22 Sep 2009
Commercial Awareness
Commercial awareness means the ability to make decisions based on how the business works financially for its stakeholders. It is a vital skill to master in order to make sound decisions at work by taking relevant factors into account.
It is essential to demonstrate commercial awareness for many roles. The University of Manchester Careers blog states that feedback from employers on how graduates perform at interview indicates that lack of commercial awareness is often cited as the biggest weakness. Throughout your career this is a key skill to maintain and develop.
These resources can help you to develop your commercial awareness:
This website is designed to help you to raise your commercial awareness: http://www.thegatewayonline.com/
The ACCA is the global body for professional accountants. Recently they have created a series of podcasts on commercial awareness that have relevance to individuals within many sectors: http://www.accaglobal.com/graduates/
The University of London also runs a workshop on Commercial Awareness which can be held as an in-company course or individuals can attend in our central London offices. Contact c2@careers.lon.ac.uk