Cargo plane crashes in Karachi

The latest news is that there was a cargo plane crash in Karachi near Dalmiah which is also quite near to the Naval area. It crashed on an under construction building.

There were 8 people on board and it was bound for Sudan. Apparently cause of the crash not known as yet. The plane was also carrying oil which is why the fire can be seen as big balls of fire as the oil burns.

All hospitals have been put on emergency. News channels are reporting that because of huge public presence around the area, rescue services are being hampered. People are busy taking photographs on their mobile phones and there is a big rush. Very unfortunate that the people are not understanding and are flooding the area.

More updates to follow!

Job hunting tips in the UK

I have been thinking about writing on this topic for quite some time now. When I did come up with the idea, the world was engulfed in what is popularly called 'the credit crunch' and there were not many jobs in the market. Infact people were being laid off and unemployment was on the rise. Whilst there is still a large unemployed population (as compared to the good old days pre credit crunch) the markets have picked up and they are relatively better than before and people are finding jobs quickly.

Even though my focus is on accounting related jobs today, some parts of the write up would be relevant for any individual wishing to get a job in London.

Right to stay

In the current market and the situation which the UK economy is in it is fair to say that only very few lucky ones could possibly get a work permit issued by their potential employer. It becomes all the more difficult if you want to secure a work permit but have never worked in London before (there is however an exception to this point below.) You will have a higher chance of securing a job if you have an HSMP visa. It stands for Highly Skilled Migration Programme. You can also have a Tier-1 visa which allows you to stay and work in the United Kingdom.

It is important to distinguish between people who are currently working with professional practice firms specially those in the big 4 vs those who are currently working for in other industries such as manufacturing, oil and gas, banking etc.

 

Employees of professional audit firms

 

For those who are currently working with one of the big4 firms in the Asian region and wish to come to the UK, the best possible option for them is to secure a secondment with their overseas office. This is very common these days and should not be a problem if you are performing well in your local firm, well spoken, organized and can work well in pressure. Make sure you can impress them with your technical knowledge and have good examples to quote in case of an interview. Normally for such secondments, the overseas offices secure a short term work permit and that allows you to show your skills whilst working abroad. It gives all the more chances for overseas offices to offer you a job or even a long term secondment if you meet their expectations and are willing to work those long and crazy hours (at times!).

 

Those currently not in the UK and working for other industries

 

For those individuals who are working for industries other than audit firms but have presence in London or anywhere in the UK should try and follow the same approach as above. i.e. try and secure an overseas secondment, impress your bosses and secure a job. It obviously depends on organization to organization and each individual. Some also have clauses in their agreement which prohibits them from working full time in their overseas office. Honestly speaking it is easier for employees of multinational companies (MNCs) than non MNCs.

 

For individuals currently working within the non MNCs sector and also do not fall in any of the other criteria, it is a harsh reality that it is extremely difficult. Assuming you have a right to stay in the UK it is preferable to have some sort of UK experience else you might get a job but it may not be upto your standards.

 

If you have the means to visit the UK first it is always a good idea as I would not recommend resigning from your existing job and coming to the UK in search of work. You may not like the weather, the system, the people and what not and you may end up going back to your old job. It can take people upto six months to secure a reasonable job provided you have played all your cards well.

 

If you need some good recruitment consultant contacts feel free to email me or post here and i will try and send the links.

 

Those already in the UK

 

For those who are already in the UK and want to find a job or change from their existing jobs, I dont think there is much to say except use your contacts and all the recruitment consultants you can come across. I am assuming you already have the right to stay in the UK. I would not recommend flooding your CV in the market as that sometimes gives a bad impression. Don't appear to be too desperate and make sure before any interviews you have thought of the logical reasons for your move. And no, money is not a logical reason although most of us want to move because we feel we are underpaid and overworked. Make sure you have good examples from your routine working life of all the key competencies such as leadership, planning and organizing, teamwork, technical knowledge etc etc.

 

Contract market pays well, however it is short term and has its disadvantages. You dont get paid for your holidays, no sick leave and you dont get a bonus and neither do you get any pension or any other allowances.  It usually comes with a very short notice period.

 

Disclaimer: The above is based on how the current market is doing and in the current economic climate. Economic conditions and rules may change in future and therefore some of the things may not be applicable.

Royal wedding and the economy

So there is a Royal Wedding that will take place after God knows how many years! There have been much noise within the electronic and print media, chit chatting inside and outside office blocks (specially whilst smoking!), on train journeys and a number of such places.

Prince William has proposed Kate Middleton and the couple have now decided to get married. Betting firms have become active and punters are deciding on odds in terms of location and I am sure this will go a step further with bets being placed on month, date, dress color, first child, sex of the baby etc etc.


The big question is does anyone really care? Except of course their immediate family and friends. Every household I have known in Britain have their own issues. Some have financial issues, others may have relationship issues and some might have problems concerning health. As a financial analyst if I look at the royal wedding myself my immediate concern is its impact on economy. If there is a favourable impact then we shouldn't have any issues. Infact we should go an extra mile to fully support the royal wedding. There was news the other day that sales of wedding souvenirs would increase and distribution of a number of other such products will increase.

It will be interesting to see how and what amount of costs are met by the tax payers. We would be talking of big numbers here as it involves inviting state guests from all over the world, wedding functions, food and accommodation for all, dresses and not to mention the highest level of security that will be required. During these times of recession where a common man is finding it difficult to make ends meet, it will be interesting to see how the Royal family reacts to all this and how simple the wedding is kept.

Typical working day in London

A lot of people dream of having a job in London and then living their life here is one of their prime motives in life.

What they don't understand is the negativity that comes with it. There are times when there are happy moments but equally there are times when its highly frustrating, things don't go the way you want them to go and therefore creates a state of depression.

In a typical November month when the temperature is around the freezing mark, wake up at 6am in the morning and keep snoozing for the next half an hour. Naturally, one doesn't feel like coming out of bed but you have to give up your sleep as there is no other choice. The most difficult part then is the daily shave routine! It has to be quick and clean and leave for work by 7:30am after having a very quick breakfast.
So literally one hour from the time you wake up you are on your way to work! Not ideal but that's how it is. A lot of people think its a 9 to 5 job environment whereas it is not! Office is another hectic story.

Everyone in the office is looking to outdo the other. Everyone wants to look as if they are very busy and tapping on the keyboard goes on and on. Some genuinely have a lot of work and are really busy. Back to back meetings, conference calls, emails, people management and the list goes on and on. There is always a lot of pressure. Things like how am I performing, what is the other person thinking about me, what rating will I get and again the list goes on and on. The mind never settles and remains under pressure!

Lunch time is not a one hour break but only a ten minute to get something back to your desk. Most of the time its just a sandwich and a packet of crisps or soup and bread. You often end up working whilst having your lunch or occasionally visit a few adhoc websites you may be interested in.

The work routine starts again after a brief sandwich gap and goes on until 6pm at which time you realise you haven't responded to any of the emails and therefore you have to stay back another hour or so. You end up leaving for home at about 8ish and depending on the trains and where you live get home by 9ish. On a door to door basis its a total of 14 hours in a normal day that you allocate to work. If you have kids then you are unlikely to see them properly until at the weekend.

All the time and even after work hours your mind is constantly at work specially (admittedly) if you are a workaholic and take things very religiously which most of them do. By the time you come and have dinner you are flat out tired and dread for the next morning. Each day goes like this and the only light (and a brief one!) you see at the end of the tunnel is a Friday night to welcome the start of the weekend.

Disclaimer: the above is the authors count of his typical day and it may differ from individual to individual.