TipTopJob Blog

There are plenty of cities that are frequently declared to be expat havens, offering a high quality of living and a vibrant international community to help new residents from all over the world feel at home. But if you’re a finance professional looking for your next step, there are other factors to bear in mind when you’re deciding where to relocate to.

As well as setting your sights on the world’s global financial centres, it’s important to look into the typical salaries on offer for finance professionals at your level in different locations. You may also wish to consider what personal income tax you’ll need to pay, and the economic stability of your potential new home.

For financiers just starting to research their options, here’s a look at some of the best cities in the world for people working in the finance industry.

Frankfurt
Often cited as the finance capital of Europe, Frankfurt is home to the heart of the European Central Bank and German Central Bank, as well as the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority. The city’s ‘House of Finance’ research and teaching institute is said to set new standards in researching capital market issues, and a number of banks looking to relocate from London as a result of Brexit have decided to move their teams to Frankfurt because of its status as a financial powerhouse.

Data from PayScale and SalaryExpert places Germany in the top 10 countries worldwide when it comes to average pay for both Finance Managers and Financial Analysts, while additional data suggests that expats living in Germany also have a higher level of disposable income than those in other finance hotspots like Singapore and Hong Kong.

Aside from the ease with which you could find a job in Frankfurt’s finance sector, it’s also a trendy and welcoming city with plenty of great food, drink and shopping potential, as well as historic sites and cultural activities to enjoy.

Singapore
Salaries for financiers living in Singapore are generous, and this city-state is also known for being a safe location and one with an excellent quality of life. Rated as the second best place in the world for expats by HSBC’s Expat Explorer survey, this is a politically and economically stable location where career opportunities mix perfectly with an expat-friendly environment.

In 2018, the number of jobs in financial services and fintech in Singapore grew by 6,900, with an additional 4,000 financiers being hired during 2019. Salaries are comfortable, though it’s worth noting that the cost of accommodation and services varies from district to district and can be high.

You may also need to take out a global healthcare policy to cover any medical expenses while living in Singapore, because only those who are permanent residents or citizens will have access to the public healthcare system. Even so, Singapore’s private healthcare system is of a world-class standard and is only slightly more expensive to access than the country’s public healthcare system.

English is the language of business, which makes settling in to a new role that little bit easier, and if you’re moving with children in tow you’ll be pleased to know that HSBC’s Expat Explorer ranked Singapore in first place for both schooling quality and childcare quality.

Hong Kong
Whether you work in brokerage, banking, wealth management or another area of finance, Hong Kong is a gateway to China that offers a rapidly growing market for finance roles. If you speak Cantonese you’ll be at an advantage, but there are also positions available for solely English-speaking expats.

Hong Kong is known for being busy and crowded, and the cost of living is high. However, it does also have some of the lowest personal income tax in the world – currently capped at a maximum tax rate of 17% of earnings. A colourful culture and lively nightlife are just a few of this region’s selling points, along with an excellent public transport system that means you won’t have to spend your salary on personal transport.

70 of the world’s 100 largest banks have operations in Hong Kong, making it one of the highest concentrations of banking institutions worldwide. HSBC’s Expat Explorer rates this location as the best in the world for expat career progression, and states that ‘most international workers tend to leave Hong Kong wealthier and more senior’ than when they arrived.

Dubai
One of the main attractions for many people moving to Dubai is the fact that there is no personal income tax. This is because government expenditure is funded by revenue from the oil industry, income tax, inheritance tax, stamp duty and capital gains tax, which are all considered unnecessary. On top of this, it’s easy to get by without speaking Arabic – though it is, of course, polite to try and learn the basics.

Dubai has been making considerable efforts in recent years to become the financial centre of the Middle East, and the Dubai International Finance Centre is a ‘special economic zone’ with its own legal and regulatory framework. Housing hundreds of financial institutions, from wealth funds and private investors to multinationals, the area offers a 50-year guarantee of zero taxes on corporate income and profits.

One thing that’s important to keep in mind if you’re considering Dubai for your next career move, is that this is a conservative location with deeply ingrained customs and laws that may be unfamiliar if you’re moving from the western world. Female expats in particular should thoroughly research the local culture before a move, as while Dubai is more liberal than other parts of the UAE, there are still requirements for women to dress modestly in public, among other things.

Tokyo
Japan is one of the world’s safest countries, and while there’s likely to be an element of culture shock settling in to a place as bright and bustling as Tokyo, this is another area offering a good quality of life and opportunities for career progression.

More than 50 foreign banks have operations in Japan, including Citibank, Deutsche Bank and JPMorgan Chase, and Tokyo is the centre of all things finance in the country. Described as a ‘key financial centre for the international market’ , Tokyo does have a high cost of living to accompany the high salaries you can expect to find here. However, you can still expect to have a reasonable level of disposable income.

When you aren’t working, you can spend your time between historic temples or modern shopping malls, or simply eat your way around the city’s many excellent restaurants and street food stands. Tokyo’s work-life balance isn’t quite as life-focused as that of other cosmopolitan cities, but as a destination that is more politically and economically stable than the UK and the USA, you may find life in Tokyo less stressful in many ways than life elsewhere.

Your specific finance role and whether you’re moving alone, with a partner or with family, will help to indicate the location that’s best for you. Wherever you decide to move to, the good news is that there are plenty of cities around the world which can simultaneously offer you good career opportunities, a high standard of living, and room to develop both personally and professionally.

Our latest findings reveal that most jobseekers go shopping and buy a whole brand new outfit before they go for an interview. 

40% of respondents say that they would go to the shops in order to purchase everything new. 24% go out to buy a few new things. Interestingly, 36% reuse their wardrobe.

Some people re-using their wardrobe may have already bought a new outfit for recent previous interviews therefore not needing to buy everything brand new. Some may already be smart in their day to day life so have suitable and appropriate clothing anyway.

First impressions count and by turning up looking the part, you will be off to a better start than if you turn up in scruffy jeans and a cap. If that requires a visit to the shops, then so be it - you will not regret it!

We are investigating the reason why you may want to leave your job and if it is because of the boss! Here are our latest findings...

40% of people want to leave their job because of their boss. 16% of these do not agree with how he/she works, 15% do not like him/her and 9% say their boss bullies/harasses staff. 

60% of the respondents like their boss and are not considering leaving their job.

If you were one of the users that responded within this 40%, let us know what it is exactly that you do not like about them or what you do not agree with? How are you handling your situation? Sharing your own personal stories and letting others know may help and support others who are struggling and finding working life difficult. 

Have you ever lied on your CV? 

We are pleased to say that in our latest study, an amazing 86% of people have NEVER lied on their CV. Obviously, we wanted to see 100% as the result but it is apparent that some individuals feel the need to change their profiles/history etc in order to find themselves a new job.

6% said that they had told a big lie on their CV and 8% just a small white lie. Unfortunately, even though it is a small percentage, there are still some that feel they need to make such changes in their CV.

So, what, we would like to know are people lying about? It is their age? How long they were employed for? If they took a break? Job titles? Education history? References? 

Advice at TipTopJob is not to lie. Is the risk worth it? If you get found out it will definitely cost you the job! If there is something you feel you need to explain, then explain it to the employer/recruiter so you are open and honest as this will be received much better than a potential lie.

What are your thoughts on this? We would love to hear.....

Which CV layout is suitable for you?

Author: CV Knowhow, CV writing experts in CV Writing 

It’s a big enough decision to start thinking about putting together a CV. It could be the first time you’ve ever had to create such a document, or it might be years since you’ve had to apply for a job, so where do you start? A quick look online can bring up a huge variety of examples: different layouts; different sections; some with colour, and some without; and you never knew there were so many font styles to choose from! 

But which one is right for you? 

The point of a CV is to provide a prospective employer with just the right amount of information about your skills and qualities, in an easily accessible way, to make them want to find out more about you. From the first few seconds of reading your CV they will be able to either see you working with them or not. So, it is crucial to choose the right CV design which best reflects what you have to offer. 

There are 5 main styles of CV:

Resume

This is a single page CV, mostly used in the USA and Canada, and you would adopt this style if you are looking to apply for roles in either of those 2 countries. Its focus is on your skills and achievements within jobs and education, and, because of the space restrictions, being concise is absolutely the key to success here – every word counts. There is no room to include anything that is not totally relevant to the job role you are applying for, and so you must have a solid understanding of the skills and experience required to fully tailor your CV. This style of CV is also used for some jobs within the Financial sector – check with the employer if they require this style, if it’s not made explicit in the job advert or application guidelines. 

Skills Based CV

The clue is in the name! This CV prioritises your skills before listing your work experience or academic achievements. You provide a list of skills as headings, once again remembering the golden rule of targeting them to the requirements of the role you are applying for, and then give evidence, written in bullet points, of when you have used that skill, For example: 

Team Work: 
•Worked in a small team whilst employed at Fred’s Diner, supporting colleagues through flexible working and sharing best practice. 
•Achieved first place in a debating competition, working with fellow team members to develop a successful group strategy. 
•Supported fellow students whilst creating an IT presentation, sharing ideas and enabling others to express themselves coherently and concisely, resulting in achieving a group mark of 92%. 

The variety of examples here, taken from work and education, give an added depth to the CV. This style of CV is useful if you have undertaken a number of short term jobs and have generated a lot of work history within a small space of time, helping to package your information in a much clearer way. This is also the ideal CV style for career changers or those with a limited amount of work history, but other, equally valuable, experience from elsewhere, such as voluntary work – the evidence you provide to support the skill can come from anywhere! 

Chronological CV

This is a nice, ordered layout – taking an employer through your employment / academic history from the present day all the way back, reversing the chronological order. Usually, you would only provide information on the last 10 years of your work history – however, this rule isn’t set in stone, and it would depend on how much work experience you had accumulated and the value of what you have done in relation to what you now want to go on to do –remember to target the CV to the role requirements! This CV works wonderfully if you have a clear employment history within the same sector, and you are quite happy to stay in that same area, providing an obvious pattern of progression and achievement. 

Hybrid CV

This is a little more complicated, but is, actually, one of the main styles of CVs used. It has a foot in both camps, taking elements from the skills based and the chronological formats, spinning them together to create something new and very effective. This style of CV would have a Key Skills or Key Competencies section and / or a Key Achievements section, highlighting the targeted skills required by the employer or sector. Following these sections would be the chronological elements of work history and education. This is a particularly good style for highlighting, very concisely, those key targeted skills - use the job description and person specification to help you focus on the right vocabulary, reflecting the employer’s expressions within your CV. A small word of warning, though: take care not to add too many of these sections in: you don’t want it too complicated or run the risk of repeating yourself in the chronological sections. 

Academic / Medical CV

This is the only style of CV where size does not matter! There is no prescribed length for an academic CV – unlike the Skills based, Chronological and Hybrid, which usually can be no longer than3 pages. However, all the information still has to be relevant and concisely expressed – it is not a cart blanche to tell them every detail about your life! As it suggests, this style of CV is used by medics / post-doctoral students or academics looking to work within research or teaching at academic institutions. It allows you to include sections on research work; teaching experience; and publications. 

A final thought ………

So, knowing more about the different types of CV you can use should make it easier to pick the style most suited to your needs! Just remember, though, that you are not alone – help is always available at CVknowhow, where our consultants can advise on style as well as content. If you are wondering if your CV is right for you, submit for a free CV review here.

Latest research tells us that over three quarters of employees work hard to impress their boss.

Everyone strives to please and there is no exception to relationships at work. One of the most important people in life to impress is your boss - they are the ones you have to perform well for, the one who promotes you, agrees to pay rises, does not sack you etc

We are pleased to reveal that sucking up to the boss does not come anywhere near for most.

Among the other options were.... befriending them, avoiding stress, arriving early, helping colleagues.

Did we miss any other ways you strive to impress your boss? Tell us below...

Writing a CV that will sell you to a potential employer can seem like an overwhelming task – summarising your entire life on two pages, whilst blowing your own trumpet but not sounding arrogant can be a challenge. But fear not! CV Knowhow have put together their ten top tips to bear in mind when writing a CV. You’ll soon have an enviable CV that will support your job search, give you confidence and enable you to take the next step in your career. 

1. Start with your contact details 
It’s amazing how many people omit this basic information! You could have the best CV in the world, but if a recruiter can’t get in touch to call you for an interview there was no point in writing it at all. Include your town and postcode, telephone numbers (landline and mobile) and email address. You should also consider adding a link to your LinkedIn profile, so that the recruiter can look at your online presence to find out more about you (and hopefully notice all the endorsements and recommendations you no doubt have!). 

2. Write in reverse-chronological order 
To make a great first impression, your most relevant skills, responsibilities and achievements need to be the first thing a recruiter reads. Structure your career history so that your most recent job is at the top and goes further back in time as you progress down the CV. The same rule applies to your education section. There’s no point starting your CV with qualifications you gained 20 years ago, if you can wow the recruiter with recent success in your chosen career. 

3. Target the CV to a specific role or industry 
A powerful CV is always focused on a specific job. If you try to cover all bases, you’ll end up looking like a Jack of all trades and master of none. If you’re targeting a few different roles, then unfortunately that means tailoring your CV to each one. If you have a person specification for the job, cross-reference your CV with the specification to ensure you’ve demonstrated how you meet their requirements exactly. 

4. Write in the third person 
A CV written in the first person (I, me, etc.) comes across as quite basic. It’s also quite repetitive to use “I” on every other line. To look more professional, try to write in the third person. Not only is this best practice when writing a CV, it keeps the CV impersonal and enables the recruiter to focus on what you’d bring to the business. 

To read the full article, please CLICK HERE >>>>>

We are pleased to share some great progress this January so far. If you know anyone looking for a job, then please do share TipTopJob with them. It is a great time to register, search and apply for new jobs all over the UK. Click on the image to register on the site.

Welcome to some of the newest advertisers using TipTopJob. You can click through to their company information along with their registered jobs by clicking on their name below........

Noble Recruiting
Hales Group
Amida
Homegrown Recruitment
AXAMO Recruitment
Elite Audit
Forsyth Barnes
Accountancy Recruitment Wales
Bridgewater Resourcing Solutions Limited
Rise Executive Search & Recruitment Ltd
V8 Talent
Creek Recruit
Infinity Quest
Copperfield Recruitment
JGA Recruitment Group
AzTecks
ecruit
Independent Clinical Services
Kare Plus Wolverhampton
Kare Plus Bristol
Kare Plus Bromley
Kare Plus Durham

Happy New Year and welcome to 2018!

We hope everyone had a restful Christmas break and enjoyed celebrating the New Year in. Now we are back to our daily routine and normality again, we hope you are as motivated as we are here at TipTopJob.

Our latest survey asked jobseekers if they wait until January to make a fresh start in their effort to find a new job and we found that almost 70% of people do indeed wait! We are all aware that December is a slow month for recruitment with limited companies recruiting. January definitely demonstrates a busy month where many more jobs are advertised by companies and further more jobseekers ready to find their new role.

So, given that we are now on the 5th January, have you made the effort to update your CV / Resume and upload it onto the job boards you are using? If not, it is most definitely time. Click here to visit the page to login and upload your CV / Resume today. It is also worth setting up fresh EMAIL ALERTS in your account so that when any jobs that match what you are looking for are registered, we can email you directly into your inbox! Make sure you are using all the available services on offer and if you are unsure about anything, then please do get in touch.

If you want to see any specific survey questions being asked and research looked into, please do email us on marketing@tiptopjob.com.

We hope you have a successful 2018!