible in many professional contexts, and is definitely something from which an SQL Server specialist can benefit.

In this case you do not need to rely on improving your timekeeping and deadline-hitting skills through sheer willpower alone, but can instead make ameliorations with the help of a wide range of tools designed to help you manage projects and track progress over time.

Using the best platforms for project management is also beneficial in other areas, allowing you to collaborate and communicate with other colleagues who may be involved in whatever you are working on.

Learn from the mistakes of others

When a database admin makes a mistake, the ramifications can be immediate and significant, so even if you might be able to learn valuable lessons from your foibles, it is better to find out about potential pitfalls by speaking with those who have already fallen into them.

Connecting with DBAs who have more experience than you, and can provide informative and instructive details about the snafus they have encountered in the past and how to overcome them, will keep you in the loop on common conundrums in the safest possible way.

Wrapping up

Clearly your own skills and experience will need to feed into any decisions you make about improving your abilities as an SQL Server professional, but the most important facet for individuals regardless of their abilities is to see this specialism as an ongoing journey of knowledge acquisition, rather than something with a fixed endpoint.

Modern technology and constant connectivity allow many workers to carry out their work tasks from any location, as long as there’s an internet connection. In recent years, an increasing number of forward-thinking companies have started to embrace the idea of allowing employees to work from home for all or part of the workweek. The COVID-19 pandemic took things to the next level, forcing many employees to work from home and arguably fast-forwarding a process that may otherwise have taken a lot longer. 

The pandemic has shown many businesses that were hesitant about their employees working from home that working remotely is in fact an effective solution. When employees are working from home they spend less time commuting, have a better work-life balance and it has been shown that they are typically much more productive. Countless tasks such as business invoicing, payroll, marketing, accounting, customer service, account management, and a range of other tasks can easily be completed at home. Working from home is becoming a popular choice in a range of different industries and it doesn’t show signs of slowing down anytime soon. 

Continue reading to learn why working from home is here to stay and why that’s a positive! 

Improved Work-Life Balance

Working from home allows your employees more flexibility with their schedule. In many remote jobs, employees can structure their day in a way that suits their lifestyle so long as they get their work completed. With this flexibility people have more time to spend with friends, family, doing, chores and exercising creating a much better work-life balance. 

No Commuter Stress

When you are working from home, you can avoid spending time stuck in traffic or on public transport every morning. If you bike or walk to work, you can still get out for your morning exercise but instead of finishing at the office, you can come home and have breakfast with the kids before logging on to work. Avoiding the stress of commuting in the morning, not only allows employees to save time but it helps to start their day on a positive stress-free note too. 

Embracing Location Independence

Just because you are “working from home” doesn’t mean you need to be at home. Many remote workers are choosing to spend their workdays moving from one cafe to the next, at a coworking space or in a public library. This flexibility also allows you to take your work with you if you need to take the kids somewhere or you are looking after a friend or relative. Having this level of flexibility is just another reason why working from home will be here to stay for the foreseeable future. 

More Productive Workforce

Employees that have a better work-life balance have been shown to be more content and therefore more productive in their work. When people have more free time to spend with family and friends and to pursue their passions and interests, they tend to be more focused when they are at work. Conversely, employees who spend all of their time at work are often distracted, thinking of all the things they are missing out on and their mental health can start to suffer as a result. 

Expect Remote Working To Become The Norm Moving Forward

The work from home concept has taken off in a big way because of the impacts of COVID-19 and it’s not going anywhere soon. Not only does this way of working benefit employees but companies can have a fortune in overheads and expensive office rents when their employees are working from home. With so much to be gained from working from home, we can expect it to not only continue but potentially become the norm moving forward.