How to stay aware of career opportunities in Malta

If you want to change roles or move ahead in your career then you need to start keeping an eye on the job market for every opportunity that crops up.

It’s not easy to stay on top of every single vacancy for the position you want to pursue, so having a smart strategy in place which helps you stay aware of interesting career opportunities in Malta, and overseas too, can be a life-saver.

You always have a job - even when you’re in between jobs

Even if you don’t have an office to go to, the process of identifying and selecting promising career opportunities should be enough to take more than a fair amount of time and energy.

There’s a lot more you can do besides passively browsing the classifieds section in the papers or checking the latest job listings online. As a savvy job-seeker, you need to learn how to actively network and market your way to that final interview and handshake.

4 steps to become more aware of the job opportunities around you

1. Stay on top of the latest opportunities: follow recruitment agencies online and more

Many top companies nowadays entrust a recruitment agency such as Muovo to list and advertise new career opportunities within their ranks. It makes sense therefore to follow reputed recruitment agencies on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and any other social media channel they use to promote new jobs. We don’t like to blow our own trumpet, however, our partnership with GI Group links us to opportunities around the globe unavailable to every other recruitment firm, so this fact bears thinking about.

Use every opportunity available to connect with highly regarded recruitment agencies and make sure to check regularly for updates, news and advice that can help you find your dream job more quickly.

2. Make sure they have your name on speed dial when a vacancy comes up

If you’re looking for a new job, obscurity is the biggest challenge you have to overcome. Not only don’t the recruitment agencies know anything about you yet, there’s a whole crowd of candidates who want to be in the same position like you that you have to stand out from to get their attention first.

Advertise yourself to the recruitment agencies. Send them emails with your cover letters and CV. When they answer you back, send them a thank-you email and a note letting them know you’ll be in touch again soon. Do it. Tell them where you’re at in your job search, what new skills or competencies you’ve acquired in the meantime and any relevant personal work you’re doing in the meantime.

Do it so often that when a job position similar to the one you’re looking for lands in their inbox, your name will be the first to flash through their minds. Don’t be too embarrassed about it, your dream job is at stake here!

3. Put your career opportunity search on auto-pilot

As we mentioned earlier, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all the information you’ll need to sift through in order to extract the nugget of gold that’s a vacancy which seems to have been written just for you.

Besides keeping track of your contacts and progress with a simple notebook and pen, learn how to harness technology for your benefit. Use an RSS news-reader app like Feedly, which automatically picks up new job vacancies as they’re published from an online feed and makes it easier for you to read and save them from mobile devices.

Remember that Facebook does not always shows you posts from the pages you like on your news feed. Instead of visiting the FB page of each recruitment agency individually, create an interest list where you save all the agency pages you like and read their posts on one page.

4 .Your new job is out there - Go out and find it!

Finally, go out and meet the people working at a recruitment agency in person. Woody Allen once said that 80% of success is simply showing up. So go ahead and pop by a recruitment agency to let them know you’re there.

By doing so not only will you effectively be offering recruiters the chance to informally interview you while you’re there asking questions about your job search and presenting your qualities as a candidate, you might also drop by the office just in time to learn about the the hottest new career opportunities before anybody else.

Be ready when a career opportunity comes knocking

Looking for a career is a serious job. If you tackle it diligently and strategically then there’s no reason why it should take longer than necessary.

Armed with all the new connections you made during your job search and the information you learnt while searching your industry and job title, you might actually find that you’ve become a more valuable candidate on the job market.

It all begins with step one. Follow the right recruitment agencies and start moving along the career path that will lead you to the corner office someday.

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Ensuring you succeed: Tips on advancing your insurance career

Ensuring you succeed: Tips on advancing your insurance career

The insurance industry is a diverse one which offers room for growth, education and a invaluable work experience. Home to wide variety of jobs such as claims handling, risk management, investment, pensions management, sales, research.. there might very well be a position that’s fit for you. The exciting part of working in insurance lies in its wealth of opportunity, allowing for employees to quickly find a niche in which to succeed.

Insurance career opportunities in Malta are plentiful. There are several established companies available, with some well-known agencies offering a great working environment for you to begin your career journey. These include: Atlas Insurance PCC, Middlesea, GasanMamo, Citadel Insurance Plc., Laferla Insurance, Elmo Insurance, Bonnici Insurance, Allcare insurance ltd., Malta Insurance Association.

Just like in other service industries, to get started you will need a University degree; however the nature of your studies will vary according to the position sought for. Speak to us and we can help you out with making this choice. The less technical traits an applicant will have to provide include good communication skills, good people skills, flexibility and the ability to adapt to different situations.

General day-to-day tasks include:

• The selling of policies or merchandise through presenting , influencing and ultimately convincing potential clients.
• Establishing and Maintaining relationships with customers, thus developing good relationships from the initial point of contact and sustain these relationships over time.
• Provide expert advice and consultation based on analysation and assessment of the situation at hand.

It just so happens that after some time, doing the same job get tedious and boring, you begin to form new goals and seek more responsibility, a better pay or a more prestigious role. You want a promotion; don’t wait for it to fall into your lap.

Follow these tips to help you reach that new position:

1. Seek the right job for you. When tasks are related to your personal strengths the quality of the work will exceed expectations, excellent performance is necessary for getting a promotion, as are qualities such as punctuality, prudency and enthusiasm.
2. Keep in contact with your supervisor. Having a good relationship with your superior will help you identify your task more clearly thus enhancing your performance by getting it right the first time and also ensures that he is made aware of your efforts. Going the extra mile may seem useless if the people that matter don’t realise it.
3. Be a good team player. Being liked by your co-workers is just as important as being liked by your boss especially if your aim is to be promoted to a supervising role. So lend a helping hand, socialise in the staff room and attend company events.
4. Make your employer aware of your goals. It is important that the right people know that you’re interested in a higher position though ensure to word it correctly as of not to come across as being fed up with your current work.
5. Find a mentor. Seeking career guidance from a superior will serve to not only improve your performance but also to form a bond with a person of importance. A strong relationship with someone above you could open many doors for you in the future.

Working in the insurance field is one endeavour worth looking into, so get in contact with us and let us find a perfect role for you. The sooner you start your journey the sooner you’ll get to the top.

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Banking Career Options

Malta has truly established itself as a reputable international banking centre in the Mediterranean region. This thriving industry is broad and complex, thus career paths in banking are plentiful. These are some of the main areas of employment the field has to offer:

Financial Analysts: 

They advise the bank on the investments which take place. This job entails long hours sitting at a desk yet the rewards make it all worth while. It includes the purchasing of assets, trade securities and offering financial assistance. Financial Analysts are generally required to have a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in subjects such as accounting, finance, statistics or economics.

Call Centre:

This job entails answering phones and dealing with international clients; mainly dealing with their daily issues,answering queries and upselling services.

Customer Care:

These employees may be at the front desk or over the phone. They are in charge of processing transactions, selling products and answering questions customers may have. Strong customer service skills are required for such a position though on-the-job training is given after employment.

Financial real estate adviser:

A very interesting and diverse field to enter, jobs in this sector include mortgage brokering, leasing and insurance. This job does come with its daily challenges however is one of the most rewarding of all banking positions.

Financial Manager:

The financial manager reviews financial reports, budgets and carries out auditing of an organisation’s profit and losses. Supervision of accountants and financial analysts may also fall under the daily tasks. Such a role requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree in finance and years of experience working in other financial positions.

Financial Planners:

This job is focused on helping customers or the actual company plan their future. The work is driven towards creating value for the company and ultimately growth of the company. It is said to be a stressful job with substantial rewards when reaching long term goals. The job requires the understanding of estate planning issues, investments and taxes as well as strong interpersonal skills.

Digital Banking:

This position entails the handling of online transactions done through mobile apps or the web. The digital system aims to make transactions more efficient and make customers’ lives easier so a strong I.T. background is of prime importance.

Be it working with people or working with numbers, it’s quite likely there is a position in banking perfect for you. Banking professionals are given great opportunities and room to grow in the establishment.  Get in touch with us and start your career journey in banking.

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Living & Working in Qatar: Here's what you should know

The Sovereign Arab state of Qatar is known to be one of the most preferred destinations for people from all over the world due to its 5-star lifestyle. Home to an enormous reserve of oil and gas, it has an incredibly fast growing economy. In fact, Qatar was granted the title of the World's Richest Country of 2013 by Forbes.

Note to nurses & physiotherapists: we have a number of exciting opportunities to work in the thriving health industry in Qatar, with very attractive salary & benefits: learn more here and here. Interested? Get in touch.

However, travelling to such a destination may prove to be a drastic change from what you are used to here in Europe. So here are a few noteworthy details to help you prepare for such an opportunity.

Visas

• Family Visas are only available to those earning a minimum of 10,000QR approximately 2257E.
• A residence Visa takes about 2-6 weeks to apply for and is valid for 6months to 2 years.
• Once you have acquired your Visa you must then obtain a residence permit within a week.
• This process includes fingerprinting and medical tests checking for HIV, Tuberculosis and the like.
• A couple are forbidden to live under the same roof unless married.

Transport

• Drivers with a valid license from any country are permitted to drive a rented car for up to a week.
• An international License will grant you permission to drive legally for 6 months.
• You may apply for a Temporary License which allows for you to drive legally until you residence permit is processed.
• There is a 0% tolerance for drunk driving.

Cost of Living

• Whilst salaries are impressive and petrol is super cheap, cost of living may prove to be quite steep depending on your lifestyle habits.
• Labour costs are quite cheap in fact its very common for one to have a live-in cleaner.
• 90% of food is imported from countries such as Lebanon and Turkey which means that everyday goods are more expensive than what we're used to as well as the fact that fresh fruit and vegetables are hard to come by.
• The cost of entertainment rose by 8.7% this year.
• In terms of accommodation, the average 4 bedroom Villa goes for about 13,000 QR (2914E)a month; whilst a 2 bedroom apartment in West Bay or the Pearl costs around 12,000QR (2690E) a month.
• Pork may be found in shops but is strictly for home use only.
• Alcohol may be purchased and consumed in one's home provided that the person is in possession of an alcohol license.

Women's Rights

• Women can drive in Qatar as long as you meet their requirements,
• They can also work, providing that they have a women's work permit,
• They are free to wear whatever you like as long as you chest, shoulders and knees are covered.

Health Care

• Qatar has an extremely well resourced health care system which offers free emergency treatment to all citizens and residents in possession of a government-issued health card. 
• This card can only be applied for once your residence visa has been processed so many people opt for private healthcare.
• The government is however planning to introduce universal health insurance by the end 2015, meaning that every employer would provide its employees with health insurance
• Further to this, the inhabitants of Qatar are generally very warm and welcoming, they are said to be friendly and very willing to help new visitors. If you are looking to enhance your career satisfaction and advance in your field a move to Qatar is a move in the right direction.

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Kickstart Your Finance Career

Malta’s finance industry is booming; it has truly become a hub of opportunity. Naturally, local students are continually and increasingly turning to the field of economic services as an aspired career path. Fresh minds are a dime a dozen in this line of business which means standing out from the crowd is an extremely difficult task to master.

Some expert advice can go a long way in helping you put your best foot forward and ultimately landing that dream job.

Take it from the top, kick start your job search then follow through with a first-rate application to start you off on the right foot.

• Draw up some internal reports. Sit yourself down and have a good think about you goals and career aspirations. Locate where you are, where you want to be, and most importantly WHY you want to be there. Know the reasons behind your targets in order to catch sight of the light at the end of the tunnel.
• Research. Find out which companies do what you want to do, create a target list of organisations and do you homework. Find out their missions, values, competitors as well as their financial history. Use social media to help; follow your role model on Twitter and gain first hand insight on his/her daily tasks.
• Get help. Now that you know your targets you need connections to the industry. Seek help from professionals who can serve as the missing link to your chain and help get the ball rolling.

 Once you have a game plan you will need to update and fine tune your resume and covering letter. This is your first chance to make a good impression so dedicate a significant amount of time to its content and presentation.

Bear in mind that the goal of your application is to land an interview with the employer thus, tailor your resume to this particular occupation.

Here are some useful tips to guide you through this process:

Your Covering Letter, keep it simple:

• your contact information,
• the position you are applying for
• how you heard of the vacancy
• link your experience and credentials to those sought for by the recruiter

In terms of presentation your covering letter must be as readable as possible.  The employer skims through job applications for hours on end, make yours an easy read, by :

• leaving spaces between one paragraph and another
• use a basic font such as Times New Roman and Arial
• make use of line spacing
• keep to a constant format

Your Resume

Format should match that of your covering letter. Add a summary statement at the top of your resume highlighting why you are perfect for the job. Once again make it as digestible as possible;

• allow breathing room
• stick to the same font and size
• keep bullets under 2 lines
• use digits when writing about numbers
• align your dates and locations to the right
• make it as easy as possible for the recruiter to get to the most important and relevant information

And certainly, proof read, proof read, proof read. Read your application out loud to hear what it sounds like, then get an outsider's perspective on your writing. If no one is around resort to resources such as http://www.hemingwayapp.com/ which can act as a proof reader for you.

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Interview: What does the job of an accountant involve?

The financial services industry in Malta is one of the most stable and fast growing local industries which job seekers could tap into.

To give you a clearer picture of the available opportunities out there, for the next weeks we will be publishing a series of interviews with professionals who live and breathe these roles. 

Our first guest is Mr. Clint Abela, an accountant by profession who is on his way to becoming a CPA (Chartered Public Accountant). Mr. Abela was kind enough to answer some of our questions that will help you understand what it’s really like to work in an accounting firm. 

What is your job title and what industry do you work in? How many years of experience do you have in this field? 

I am an Accounts Supervisor at a specialised firm providing accounting & auditing services to companies across a range of industries. I have been in this role for the last 4 years.

Where/What did you study? Are you considering getting more qualifications?  What would these be and are they essential?

The role of qualifications in this career is essential as they prove you have a strong sense of focus, which is crucial for an Accountant position, where attention to detail is key. Personally I was exposed to the subject matter early on in secondary school. The subject appealed to me. To specialise,  I continued on to MCAST to complete the 3 year Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) course, which gave me a great headstart into the industry. After a while at the company, I decided to start following the ACCA examination pathway to become even more qualified. This is great because I can do it on a part-time basis and still continue working. My final exam is this December, after which I would consider continuing to focus on more specialised areas of accounting, such as accounting investigations.

How Did You Get Your Current Role? Where did you see the vacancy? 

I am currently a Supervisor, a promotion I received based on my commitment for advancing in my skills and knowledge, and through the passing of industry exams. I originally started at the firm through word of mouth - there wasn't a specific vacancy available but I met them and having my CV on file allowed the company to call me up when they needed to expand. So it helps to be aware of the industry and to try and make connections with people who can introduce you to these companies. 

[Editor's Note: If you're looking for an Accounting position in Malta, our team can put you in touch with accounting companies. Contact us to see how we can help you.]

What are your advancement options? What do you want to achieve? 

The natural next step is to become a fully qualified accountant and possibly try and obtain some auditing experience as well.  At least a full year of auditing experience is required before you can start signing off company audits, which is a position of higher responsibility I aspire to. There is also always the option of working abroad and gaining experience with a foreign company.  

What Does Your Current Role Involve? What does your day look like?

It’s quite varied but includes making sure that the accounts department runs smoothly, carrying out higher level accounts routines, including the financial control of the firm’s finances and cash flows. I supervise and manage a team of 5 people helping the audit team on any accounting problems encountered in their audit and preparing payroll for the various clients of our company. 

What does the work environment look like? Do you work in a team or on your own? Do you regularly meet clients? 

We work very closely as a team - we think that each task can be done by more than one person so that work never stops and can be done in time. i do meet with clients - most of the time because work would need to be done from their premises. Sometimes we have queries on the work that needs to be done and therefore i arrange a meeting with them to discuss any difficulties. However matters regarding the engagement of a new client and how work will be done would be discussed by the partners.

What appeals to you about Your job? What's your favourite aspect?

The variety of industries we work with. Since I am not an internal accountant but work in a firm that provides this service, we come into contact with a lot of different scenarios: one day you could be working on a hotel business and the other with a shipping and logistics company. Before I started in my current job, I had little knowledge of these industries and now like that it is a dynamic working environment that changes all the time and – if you are able to prove yourself – offers great prospects for the future

What are the career opportunities like for accountants on the Maltese Islands? 

Luckily Malta is a great place for accountants since there are loads of job opportunities and there are lots of financial services companies in Malta. With so many betting and gaming companies coming to Malta the need for accountants is increasing. The only downside to keep in mind is that the same job abroad technically pays more, but Malta makes up for it because of its reasonable level of living expenses. 

What Qualities Do You Need to Succeed? What skills, technical and non-technical, are essential to succeed? 

Due to the quality of the work needed and the information one sees the person would be need to be highly ethical and be able to keep such information confidential. I also think you need to be open-minded and be capable of seeing the whole picture. By this, I mean you need to look at information and know exactly where it fits in the client’s processes. Other traits that help include professionalism (the way you behave); confidentiality; professional competence (having the knowledge to do the job); integrity and objectivity.

Are you interested in accountant jobs? Search the latest available opportunities on our website.

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How To Become a Software Development Team Leader

Great, you've become a software engineer, honed your technical and non-technical skills, understood the ICT industry in Malta and the companies that are hiring software developers in Malta, but do you know how to progress further? For many, taking the next step means leading a team of other software developers, but that requires a certain mindset. So we wondered: what are the common traits that people attribute to software development team leaders?

• Focus. A great team manager must be hyper-aware of the goals that the entire team must achieve, while working to make sure every member's individual aims are aligned to that overall group effort. A deep understanding of the client or project will go a long way to make sure the solution built is in line with the most important requirements, and that scope creep is avoided! 

• Initiative. Anyone involved in leadership must naturally take charge. If you want to manage a team, you need to be able to take quick decisions without consulting anyone else, or explore possible avenues which have not been considered yet. A developer who takes initiative and makes suggestions has a high chance of being a team leader further down the line. 

• Supportive. A competent manager is all about enabling the team. As a team lead, you understand that you cannot solve problems in a vacuum, so you need to develop your people by guiding and coaching them to grow and improve, and constantly create new synergies with other teams. Always take time off to speak to individual team members and understand what they're struggling with, and notice what they really perform well at so you can delegate future tasks of that type to them. Another style of supportive team management that works is regular "huddle" meetings: these are short (15 minutes or less), regular (daily or almost), and let team members update each other on progress. 

• Leadership. Many people forget that leadership is not just about assertiveness. Your true value will lie in how well you work with others. Work on your communication skills: you need to excel at breaking down complex concepts into actionable instructions so that they are understandable by both technical and business users. This is a skill that gets you to become a go-to person in those important projects. It would also be helpful to work on your confidence, as leaders cannot afford to lose control of their own teams. One technique that almost always works when your team seems to be losing confidence is to challenge them!

• Creativity. Do not limit yourself to the approaches, technologies and methodologies that are familiar to you and your team. If you show the ability to think creatively from your early days, your rise to leadership will be faster and you will be more effective in the role. Constantly research new technologies, and focus on the needs you're helping to solve, rather than the nitty-gritty of project spec sheets. This will allow you to go beyond arbitrary limits and truly challenge the limitations of your team. 

• Milestone-driven. In an ideal world, we would be able to create projects on our time. However within a highly competitive industry, team leaders are expected to deliver and respect agreed time frames and budgetary constraints. With increased responsibility, you will be directly accountable to clients and managers.. One way to accomplish this is to develop a deliverables mentality and culture. For example, you can start ending your emails with what you expect to accomplish and what others need to accomplish so that expectations are met. You might also look into implementing project management methodologies that have been popularized by hugely successful teams at companies like Google - for instance, using OKRs to make sure all the team is in sync. 

•  Vision. Finally, you should be the one who looks beyond the next few months and who comes up with ideas that are challenging and exciting. While being realistic is paramount, you could be the next leader to push the boundaries and accomplish more than what is expected.  Having a vision is not enough, however. You also require clarity. Deeply understand your team's medium to long term goals and communicate them to everyone around you. Turn your work from a job into a mission, and you will motivate others and inspire them to act by following your lead. 

Combining all these traits together with your experience and know how will make you an invaluable asset to any project. Remember to never stop learning, even if you make it: all great leaders have mentors of their own.

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