Nothing will communicate your value and potential to recruiters and employers more than your LinkedIn profile. In recent times, it has become a sort of CV. Knowing how important LinkedIn has become, it is important to update your data on the platform. This means you must be aware of what you need to add and what is not necessary.
It has probably been a while since you last updated the information on your profile or you don’t even have a profile in the first place. If you do not have a profile then it is a good time to create a profile. You need this digital profile to announce to interested parties of the things you can do. It is a platform that can allow you to show everyone your skills, training, and what you can bring to the table if you are hired. It is a chance for you to set yourself apart from others.
There are ten steps that you must follow to make the best of your LinkedIn profile. You must communicate to potential employers and recruiters that you are skilled in your career and that you are keen on details. It will also help if you portray yourself as a professional. You must show seriousness.
INVEST TIME
The first thing about your profile must be that it is thorough and complete. A professional profile must not look shabby as it passes a message that you can easily be distracted or that you see things through. You must have a complete profile that details your training and previous work experience. LinkedIn can help you to know how strong your profile is and can suggest how to make it better.
CREATE AN ATTENTION-GRABBING HEADLINE
You should avoid terrible headlines. Your headline on LinkedIn is where you show off your talents and potentials. It should differentiate you from other profiles. It is also an opportunity to define your vision and the type of opportunities that you want on LinkedIn.
ARE YOU EASY TO CONTACT?
If you are looking to be hired through LinkedIn then you must provide a means to contact you easily. There should be a clear and easy means of contact on your profile. You must provide an email or phone number that will be used to reach you. This not only betters your chances but it also makes you appear serious and professional.
SHOWCASE YOUR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Blow your trumpet a little. Share your accomplishments on your profile generously. You need to do this because recruiters want to know that you have achieved things in the past. These can include your qualifications, awards, completed projects, and the professional events that you have attended.
SMILE, YOU ARE ON CAMERA
Your picture might just be the most eye-catching thing about your profile. Potential employers and recruiters can judge your personality from your picture.
EMBRACE TECHNOLOGY
You can use short videos, photos, and even PowerPoint that showcases your expertise and skills. This also indicates that you are in tune with the time and you are tech-savvy which is good for you.
IT’S NOT JUST WHAT YOU KNOW
Always share content on your profile. This helps you to show the recruiter or employer that you know what you are doing. It is a good way to let them know that you are a round peg in a round hole.
REVIEWS ARE GOOD NEWS
What good things do your colleagues and clients have to say about you? Well, you should include their praise and endorsements on your profile. Reviews and endorsements communicate that there is something valuable about you.
KEEP IT UPDATED
If you have put your profile in place then it is time for you to come up with a schedule that helps you keep your profile updated. Share articles and content, share your new experiences, and even add your new qualifications always.
The steps above are the easiest way to have a powerful LinkedIn profile that will attract recruiters and potential employers.

Of course, you can change jobs during a pandemic. In fact, it is an open window to increase the progress of your career, but before you jump into such decision, you must first consider the following;

1. Compare Your Current Company And Role To The Potential

This should be your first step before you consider leaving your current workplace. Access yourself by asking these questions;
• Do I like my job?
• Do I like this company?
• Does my current organisation value my input?
• Are there any opportunities to progress within my current workplace?
• What would my current organisation do in economic difficulties?
If 90% of the answers to the above assessment is positive, then your current workplace is the best place to be. Sometimes during recessions, what you think is the best/safest career option may turn out to be the riskiest.

2. The Financial Background Of Your Potential Workplace
The news is a great place to begin your investigation; if the company you are eyeing has got pre-COVID-19 financial problems, then it will be on the news or online. Consider the financial position of the company – is it cost-cutting or making investments?
Quick note: If then you make it to the interview, do not hesitate to ask your employer the impact of current activities on the financial status of the company. Also, inquire about the company’s plans; all these will guide you on whether the company is in a recession or financially buoyant.

3. The Impact Of A Global Lockdown On The Organisation
Though it is believed that global lockdown as a result of a pandemic can deplete the progress of a company, but some businesses flourish exceedingly in this period. Businesses that concentrate on financial services, food, online retail and technology do not feel the impact of a lockdown compare to sectors dealing with property, leisure, hospitality and travel; these sectors would suffer greatly.
Now it seems your options are limited, but businesses prone to suffering during a lockdown can pass for a potential job switch only if they pass point number two.

4. What Are The Implications Of Your Role?
The role you play in a company is vital. Do you presume your role as luxury, core function or revenue-generating?
If it is a core function role, then you should be confident the company will do their best to keep you happy even with a lockdown.
Now, if it is a revenue-generating role, the ball falls in your court. How? You have to meet the expected revenue no matter the economic condition and being a newly employed won’t get you “goodwill” anytime soon. On the other hand, if you do not fall under these two critical roles, then during a recession, you will become a luxury the company cannot afford.

Quick Conclusion

Should you change jobs during a pandemic? Yes, but do not turn a blind eye to these four points and at the same time be vigilant to a great opportun

Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic still continues with little or no success in all attempts to finding a solution. This hardly comes as a surprise. However, it is important to review and keep our business operations up to date in order to optimize our productivity.
Working remotely has one very obvious difficulty and it is the inability to have physical interactions. Working from home makes it difficult to communicate effectively. These issues will not persist for long as I am here to help you work remotely with improved communication skills.
LISTEN
Listening attentively to your colleagues is essential in communication. Employers and employees do not listen attentively when it is actually a key part of effective communication. It is difficult to communicate efficiently if you are not good at listening. Listening and communication are two peas in a pod. During communication be sure to listen attentively and also respond when necessary. You are only able to provide feedback when you have acknowledged what has been said to you.
HOLD OPEN MEETINGS
Meetings can be boring. We are always only physically present without being a part of it actually. We zone out during meetings, become lost or distracted, and even worse fall asleep. We need to be active and the best way to achieve this is to hold open meetings. In open meetings, everyone involved gets the chance to express their views and thoughts. When a meeting is interactive it helps effective communication.
COMMUNICATE WITH HUMOUR
Robotic communication is not effective communication. The clear difference between human beings and robots is the ability to exhibit emotions and be creative. You should apply this to your advantage by bringing up humour and light banter with colleagues. This is a good way to foster friendly relations with colleagues. It would also help you work better with your colleagues and improve trust since the air is friendly.
EMAIL
It is best you send confirmation emails in a bid to sustain professionalism. There are organizations that make use of social platforms such as Skype, Zoom, and even Slack but these do not communicate professionalism as much as emails. Emails are also proof of communication.
TRAINING
We all dread trainings. It is considered to be more boring than meetings. The truth is that training does not have to be boring. You should keep your employees up to date through training. You can use videos, gifs, photos, and graphics to make training more interesting. Training helps all employees get uniform information and knowledge since they learn at the same time.
SET SCHEDULED HOURS, AND STICK TO IT
It is important to fix meetings with employers and colleagues but it is even more important that you stick to time. Punctuality is important and it communicates professionalism.
ENCOURAGEMENT AND FEEDBACK
Criticise constructively. It is important to let your employees and colleagues know that you appreciate their hard work and see what they are doing. It is also equally important that you correct them and offer suggestions. You should support and encourage them with healthy feedback.

Financial advisers and their role in the distribution of funds is changing and it is changing quickly. Financial advisers were relegated to the background while single-strategy asset managers were at the fore before now. They achieved this through product sales and the influence they wielded over the advisers.
 
In recent times especially after the Retail Distribution Review, it became clear that advised assets were flowing to fund managers who made investment decisions on the behalf of their clients and also into multi-asset funds. This has taken the responsibilities of asset allocation and the decisions on fund selection away from financial advisers. 

Not a lot of advisers embrace the fact that they have become fund pickers. They have come to rely heavily on research and consultations or fund panels to build custom-made portfolios for every one of their clients. 

The Evolving Role of Advisers

Most financial advisers are heavily weighing in on the aspect of the behavioral coaching aspect of financial planning. They would rather associate with the tag of “financial planner” in place of “investment adviser” or “wealth manager”. The evolving role of financial advisers has caused a major change in the investment world. 

The Influence on Advisers

The largest influence on advisers which continues to impact their roles comes from research agencies. Advisers make use of these research agencies in their advisory roles and process. This use of research agencies has led to the emergence and growing presence of big research agencies such as Morningstar and FE fundinfo. 

The influence of research agencies has made it possible for a financial adviser to offer custom-made portfolios. These portfolios are fast growing because of the dependence of the financial advisers on research agencies. 

These research agencies offer more than just the comparison of funds and assessment but they have gone further to help the advisers with the location of assets and the examination of the performance of Discretionary Funds Managers. 

There is no mistaking the influence research agencies to have over financial advisers and their assets. Two out of three financial advisers make use of the services of research agencies for the comparison and assessment of funds.  

Taking Back Influence

Asset managers must find ways to regain influence over advisers. They will remain in dire positions if they fail to do something. They keep losing their influence as long as financial advisers continue to work more with research agencies, discretionary funds managers, and their platforms. 

The way for asset managers to regain influence is to find a way to establish partnerships with advisers where they provide services of risk assessment and management and back-office systems for ease in the navigation of the tough market. 

Product providers may attempt to take back some of the influence through strategic acquisitions should asset managers fail to regain and exert some of the influence on advisers.

The world stock markets are walking a tightrope since the pandemic rocked the worlds and they have taken over the news. It is possible that within these times you have heard so much about the term Market Timing.

Although not often referred to in those exact terms by financial players the explanation is the same in their message. They give advice and thoughts on the complete sale or partial sale of one’s equity investment due to the effects of the coronavirus and the state of the market afterwards.

Deciding to pull out all of your money or half of it when you expect a fall in the market prices and value or even keeping your investment back in the market is the concept that makes up what is known as Market Timing.

Successful market timing strategies are best carried when informed and intelligent predictions on possible events such as wars, oil price shocks, interest rate rises, the turnout of elections and general opinions, the impact of a pandemic and so on. It is serious work to understand the market and even predict market reactions.

It can be a very challenging approach.

The first red flag about this “predict” or “anticipate” approach is that it is difficult to make clear and informed decisions. Stock market visibility is unclear at these times so choosing to hold back your investment, pulling out all or some of it would not be done intelligently.

This approach has been in competing with another market strategy. This other strategy involves investing a particular amount of money throughout a trading period regardless of the condition of the market. This strategy is called the Pound/Dollar averaging. It is used by a lot of investors and it obviously can be profitable in some cases.

The first strategy where you have to predict or anticipate requires a keen foresight to be able to invest a particular amount everyday but know when to stop as a crash in the market has been anticipated to save cash.

Choosing to use the first strategy or approach of market timing in your investment will be risky and may be damaging to your net worth because no one has the out-worldly foresight to predict events accurately. An example is how difficult it would have been for anyone to predict the covid-19 pandemic or its effects on the market.

Most times financial advisors or commentators will predict that an event will not occur and that it would have a certain effect on the market should it in fact happen then the opposite of what they have said will happen.

As far as market timing is concerned, there are only two types of investors and they are those that cannot actually do it and those that know that they cannot do it. It is smarter to know that you cannot do it than to take damaging risks.

These are the views of Terry Smith, the CEO of Fundsmith LLP which he considers personal. He opined this in his 2013, financial times article which you can read through this link https://www.fundsmith.co.uk/news/article/2020/07/02/financial-times---there-are-only-two-types-of-investors

STATE PENSION PREDICTED TO RISE AS THE COVID-19 OUTBREAK PUTS THE TREASURY IN TIGHT POSITIONS

Keeping to their promise in the Conservative manifesto which is for a tenured duration of five years of the parliament, the government makes use of a system referred to as the triple lock in the computing and payment of the state pension.
The triple lock which consists of the Consumer Price Index measure of inflation, the rising average wage or two and half percent portray the rising cost of living. Currently, the state pension increases annually at the same level with the increasing cost of living shown by the triple lock.
The government however could be dealing with a large increase in the state pension if they stick to the triple lock system. The wages paid by the state due to the coronavirus pandemic technically causes a rise in cost of living which translates to increased state pension.
THE TRIPLE LOCK
Since April, the new state pension has added up to one hundred and seventy five pounds weekly. The prior state pension which is one hundred and thirty four pounds weekly is still paid to most pensioners. There is a possibility these pensioners may get a credit increase.
The recent and old pensions paid by the state both increased to almost four percent.
This increase was as a result of the increase in the average earnings which is one of the factors in the triple lock. The average earnings was higher than the CPI inflation and the two and a half percent. This data was culled from the government’s official data between May to July.
As the year concludes, the government stipulates the amount of state pension that will be paid in the new-year starting from next April.
THE DEBATE AROUND THE TRIPLE LOCK
For the past decade, the triple lock has been used to decide the amount of state-paid pension.
The triple lock system was birthed by an alliance between the Conservatives and Liberals. The alliance was to make certain that the pensioners did not have too little pension to match their increasing cost of living.
Apparently, it is a policy that is exorbitant.
The policy has become the source of a debate since its introduction. It has torn people into two points of views with economists arguing against the triple lock since it sees the pensioners earning more yearly than the active younger workers since the financial crisis. They consider this to be unfair.
On the other side of the divide, charities that stand for the pensioners are of the opinion that the pension is still a little amount for the elderlies to survive on and it is comparatively small on the international scale.
HOW THE PANDEMIC AFFECTS THE TRIPLE LOCK POLICY
The coronavirus pandemic has put more pressure on the government financially. The government has to support citizens as they are not working and earning.
Average earning is bound to increase when people start working again and they begin to earn full incomes again. This would mean that according to the triple lock state pension would have to increase by eighteen percent which is the expected increase of average earnings.
It is expected that the debates will linger and maybe the authorities will re-evaluate the triple lock policy.

Not in the last century have we experienced anything remotely close to the Covid-19 crisis. What began as a health crisis now appears to be a full-blown economic catastrophe. As the first wave of the virus passes, we have to start looking at some of the economic impacts this crisis will have in Scotland.
We already know that everyone will be affected in one way or the other; what we do not know, however, is how much it will affect each individual.
First of all, families across Scotland are experiencing financial insecurity. People’s health are threatened while going to work has become difficult. Freelancers, self-employed people, and those reliant on statutory sick pay are affected as well. People are losing their jobs, having their work hours reduced, and feeling the heat already.
According to a recent survey by Standard Life Foundation, one out of every two UK households are worried about their finances. With huge parts of the economy being decimated, their worries are justified.
The UK government’s Jobs Retention Scheme offered encouragement last month when it paid 80 percent of wages across different industries. With payment also coming this month, employers and families under pressure have been able to breathe easy for a while.
Inside 48 hours of the scheme opening, employers made 2.2 million applications, while the total number of employees enjoying the scheme is bound to reach 8 million within the month. There are fears of a significant drop in earnings for 40% of applicants if numbers continue to rise.

Increased furlough and unemployment in Scotland
It is anticipated that over the next few months, an estimated 750,000 employees in Scotland will be enrolled on the Jobs Retention Scheme, while at least 150,000 jobs are anticipated to be lost. These numbers are not expected to be even across Scotland since different sectors face varying prospects. It is expected that Scotland’s lowest-paying sectors suffer the most.
In the retail and wholesale sector, an estimated 31,500 jobs should be lost, with 142,000 workers put on furlough. In the food and accommodation sector, an estimated 31,000 jobs should be lost, with 140,000 workers put on furlough. In the healthcare sector, however, no job losses are anticipated, with an estimated 14,000 jobs to be created.
The hospitality and tourism sector is not spared. At least 8 out of 10 employees are expected to lose their jobs or enter furlough. For workers in this sector, as well as of those in the food and accommodation services, a 20 percent pay cut will be gruesome.
Employees in the retail sector are at relative risk, even though their jobs are not secure. One out of two employees is still expected to be affected by job loss or furlough. While, the insurance and finance sectors, where employees are paid higher appear to be well insulated from the economic fall-out of the coronavirus.
What these statistics simply show, is that workers in Scotland and the UK at large with higher earnings and greater security will not suffer as much as those in the lower-paying sectors.

Financial security going into the crisis
According to statistics, one in three workers in the hospitality and tourism sector said they were under immense financial pressure; for workers in the construction sector, it is nearly one in three.
Individuals that are already struggling with financial insecurity with the ongoing crisis dread the possibilities of having their earnings cut or losing their jobs. With the rising costs of energy and food bills and an increased risk of illness adding a strain on families, the mounting pressure on workers is understandable.

The aftermath of the impending furloughs
There is a growing fear that after the withdrawal of the emergency support, and the end of all furlough schemes, a huge number of workers experiencing furlough may be redundant. This means that a mini crisis in household finances is brewing.
How the UK and Scottish government handles this crisis will be of particular interest going forward, even as it threatens to blow over.
The dream will be to see significant support continue to protect sectors and households across Scotland from extreme hardship and financial insecurity when the emergency support ends.
The general belief is that, before the crisis, the UK government erred when they pushed the risk onto those who could least bear it. The consequences have been exposed by the crisis. With focus turning towards the economic burden of the crisis, pressure has to be put on the UK government, for the provision of adequate safety measures.
The recent doubling of the Scottish Welfare Fund is a welcome sign, while inside the coming weeks, Westminster and Holyrood government will need to make fast decisions to strengthen financial security to prevent some of the UK and Scotland’s households entering into depression.

Firms have to tackle skills shortage by looking into hiring policies and consider flexible working. Jenson Fisher are encouraged leaders in the accountancy industry to use the possible recovery from the recent pandemic as an opportunity to resolve overdue issues in the industry.

Before the impact of the coronavirus on the economy, the fact newly qualified practitioners were able to earn more than the £40,000 average salary for the first time proved that accountants in Scotland were becoming scarce. This is not withstanding the fact experienced operators took home six-figure salaries.

Jenson Fisher issued a warning in its April newsletter, saying that underlying issues were bound to hit the accountancy industry. The article pointed out the potential of these underlying issues intensifying over the coming months as a result of the fallout and trauma caused by the pandemic.

A lack of succession planning, is one of the underlying issues highlighted, with possibilities of a lack of middle management, which could result from swinging cuts to graduate placement opportunities relating to the 2008 recession.

The outbreak is devastating so many businesses and livelihoods and we hope we can all get through this in the healthiest possible position. That said, accountants in Scotland, on the whole, should find themselves in a better position than many trades. It's hard to think there won't still be excess demand for roles, such was the prevailing shortfall.

We hope that firms also think thoroughly before cutting either middle management or graduate schemes off the back of the impending downturn, as happened throughout the last recession, which has now filtered through today with the reduced pipeline of clear future leaders. It is important that we attract more accountancy and finance professionals into the sector for the future of this essential industry.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, firms talked a lot about their commitment to flexible working and being willing and able to cater for a modern workforce, but there is much evidence to suggest this wasn’t actually being actioned.
Was this a staff trust issue, or resistance to change from a ‘old school’ work ethic, maybe, but now organisations have been forced to have our entire workforces work from home and recognise that the outputs did not drop, technology is available to manage staff and workflow and it is potentially extremely cost effect.

The questions are, will this be reflected in major changes to workplace culture once we have the ability to safely return to office environments? Will we even rush back to our offices at all?

So many practitioners are also juggling childcare and home-schooling and childcare to meet the needs to work at different hours. More than ever before, workplaces are going to have to prove to many seeking a career move that they can be an attractive, flexible employer able to cater those wishing to work from home.

Another trend that was seen was the number of candidates ready to move to smaller companies. We expect to see a large amount of restructuring, redundancies, mergers and acquisitions which has meant that big organisations have lost some of their attraction. They were always seen as a safe bet, able to offer a clear path to progression, however, there has been an interest in start-ups, fintech and the opportunity to be more entrepreneurial. It'll be interesting to see whether this trend increases or abates following the Covid-19 fallout.