#015: Monday Memo: Where we’re going wrong with the next generation of finance professionals

A few years ago I was asked to sit on a panel assessing internal applicants to a graduate finance training program and what I found was concerning for their future success and their ability to fully reach their potential. I deconstructed the successful submissions in a Wordcloud like the one above and found the most common word used was ‘Skills,’ 47 times (followed by ‘Knowledge,’ 38) with the phrase ‘leadership skills’ being the most common one appearing on no less than 17 occasions. This concerned me because a disproportionate emphasis was being placed on acquiring Skills & Knowledge, even though the main type of skill being sought was Leadership, something that’s only really developed through ‘Experience’ (which itself hardly registers in the wordcloud analysis, if you struggle to see it, it’s just to the left of knowledge). So in this video I ask where are we going wrong with the next generation of finance professionals and what we can do about it. If you enjoyed this episode then to find the resources mentioned check out sitnshow.com/podcast/015