25 July 2008
	FM Campus Recruitment Edition Spoilt for choice By Robert Quarshie

As a graduate, your analytical thinking and teamwork skills are hot property. You may even be qualified to do something you have never considered before In your final years of study, you may become preoccupied with your employment options. Will you get a job? Will you get the job you want? Is there something out there that suits your personality, skills and areas of interest?The good news is that even with a more general degree, like a BCom, there are loads of opportunities out there. Whatever vocation you choose, employers will want to hire you for your skills and because they see you as creative, open-minded and ambitious. Businesses will like you because you are able to think critically, work well with people, make quick decisions and you possess excellent analytical and communication skills. The bad news is that the number of options available may make it difficult to choose. Here is a quick guide to some of the options open to you. Accounting Any economy needs accountants. All companies - public or private - need to have their finances organised and financial statements prepared and analysed. In SA, there aren't enough accountants to meet the need and this makes it a highly sought after, well-paid profession. Attaining success in the profession is not just about the qualifications you hold, it's also about the character traits you possess. The ideal CA(SA) candidate, says Natalie Zimmelman, the project director of the SA Institute of Chartered Accountants, is "a person who can keep the end goal in mind, who is ambitious, believes in themselves and wants to play a leadership role in the future of SA. It is the big dreamers - those who have an interest in business generally and who want to make a difference and are going to persevere until they do - who qualify". Today's CAs have dusted off the grey-suited, bean-counter image they were saddled with in the past. "Being a CA is not just about dealing with numbers, although skill in this area is important," says Zimmelman. "CAs are required to have good interpersonal skills, as a large part of their job is dealing with people at all levels. "The number of unemployed CA (SA)s is minimal because there is a high demand for them and because they can specialise in many different areas after qualifying." Actuarial science If you're a maths and stats fan, the rewards of actuarial science can be quite overwhelming. "You will be surprised by how versatile actuarial science can be," says Cheryl Christie, a senior consultant at international actuarial recruitment company, Elliott Bauer. "Careers range from health-care insurance to banking, pensions, life insurance, consulting, financial planning and investing." But qualifying takes determination. You need a bachelor of business science (a four-year first degree) or a three-year degree with majors in statistics and actuarial science, followed by honours. Alternatively, you could take University of Cape Town's diploma in management (actuarial conversion course). Thereafter, you need to pass technical exams. If you stick it out, it can be rewarding. "An actuarial career is consistently voted one of the top professions internationally, based on job environment, income, outlook, physical demands, security and stress," says Christie. Economics and finance A degree in economics is said to open up an array of opportunities, as the study develops problem-solving skills useful in almost any career. Most economics graduates end up in the business and banking sector. "Although the minimum requirement to become an economist is a bachelor degree in economics or economic science, most economists would have more than that," says Peter Perkins of Statistics SA. "Employers increasingly expect graduates to have a master's." As the SA economy develops, so does the financial market, and along with it, the range of possible options within traditional banking, such as debt capital markets, collateralised finance, private equity, foreign exchange, futures and derivatives and more. In SA, government is particularly keen to hire economists as the country grows in the build-up to 2010. Economists are required to oversee project financing for bridges, roads, environmental impact studies and, of course, the Gautrain. Engineering Engineering has always been a specialist career path. But gone are the days when engineers just built cars, roads and majestic structures. There is increasing demand for engineers who have a solid foundation in finance. Absa Capital, for example, is seeking to strengthen its team of financial specialists - traditionally made up of finance and commerce graduates - by recruiting engineering students. Mike Bagguley, the head of trading at Absa Capital, says engineering students may be as well equipped as those with finance degrees to deal with the requirements of financial professions. "Engineers have good mathematical skills, superior practical nous and usually end up becoming as good, if not better, managers than their MBA and finance counterparts," Bagguley says. "Their skills would be useful in the fields of data analysis for trading purposes and complex derivatives." Engineers' ability to cope with the demands of financial professions can be explained by the fact that they are better qualified to apply their knowledge in a practical way to a wide range of situations, he says. Bagguley is untroubled by objections that financial institutions' plans to hire engineers will be detrimental to SA, which already faces an engineering skills shortage. "The international trend of late is one that has seen many engineers look at careers in the financial sector because of the challenging nature of financial markets, where their skills can really be applied." Information technology With almost everything from Internet banking and shopping to monitoring business processes and providing solutions to operational problems relying on computer systems, there is a great need for IT graduates. But it's a field that requires patience. "It takes at least five to 10 years to get into a senior position such as a business analyst," says Arnel Taute, general manager of shared services for IT firm Sybase. "You don't just walk into such a position straight out of university." There are two main routes to take in this industry: you can become a developer or a database administrator. "There are distinct characteristics for each and it's a good idea to know were you fit in," says Taute. "Developers and programmers need to have good problem-solving skills and don't need a lot of customer-relation skills. They do, however, need to be process driven and must be adaptable." The hours are long and the courses can be intensive. "You might need to work for 24 hours straight sometimes in order to meet a deadline. But if you want to make it big in IT, you have to be willing to do what it takes," Taute says. Marketing Marketing is an exciting and rewarding career for those who enjoy diverse challenges, have a broad outlook, are resourceful and innovative and are critical and strategic thinkers. A common misconception is that it just involves selling. But there are a number of challenging career paths you can follow - such as market research or product development. But, if you are not a creative, out going and self-motivated sort, you may have to reconsider this career path. "It depends on the job, but be intelligent, presentable, able to communicate verbally and in writing, and have an enquiring mind," says Jeremy Sampson of Interbrand SA. "Employers want to employ people who can make them money, it's often as brutal and simple as that." What's not as simple, however, is landing a position in the industry. Postgraduate diplomas, enrolling in one of the courses offered by the Graduate School of Marketing or getting the internationally recognised IMM diploma may help you get your foot in the door. "Anywhere you go people want proof of qualification and proof of experience," Sampson says. "The competition and shear volume of job applicants is frightening. "Just land the job. Salary and package is not the be all and end all. Having work experience is like gold. After the first job, it gets easier to negotiate."