Career Information - Financial Analyst

Financial analysis is about interpreting complicated financial information in order to provide guidance to businesses that are in need of a solid financial plan. Compared to a personal accountant, analysts are more specialised, usually in a particular area of expertise, such as a region, specific industry, or product. A personal accountant would be handling work at an individual basis.


An analyst is expected to work well in teams, being able to think critically, ability to work with numbers and having financial insight to interpret data in ways that can be easily understood.


The environment an analyst would typically find themselves in is a standard office, or in some cases, working from home, occasionally travelling to meet investors and potential clients, or scheduling weekend meetings.


In order to be an analyst, one would need to possess a bachelor's degree in finance, business administration, accounting, economics, or statistics is recommended, and some competitive careers can require a master's degree or certification. A common syllabus would include subjects like accounting fundamentals, business valuation, international financial management, and concepts of financial reporting. Analysts may pursue a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) certification to further enhance their knowledge and skills to enhance their competency. Strong selling and communication skills are also important, particularly for those considering self-employment.

As the current generation of Baby Boomers in the workplace approach retirement age, there is an increased potential of people making investments, which is expected to create substantial growth in demand for financial analysts. Despite this, competition is expected to be very tough for these positions and limited to those with formal training. A strong education background is essential and an MBA or formal certification is recommended to have an advantage in landing a job as a financial analyst.

The average salary per month is approximately between RM3,000-5,000, although fresh graduates may start from a lower pay range before getting confirmed and gaining enough experience on the job.


Overall, financial analysis is a challenging field that would reward those who are passionate and skilled at number crunching. The increasing amount of opportunities due to the changing work environment is also a factor to consider in pursuing a career as a financial analyst.

Career Information - Customer Service

Hello and welcome to our series of articles containing information about the more common job areas in the current market! To kick things off, let's focus on a rapidly growing, Customer Service. While traditionally viewed in a bad light (subjective; depending on how much one enjoys dealing with angry complaints), it is without a doubt increasing in demand, and employers have been making packages more interesting (e.g. salary, benefits, flexibility) in recruiting for this position.

Customer service, simply put, means interacting with customers to provide information regarding inquiries about products or services as well as to handle and resolve complaints. Occasionally, one who is in customer service would also have to play a support role in making sales. These interactions take place by telephone; by e-mail, fax, or regular mail correspondence; or even in person.

Most customer service work takes place in a call/customer contact centre. The world of a customer service employee in a call centre revolves around working with computers and telephones. That said, teamwork and communication with others is important as there are numerous incidents that require extra guidance from the supervisor or from a different department that would know the technical aspects to assist customers better.

Working hours can differ too, and as extended or 24 hours operation becomes more popular in call centres, shift work is common in the industry, with weekend or holiday work being necessary sometimes. A non-call center personnel would be placed in an office or a help desk to deal with customers face-to-face, working standard office hours according to the company.

Nearly 1 out of 5 customer service representatives work part time, due to its flexible hours, thus creating opportunities for seasonal work.

Most entry-level jobs in the area require only a diploma, but the standards are rising as demand grows. Basic to intermediate computer knowledge, good interpersonal skills, problem-solving skills, excellent verbal communication and listening skills are the standard criteria for a customer service personnel. Having a friendly personality and a professional manner, on top of having patience would be important as it is a direct point of contact for customers. Speaking more than one language is also considered a plus.

Training requirements vary by industry, mostly some training prior to beginning work, and training continues once on the job.

Job prospects are expected to be excellent. Customer service is one area that various companies in all sorts of industries would require to perform their operations smoothly. Thus, there is a great demand, and a variety of industries to choose from. Experienced workers can move up within the company into supervisory or managerial positions or they may move into other departments. Call centres located offshore for Western corporations, increase job opportunities in countries like ours. Demand in customer service is also generally resistant to major fluctuations in economy.

Average salary for the fresh entrant is reported to be between RM1500-2800, where bigger companies would naturally be able to pay in the higher range. As one climbs the ladder into customer service management or even as a trainer, they could earn up to more than RM6,000.

Although dealing with difficult customers can be trying, but being able to help resolve problems can be very rewarding. The nature of working in a team also promotes a close-knit culture at work. As a result, working in customer service can be a very good experience for a starting point, or even as an area to climb the ladder in.

How to Nail That Job - In Stylish Fashion

As promised, I will be sharing some tips to make your job search process a whole lot less confusing. One area that is actually quite simple but yet raises a lot of questions is the area of Dressing and Appearance.

To put this as gently as I can, I have seen numerous fresh-faced graduates who possess real quality, but the impression that they portray through their dressing is just BLEH! I understand that there is a lot of room for creative and expressive dressing in universities and colleges but the job interview is the most important event (no, not prom, silly!) to dress Up and dress Right!

The right interview attire is no rocket science, really. The most essential thing to remember is to Keep it Smart and Simple (KISS)! Your dressing is never meant to get in the way of your presentation, make sure it is discreet, not Loud! Take a look at the following image samples off a simple Google Search:

If there is a common theme among the pictures, it is definitely that simplicity is king. For Muslim females, a hijab/tudung with a plain and tasteful design would ensure that you portray a professional yet sensible image.

Here are some thoughts off the top of my head:

• Your personality (conduct, interpersonal skills, preparedness, articulation) should be the main focus of the interviewer NOT your interview attire; if that's the case, it is usually because of a mistake made in your dressing.
• Certain industries or job areas where interaction with customers is more crucial are more critical about your dressing.
• Even when the company has a casual dress code, unless given specific instructions to do so, DON'T show up casual!
• Prior consultation with professionals within the industry or inquiring the employer directly (and nicely) would be very good research on your part.

General guidelines for dressing up
Gents and Ladies:

• Long-sleeved shirt/blouse (white, pastel colors)
• Iron/Press everything!
• Clean and polished shoes (as conservative as possible, no 'new age' designs please!)
• Hair neatly groomed
• Trimmed and clean fingernails
• Lightly scented
• Empty pockets - bulges are an eyesore
• Fresh breath (but don't chew on gum or candy during the interview!)
• Be mindful of cigarette scent if you are a smoker
• A professional light briefcase or portfolio will be handy (remember to organise documents chronologically)
• Remove non-traditional body piercings (e.g. nose, eyebrow, lip)
• Body odour is very very important - Deodorise and keep yourself fresh!

Gents

• 2-piece business suit (dark coloured, black, dark blue or grey preferably)
• Don't roll up your sleeves
• Silk tie with simple design (leave polka dots or funky shapes alone)
• Match plain tie to a shirt with patterns or designs - a patterned tie on a patterned shirt is too distracting
• Tie's length - touching the waist of the pants
• Dark coloured pants, socks and shoes - leave Michael Jackson's white socks at home, even though we all love him
• Appropriate length socks - so that skin is not visible when sitting
• Hanky (handkerchief) is useful to have around to swipe that sweat off your forehead when you're panicking
• No sports watch
• Only wedding ring, no other bling-blings!

Ladies

• 3-piece business suit, no dresses (dark coloured, black, dark blue or grey preferably)
• No revealing blouses/shirts
• Headscarf or traditional hijab/tudung must be neat and simple - no patterns is preferred
• Appropriate skirt length - knee length while standing is best, longer skirts should not be too narrow
• Hosiery should be skin-shade or as close as possible, and without any patterns
• Closed-toe shoes/pumps that are comfortable
• Briefcase or a professional tote bag is much more professional than a purse - match colour to your shoes
• Light makeup is better than all-natural, just make sure it is not excessive
• Choose conservative accessories - a creative industry may allow more room for expression
• No more than one ring per hand
• No more than one set of ear rings