Look at the headlines in your newspaper. Environmental concerns are major concerns today and every day: people are worried about the price of gas; scientists and governments are debating the issue of global warming and what to do about it; stories abound regarding solar energy and other alternative energy sources such as nuclear energy, biodiesel fuel production, and energy produced by wind farms. The price of a gallon of gas and how many miles to the gallon a particular car can achieve- both are familiar topics. The quality of our air is reported regularly and in some areas alerts are posted on particularly polluted air days. The purity of our water and whether or not we will have enough water for humans and agriculture are serious concerns. Is it any wonder that world wide concerns regarding our environment are subjects of intense debate today? What are governments and businesses doing about these issues? What is cleantech?

According to the Cleantech Group: “Cleantech is any knowledge based product or service that improves operational performance, productivity or efficiency; while reducing costs, inputs, energy consumption, waste or pollution.” In other words, cleantech may be a product, a technology, or an application (way of doing things) that achieves environmental and social goals with economic benefits superior to the status quo.

Another definition by Diana Propper of Expansion Capital Partners states: “On one side, cleantech is really about resource efficiency and productivity in supply- how to manufacture and produce to save energy, water, materials, etc. On the other side, these technologies are enhancing the bottom line of customers.” Solar energy, subsidized by government and the Prius automobile come to mind.

Thomas L. Friedman in the New York Times, January 2006 said: “Sorry, but being green, focusing the nation on greater energy efficiency and conservation, is not some girlie-man issue. It is actually the most tough-minded, geo-strategic pro-growth and patriotic thing we can do.”

The meaning of cleantech is changing with innovations and new thinking. For instance, polluted land, called brownfields, may be remediated i.e. cleaned up into greenfields- land suitable for homes or industry- this is cleantech. New technologies like sensors, monitors and scrubbers to reduce pollution from factories in Singapore that manufacture semiconductors- this is cleantech. Fuels for cars that pollute less like electric cars or ethanol engines- this is cleantech. Energy efficient light bulbs and double pane windows for superior insulation- this is cleantech. Other cleantech examples are wind turbines, fuel-efficient engines, geothermal energy, energy-efficient appliances and water treatment systems.

The momentum of cleantech is growing because of international political issues such as climate change, energy security issues and concerns about CO2 emissions. Consumers are demanding faster, Read More »

I’ve worked in banking for over ten years, covering a variety of roles and two companies. In this article, I’ll try to use my experiences to outline how you too can break into the banking industry.

We’re talking here about banking jobs but many of the tips that I will impart on creating your resume and cover letter will be equally applicable to other sectors. Indeed, it’s worth bearing in mind that there are a huge variety of positions available within banking, from branch-based bank clerks, to head office staff specializing in marketing, personnel, litigation and purchasing, etc.

We’re all familiar with the fact that a job application usually entails the necessity to submit both a resume and an accompanying cover letter. It’s worth considering, however, why these are so important? The reality is that it’s a competitive market out there, especially at a time when global economies are facing recession. It’s therefore vital that you do something to make yourself stick out from the crowd to employers. That’s where your resume and cover letter can come into play!

A resume (sometimes referred to as a CV or Curriculum Vitae) is a document that lists your relevant qualifications and work experience. (Interestingly, the words Curriculum Vitae are Latin for course of life’). It is a vital document because (along with its accompanying cover letter) it’s the first impression that the company you’re applying to will have of you. It should be seen as being part of Brand You’. It reflects the qualities that you can bring to the advertised job and will hopefully result in you being invited to an interview where you can further pitch for the job.

In building the perfect resume, there are four main things that you should bear in mind. I will cover each of these and they are resume format, resume presentation, resume content, and tailoring your resume to the specific vacancy. I will also briefly touch upon the requirements for your cover letter.

RESUME FORMAT:

There is no one standard resume format. Having said that, there are however certain attributes that are commonly felt to be beneficial. These include:

Length of no more than three pages. Remember that employers often see hundreds of resumes and have very short attention spans. A well written one or two page resume will stand out better than a rambling five page resume!

Include a Personal Details’ section. This will typically include your name, address, date of birth, telephone number(s) and

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If you like the Wall Street Journal but have resigned yourself to reading your neighbor’s leftovers because you don’t think you can get your own at a price you can afford, think again. In fact, you can get the Wall Street Journal at a discounted rate that should fit your budget. You can also read the Wall Street Journal online; you can even read part of the Wall Street Journal for free online. Read on to find out how.

Getting a discounted rate on the Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal offers several different options depending on what you want. You can buy an online subscription, get discounts depending on who you are, and even have it delivered to home or office.

The print edition subscription

If you buy the print edition of the Wall Street Journal for a year, you’ll save the most; this is 80% off the cover price. It’ll cost you $119 year. You also get two weeks for free with this offer.

The combination print and online subscription

If you like your news online and in print, you can get both; for $155 a year, you can have the convenience of reading online whenever you want as well as the print edition at your fingertips. And with this offer, you get four weeks for free.

The weekend edition

The weekend edition is a souped-up edition of the weekly paper and includes the same intensive news coverage it always has. Beyond that, though, the weekend edition also covers fashion and lifestyle, leisure and arts, books, entertainment and culture, dining and cooking, and much more. As opposed to the weekday version, this is a bit more “family friendly,” and definitely “weekend casual.” This comes free if you pay for the online and print editions at $155 a year. And this subscription option lets you get your weekday paper delivered to your office, but your weekend edition delivered to your home, for no extra charge.

The student discount

If you’re a high school or college student, you can take advantage of the Wall Street Journal (both print and online editions) for just $19.95 for 10 weeks or $99.95 for 52 weeks. Be advised that if you want this rate, you’re going to have to verify that you are a student at the institution you have named.

If you really, really want it for free

If you really can’t afford to pay for the Wall Street Journal at all, there is a way you can read at least some of it for free. Let’s say you know there is an article you really, really want to read Read More »

Businesses are looking for a specific type of employee in their financial recruitment drive. Accounting jobs, banking jobs and other employment opportunities require a particular kind of person in addition to the relevant qualifications. Usually a degree is required for accounting jobs, but other types of financial careers in banking, whether it be a teller at a bank or an administrator, may only require a diploma to meet the criteria for a position. The more senior the role, the more qualifications are required in addition to experience in the field, whether it be in the same company or a different institution or competitor. Companies have different policies regarding giving internal applicant preference or employment equity. Many jobs require specialist qualifications to perform a specific type of business and many require experience within the working environment such as completion of articles or secondment in addition to a tertiary qualification. Accounting jobs also require certain characteristics along with a head for figures. Meticulousness, ability to work under pressure and accuracy is required. Accounting jobs require more hard work at certain times of the tax year, but office hours are generally adhered to in an accounts office. Banking jobs are competitive with many banks head hunting their ideal candidates and salaries vary depending on the seniority of the position, specialist roles and the bank’s size, budget, profitability and reputation in the market. Working in finance can be highly pressurized and banking jobs, in particular, have many rules and codes that must be adhered to. Because there is a high risk associated with handling cash, there are more safety procedures than in many companies that use commodities or services.

Workers may be subjected to daily security checks or changing passwords more often than employees in other industries and more employee confidentiality is required which will change the code of conduct. There are all internal policies of banking jobs and they may outsource hiring and recruitment responsibilities. There are many employment agencies that banks and other financial institutions work through instead of using their human resources department to head hunt or identify potential candidates in a recruitment drive. Employment agencies sort the candidates according to the employer’s needs in order to save time in the hiring process. Time is money in the business world and anybody looking for work should upload their CV to an employment site or join an agency as well as responding to suitable job advertisements in the media. Working in banking institutions is specialized and a strong interest in financial planning and the business economy is required. There is no room for error and the ability to work with numbers is crucial. Financial recruitment is all about the numbers and good Read More »

One of the first things you hear about offshoring is that it would increase the potential for data theft. Let us assess this perception in a common sense way.

When we talk about any “increase” we have to say compared to what. In this case the CPA has to assess the data security for on-shore operations before he can assess the increased risk posed by offshoring.

What is the typical level of data security in a small business or a CPA office?

• Since there are few staff members, there is little separation of duties. Such lack of separation encourages internal security problems.

• The data resides in paper files. Paper files are vulnerable to fire and water damage.

• The office is not physically secure. Staff members, leasing office personnel, and janitors have keys to the office. Any of them can copy confidential data.

• Paper records are not shredded before being discarded.

• The computers have no protection from unauthorized users or have relatively weak password control. Often the password is taped to the workstation.

• Any email communication is done in the clear.

• Workstations have recording devices which makes it easy to copy data.

• Usually all workstations have email and internet access. It makes unauthorized transmission of data easy.

Let us look at how these factors change when accounting is sent offshore.

• Internal control improves because the people who are authorizing the transactions are separated from the people doing the record-keeping.

• All files are maintained electronically. Such data is backed up to an off-premises secure server. So threats from fire, water, and copying are significantly reduced.

• Offshore contractors restrict physical access to keep unauthorized people out.

• Workstations have access to only the data that is processed on that workstation.

• Email communications are encrypted.

• All recording devices on the workstations are disabled.

• Only supervisors have access to email and internet.
We believe that best security practices can be installed when the client, the CPA, and the offshore contractor work together.

The first line of responsibility lies with the client. Technical solutions are not enough. They must be combined with good practices in everyday management of the company.
The CPA should advise the client to implement the common sense measures advocated in this pamphlet.

The offshore contractor must apply the same real world as well as technical solutions to security. The offshore contractor must consider the sensitivity of the data Read More »