Roisin Magill explores the five most common issues encountered by the PSRA in Accountant's Reports so their clients can avoid delays and additional costs The Property Services Regulatory Authority (PSRA) plays a crucial role in regulating and overseeing the property services industry in Ireland. One of the PSRA's key responsibilities is to ensure that property service providers comply with the law, including the requirement to submit an annual Accountant’s Report for each company/business Licence Renewal Application. However, each year, the PSRA receives incomplete Accountant’s Reports, which impact the efficiency of the renewal process (both for your client and the PSRA) and require additional engagement with the licensee or their representative. To highlight the issues in incomplete Accountant’s Reports, the PSRA has compiled the following guidance. Include all addresses Section 1.2 of the Accountant’s Report requires the inclusion of all addresses at which the business is carried out. Frequently these details are omitted. Insert signature in all required places The accountant’s signature must be inserted at various points in the Accountant’s Report, namely in Section 4.2 and Appendices 1, 2, 3A, 3B, 4 and 5. A physical signature or a verified digital signature such as DocuSign is acceptable. Insert ‘Nil’ where applicable In Appendices 1 and 2 of the Accountant’s Report, where no matters of concern have been identified by the accountant, a ‘Nil’ response must be inserted in the appropriate sections. Complete all rows Appendix 3A (Client Account Balancing Statement) requires all rows to be completed fully and correctly. Each row requires a figure or, where there is no applicable figure, ‘Nil’ should be inserted in the response box. While the Client Account Balancing Statement is prepared by the licensee, the accountant should ensure that all figures in the statement are inserted correctly to arrive at the final balancing figure indicating whether there is a surplus or a deficit on the client account. Where the Accountant’s Report indicates that the client account balances, a ‘Nil’ response should be inserted to indicate that there is neither a surplus nor a deficit. Include full title In Appendix 4 (Name on Account) the full title of the client account should be included, confirming that the word ‘Client’ is in the title. Adhering to the above points when preparing your client’s Accountant’s Report for inclusion with your client’s Licence Renewal Application will ensure that your client’s application is processed in a timely manner without the requirement to submit an amended Report to the Authority, saving time and money. Roisin Magill is Assistant Principal Officer of Licensing at the Property Services Regulatory Authority

Mentorship is a form of leadership that can help to foster a sense of community and belonging within an organisation, writes Shay Dalton The concept of mentorship can be traced back to the character of the Mentor in Homer’s Odyssey. Odysseus, King of Ithaca, asks his trusted companion, Mentor, to keep watch over his son, Telemachus, while he is away. Mentor acts as a guide to Telemachus, supporting him in his father’s absence. In the Middle Ages, mentoring became popular as part of the apprenticeship process in trade work. It wasn’t until the 1970s that mentorship made its way into the business world, however. Though the stakes may not be the same as they were in ancient Greek civilization, mentorship can play a key role in career growth and success. What is the role of a mentor? A mentor is someone with more experience than the mentee who passes along their knowledge and experience in the field in which the mentee aspires to work. The role of the mentor is to guide the mentee throughout their career progression. Anyone, at any stage in their career, can—and should—have a mentor. Benefits of mentorship According to a Harvard Business Review survey, 84 percent of CEOs with formal mentor relationships were less likely to make costly mistakes and more likely to become efficient in their roles. Seventy-one percent of CEOs who had formal mentoring arrangements said they “were certain that company performance had improved as a result”. Mentorships can also help with: Support systems: Mentorship offers a built-in support system, which is essential in any career or industry. It positively impacts mental health and improves self-confidence and self-esteem. In the early days of entrepreneurship, mentorship can alleviate feelings of loneliness and isolation. Accountability: A mentor holds their mentee accountable for their goals. This may mean verbally checking in on how their progress. It also means both parties hold one another accountable. If the mentor is not prioritising the mentorship, it is the mentee’s job to check-in. Accountability is critical to success. Confidence: Mentorship provides confidence as the mentee begins to develop their skills and autonomy. It also helps build leadership skills for both the mentor and mentee. Networking opportunities: Through time and experience, the mentor has developed relationships with others in their field. Mentors have a network of people to introduce to the mentee and can expose them to more career opportunities. Four phases of mentorship Kathy E. Kram, Professor of Organisational Behaviour at Boston University, lists phases of the mentoring process in her research from the early eighties. According to Kram, mentorship is an ongoing exchange that moves between these four phases: Initiation phase is when the relationship is established, and trust is built between the mentee and mentor. Cultivation phase is when more frequent interactions and collaboration occurs (this stage can last two to five years). Separation phase is when the mentee begins to operate more independently from the mentor; and Redefinition phase is when the relationship shifts from mentorship to peer. The mentorship relationship should also have specific and measurable goals, frequent interaction, and actionable steps. There should be a clear desired outcome for both the mentee and the mentor. Mentorship as leadership Mentorship is a form of leadership. It is a way for those with more experience to give back to the company and leave behind a legacy from their own experiences. It can help to foster a sense of community and belonging within a corporation. Shay Dalton is the Managing Director of Lincoln 

To effectively determine future workforce requirements, employers must commit to longer planning horizons. Ger McDonough explains why Shifts in technology, workforce demographics, the automation of jobs and pressure on staffing budgets are just some of the trends shaping the future of the workforce. Businesses need to align strategy choices and workforce implications with reliable workforce data and analytics capability, to ensure that the number of staff and the right mix of skills and capabilities are considered. A mature approach to strategic workforce planning and meaningful people analytics will help leaders make informed decisions about their workforce for the long term. Planning for the future Workforce planning is an essential part of enterprise planning. Leaders must consider the capabilities they will need in the future and put in place firm plans for developing, buying or borrowing talent to ensure they can deliver against their strategy. Competition for the right talent remains tough. Organisations could fail to consider a range of external and internal drivers without an appropriate focus on scenario planning and impact modelling, increasing their workforce risks. Without a clear plan, organisations may continue to make short-term decisions based on affordability without considering long-term capability requirements. Making a future-ready workforce All roles will be affected by change over time—the question is: to what degree can this be managed in order to minimise adverse effects on the workforce? Digital transformation will profoundly affect the types of roles, business processes, customer behaviours and ways of working within our organisations. Leaders must ensure that their workforces are future-ready. By clearly understanding their current and future workforce capability, they can determine workforce gaps and implement strategies for skills development. Reassuringly, the results of PwC’s 2022 Global Workforce Hopes and Fears Survey show that companies are investing in their workforce through upskilling, with 40 percent of employees indicating that their employers are upskilling workers to address labour shortages. Four key actions for workforce planning To mature your workforce planning capability and look further into the future, we recommend taking action in four areas. 1. Align business strategy and capabilities with workforce strategy Workforce planning should be carried out alongside business planning in a two-track process. One is operational and aligned to business and budget planning. The other is a longer horizon, data-driven, strategic sweep that accounts for seismic shifts in workforce supply and demand. The second track must forecast the impact of environmental changes—including technological, generational and cultural—and define the required future workforce to meet these challenges. 2. Look for iterative improvements to your workforce planning process For organisations with workforce planning processes in place, analyse the strengths and weaknesses of your approach and look for opportunities to improve. The key is to concentrate less on cyclical workforce planning processes and more on continuous improvement to the overall approach. Value comes from embedding processes, measuring outcomes, digitally enabling the process wherever possible, using better data and building your workforce planning capability. 3. Accelerate the development of critical capabilities Once you have identified capability and capacity requirements, a tactical approach is essential to accelerate the development of critical capabilities by having a robust action plan to develop, buy, or borrow to address capability gaps. Successful organisations accelerate the development of critical capabilities to maximise investments and carefully consider the breadth of available reskilling, upskilling, and employment models. 4. Build confidence in your data for people-focused decisions Data-based insights can tell you a lot about your people and drive better decisions at every level. However, data is rarely harnessed and taken from analysis to action. HR must take the lead in building confidence in data across the employee lifecycle. With the correct data, you can create simple but powerful models to scenario plan and predict future needs. Ger McDonough is People & Organisation Partner at PwC

CEOs are taking a measured approach in an uncertain market and focusing on strategic investments that can deliver long-term value, writes Graham Reid According to the EY CEO Outlook Pulse survey, CEOs are determined to act decisively and forge ahead, delivering growth and competitive advantage for their business, despite a uniquely challenging economic environment. Investment strategies Ninety-seven percent of CEOs in the Americas, Europe and Asia have altered their planned investment strategies in response to recent global turbulence, with almost a third (32%) halting a planned investment. The volatile geopolitical environment has curtailed the relatively liberalised global trade era, at least for now. Restrictive regulatory trade and investment policies have overtaken COVID-related issues as the key reason for altering international investment plans. Indeed, 52 percent of CEOs cited restrictive trade policies and political policy uncertainty as key drivers behind their decisions to alter strategic investment plans. Just 19 percent pointed to pandemic-related issues. CEOs have reported that they have mapped out specific actions such as: delaying a planned investment until the situation improves (44%); supply chain reconfiguration (41%); relocation of operational assets (36%); and exiting businesses in certain markets (34%). CEOs response For CEOs, the pandemic continues to loom large regarding risks for future growth. Thirty-two percent of respondents consider a continuation or return of pandemic-related disruptions as a key threat to growth. Twenty-eight percent consider climate change impacts and pressures to build sustainability among the most significant risks they face. Other risks include: uncertain monetary policy direction; increasing cost of capital; higher input prices and inflation; rising cybersecurity risks; a further increase in geopolitical tensions; and the regionalisation and fragmentation of the global economy. The findings of the EY CEO Outlook Pulse survey point to a two-stranded response among CEOs to these challenges. First, they are tackling immediate issues through increased investment in internal functions such as finance, accounting, supply chain, and logistics, as well as in marketing and customer experience.  Second, CEOs are taking a longer-term view and investing in sustainability, including net zero, other environmental issues, and societal priorities. That longer horizon is also evidenced by intentions to continue investing in digital transformation, innovation, research and development, cybersecurity measures, and talent development. These findings demonstrate a calm and measured approach among CEOs as they face a period of uncertainty. Despite anticipating a global downturn and heightened geopolitical risks, CEOs are still intent on making strategic investments that can deliver long-term value for their business. Graham Reid is Corporate Finance Partner and Head of Markets at EY Ireland

Andrew Keating, CFO at Musgrave Group, looks back at his career progression and tells us the most important lessons he has learned along the way Tell us about your current role? What does it involve? I was appointed as the Chief Financial Officer of Musgrave Group earlier this year. We operate 12 food and beverage brands, including SuperValu, Centra, Donnybrook Fair and Frank & Honest coffee, and feed one-in-three people on the island of Ireland every day.  Through our partnership with entrepreneurial independent retailers, Musgrave Group is also the largest private sector employer in Ireland with over 40,000 colleagues.  My role involves partnering with our CEO, executive colleagues, and our Board of Directors to develop and execute Musgrave Group’s business strategy in line with our purpose: “Growing Good Business”.  In addition, I lead, motivate, and develop our finance team—and, very importantly, I aim to act as a role model for our values across the wider organisation. You have had a highly successful career. What do you attribute this to? I believe my career progression to date has been as a consequence of the value and leadership I have brought to the organisations I have worked with, for my colleagues, customers, and wider stakeholders.  Of course, strong and relevant technical skills are important, but I have also found that, as my career has progressed, these skills have really just become the “minimum ticket to the game”.  Equally important for me has been my investment in developing my leadership competencies in areas such as impact and influence, commercial focus, change management and inspiring people.  Developing these competencies to a decent level takes time, a lot of practice and a willingness to learn from your mistakes. It’s important, therefore, to start your journey as early as possible. I would encourage ambitious Chartered Accountants to compare the amount of time they have invested in their technical skills (through school, third level, if relevant, professional exams, CPD, etc.) with the amount of time and energy they have invested in developing and nurturing their leadership competencies.  What was the best career advice you ever received and why?  One piece of career advice that really inspires me is to bring your whole self to work every day. This contributes strongly to a trusting, inclusive and authentic environment.  So much of the value we bring to our organisations comes through our collaboration with other people—colleagues, customers, and wider stakeholders.  The more effective these relationships, the more valuable our contribution to the organisation will be, and the more successful our own careers.  What do you look for yourself when you are hiring? When hiring new colleagues, I’m drawn to individuals who, I believe, could have a long-term career with our company. I don’t tend to simply recruit for a particular vacancy or role.  Once I have determined that the individual can do the job on offer from a technical perspective, my priority is to understand their competencies and values.  I want to understand where they are on their journey in terms of developing an authentic leadership style, how they might contribute to an inclusive team environment, how they will collaborate with colleagues, customers, and other stakeholders, and if their values are consistent both with the values of the organisation and my own. You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

Investing time and effort in networking can help young professionals to develop important relationships and progress faster in their careers. Sonya Boyce explains why Networking is defined, broadly speaking, as: “the action or process of interacting with others to exchange information and develop professional or social contacts”.  When we think of networking as a transactional, one-sided, and artificial relationship, however, it can make us feel slightly uncomfortable about the concept, as though we are somehow using someone for our own professional gain.  Through our work with clients at Mazars and our own experience, we can see that post-COVID-19, working habits have reinforced artificial or contrived perceptions of networking.  Many employees have lost the appetite to network effectively and it can be difficult to mobilise people to re-engage with their existing network and forge new connections in-person.   Just as those connections become even more important in a physically disconnected professional environment, it is key that people invest now in re-establishing and developing their networks in a meaningful way.  Unlocking your network effectively in a post-COVID-19 world could be the key to deeper engagement with colleagues, faster career development and more enjoyable working environments and relationships.  Benefits of networking A strong professional network can be a powerful asset in your career development, playing a critical role in progression, professional opportunities, and making work more enjoyable. Building a network is about relationships with colleagues, bosses, friends, industry colleagues or connections.  Your network isn’t just the relationships you have nurtured over time with friends and colleagues. It also includes more distant relationships and connections with thought leaders, business leaders, and “infrequent contacts”, such as casual acquaintances, and people you have met at conferences.  While not necessarily as close, these connections can be an invaluable part of your network and often possess information or links that can grow your reach and opportunity to learn.  This network, of both close and looser ties, developed over the course of your career, can support greater job mobility, while also being beneficial for employment opportunities, career progression and rewards. Top networking tips Developing a network or networking is not simply about attending conferences and events to “sell” yourself professionally.  Growing a network is about relationship building, developing trust and engaging with the needs and interests of the people you meet and connect with.  To help you enhance this network, especially if you find the process intimidating, here are some useful ideas to consider:  Networking as learning Developing a network is not about gaining connections immediately. Like any relationship, it takes time to develop trust and understanding. Therefore, considering networking as a learning exercise in which we engage is important. Understanding people’s “currencies” Different people are motivated and engaged in different ways. Allan R. Cohen and David L. Bradford, the organisation psychologists known for their work about the power of influencing, wrote extensively on understanding people’s currencies, in order to be able to influence others without authority. Their work identified five primary currencies:  Tasks Position Inspiration Relationship  Personal These five “currencies” can help us identify areas for potential collaboration with other people, develop our networks, and deepen our relationships with others. Networking to get ahead Building your network is just as much about those outside your organisation as it is about your colleagues inside the organisation. One Cornell University study on networking found a correlation between a person’s ability to engage with internal network and their professional opportunities.  In the study, lawyers whose personal views of networking were positive ended with more billable hours and greater choice over the projects they wished to work on, than their colleagues who were less inclined to network.  In essence, those who engage colleagues, make connections and put themselves forward—i.e., those willing and able to develop their personal networks—were more successful in their careers.  Overcoming your fear There is a great opportunity for employers to support and encourage employees to network.  Julia Hobsbawm, author of The Nowhere Office, has, for example, promoted the idea of a Chief Networks Officer (CNO) as a means for organisations to put focus and energy into ensuring that employees are getting the most value out of their connections. Hobsbawm says: “Really, the office is going to be good for two things—social networks and learning. Because people have been out of the office, the last thing you want  to do is to send them to a conference.” Putting networks, and networking, at the C-Suite level would send a clear message to employees and customers alike about the importance of relationships, consistent engagement, chance encounters and stretch projects or developmental opportunities that come from our direct and indirect network.  Sonya Boyce is HR and Organisational Development Consulting Director with Mazars in Ireland You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

Your personal brand is a definer of success in your career and the most visible marker of you and what you stand for. Veronica Canning explains why My definition of a personal brand is, “what people say about you when you leave the room”. It’s not what you say it is. It’s what others say it is—what others say about you. You know what I mean. Usually, the description is short, pointed and deadly accurate. Irish people are good with words, and there’s none better when putting someone down. So, your personal brand is not what you say it is. It’s what others say it is. It is also a definer of success in your career as it is the most visible marker of you and what you stand for and, as such, it offers you the chance to take control of what people say about you in a corporate setting.  It can give you a distinct advantage in having an active input into building your career. Listen well the next time you hear the side comments after a meeting, especially when someone has been upset.  How many times have you sat in a room and heard someone being written off with one sentence, or heard someone else being damned with faint praise? Whether or not you believe you have a brand, such comments constitute it.  Think of the most memorable descriptions that you have heard. Remember that a similar comment could be attached to you. Often admiration is expressed in few words, like: ‘rising star’, ‘jet-propelled’, ‘one to watch’, ‘born gentleman’, or ‘straight as a die’. Everyone has a personal brand. It’s not something you can opt out of. It is inevitable, but the good news is that you can control whether yours is ‘purposeful’ or ‘accidental’.  A crucial point is that what your brand looks and feels like is up to you! I believe that when you take control of all aspects of your personal brand, you craft a purposeful one that is authentic and is an integral part of your career plan.  In addition, a purposeful brand is considerably more likely to be a positive one, as you will see as you read on. I often say this to audiences when speaking at conferences, and I see the odd sceptical face, but when I ask them if their personal brand is accidental or purposeful, the scepticism disappears.  They move to questioning which kind of personal brand they have. It is an enlightening moment when you realise that every day people are interacting with you and judging you by your appearance, accent, behaviours, moods and by your impact on them.  If you are unaware of this and just do and say what you want, as you want, without reference to those around you, you definitely do not have a purposeful personal brand. Exploring your personal brand begins with these four hard-core truths: 1. You are at the centre of your personal brand The number one truth is that you are at the centre of your personal brand. It is built on you and your values, it emanates from you, it is played out by your behaviours.  For it to succeed and contribute to your development it must be authentic. You may think you can fake it like the person who asks everyone how they are and wants to look like they care, but then rosters them on long hours, or ignores requests to take leave for important occasions like weddings and funerals.  They fake that they are good people managers and care about their staff, but their deeds show that all they care about is results. You may be good at faking it, but believe me, others will eventually see the real you.  The inconsistency between the two is surprisingly visible to observers. It is often given away in subliminal ways and expressed as a feeling or intuition.  There is a dissonance, and observers catch it. Someone will express a fear that the person “is not all they seem to be”, or “there is something off about that person” and the result is an accidental brand, not a purposeful one. 2. You are in charge of your personal brand You create your brand daily, and you are responsible for it. Every action you take further defines it. It is vital that you realise that it is not an optional extra that you may get to later, when you are happy, wealthy and wise.  It is a big part of you now, at this moment. There is no point blaming your colleagues or your boss if you are in difficulty at work. You are a key player in your own drama.  Often, when I work with people who hate their job and everyone they work with, they see the answer as leaving so they can start afresh in a new place.  I always remind them that the unfortunate reality is that they take themselves with them to the new job. It’s far too easy to blame everyone else when you are the problem. 3. It is your single biggest transportable asset As people move away from having a job for life, or being a ‘lifer’ in one company, and move to having a career made up of different parts–jobs, periods of transition, breaks for education or childcare and, increasingly, periods of unemployment–your brand becomes your most valuable transportable asset.  In an increasingly fluid workplace, you have to move to a ‘portfolio’ approach to your career. You are the only constant as you move through a career spanning decades.  You therefore need to concentrate on imagining yourself as a little enterprise, ‘You Incorporated’, with unique skills, competencies and a personal brand. 4. It is a vibrant, evolving part of you The core ‘you’ remains more or less the same, but your confidence, experience, self-knowledge, projection and the extent of your fame changes.  You will not have the same personal brand as a mid-level executive as, later, a successful senior executive – at least I hope you won’t. The key message is that you have a brand at every stage, and as you learn from your mistakes, you will continuously adjust it. The great thing about getting older is that although you keep making mistakes, they are different ones, and you avoid repeating the disasters of the earlier part of your career.   Veronica Canning is a motivational speaker executive mentor and consultant, and author of Your Brand: Advance your Career by Building a Personal Brand You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

Getting ahead in a new organisation requires planning, commitment and a willingness to be seen and heard. David Manifold, CFO of eShopWorld, explains how to do it right The best advice I can give young professionals on how to hit the ground running in a new job is to ensure you put the right plan in place before your start date.  Having grown from a headcount of 350 to over 1,000 in three short years at eShopWorld, I’ve seen first-hand how putting a strong plan in place before their start date has really benefited some of our new hires.  This plan should clearly detail your goals and objectives, broken out over the short-, medium- and long-term.  These goals, and the timeline you put in place, must be realistic, and you should be prepared to revisit and update your plan on a regular basis as you continue your journey through the organisation. Identify the key stakeholders in the organisation. During your induction, ask for one-to-one time with these decision-makers. This will help you to gain an understanding of the business as a whole.  Today’s accountant needs to have a wide breadth of knowledge when it comes to the dynamics of an organisation and, indeed, the wider industry in which it operates. You need this to perform your role in guiding future strategic direction.  Taking the right insights from decision-makers at all levels of the business can provide a goldmine of valuable information. One critical piece of advice I have here is to take the time you need reflect on what this information means and to form your own ideas and conclusions. This will give you a strong basis for determining your own career trajectory within the organisation.  Time and again, I see candidates rush into a new role with bundles of enthusiasm, and ideas they haven’t fully thought through. Unfortunately, this can have consequences. First impressions are important in winning stakeholders over.  I would encourage people to take at least three months of this induction period to muse and reflect on the insights they’ve gathered, and perhaps socialise draft ideas with some of the key stakeholders they have identified, before bringing them to the wider organisation.  This will give you a sound foundation on which to build ideas that could genuinely impact the business and set you on the right path for progression. So, by now you have your plan with your goals and objectives, and you’ve committed to updating the plan as you progress. To help keep you on track, I would highly recommend scheduling in formal one-to-ones with your manager at the outset. You will need this in order to gauge your progress and performance and keep track of where you’re going.  If this isn’t standard practice in your organisation, do it yourself. This will demonstrate a willingness to accept feedback (both good and bad!) and, in my view, huge initiative. Asking your manager to commit time to supporting your personal development is equally important for the wider organisation. I’ve seen first-hand the benefits, from a company perspective, of devoting resources to helping employees grow and develop, beyond their immediate contribution to wider business goals. Giving employees a sense of ownership is key to embedding the right mindset and culture in an organisation. Starting any new position at any time in your career is often challenging. Everyone will have those familiar feelings of trepidation, but, for young professionals with less experience, it can be especially daunting.   Putting a plan in place with support from your manager can really help to lessen the impact of the learning curve, and separate you from the pack. Stick with it, commit—and, above all, good luck! David Manifold is Chief Financial Officer with eShopWorld (ESW), the global e-commerce company founded in Dublin. ESW offers a range of in-country cross-border solutions, which allow global brands and retailers to localise their online offering in markets all over the world. Prior to joining ESW in 2019, David managed the group finance function at Oasis Group and spent close to a decade with Aer Lingus as Director of Integration and Corporate Strategy. He is a Fellow of Chartered Accountants Ireland and holds an MBA. Setting goals for career progression Having a clear picture of what you want from your career is key to realising your ambitions, writes Caroline Frawley Goal setting is a huge part of my life. I am a big believer in writing down goals, putting in the work and being conscious of what I want to achieve. When it comes to new career opportunities, having a clear idea of what you want is a great tool when beginning a job search.  Making a wish list of your dream jobs can really help you target your search and narrow down and identify what you want.  You can go into as much detail as you want, including factors such as: Organisation The size of the business – Would you like to work for a multinational, a large Irish business or do you prefer being in the heart of a growing SME with exposure to all facets of the business? Progression opportunities What is your medium to long term plan? Would you like to be able to grow in your next role? Leader Who are the type of leaders that inspire you? Location How do you envisage your commute? Would you like a role closer to home? Is fully remote something you would consider or would you prefer to be onsite with more day-to-day interaction? Salary Is a jump in salary extremely important, or is finding the right role or getting a foot in the door of a particular organisation more important? Work life balance  We all want it, where does it rank in your priorities? Environment What type of office would you like to work in?  Can you see yourself sitting in the heart of a manufacturing facility or would you prefer a Shared Services Centre or a company’s headquarters? Skillset Do you want to continue using the skills within your current area of expertise or would you like to pivot into a new area? Flexibility What does flexibility mean to you? Is a job where you can work from home for some of your week crucial in your next move? Team Who are the type of people you want to spend the majority of your week collaborating with? Non-runners Are there any things that you don’t want in your next move? Not every role will tick all the boxes, but having a wish list will help narrow down your non negotiables.  This list can be really useful whether you are working with a recruiter or applying for roles directly.  It’s likely this list will evolve over time as you review different job specs and start the interview process across different businesses. And you never know, you might be one of the lucky ones, and a year from now, you might realise you have manifested your dream job. Caroline Frawley ACA works with Barden’s Mid-Senior Accounting Team, supporting accounting professionals in Munster You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

Starting a new role with a new organisation can be daunting, but you should embrace  the challenge and plan ahead to hit the ground running, writes Pamela Fay “Will I fit in and belong here?” For most candidates starting a new role with a new employer, this question will be top of mind.   You may be apprehensive about how best to understand and define your role in relation to the wider organisation, or you may be preoccupied with ‘culture fit’. Will you be a good fit in terms of the work you will be expected to do, the way you will be expected to work, and your traits and values? You’ll be thinking (probably quite a lot) about the projects and tasks you will be working on, and the people you will be working with.  All of this is normal and natural—and believe it or not, you can start to prepare for any uncertainties or challenges that might lie ahead long before you join the organisation. Your starting point is to go about finding out as much information as you can about the organisation in advance. Do your research Context is incredibly important when you’re about to take on a new role with different people in an unfamiliar culture and environment.  You want to find out what day-to-day life is like. Many Chartered Accountants will be joining big firms and these firms will have their own stated way of doing things—i.e. their values and what they say they do. In all organisations, however, there are also hidden systems.  You need to know what time you are expected to be at your desk, for example, what the accepted dress code is, and the extent to which you can work from locations outside the office, if at all. To get ahead of these questions, I would recommend reaching out to any existing connections you might have to people already employed at the organisation, either directly or via their extended network.  Find out what day-to-day working life is going to be like and research your team—who will you be working alongside and reporting to?  What is acceptable and encouraged in terms of communication style and presentation? What’s frowned upon? Listen and learn Your first six weeks in any new job is a time for observation. You shouldn’t really be aiming to do anything radical, or cause a stir, during this period.  Instead take the time to talk to your new colleagues, join them for tea or coffee, attend all the meetings you are invited to. In short: listen and learn.  It can take a long time to find out how an organisation functions, and you need to understand your role in the organisation, and what you are being asked to do.  You should be curious. Do as much research as possible, and ask as many questions as you can (never be afraid of appearing stupid), and take any support you’re offered. Appear, behave, communicate When it comes to the impression we make in the workplace, I always come back to the ‘ABC’. This is how you appear at work, how you behave, and how you communicate.  How you appear If you wear a suit on your first day, you need to wear a suit all the time. The team around you needs to know what impression you will be putting forward both within and outside the organisation. How you behave This is about how you conduct yourself at work. Are you behaving in a way that leads others to believe you are responsible, conscientious and empathetic? Are you polite and respectful of other’s views and contributions? Do you turn up, or log in, to meetings on time? Are you actively demonstrating that your are trustworthy and reliable? How you communicate Some people respond to emails quite quickly. Others don’t. Really, it doesn’t matter which category you fall into. What matters is that you are consistent. Nobody is perfect For many people, the thought of putting a foot wrong in the early stages of a new role will be a worry.  No one wants to get off to a bad start, but it’s also important to remember that we can almost always recover.  If you make a mistake, own up to it and face the consequences.  Look for support when you need it, chat to family and friends about what went wrong, and don’t try to handle the situation alone.  Colleagues may also be able to help you out because they’ve already ‘been there, done that’.  If your problems run deeper, however—if you’re not happy with your boss, for example, or you don’t share the same values as the people you are working with, you may need to start considering your next move. Trading places My mother had some great advice. She used to say, ‘never get stuck in a corner’.  If you’re unhappy with your role with an organisation, take your time before you make any definite decisions.  Don’t get cornered. If you decide that it would be best to move on, leave on your own terms. Again, this comes back to my earlier advice about doing your research.  An extra couple of weeks in a role you may not be enjoying is nothing compared to moving on to another role you may later regret. Life is all about learning and, really, it comes back to that saying ‘short-term pain for long-term gain’.  In my own career, I once took a job I wasn’t suited to. I stayed in that role for a year, but during that time, I was also actively looking for new career opportunities.  I realised pretty quickly that the organisation I was working for wasn’t going to change, so it was up to me to bring about the change I needed. Find your tribe Even if you’re happy with your new organisation, you may still find that you’re not getting the chance to fully utilise your skills in the role itself. In this situation, it’s a good idea to think about how these skills might be deployed in the wider organisation-in collaboration with another team or department, for example, or as part of a specific project. Seek out, take and create opportunities to showcase your abilities and demonstrate how you can add value to the organisation. Remember, different teams will work in different ways.  I’m a big believer in getting into an organisation you want to work for and then assessing your situation six months or a year in.  By then, if you have the sense that you would be better suited to another part of the organisation, you may be able to make the case to switch teams and take on different responsibilities.  Teams and team dynamics play a crucial role in how we experience our working lives.  Even if we enjoy the work we are doing, we need to feel valued within our team, and to be able to trust, rely on, and draw inspiration from our team-mates.  This is especially true for Chartered Accountants, who are often required to work very hard under severe time pressure. Support, camaraderie and teamwork really matters.  Recommended reading In her book Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career, author Herminia Ibarra outlines an active process of career reinvention. Ibarra’s approach leverages three ways of “working identity”.  These include: experimenting with new professional activities; interacting in new networks of people; and making sense of what is happening to us in light of emerging possibilities. Pamela Fay is an executive coach, coach supervisor and owner of Business Performance Perspectives You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

Nailing your job interview comes down to preparation, presentation and delivery. Michelle Byrne outlines the golden rules to help you succeed on the day When you’re looking for a job, always remember that, while your CV gets you the interview for the job, it’s the interview that will get you the job itself. When we’re hiring someone new into a firm like Deloitte, it’s crucial that they are the right fit for our firm. Skills and experience are important, but we also want to find out what motivates you—your passions, interests, and hobbies—and how they can make an impact within a firm like Deloitte, and with our clients.  If you have travelled a lot, for example, this tells us that you have had different cultural experiences, and you could potentially bring these experiences with you to your new role if we decide to hire you. Here are some traps to avoid and tips to help you get ahead at interview and increase your chances of getting that new job: DON’T oversell yourself Honesty and integrity are crucial. The interviewer will soon discover if your story doesn’t match your CV and, remember, the interviewer will ask you questions based on the information contained in your CV. Your answers should be specific and include examples that demonstrate what drives you as a person and showcase your skillset.  If you worked as part of a team, explain how you contributed as an individual, rather than taking personal credit for the team’s achievements.  DON’T be vague Prepare a good opener and a strong closer for your interview. First and last impressions matter.  When your interviewer concludes by asking you if there is anything more you want to know about the organisation, use the opportunity to talk about your ambitions.   Don’t ask an obvious question when the answer is already available on the organisation’s website. At Deloitte, we’re looking for people who have ambition to grow and pursue their passions through their work.  Remember, your interview is your opportunity to ask questions about your potential employer, so don’t be afraid to challenge the interviewer.  Don’t give the interviewer answers you think they want to hear. Give them the answers that demonstrate the power of your story. DON’T be nervous You have been called for this interview because, on paper, you look fantastic. We always encourage our candidates to relax to ensure their confidence shines through.  If you don’t appear to be confident in your own abilities, the interviewer is going to find it difficult to decide if you are the right fit for the organisation. At the same time, try not to be too over-rehearsed. I want to know about you, who you are, where you are from, and what you do in your spare time.  You don’t want to be too informal, but when you are doing an interview, you are having a conversation with the interviewer as you tell your story.  DO nail the basics Never neglect the basics when you’re interviewing for a new role. How you present yourself, and your body language during the interview, are both very important. Your interviewer will form an opinion of you quickly.  If your interview is in-person, your initial handshake will be very telling—and you must be engaging: use direct eye contact at all times and don’t forget your posture.  If you sit in a very rigid position, it can make it difficult for the interviewer to build up rapport with you during the interview, so pay attention to this. And you can never be too overdressed when you are interviewing for a professional role. Dress neatly and professionally. DO prepare thoroughly Once you’ve been invited to interview, it’s important to do your homework in advance so that you know and understand the firm you want to work with, its values and business drivers. If I’m interviewing you, I will want to see how you can demonstrate the impact you can bring to our firm. Equally, I will want to know what you want us to give you as your potential employer, and what you value among colleagues and team leaders. It’s a good idea to do a mock interview with a friend before your formal interview—not your best friend, but someone you would be a little bit nervous sharing your life story with.  This will help you to relax on the day of the interview and also to anticipate questions that may take you outside your comfort zone. DO build a rapport  You know there will be other candidates for the job on offer, who will have excellent qualifications and experience, but your interview is your chance to shine and set yourself apart. Try to build a rapport with your interviewer. Ideally, they should leave the encounter feeling that they know you as a person, and that your story has made an impact on them.  You will have demonstrated that you share the organisation’s core values and purpose, and that you will help to drive the organisation forward. Michelle Byrne is a Partner in Audit and Assurance, leading the Financial Reporting Advisory team at Deloitte Ireland You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023. The interview process has changed massively as a result of the pandemic and interviews are now being held both remotely and in-person.  At Deloitte, we operate a fully hybrid model, so it’s important for candidates to be prepared to shine in both scenarios. Remote interviews are particularly attractive for employers who want to employ candidates based overseas, but we shouldn’t underestimate the significance of the in-person experience.  If you think you can make a bigger impact in person, there is no harm in asking to be interviewed face-to-face. Remember, there will also be different stages to the interview, however. While your initial interview may be done remotely, the second interview will often take place in person.

The right approach to your job search and career planning will give you the best possible chance of securing the perfect role for the next phase in your career, writes Dave Riordan Every year brings a slightly different job market for Chartered Accountants and 2023 is no exception.  As a Chartered Accountant at the early stages of your career, you will need to keep a close eye on economic trends, both national and global, as well as the sectors that are buoyant and those that are stagnating.  Even if you have only just gone through the job search process as a newly qualified ACA, it’s worth revisiting the key elements of the process that you need to get right.  This will give you the best possible chance of securing the perfect role for the next step in your career path. Here are some key pillars of the process worth considering: 1. Know your strengths and weaknesses The best place to start is by getting to know yourself. There are several methods by which you can test your aptitudes, strengths and weaknesses.  Think about taking aptitude tests and talking honestly with mentors and peers about your work and career. Take time to explore and define: what you are good at; what you have been praised for at annual reviews, and;  what you want to improve and develop. Create your own ‘career file’ aligning all three items with your career goals. 2. Define your brand Build your CV while being cognisant of your personal brand. What unique selling point (USP) do you want to convey to set you apart from your competition?  When building your CV, don’t just list off the historical duties and responsibilities of the roles you have held.  Describe your value and highlight your key achievements concisely to the reader. Remember this is your sales document. Its purpose is to get you to the interview stage.  3. Prepare for interviews Plan for both formal and informal interviews. Write down your key stories and examples and refine how you will put these across to an interviewer.  Start to build your interview narrative: what are your main selling points, key stories that illustrate your abilities, strengths and accomplishments, and examples of how you have added value in previous roles?  Don’t be afraid to ask for advice. Contact the Institute’s Careers Team or a respected recruiter to request an interview preparation session. Remember, every interview is different, so customised preparation is always advised.    4. Document your career plan As we’ve mentioned here already, it’s a good idea to put together your own ‘career plan’ document, and to get into the habit of updating it on a weekly basis.  Your career plan should become an essential resource when you are job-hunting, with information on market intelligence, key networking contacts, prospective job titles, and preferred companies to work for. Once you have worked out what your USP is, think about how you will articulate this to recruiters and hiring managers.  Write an action list aimed at enhancing your profile in the market. Have an ongoing segment in your career plan examining extra qualifications or courses, charities you can get involved with, pro bono board positions, etc.  Make sure you fully research the different directions you could potentially take your career in, particularly if there is more than one sector you are passionate about.  Don’t worry too much about what your peers are earning, or whether their employers seem ‘glamorous’—far off hills are always greener! 5. Do some market mapping You should begin market mapping during the initial research phase of your job search and document the results in your career plan.  Mapping will help you job search more efficiently, rather than taking a scattergun approach to applications.  Analyse which organisations you want on your list of ‘top ten’ preferred employers and follow them on social media to stay abreast of current developments in each.    Set up alerts for different job titles you are interested in with various jobs boards. The roles sent to you will give you a broad snapshot of what your target market looks like.   While standing at your ‘job change crossroads’, make sure you step back and take a helicopter view of the many ways you can use your qualification, and the myriad sectors and roles open to you.  6. Build your network When you qualify, it can be tempting to distance yourself from the Institute, which you have perhaps come to associate with study, exams and hard slog over the course of your three-and-a-half year training contract.  However, now is the perfect time to stay close to the Institute and leverage this ready-made network by participating in events, committees and CPD talks, etc.  Adopt a networking mentality by starting to speak to your peer group about what they plan to do with their careers in the years ahead.  Use social media platforms, such as LinkedIn, and start to build sector and business connections. This will also serve to raise your visibility in the market, as well as enhancing your personal brand.  Don’t be shy about exploring the LinkedIn profiles of successful Chartered Accountants that are a few years ahead of you. It can be useful to look at the steps they have taken in their own careers and the upskilling they have taken part in along the way.  7. Apply the right way When it comes to active job applications, there are three main ways to secure a new role: recruiters; direct applications, and; your personal network.  Pay attention to how much time you are investing in each of these three options, bearing in mind the stage you have reached in your career pathway.  If you are working with a recruiter, make sure they fully understand the nuances and intricacies of a career as a Chartered Accountant.  And keep in mind when making applications, that a short- or medium-term contract might be the perfect move for you at this juncture. 8. Round up the right referees Consider formalising your professional relationship with a few experienced mentors whose advice and support you can count on as you look to progress your career. Think about who you would like your referees to be in 2023 and beyond—making sure they will be ready to sing your praises when needed.  9. Consider overseas experience Any recruiter will tell you that Chartered Accountants with international experience tend to display a worldliness and maturity that comes across well at interview.  Working abroad can deliver great experience, giving you valuable ammunition and confidence for future interviews.  Very often, greater responsibility is given to Chartered Accountants working overseas, which can help to accelerate your career trajectory if you return home.    Dave Riordan, FCA, is a recruitment specialist and career coach with the Careers Team at Chartered Accountants Ireland  You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

A well-timed professional pivot can turbo-charge your progress and propel your career in an exciting new direction, but it’s not without its challenges, writes Siobhán Sexton   It can be difficult when we’re starting out in our careers to know exactly where we want to be in the future.  We’re navigating the ins and outs of the professional world, many of us for the first time, learning about our strengths and weaknesses, and striving to meet our responsibilities and, where possible, exceed expectations. It’s not surprising then that, for some of us, the bigger picture can take a back seat and it’s a few years down the line before we realise that we may be heading in the wrong direction.  For Chartered Accountants with a few years’ post-qualified experience under their belt, it’s not impossible to pivot and propel your career in a new direction—from practice to industry, for example, or vice versa, or from a Big 4 firm to a smaller practice.  Timing is important, however, so, if you find yourself questioning your choices where you are, get the advice you need to make the move to where you want to be. Options starting out Once Chartered Accountants qualify, they have a number of options open to them. The majority move into industry or financial services, depending on the department they have trained with.  Typically, between 75 and 80 percent will move into a financial role in industry. Ten to 15 percent, meanwhile, will become financial analysts, and the remainder will become internal auditors or tax specialists—again, depending on the area they have trained in. Some might choose to move abroad to gain international experience and others will choose to stick with the practice they trained in, gaining additional experience and becoming managers and assistant managers.  For those that move from a bigger to a smaller practice, the draw is often the opportunity to gain experience they did not have access to during their training contract.  Financial accountants and financial analysts have different job titles in different companies. At Barden, when working with qualified accountants, we spend a lot of time deciphering what these job titles mean. Your options now It’s possible to move from practice into industry, or from industry into practice. However, the further along a professional is in their career, and the more senior they have become, the trickier it becomes to make a lateral career move, one potential consequence being a drop in salary.  Hence, most professionals tend to make the move earlier, rather than later, in their career.  The most common move we see is from practice into industry. The appeal here for some candidates is that, in business, accountants tend to gain really good exposure to reporting and analysis. It’s less common for accountants to move from industry to practice, but doing so can actually be very rewarding.  You have the opportunity to gain experience across different industries, for example, and to learn about building key business relationships with clients and other stakeholders. Long-term opportunities The earlier you make the move from practice to industry, or vice-versa, the easier it will be. Ultimately, you have to ask yourself, ‘where do I see myself in the long-term?’  If you don’t see yourself as a partner in practice, for example, it would be more beneficial for your long-term career to move out of practice sooner rather than later. If you stay in practice for a couple of years and then look to make a move, you may be competing with people who have already switched course and gained experience in industry.  Also, the more senior you are in your existing career, the more likely it is that you will have to compromise on salary or title to gain traction where others have already proved themselves. Joining a smaller practice Leaving the Big 4 realm to join a smaller practice will typically allow you to gain broader experience.  If you’re coming from the audit department of a Big 4 firm, for example, you naturally won’t have gained a lot of exposure to tax.  Working at a smaller practice, you will gain wider experience of financial reporting, tax and advisory services, acting as a trusted partner to clients in businesses that are typically owner- or manager-led.  It’s important to bear in mind that, by their nature, these businesses will be smaller than the clients you will have worked with in Big 4. It’s a different dynamic. To move or not to move? A career-focused Chartered Accountant will typically move two or three times in their first five years PQE, either internally or externally. At Barden, we recommend that you initially seek out opportunities internally, because you will already have gained a solid understanding of the business and that can be a big advantage. There are no hard and fast rules in this scenario. If you’re gaining good experience in your existing team, learning from good people around you and you’re progressing, don’t move just for the sake of moving. If you feel you’re not the best person on your team, however, you’re probably not in the right place and an internal move could bring better career benefits. Moving overseas For those who have itchy feet and an urge to travel and explore after the stifling restrictions of the recent pandemic, the good news is that the Chartered Accountants Ireland qualification is recognised in the majority of countries worldwide. Better yet, in the current market, there is strong demand internationally for Chartered Accountants trained in Ireland.  The ease or difficulty of moving abroad will depend on a number of factors, including an individual country’s visa requirements. In some cases, you might also need to consider language barriers.  If you want to work in France, for example, you will need to factor in your ability to speak French well enough to communicate clearly with colleagues and clients. Plotting your job search If you’re looking for a new role, either in your existing field or a new one, your first port-of-call should be an expert recruitment firm specialising in your profession and skill set. At Barden, we are all qualified Chartered Accountants, advising Chartered Accountants.  Sending out your CV blindly, without having a fundamental knowledge of the role you’re applying for, or the organisation you’re applying to, is a huge risk. Instead, you should thoroughly research the companies and organisations that are recruiting and for which you would like to work.  Other people’s views and experiences matter so don’t be afraid to talk to people who may have experience of working for these companies—but take care to maintain a balanced view of what they have to say. Gather as much information and insight as you can before you make any final decision. At Barden, we advise and guide Chartered Accountants on a daily basis. We give them step-by-step guidance on their CVs and support them with interview preparation, so that they have the best possible chance of succeeding in their job search. The primary focus of your CV will be on your professional qualification and work experience, but don’t neglect your interests and activities outside work. You may enjoy sports, have an interest in the arts, or engage in voluntary work, for example.  All of this makes you human and, for the majority of employers, culture fit is very important. Preparation for interviews is also crucial. At Barden, we will spend an hour with you either over coffee or via Microsoft Teams, going through sample interview questions and answers to make sure you are properly prepared.  Siobhán Sexton, ACA, is Business Lead Expert in Recently Qualified Accounting, Tax and Practice Careers with Barden You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

It’s never too early to start laying the foundations for a future in leadership and developing the skills and traits to rise to the top. Julia Rowan explains why The earliest part of a young professional’s career will often be spent learning the ropes and getting to grips with the ins and outs of your daily responsibilities. If you have a few years’ Post-Qualified Experience under your belt, however, now is the time to start thinking about what you want from your career in the long-term and how best to position yourself for future success. As Julia Rowan sees it, it’s never too early to begin laying the foundations for a future in leadership. Rowan is Principal Consultant at Performance Matters, a leadership team and development consultancy. “The early stage of your career is a great time to start thinking about building your reputation and a network that will help you progress in the future,” she says. “It’s also a good time to start learning about yourself—understanding your strengths and building on them—but also embracing your weaknesses and finding ways to improve in these areas.” Rowan has these seven tips to help you chart the course for a future in leadership: 1. Prioritise self- awareness and personal skills Self-awareness is a vital trait for leaders and, in the early stages of your career, can also help you to determine the best career path for you, and zone in on what you need to do now to get there in the future.  “Your priority could be, ‘I love the role I’m in, I want to be an expert in this area’, you might want to specialise even further, becoming a partner in a firm, or to set up your own business a few years down the line,” says Rowan. “In all cases, I would be saying to people, particularly young accountants who already have a high degree of technical knowledge, don’t overlook the importance of personal skills—how you get on with others, and how you show up at meetings. These are the skills that will move you up the ladder.” 2. Learn to lead at any level How you treat others has an enormous effect on whether or not you are perceived as leadership material, regardless of your seniority. “You can be a leader at every stage in our career, regardless of what you do, and it’s important to be aware of just how important it is to be respectful of everyone you meet and work with,” says Rowan. “Young professionals can get stuck when they come across something that isn’t working: an approach or process.  They may say nothing – or perhaps talk about it as ‘ridiculous’. “This won’t come across well, because we need to be respectful of everything and everyone that has gone before.  “Even when we think something is ridiculous, we need to find a respectful way to deal with it.  For example, we might instead say something like, ‘I’ve been thinking about this and I have an idea, would you like to hear it?’” 3. Find your own voice A big part of impression management in the workplace comes down to how, and how much, we engage, and communicate with, those around us. “My advice would be to trust yourself. If you have a question, ask it. If you have an opinion, share it—and trust yourself to ask for help if you need it,” says Rowan. “Sometimes, young professionals feel ‘I need to prove myself, I can’t ask for help’, but what you will find is that most people are delighted to help.  “Creating these good habits early in your career will help you to find your own voice and show up as yourself, because you don’t want to be a carbon copy of anyone else, no matter how senior or successful.” 4. Work out what you want Once you have determined what you want to do with your career in the long-term, you can then begin to take the steps to make it happen. “I’m a big believer in people working out what they really want to do. It means that you can have the right conversations with your boss or managing partner when opportunities arise,” says Rowan. “It’s amazing, when we ask for what we want in a gentle, respectful way, how often it will happen for us. It could be as simple as saying, ‘I would love the opportunity to lead this project or be involved with that client’. Think about it carefully, work it out, and ask for it.  “I often talk to people about humble confidence. It’s where you can say, ‘I trust myself enough to push myself, take the risk and ask for something, but I also know that I need to keep learning and listening to the feedback’.” 5. Develop the right mindset Don’t get into a negative mindset whereby the peculiarities, ways of working and politics of the organisation you are working for start to bring you down. Instead, rise above it and always look at the bigger picture. “You have to think intentionally about the habits you want to create—the habits that underpin strong leadership,” says Rowan. “It can be challenging when young professionals come into an organisation with its own established rules and regulations, systems, processes, and templates. They might not even make sense, but you don’t want to get into the habit of moaning, gossiping, or complaining.  “If you find yourself doing that, it’s a signal that you’re feeling disempowered and you need to say to yourself, ‘okay, I need to stop and find a better way to deal with this’.” How you learn to view yourself, your current role, and your potential to grow and advance, is critical. “When I’m coaching senior leaders, they will often tell me, ‘I’m still seen as the young graduate, the trainee, or the new hire’,” says Rowan. “They think that is how they’re viewed within their organisation, despite their rise up the ranks, but what they are really telling me is, ‘this is how I still see myself’.” 6. Keep a learning journal To get ahead of this problem and promote healthy self-perception, Rowan advises young professionals to consider keeping a learning journal to help organise and understand their thoughts and progress. “Doing this can help you to be more conscious of your thoughts and feelings at and around work,” she says.  “It can help you to recognise your strengths—where you are feeling good, easy, and comfortable—but also the aspects of your work that make you feel less comfortable. “When we write things down, we get themout of our head, and we can engage with them in a better way.  “It’s generally the negative stuff that buzzes around in our minds, so, if there are thoughts which are unhelpful like ‘they still see me as a graduate’, writing it down can help you to engage with it and find a way forward.”  7. develop good habits  Above all, it’s important to be aware that we can change thoughts, perceptions and assumptions that might be holding us back, helping us to better plot a course forward and position ourselves for success in our future career.  “Aristotle said, ‘We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence then is not an act but a habit’. If we are able to shift our thoughts and change our habits by examining how and why we do things the way we do, we can change our future,” says Rowan. “It’s about consciously creating good habits, like making to-do lists, being focused, speaking up, asking questions, so that we don’t feel in our later career that we have learned to do things in a way that has held us back.” Julia Rowan is Principal Consultant at leadership and team development consultancy Performance Matters You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

Despite recent tech sector layoffs and ongoing economic uncertainty, the job market for accountants remains robust. Ed Heffernan explains why demand is still high This time last year, as fears for the economic implications of the Ukraine invasion began to emerge, Ireland’s post-COVID job market had just begun its recovery. Twelve months on—despite the recent spate of tech sector lay-offs, and the impact of rising inflation rates and energy price hikes—demand for accounting professionals remains constant. “We’ve seen a fair bit of change in the wider job market over the past year, but employers will always need good financial talent,” says Ed Heffernan, Managing Partner at Barden, the partner-led expert recruitment firm. “At the start of 2022, there was an expectation as to how the market would evolve over the course of the year, but, because of the subsequent impact of various geopolitical events on the global economy, it became clear that ambition and market realities were not aligned for some companies. “For us, demand continued to accelerate from January through to September. We were busier and busier as the year went on. Then, from October onwards, we started to hear news of job cuts in the technology sector.”  The market reality Despite the recent deluge of negative headlines, however, it’s important to look at the reality of the situation “in context”, Heffernan says.  “Good news stories aren’t as eye-catching as bad news stories. People are programmed to worry; it’s human nature. What we’re actually seeing are some of the biggest players in the tech space announcing a global reduction in headcount of about 10 to 12 percent. “They are, by and large, cutting headcount in the areas most businesses look to when they need to cut costs—sales, business development, marketing and maybe also talent and HR teams.” Demand in the job market overall may be down, but supply for key skill sets has not waned, creating a “counterbalancing” effect.  “I would say job numbers overall right now are down probably between 16 and 18 percent quarter-on-quarter, but the drop is mostly down to fear. Employers are holding back on making hiring decisions because of uncertainty,” says Heffernan. “It’s the same ‘wait and see’ effect we saw during the pandemic and that creates pressure in the workplace because teams are having to wait to fill vacant positions.  “Then, what you get is this rebound in the market, because organisations realise they have to forge ahead and start hiring again.” Demand for accountants Regardless of wider trends in the job market, demand for accountants remains consistent, Heffernan says. “Companies always need good financial talent. That’s a given because finance is just so fundamental to how companies function.” In terms of the skill sets most in demand among employers recruiting for accountants, Heffernan sees “two extremes”. “On one side, there is always strong demand for organised and technically oriented professionals from larger firms or who have risen up within the group functions of listed multinationals,” he says. “These are the people that run the consol, coordinate the internal and external reporting and lead the audit activity. Without them the business just does not function.   “Group functions like Flutter, Ardagh, CRH and Dalata always have a demand for accounting talent. It’s where many of their future leaders learn how the business knits together, so it’s an ideal first step for an early career accountant with ambition.” On the other side, there is consistent demand for professionals adept at business partnering. “These are the accountants who can ‘translate’ what the numbers mean for people in the business outside the finance function,” says Heffernan. “They can participate in the wider decision-making process, and in shaping strategy, rather than simply producing a spreadsheet and leaving it at that. “In terms of industries, pharma and tech companies dominate the landscape. In terms of functions, it’s group entities and shared services centres that typically employ the largest numbers of talented accountants. Scale brings opportunity and that’s not changing any time soon.” Proactive approach For ambitious young professionals keen to move ahead in their career and avail of the right opportunities at the right time, Heffernan advises a proactive approach. “I see a lot of people who are reactive, rather than proactive, in terms of how they approach the job search process. They look to move jobs only after something has happened, so they’re fundamentally not in the driving seat,” he says. “If you’re ambitious and you want to go places with your career, you should be thinking ahead from the get-go. Most accountants move roles two to three times in their first five years’ PQE, either internally or externally. That’s just the way it is. “Your first port of call should always be the internal option. Leveraging your track record and leaning on established relationships within your organisation, is nearly always the best way to shape your next move. “Failing that, there is of course ample opportunity externally to leverage your PQE to create value in a different setting.” Changing employers Getting ahead in your career isn’t always just about staying with the same employer and hoping that your loyalty will pay off in the long run. Moving organisations tactically can also deliver tangible results. “It’s really important to be market aware,” says Heffernan, “you need to understand what is going on and be able to benchmark your own position and progress on a regular basis, so you know you are on the right track.” He advises professionals to take a proactive approach to shaping their own career path, utilising contacts and connections to keep ahead of the curve. “I think people sometimes underestimate just how important their career is to their overall level of wellbeing. We spend up to 80 percent of our waking hours working alongside our colleagues, whether in-person or remotely,” says Heffernan. “The most successful CFOs I know constantly have their ear to the ground. They’re calling me every 12 to 18 months to find out what’s going on in the market. Being market aware is what the smart, ambitious people do.  “That puts them in the driving seat career-wise, because they’re making informed decisions about their future—and that’s incredibly important.” Expert support Accountants should also make full use of the range and quality of the advice and support on offer to the profession from specialist recruiters, Heffernan says. “The accounting community is one of the best served communities when it comes to recruiters and advisers active in the space,” he says. “There are some incredible people you can get objective information from. My advice is to make full use of this - not all professions have the same advantage.  “If you expect to be engaging with recruiters at a point in the near future, reach out before you are actively looking for a job.  “It’s at that stage that you could find yourself getting the most value and clarity from the relationship because the waters won’t be muddied by the requirements of one specific role,” he says.  “You’ll be getting objective advice and that could really stand to you from the point-of-view of long-term career planning. That’s how we built Barden—we are advisory-first, an ally to the finance professionals we work with. We’re where accountants go before they start looking for a job.” Ed Heffernan is Managing Partner at Barden You can read this article and more about your career in accountancy in the Accountancy Ireland Career Guide 2023.

OECD countries will not close the gender pay gap for at least 50 years if we continue at the current pace of progress, despite the potential economic gains, writes Ger McDonough To mark International Women’s Day, PwC released the results of our Women in Work Index, assessing women’s employment outcomes across 33 Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries. The Women in Work (WIW) Index shows that female workforce participation across the 33 OECD countries increased slightly in 2021. Progress towards gender equality remains too slow, however.  In fact, based on OECD countries’ gender pay gap of 14 percent in 2021 and historical rates of progress towards gender pay equality, our findings show that it will take more than 50 years to close the gender pay gap. This means that a 20-year old woman entering the workforce today will not see pay equality in her working lifetime. At the same time, our analysis also shows that, by closing the gender pay gap, OECD countries could make trillion-dollar gains. By increasing women’s average wages to match those of their male counterparts across the OECD, female earnings would rise by more than US$2 trillion per annum, our research has found.  In Ireland, closing the gender pay gap could boost women’s earnings by US$4.32 billion per annum (8%) and increasing women’s employment could boost Irish GDP by US$50 billion per annum or nine percent. Ireland ranks in 12th place overall out of the 33 OECD countries in our latest WIW Index, up from 15th place in the year prior. This improvement was in large part due to a rise in the female labour participation rate from 65.6 percent to 69.6 percent. Our research also reveals that just 25 percent of women in Ireland have an established plan to advance their career with their current employer, however, compared to 35 percent of women globally.  If the rebound from the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us anything, it is that we can’t rely on economic growth alone to produce gender equality—unless we want to wait another 50 years or more. Employers can make a material improvement to women's empowerment in the workplace now by focusing on fair reward, autonomy, inclusive leadership and instituting a data-driven diversity strategy. Women working full-time in person have the lowest empowerment score in our WIW Index. This trend follows suit for men—suggesting that autonomy over how, where and when people work fuels feelings of empowerment across the workforce. According to our WIW Index, the women who are most empowered also have greater opportunity to work remotely (74%). However, close to half (48%) of women can’t do their job remotely.  Of the 11,285 women who can, 29 percent are working remotely full-time, and 56 percent had some level of hybrid work pattern. Autonomy fuels empowerment for both women and men, but women currently have less autonomy over how, when and where they work.  Demand for flexibility is a talent-wide proposition, and one that cannot be ignored by employers as they seek to enhance diversity, fuel engagement and innovation, and position themselves as an employer of choice. Ger McDonough is Partner and Leader of the People and Organisation Consulting Practice at PwC Ireland 

There are many reasons why our confidence can falter. Dawn Leane explains how we can overcome our self-doubt and silence our inner critic so we can achieve our goals In the workplace, being confident means feeling self-assured and believing we are capable of achieving our objectives. We often think that confidence is intrinsic; we either have it, or we don’t. In fact, our relationship with confidence is more likely to be influenced by our conditioning, life experiences and environmental factors. Handling feedback Confidence is one of those words that often triggers an emotional response in us, particularly if we struggle with it. We’ve all had an experience where we make a proposal or suggestion and have it critiqued. If we work in a psychologically safe environment, we take feedback from colleagues and leaders at face value. We appreciate the input and guidance and trust that the motivation is to help us refine and improve the idea. However, if the environment is not psychologically safe, we are much more likely to receive such feedback negatively. Perhaps we perceive it as criticism, a chance to settle a score or ‘mark our card’. This is especially true when our work is deeply personal and connected to our values and sense of self. In this situation, it can be hard to avoid internalising or personalising feedback—and when we do, it has the potential to erode our confidence. Limiting beliefs While our environment is hugely significant in determining our level of self-assurance, we are also influenced by our own limiting beliefs. A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief we think to be true, but one which will limit our potential. A limiting belief could be about you, your relationships with other people, or with the work environment. Self-limiting beliefs have the greatest potential to negatively impact our ability to achieve our full potential and are usually developed in response to our experiences, and because we are shaped by these limiting beliefs, we then go on to adopt behaviours that reinforce them. While many of our beliefs are formed as we grow up, we can develop new ones as we grow. Our inner critic Everyone has a voice in their head that reinforces their worst fears – an inner critic. The voice may be a whisper, or it may be so loud that it paralyses us. The voice holds us back from trying new experiences and rubs failure in our faces. It is possible to let go of limiting beliefs and tune out the inner critic, however. People can develop new ways of thinking and behaving that can help to create a positive narrative for themselves. To help silence your inner critic and build your confidence, there are several steps you can take: Identify any self-limiting beliefs and the behaviours that have resulted from them; Consider where these beliefs might have come from; Reflect on instances where these beliefs have been shown to be incorrect; and Decide on new behaviours to replace the limiting beliefs, then practice and reinforce them After acknowledging a self-limiting belief when it occurs, learn to replace it with something else. Carol Dweck, Professor of Psychology at Stanford University, has a simple but effective solution: add the word ‘yet’ to any limiting belief. For example: ‘I don’t have much experience at public speaking… yet.’ By adding ‘yet’, it allows you to acknowledge your shortfalls while also identifying that you are actively working on correcting it. Finding confidence Being a self-assured person without doubt is a lofty goal and probably not a realistic one. Acknowledging your limiting beliefs and working on silencing your inner critic is important, however. Your confidence will rise and you will be far more likely to achieve your objectives no matter the environment. Dawn Leane is the Founder of Leane Leaders

As the fastest growing consumer app ever to launch, ChatGPT has the potential to support and enhance marketing for accountancy firms. Maryrose Lyons explains why By now, you’ve probably heard of ChatGPT. As the fastest growing consumer app ever to launch, it reached 100 million monthly active users in January, just two months after going live. ChatGPT marks the start of the mass adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). Hailed by Bill Gates as the biggest innovation in technology since the invention of the internet, it is just one of the many AI tools that are taking the marketing world by storm. The question is: have you thought about how you might use it to improve your marketing efforts? ChatGPT is an advanced language model that is capable of understanding natural language and generating human-like responses. It’s a chatbot with a range of applications, including in the area of marketing. With ChatGPT, accounting firms could potentially enhance their marketing efforts by engaging with their customers more quickly and in a more personalised manner. When applied thoughtfully, the results could be impressive. Personalisation One of the key benefits of ChatGPT for marketing your organisation is its ability to generate personalised marketing messages and content. By analysing customer data and behaviour, ChatGPT has capacity to generate targeted content that is tailored to the needs and interests of specific customers. This could increase engagement and conversion rates and help businesses to build stronger relationships with their customers. Automation In addition to personalisation, ChatGPT could also save time and resources by automating repetitive tasks such as email campaigns and content creation. This has the potential to free up marketing staff to focus on more strategic or creative activities. In the case of owner-managers doing marketing themselves, it could also save valuable time. By using ChatGPT to automate repetitive tasks, businesses could streamline their marketing efforts and improve efficiency. Embrace AI At this point in time, just three months into its evolution, incorporating ChatGPT into your workflow could give your organisation a competitive edge, particularly for businesses that are early adopters. If you are an accountant with responsibility for marketing your business, or you employ marketers to do it for you, ChatGPT is a tool worth considering. Who wouldn’t want to leverage AI and take their marketing efforts to the next level? ChatGPT will not replace marketers, but marketers who use ChatGPT could have a competitive edge. My advice? Don’t fear AI. Embrace ChatGPT and the potential benefits it could bring to your marketing today. Maryrose Lyons is the Founder of Brightspark, a future-focused marketing consultancy Brightspark offers a Digital Marketing with ChatGPT course. Learn about the AI tools that free up time for staff to focus on higher-value tasks. Understand the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Experiment and implement, under the expert guidance of Maryrose Lyons.

The Windsor Framework provides for the smoother flow of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland, but is it enough? asks Eoin O’Shea It's been just over ten years since David Cameron, the UK's then Prime Minister, unveiled the idea of holding a referendum on EU membership. On that fateful day, 23 January 2013, Cameron made the rather prophetic statement: "If we leave the EU, we cannot, of course, leave Europe. It will remain for many years our biggest market, and forever our geographical neighbourhood. We are tied by a complex web of legal commitments." The latest addition to the post-Brexit tsunami of legal commitments entered into by the UK and the EU, including a 177-page Withdrawal Agreement and a 2,530-page Trade and Co-Operation agreement, is the Windsor Framework. The Windsor Agreement aims to update the 63-page Northern Ireland Protocol agreed by the UK and EU as part of the Withdrawal Agreement.  The Windsor Framework – in reality, several legal and political documents – was launched last week by the president of the EU's executive branch, Ursula Von Der Leyen, and UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at Windsor Guildhall.    The Windsor Framework came about because the Northern Ireland Protocol to the Withdrawal Agreement operated, in parts, like a manual for a United Ireland. Back when former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was 'getting Brexit done', there was a fear that Ireland, north and south, might have different laws concerning trade, the movement of goods, customs, taxes and the like, leading to a hard border on the island of Ireland. To counter such a border, it was decided by the UK and the EU that Britain would have its own British laws on those border/market/trade issues, and the Island of Ireland (north and south) would follow EU rules. Leaving Northern Ireland subject to EU laws, the oversight of the EU court of justice in Luxembourg, and the full panoply of EU officialdom. One view of the Northern Ireland protocol was that it permitted goods to flow between Northern Ireland and Ireland/EU without customs checks, duties, or paperwork. It also allowed for the free movement of goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.   Economist John Fitzgerald dubbed the situation as providing "unique dual access to both the British and the EU markets". Similarly, Michael Gove, then a member of the UK cabinet, stated: "That means that businesses in Northern Ireland have the opportunity to enjoy the best of both worlds; access to the European single market, because there's no infrastructure on the Island of Ireland, and at the same time unfettered access to the rest of the UK market." Unfortunately, the Northern Ireland protocol didn't work. Neither politically nor economically.  Excessive paperwork and administrative uncertainty made it difficult, expensive, and slow for goods to move to and from Northern Ireland and Britain. Imports and exports between Ireland and Northern Ireland skyrocketed as businesses in Northern Ireland found buying goods from Ireland/EU easier than from the neighbouring island. In the first five months of 2022, for example, exports from Ireland to Northern Ireland increased by 42 percent compared to the previous year. Politically, the original Northern Ireland protocol caused significant problems, including a boycott of the Stormont Assembly by the DUP and a threat by the UK to unilaterally override, with domestic legislation, the Protocol's operation.  All sides were fearful for the continued operation of the Good Friday Agreement and the possibility that relationships between communities within Northern Ireland and north/south and east/west ties could be negatively affected, perhaps for a generation. In short, all roads have been leading to last week's Windsor Framework for some time.  The highlights of the Framework include the following: The introduction of a trusted trader system in Britain to facilitate smoother transport of goods to Northern Ireland; Identity and physical checks on goods are to be drastically reduced; The same food will be available on supermarket shelves in Northern Ireland as in the rest of the UK; Goods moving from Britain to Northern Ireland that are destined for the EU or at risk of entering the EU will be subject to full customs checks and controls; People in Northern Ireland will be able to get medicines, including new medicines, at the same time and under the same conditions as people in the rest of the UK; Certain goods travelling from Britain to Northern Ireland may carry labelling "not for EU", ensuring that products remain in Northern Ireland; Consumer-to-consumer parcels will be entirely exempt from the main customs requirements; Travel to and from Britain with pets will be easier and require reduced documentation; Garden centres in Northern Ireland will have an easier time stocking plants, shrubs, trees and seeds from Britain; The UK has agreed to share live data with the EU on movements of goods from Britain to Northern Ireland to give additional comfort to the EU that goods transfer rules are being adhered to and that the single market is not at risk; and The number of proposed changes to the application of EU VAT and excise duty requirements to Northern Ireland.  It has been agreed that members of the Northern Ireland Assembly might, by way of a 'Stormont Brake', to stop new EU law from applying in Northern Ireland (as a last resort). It is also proposed by the parties that there be enhanced involvement of Northern Ireland interests in the operation of the joint committees set up between the UK and the EU on the management of relationships. As can be seen, the arrangements under the Windsor Framework provide for a much smoother flow of goods between Britain and Northern Ireland than was the case under the Northern Ireland protocol. But, as also can be seen, the arrangements are not as smooth as before Brexit. Eoin O'Shea is a Barrister at Law and Chartered Accountant

Ireland’s housing market is in trouble – could raising the mortgage limit ease property prices while retaining affordability? Marc Coan discusses As interest rates rise, residential property prices have come under pressure, but the Central Bank raising the mortgage limit from 3.5 to four times income from the 1 January this year may open up significant new demand and prop up prices longer term. This will cause concern for some, but are house prices the real issue, or are policymakers and opposition parties missing the point? During a recent webinar, economist Ronan Lyons threw new light on the link between building costs, house prices and supply. Simply put, the more significant the gap between house prices and costs, the greater the supply of new housing. If a developer can make a tidy profit, they will develop more units until supply eventually catches up with demand and prices fall. In a free market, there are then just two ways to make more houses available: Reduce building costs; and Increase house prices. Lyon’s analysis suggests that, for the country to hit anything like the 30,000 completions target in the government’s Housing for All strategy, building costs would have to fall by close to 40 percent. With rising energy costs recently sending material and labour costs spiralling out of control, this seems unlikely. Sure, the government can introduce tax reliefs for development to stall rising costs but putting them into reverse seems a very tall order. So, with cutting costs ruled out as an option, let’s turn instead to increasing house prices to get supply back on track. The real issue with the housing market isn’t housing prices, it’s housing affordability, which is not quite the same thing. What if we could raise prices in the housing market without reducing affordability? Although this sounds counterintuitive, there are ways to do it. One is to increase the effective income of house buyers through grants or tax reliefs. This is the thinking behind the First Home scheme. Yet, there is one other significant weapon to increase housing affordability: credit. Simply loosening the current Central Bank mortgage lending rules increases house prices and developer profits. In turn, it will likely increase the supply of new homes and housing affordability for many who previously couldn’t buy a home. This is because the Central Bank mortgage rules have locked out thousands of potential homeowners and trapped them in the rental market. This has driven monthly rents way above monthly mortgage repayments. By lifting the 3.5 times lending cap imposed by the Central Bank, three things are likely to happen: Housing affordability will rise as currently trapped renters move to a monthly mortgage; House prices will also rise as renters can now compete with investors for property; and Housing supply will increase as developers greenlight projects that didn’t make financial sense previously. Doesn’t that create a credit-fuelled housing bubble like we had in 2008? That seems unlikely for a couple of reasons. First, we already know people can afford to pay these mortgages as they pay considerably more monthly rent. Second, even if you completely removed the Central Bank limits, the barriers to getting a mortgage are still way higher than in 2008. The rules imposed on Irish banks by the European banking regulators post-2008 already prevented Irish banks from engaging in reckless lending. While it was understandable that the Central Bank would take a safety-first approach post-2008, it put the kibosh on many lower- and middle-income families owning their own homes, trapping them into paying spiralling rent, making them poorer and increasing social inequality. We should be glad to see the back of the 3.5 limit, property investors will welcome the increased purchasing power it creates in a time of rising interest rates, and the public will welcome the inevitable result: more homes being built. Mark Coan is Founder of online finance guide moneysherpa.ie. All views are those of the author. This article was first published on The FM Report.

Outdated content on your website can make your organisation seem out of touch to potential clients. Maryrose Lyons explains how your site can go from confusing to consistent As websites grow larger and more complex, they can become overwhelming and confusing for the site owner and visitors. Outdated or underperforming content can negatively impact search results and user experience. To avoid this, it's important to conduct regular site audits. A site audit is an analysis of the components that make a website visible on search engines. It aims to give the owner insight into the content on their site, what is being seen by their audience and how it’s being picked up by search engines. Auditing your organisation’s website can determine whether it's optimised to achieve your traffic goals, giving you a sense of how you can improve the site to reach those goals. More eyes on your website can translate to more clients. Step 1: Categorise posts Download a list of content titles currently on your site and categorise each one based on general categories, such as services, news, or careers. Then group each category by theme. Under services, for example, you could list audit, tax, or business advisory. Finally, find 24 unique themes under which you can categorise individual posts. This step is time-consuming, but necessary, in determining what is still relevant to the business. One theme could be ‘Budget 2010’, for example. Information you will find under this theme is no longer relevant to your business or your clients and so can be deleted. However, ‘Budget 2023’ should definitely stick around. Step 2: Evaluate engagement Use a search engine optimisation (SEO) tool to analyse organic search traffic and backlink profiles for each post. Take note of engagement levels to determine which posts generate traffic. Low traffic means you can delete that post. High traffic means that you should not only keep that post, but also possibly explore the same theme in future content. When we carried out our own site audit, it was interesting to see how the nature of the content had changed since 2007. Before the advent of social media, all of our short-form posts were published on our blog. Nowadays, many of these would be status updates on social channels. Step 3: Update and tidy up Once you have identified your high-performing content, read through it all to see what needs to be updated. This step ensures that valuable content remains current and relevant to users. Consistent content By conducting a site audit, your organisation will have a cleaner, leaner, and much more navigable website that offers clear and consistent content. Regular site audits help maintain a positive user experience and strong search engine rankings. Though the process can be tedious, it's well worth the effort. Maryrose Lyons is Founder of Brightspark Consulting Brightspark Consulting is offering a new course to teach leaders how to utilise AI to create a digital marketing plan and produce content. Find more information on ChatGPT training here.

While uncertainty over energy price shocks and supply continue to dominate the national conversation, there is also an opportunity for Ireland, writes Colm O’Neill The first documented energy crisis unfolded in the late 16th century when industrialised regions in Europe literally ran out of trees to burn. This caused enormous political and social upheaval but also generated tremendous opportunities for countries with the natural resources and ingenuity to capitalise on the transition. It was the start of the Industrial Revolution. Ireland’s green energy advantage Today, Ireland has everything required to become a global green energy powerhouse. Our position on the northwest corner of Europe offers some of the best available offshore wind resources. The strength of our skill base and our strong collaborative research community mean we also have the ingenuity to capitalise on it. Ireland has a large offshore wind generation capacity, so the potential is clear. If we act quickly and with purpose, Ireland could achieve energy independence and become a hub for energy-intensive industries and a net energy exporter.   But ours is not the only country in Europe with this potential. Scotland is investing heavily in its offshore wind resource, as is Portugal, which also has the additional benefit of significant solar capacity.  Time to act Although the benefits are long-term, decisive action is required now if Ireland is to grasp the opportunity. However, change is needed in three crucial areas: planning, regulation and gas infrastructure. Planning The energy transition will require spending billions of euro on constructing energy infrastructure on a scale never before seen in this State. However, despite An Bord Pleanála having a statutory timeframe to decide on applications for wind energy projects by June, the average time for a decision is over a year, and some projects have waited for more than two. This slow pace puts Ireland on the back foot when competing for international investment. The current review of the planning system in Ireland urgently needs to address this critical area. Regulatory change required Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) was established in 1999 to support the liberalisation of energy markets in Ireland as part of Europe’s first liberalisation directives. Implementing this was a challenging task: while there has been active customer participation and switching at the retail level, there has been less investment in new thermal generation capacity. The CRU’s mandate has expanded over time to include other utilities and energy safety, and the CRU now plays a central role in Ireland’s energy transition.  To reflect the scale and importance of this mandate, the CRU needs investment in resources, a review of governance structures and changes to the agency’s statutory mandate. These changes are vital if the regulator is to support Ireland’s development as a major European energy powerhouse, with this objective at the centre of their strategic agenda. Gas reliance Ironically, transitioning to a modern, low-carbon energy system requires lots of energy. And for many years, the generation of that energy will rely heavily on natural gas. Despite the undoubted potential of an array of ‘green gases’ from biomethane to hydrogen, the reality is that natural gas will need to be part of our energy system for decades to come. Energy policy must recognise this. We currently import around 75% of our natural gas demand through a pipeline from the UK. Any realistic strategy for energy independence must have a plan for reliable sourcing of natural gas while at the same time promoting investment in developing ‘green gases’. This includes building facilities to import liquified natural gas (LNG) and developing storage for natural gas locally. This can be done while also supporting exciting developments in hydrogen and biomethane that are already happening across Ireland. Gas of all types will be central to our energy system, and we need a plan and investment that delivers security in both the short and long term.  We need to be pragmatic The actions outlined above are very straightforward but far from easy. Progress is often sacrificed to idealism and dogma. We need to be pragmatic; we need to take calculated risks and accept that we may take action that may not deliver the perfect outcome immediately but will help us bridge to a greener energy future.   The benefits of acting now will be reaped in the coming decades, not the immediate months or years. This is a time for bold visionary decisions on the part of both investors and the government. These are multi-generational initiatives that need to be actioned today. The unfolding climate catastrophe won’t wait. The window of opportunity for Ireland to become a global energy transformation hub will close. To quote the Chinese proverb, “The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The second best is now.” Colm O’Neill is Head of Energy, Utilities & Telecoms at KPMG