As promised....THE TRANSFERABLE SKILLS 😁😁😁
A few weeks ago, I had an enlightening discussion with young finance professionals eager to explore career transitions. They were keen to get insights from someone with similar experiences.
Did you know that some key finance skills crucial for project controls/engineering revolve around Financial reporting, Budget management, Cost accounting, Auditing and Stakeholder engagement 😎
I've taken the liberty of categorizing some of these skills into technical and soft ones. (Let's be honest, I just borrowed a slide from my pack—working smart, right? No time to waste time😄)
Technical Skills:
✅️ Financial Analysis: Analyze data, identify cost drivers, interpret numbers, explain variances and report performance, identify control measures.
✅️ Data Analysis and reporting tools: Excel, Power-BI, Python, Power point, etc., manipulate and analyze large data set.
✅️ Budgeting and Forecasting: Future expenses and revenues.
✅️ Cost Accounting: Allocate and analyze costs, Identify cost optimization/reduction opportunities.
✅️ Enterprise Resource Planning System (ERP): Oracle, SAP, Microsoft Dynamic etc.
✅️ Financial Modelling: Forecasting, Scenarios on financial outcomes, access impact of financial strategies such as resources allocation, investment decisions, cost optimization etc.
✅️ Controls and Regulatory requirements: SOX controls, IFRS etc.
Soft Skills:
✅️ Communication: Understand your stakeholders and best mode of communication.
✅️ Collaboration: Working as a team for common goal. Don't downplay stakeholder mapping 😁
✅️ Analytical thinking: Be critical, be able to identify and decipher costs.
✅️ Attention to detail: Spot discrepancies, errors, red flags, unusual trends. Ensure accuracy at all times.
✅️ Problem solver: Identify, Analyze and proffer solutions. Have a can-do attitude.
✅️ Adaptability: Flexible and receptive to change. The business environment is constantly evolving.
Do these Finance skills resonate with you?, or are you considering cost-related job roles? If so, this could be your sign to make a move. My current employer Turner & Townsend , is currently seeking talents for Project Control roles.
Explore opportunities on their website or right here on LinkedIn. You never know where it might lead!🚀🚀🚀