Is a Career in Corporate Finance for You

Is a Career in Corporate Finance for You If you love working with numbers, are mathematically gifted and possess strong quantitative and analytical skills, corporate finance may be the right career for you. A career in corporate finance is also ideal for you if you enjoy and are exceptionally good at problem-solving, and you also possess possess strong attention to detail. Working in corporate finance requires that you crunch the numbers right every time. A rare oversight or error may be forgiven once, but recurrent mistakes may necessitate considering a new career path. Corporate finance professionals are primarily tasked with managing an organizations money. They give advice regarding project costs, analyze company revenues and expenses, make investments and structure deals that will promote a companys growth. They also identify ways to increase a companys profitability, reduce expenditures and free up capital. Anytime a company wishes to make a major expenditure, it usually has to be approved by its corporate finance department, and approval is granted only after a thorough review of the companies finances to make sure it can afford the expenditure.The size, industry, complexity and stage of the company (i.e., established or new company) determines the specific responsibilities of a financial or accounting professional. While all companies need to maintain balanced books, some companies need financial professionals experienced with valuating potential acquisitions, while other companies want investment experts.A corporate finance career is also ideal for the financial enthusiasts who voraciously read financial publications and periodicals and for whom watching the stock market is a favorite hobby. You must possess a strong interest and understanding of the industry. You have to stay on top of ever-changing marking conditions, financial trends and economic forecasts. You h ave to be able to identify external factors that could positively or negatively impact a companys profitability.You will probably have to become certified as a MBA, CPA or CFA depending on the font of job youre interested in. If there are opportunities within your company, and your company offers tuition reimbursement, you could look into going back to school to get certified. If there are not opportunities within your company, start looking outside the company for a position that will expose you to the type of finance or accounting experience you wish to gain.A few of the perks of working in corporate finance are that you get the chance to develop good teamwork skills, since finance professionals generally work in teams. You also get to travel and meet people, and the pay is pretty good. A financial analyst can make $44,000 to $72,000 a year. A controller can earn $110,000 to $237,000 a year. A treasurer can earn $133,000 to $208,000.

7 Ways to Motivate Yourself in Sales

7 Ways to Motivate Yourself in Sales7 Ways to Motivate Yourself in SalesA good sales manager will do her best to keep her gruppe pumped up and selling happily, but even the best sales manager cant be psyching you up every hour of every day. Top-tier salespeople take responsibility for their own lives and know how to keep selling even when everything seems to be going wrong. You too can motivate yourself with the following tricks. 01Set Specific GoalsCaiaimage/Rafal Rodzoch / Getty ImagesSitting down with a brand-new lead list thats 50 pages long can be pretty daunting. So instead of thinking, I have to call 600 strangers now, approach the job in pieces. Maybe you do some quick research on the first ten names, then call them, and then switch to an unrelated task for a few minutes. By changing tasks on a regular basis throughout the day, youll stay fresh and will have a lot more energy to apply to each one.

How to Find a New Career

How to Find a New CareerHow to Find a New CareerAre you daydreaming about how to find a new career? One thats more fun or financially rewarding?When at work, do you often ask yourself, Why do I keep working here? or When will I quit? Do you often think about a job that makes you feel good at work each day?If you answered yes to any of unterstellung questions, it might be time to look into how to find the best career for you. Each career situation is very different so there are many variables to think about before taking the plunge into a new career.A few things to think aboutHere are a few things to think about before quitting your job or changing your career path to start a new oneWhat is it about my job that is causing me to find a new career?How much of a nest egg (of available money) do I have when I make the shift to a new career?Will I really be happier than I am now? Or can I fix what I have at my current one?What is it in my career or life am I willing to give up to start ove r?These arent easy questions to answer, and theyre definitely not questions to take lightly. Its a good idea to ruminate on these questions to come up with authentic answers. If you do decide to make a career change, make sure you can stick with it long term.The next thingThe next thing is, Do you know what career you want to pursue? Maybe you already know what kind of work you want to do, but its often easy to see you want to find a new career. Yet, its not always easy to figure out which career you want to pursue.If that happens to youIf that happens then, this is a great time to ask yourself some very important questions that will guide you into a career path for which you are best suitedWhat are my strengths? What do my family and friends think Im good at?What do I love doing? What kind of things do I enjoy so it doesnt feel like work?What kinds of problems do I solve? Or how am I helpful?What do I do if I make less money?Is it worth it for me to take this risk?After asking your self these questionsAfter asking yourself these questions, you can brainstorm and write the answers down for each question. Take some time with this because the answers you come up with will help determine your path forward.When you have the answers to these questions sorted out, take some time to look for the overlapping answers to each question. The commonalities and overlapping answers will form a compass that will point you in the right direction to help you find a new career.Sometimes you can get caught up in the perfect answer to the questions about what you are great at doing or what you love to do. In that case, its best to ask yourself about your strength or weaknesses. Sometimes, you dont know your strengths, what you are best at, or what positive traits you have.Surveying those who know you bestIn that case, if you dont know the answer to the question, take a survey of 10 people that know you the best and ask them to give you the answers to these questions. Evaluate and f ind the most common strengths, and move forward with them as a factor in your search.If you are having a challenge identifying what the world needs or what problem you are solving, its important to evaluate the markets to determine if your solution is viable.This involves market research, asking pointed questions to potential customers or clients about their needs, and determining if you have a solution.Know your customerIn short, its Know Your Customer but it also applies to careers where you know there is a solid, established, and proven customer base.If you firmly decide to change your career, youre going to need to come up with some ideas about what you might want to do next. Its likely you already have a few ideas, and you just need to evaluate the one and move forward. If you are unsure, rank the career ideas you like on a 1-10 scale. This also might help you clear it up.The most important part of this is to give a full commitment to whatever new career you choose. This is a h uge change in your life, and you should be completely invested in this path before fully moving forward.FulfillmentThe key to a fulfilling life is a living a life you love to wake up to each day. When you find the best career for you, you will be primed to find more fulfillment in your day-to-day life.

A Mid-Year Look at Health Care Recruiting and Hiring Trends

A Mid-Year Look at Health Care Recruiting and Hiring TrendsA Mid-Year Look at Health Care Recruiting and Hiring TrendsA Mid-Year Look at Health Care Recruiting and Hiring TrendsHealth care recruiting, never a sleepy sector of the recruitment industry, is more complex than ever in 2011.A changing mix of providers is evolving to survive financial stresses and thrive under health care reform.Many are asking more of a limited pool of health care talent thats charged with caring for a growing and aging American population.But heres one simple truth that lengthens the days and weeks of health care recruiters from coast to coast Macroeconomic malaise or no, the competition is fierce, says Annessa Fort, Northwest branch manager at Yoh in health care recruiting.Health Care Recruiting TrendsHealth care continues to be the healthiest labor-market sector in the United States, rising by 287,000 in the 12 months ending June 2011, to 14.06 million, reports the Bureau of Labor Statistics. This growt h included 171,000 jobs in ambulatory services, 56,000 hospital jobs and 25,000 positions in nursing-care facilities.So demand is strong and the need for aggressive health care recruitmentis rising. The Employment Index, a broad measure of online recruitment, has showed substantial growth in the health care sector this year.The index for health care practitioners and technical workers rose from 139 in January to 160 in June 2011, while health care support workers climbed from 192 to 223 over the period.There are regional pockets of relatively weak demand for health care talent, and some of them are sizable. Most of our grads are in our accelerated program, and theyre doing OK, says Elaine Andolina, MS, RN, director of admissions and co-director of baccalaureate programs at the University of Rochester School of Nursing. The grads that have problems are the ones that go to the west coast, particularly California.Employers Seek Higher QualificationsEven with demand returning to pre-rec ession levels, health care employers are continuing to boost credential requirements and thus raise the bar for recruiters. In occupational health, positions that used to require just an RN now require a BSN, says Fort.With healthcare-reform provisions such as value-based purchasing kicking in this year, providers are looking for practitioners who can work with complex structures of financial incentives and penalties, especially in hospitals. Weve seen a higher demand for RNs with case-management experience, says Fort.Still, most providers are keenly aware of the value of retaining health care employees and will take reasonable measures to keep them. With physical therapists, occupational therapists, nurse practitioners and physician assistants, employers are doing direct hires because they dont want to bring them on as contractors and then have them leave, says Fort.Changes to Primary Care ProvidersWith small-group practices straining under increasing expenses and millions of addit ional Americans becoming insured in the coming years, theres such a need for primary-care providers, says Mary Jo Goolsby, EdD, NP-C, director of education at the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. NPs have earned the reputation of providing high-quality, cost-effective care.The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) encourages nurse practitioners and physician assistants to practice to the full extent of their professional qualifications. Health care reform will create more opportunities for nurse practitioners, says Goolsby. MDs cant do it alone.Newly minted nurse practitioners, typically experienced nurses who have returned to school for advanced training, are highly sought after. We graduate 9,500 NPs per year, and theyre not finding that the job market is saturated, says Goolsby.Meanwhile, a new wave of health care hiringis gathering for physicians who provide primary care, says Leslie Michelson, CEO of Private Health Management, a provider that aims to outdo even concierge practices in quality of care and service.As more and more doctors are financially squeezed out of traditional private practice, theyre seeking to get a handle on the care settings where they might migrate. Physicians who are more entrepreneurial will shift into concierge or retainer-based business, says Michelson. The others will be more comfortable in a larger ordnungsprinzip with more security and structure, say in a hospital.Employers Offer a Variety of SweetenersWith many medical specialties in shortage, health care employers and their recruiters are offering a broad range of employee benefits to desirable candidates, as part of their nurse retention strategy.If a nurse practitioner wants to move into a new specialty area, she looks for an organization that will give her on-the-job training, says Goolsby. Clinicians typically seek employers that provide the full range of professional development opportunities.Clinicians also seek the benefits that professionals in many other fields no longer take for granted. NPs are looking for health insurance and long-term care insurance, says Goolsby. They also look for sufficient staffing with medical and nursing assistants, and adequate space to see patients.Some providers are luring particularly valuable candidates by treating them like executives. Were seeing NPs and PAs get director-level roles, with the perks of upper management like annual bonuses and additional vacation time, says Fort.Yet another approach is an appeal to the idealism of the many practitioners who have burned out on bureaucracy and compromise. We entice physicians with the clinical sophistication of our approach we provide the highest level quality of care to clients such as hedge-fund executives, says Michelson.

How to Handle an Exit Interview

How to Handle an Exit InterviewHow to Handle an Exit Interview3Youve given your two weeks notice at your current job and have worked hard and diligently right up until the end. When youre called down to Human Resources for your exit interview, yourehesitant. Should you say what you really thought of your boss, or should you stay silent instead? Heres how to handle your exit interview- gracefully, honestly, and above all, professionally.Be prepared.When you sit down with the HR manager, she is going to ask you direct questions about your experiences with the company and your colleagues. If your time spent with the organization was less than stellar, youll need to be mentally and emotionally prepared so that she doesnt catch you off guard. So before the interview, try practicing your answers and have in mind what youd like to say. Heres a guide to your professional exit strategy.Be honest.An exit interview is your last opportunity to express your feelings about your workplace, your bos s- even the companys policies. Its in your best interest to be honest, but to a certain extent. Even if you despised your boss, you should never, ever say so. If there were workplace issues (or perhaps a better way of improving workflow), you should definitely bring those issues up.Be professional.Now is not the time to break out into tears or show your anger over being passed up for that promotion you desperately wanted. Keep calm by focusing on the facts- and not your emotions. And as much as you might be tempted to, dont bad-mouth your boss or any of your nosy colleagues. After all, what you say during your exit interview will be noted by the HR manager. More than likely she will share details from your conversation with your boss and the company, too.Focus on the positive. fruchtwein people remember what they hear only at the beginning and end of a conversation. So make your meeting with the HR manager memorable by starting off- and ending- your conversation on a positive note. Let her know that youve enjoyed working at the company and highlight some of the key moments during your career there Perhaps you picked up some new skills or helped the company win an award. You should mention the people who were instrumental to your success as well.Your exit interview is the final chapter in your current job. By being professional, youll ensure that your exit interview- just like your initial job interview- is successful and will help you as you begin the next chapter in your career.Readers, how have you handled exit interviews in the past? Did you paint a positive picture regarding your work experience? Let us know your experiences in the comments section below

4 ways sleeping naked makes you healthier and wealthier

4 ways sleeping naked makes you healthier and wealthier4 ways sleeping naked makes you healthier and wealthierWhat if I told you in just 10 seconds a day, you can sleep better, make more money, reduce stress, and lose weight? Sleeping naked can do all these things and more. All you have to do is take off your clothes. While there are countless strategies floating around out there to help you improve in these areas, none is as simple- and many are less effective- as stripping down before you go to sleep.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSince only 8% of people sleep naked, most everyone can discover the benefits of sleeping in the buff. This may sound far-fetched, but hear me out before you throw those cozy flannel pajamas on.You Sleep Better NakedWeve always known that quality sleep is good for your brain, but recent research from the University of Rochester demonstrates exactly h ow so. The study found that when you sleep your brain removes toxic proteins from its neurons that are by-products of neural activity when youre awake. The catch here is that your brain can only adequately remove these toxic proteins when you have sufficient quality sleep.When you dont get high-quality, deep sleep, the toxic proteins remain in your brain cells, wreaking havoc and ultimately impairing your ability to think. This slows your ability to process information and problem solve, kills your creativity, and increases your emotional reactivity.Researchers at the University of venedig des nordens found that lowering your skin temperature increases the depth of your sleep and reduces the number of times you wake up in the night. Stripping down to your birthday suit is a great way to lower your skin temperature without changing the temperature of the room.Sleeping Naked Reduces StressWe all know that prolonged stress is bad news. It suppresses your immune system and increases you r risk of heart disease, depression, and obesity in addition to decreasing your cognitive performance. Stress throws your cortisol levels out of whack. Proper rest helps to restore normal cortisol levels, which improves your stress level regardless of whats happening around you. As described in the section above, sleeping naked will help you to get a better nights sleep.Sleeping Naked Is HealthierSleeping naked has a slew of health benefits, including helping you to lose weight. A study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health found that keeping yourself cool while you sleep speeds the bodys metabolism because your body creates more brown fat to keep you warm. Brown fat produces heat by burning calories (300 times more heat than any organ in the body), and this boosts your metabolism all day long to help you lose weight.In addition to the metabolic effects of sleeping in the buff, removing your clothes improves blood circulation, which is good for your heart and muscles. Th e quality sleep youll enjoy also increases the release of growth hormone and melatonin, both of which have anti-aging benefits.Sleeping Naked Builds ConfidenceConfidence doesnt just feel good its the pillar of success. It pushes you to try new things, take on challenges, and persevere in the face of adversity. A University of Melbourne study found that confident people earn higher wages and get promoted more often than their less confident counterparts. Sleeping naked makes you more comfortable in your own skin. As your comfort with your body increases, so does your self-esteem and confidence.Bringing It All TogetherThe benefits of sleeping naked are many- so many that you owe it to yourself to give it a try.Did you know there was so much to gain from sleeping naked? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below, as I learn just as much from you as you do from me.This article first appeared on Linkedin.com .You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people