Vanessa

Live. Learn. Earn with KPMG

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Want to work in a corporate business but undecided about whether going to university is really for you?

KPMG have some great School and College Leaver opportunities now available.

Read Anna’s story to find out more about her KPMG journey so far.

Anna

Throughout my last two years of school my life revolved around getting ready to go to university. It was what I had planned my whole life and worked endlessly for. I sent my application, received offers, accepted my offer and sorted out accommodation.

Yet, it’s been nearly a year since I accepted my offer and I’m sitting in a KPMG office having never stepped inside a lecture hall, and I couldn’t be happier.

So why the big change?

Once my application to university was sent and my offer was accepted I finally had time to think. I realised something – I really disliked constantly writing essays and learning practical skills out of a textbook. So I started researching different options, looking to see if there was any way I could still be an accountant but without a degree. Many firms offer this route but none of them jumped out to me. None of them allowed me to have a full rounded experience of Tax, Audit and Advisory. I accepted I’d have to endure more constant text book reading… and then on that same day I received an e-mail from KPMG promoting their new KPMG360° programme.

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Some might say fate, some might just say lucky timing but whatever it was I knew it was a sign. I clicked on the link for more information and realised this was the apprenticeship for me. It would allow me to have a full rounded experience of all the services KPMG had to offer and gain knowledge in a wide variety of different areas in accounting. I knew, with this apprenticeship, it wouldn’t matter I didn’t have a degree later on in life because instead I’d have 3 years of on the job experience, in which I’d learn how to communicate with the type of clients that the ‘Big 4’ attract. Then by the end of the apprenticeship I’ll have 6 years’ experience of work and be a qualified accountant and ready to be promoted to Assistant Manager.

I’ve now been on the apprenticeship for two months and I’ve never been so pleased I diverted from the path I thought was so perfect for me. In just two months I’ve sat-in on client calls, drafted e-mails for clients and met some of the most welcoming people. I’m continually given challenging work in order to make a positive contribution to my team and learning new technical knowledge every day. During my induction week I was equipped with all the information I needed to feel comfortable going into my first day in the office, for example knowing what to wear, how to be professional in the work place and how to use the phone and laptop provided to me. During this week I also had the opportunity to network with colleagues from across the U.K.

Despite only being two months in to the job I know I made the right choice and there’s not been a day I regret withdrawing my university offer.

Anna Brown – Glasgow office KPMG360° apprentice.

To find out more about the school leaver and graduate opportunities at KPMG Click here

Audit Programme for School Leavers

 

The Perfect Cat Eye & Lipstains

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Make-up Artist Denise Campbell is back this month giving us her tips and tricks to get us on fleek! This week she shares how to get the perfect cat eye and an alternative to lipgloss and lipstick: Lipstains.

Soft Cat Eye

soft cat eye
The cat eyeliner is extremely fashionable right now and flatters most eye shapes. This classic look gives beautifully defined eyes and can be mastered several ways by using Pen Liner, Gel Liner or Liquid Liner. Even for the most experienced ‘Liquid Eyeliner’ can be a messy affair. Gel Liner allows a lot more control but leaves you with that liquid liner look and ‘Pen’ Liner affords stability and ease. Black is my colour of choice as it gives an intense look. But there are many other colours to choose from, so indulge!

cat eye

When applying Eyeliner a great tip is to – Close your eye and pull the skin taut, as it gives an even surface which is easier to line. To create the ‘Wings’ make a triangle by starting from the outside and work inwards. Practise, practise with all types, styles and angled brushes. Do whatever works for you. To get that more awake look, only add liner to the top lid to draw the attention to the top lid. By applying to the lower lid on tired eyes attention will be pulled to your dark circles.

Lip Stains

Lip Stain Mac
It is the season for lip stain. Lipsticks, glosses and lip balms it’s been nice but let’s hear it for the stain! Lipstick’s are mainly wax and oil based, whereas Stains are mostly water or gel with added henna to help the stain stay on longer. Be warned though that these can really stain your lips, but on the other hand you don’t have to wear a heavy lipstick, it lasts for hours and is a natural boost to your lip colour. When applying stain try adding a thin layer of lip balm for moisture as they can be drying.

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Try Max Factor Lipfinity Lasting Lip Tint, Mac Lip Stain, Smashbox Limitless Lip Stain.

Follow Denise on Twitter @BeautyanBeats

Join our Girls Talk London squad!!!

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Become a Girls Talk London Ambassador

Are you a savvy social media expert and self-confessed snapchat, twitter or Instagram addict?

Are you a fashionista and trendsetter?

An aspiring marketing girl boss?

Want to gain work experience and build your CV for a better chance in landing your dream job?

DC

Girls Talk London is looking for UK wide ambassadors to become a part of our team and help promote and expand the Girls Talk London brand.

As a Girls Talk London Ambassador and Official Squad Member you will:
 Host events at your university or area
 Deliver Social Media Marketing objectives
 Gain access to exclusive industry events and press screenings
 Access to Senior professionals in FTSE 100 businesses
 VIP & Priority access to all Girls Talk London events
 Exclusive access to mentoring opportunities
 First preference for stories on our website
 Promote our brand and create awareness particularly online

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What  kind of people are we looking for?
 Committed & Energetic
 Self starter & Go Getter
 Attending university or working professional who wants to gain experience or volunteer
 Excited about our brand and gender diversity & empowerment
 Friendly with excellent communication skills
 On trend and well cultured
 Great with people

If you want to join our Squad please send an email to info@girlstalklondon.com with the answers to the following questions:
Why do you want to be a part of our Squad? (250 words max)
 Where do you want to be in 5 years time? (200 words max)
 What do you enjoy the most about being a woman? (100 words max)

We will get in touch if we wish to take your interest forward
Girls Talk London xoxoxo

MAC X Giambattista VALLI collaboration

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Lippy junkies & MAC fanatics we bring you good news! MAC has joined up with Couture fashion designer Giambattista Valli to launch a beautiful lipstick line. The collection consists of five matte lipsticks and one gloss, which are all colours that are inspirations from Valli’s previous collections.

1. Lena is the gloss of the batch, made to be worn alone although it can be worn as an extra figure of speech on top of the lipsticks in the collection. The beauty has a pearl-pink finish with a subtle creamy effect.

2. Biana B is the luminous opague feature of the collection which applies very smoothly on the lips and is advised to be worn as a statement effect if you are having a lazy day at the makeup counter.

3. Margherita is such a warm tone perfect for that summer holiday evening. It has solid peachy pigmentation and truly does suit all skin tones, although it is not what we would consider as a true matte.

4. Tats is that crazy hot pink shade that every girl MUST own in her makeup bag. An amazing intense shade which is not recommended if you are planning on playing it safe.

5. Charlotte is the all rounded perfect tone if you like to keep it minimal. A great deep poppy red which is great for a natual faced day at work. It also has a creamy finish which is not as mattyfying as maybe Ruby Woo but still amazingly comfortable!

6. Euginie is such a great shade to wear when the weather starts to cool down. It reminds us a little of the Illumiasqua shade that urban decay used to sell. The black cherry red is a great every day accesory for your makeup closet and a great natural tone if you are limited of time in the mornings!

MAC 2

The great thing about this collection is that the packaging of the lipsticks is the exact same colour as the actual tone of the lipstick, so if you are anything like most people in the world and own about 5 MAC lipsticks this really saves you the hassle of having to open every lipstick to find the one you are after!

Sade Johnson

Follow Sade on @Sade__x

She Says: Spring Cleaning your personal brand

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Last night I went to the She Says Spring Cleaning your personal brand event at Shoreditch House which focused on helping those mainly who have digital businesses or work in this industry to revamp the way they come across online and in person. This was a fantastic event and I learnt a great deal and am starting to revamp my own personal brand as we speak. It gave me some ideas on how to improve our website and digital offerings so watch this space. In the meantime below are some of the key takeaways which I hope can help anyone in whatever industry they work in as we all need to work on our personal brand.

-First impressions are developed much quicker than we initially think and are sub conscious. Kate from Style Psychology explained ‘it takes someone just 3 SECS to form an impression of you’.

-Appearance, body language and mannerisms count!

-When sending your CV out to companies whether its applying for jobs diretcly or speculatively do something different.

-One of the speakers shared how when she came to the UK she would send home made Sushi along with her CV and companies remembered her years later!

-Rachel Brushfield from Energise said ‘ In less than 5 years time few companies will have full time staff and most will recruit experts online for specific projects’.

-Having a distinctive online personal brand will help you.

-People buy with their hearts and emotions

-Ask yourself these questions: What do you bring to the table? Is it updated? Have you translated it? How do you add value?

-Janet, Co Founder of Social Media Communications agency, Attica was phenomenal! She stressed how important it is to think about your credibility score, who do you want to work with, where is your tribe and who is always cheering you on.

-Janet also gave a great tip for people who have busy lives to prepare all their meals for the week on a Monday! #MondayMarathon

-Ian Harris, gave advice on how to use stories to further your personal brand and sometimes it’s about the style rather than the substance

She Says is an award-winning organisation running free mentorship and events to women in the creative and marketing businesses.

See more at :http://weareshesays.com/

Vanessa Sanyauke

Founder, Girls Talk London

@vanessasanyauke

The trip of a lifetime: Croatia

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It is now over a week since the Girls Talk London Sessions crew spent a week with luxury travel agency Cro Exclusive touring this beautiful country and sampling some of their luxury packages and accommodations. We also went to film their promotional video which will be coming out in February 2016 so watch this space!

This trip was a life changing experience for me because I faced so many fears, tried new activities, met so many great people, saw so much natural beauty and gained a few sisters for life.

Plitvice

 

Plitvice 2

On our first day landing in Zagreb we went to Plitvice lakes which is a nature park where we walked around admiring and taking in our beautiful natural surroundings-it has some of the most beautiful waterfalls in the world. Afterwards, we drove about 45 mins to Linden Ranch Retreat where we were greeted by our wonderful hosts for the night Bruce and Megan who own the ranch. They had cooked an amazing welcome dinner for us and we got to try some ‘snake brandy’ shots! (A dead snake was inside the bottle of brandy) it seemed like a tradition here and we couldn’t say no! After dinner we were given instructions on what to do if we saw a bear and how not to die and then were shown to our room for the night which was a luxury ti-pi outside! Sabina, Remel and I shared a Ti-Pi which was beautifully decorated with one King size bed and one single bed. We certainly bonded that night and faced our fears and also survived! (No bears were seen phew!)

Linden
(Venesa, Dean, Bruce, Vanessa, Remel and Sabina pictured above) Then the next day we took a horse wagon ride (as you do!) to get some coffee, visited a cave where apparently a fairy lives and then we went horse riding in the mountains and valleys which was something I would never do! I was so scared and frightened as I have never ridden a horse before and was scared I may paralyse myself if I fall off! However, Bruce reassured me that it is all about being in control and facing your fears and that the horse can sense if you are scared. So I sucked it up and got on my horse ‘Mama’ who was the Mum of the pack and it was one of the best experiences of my life! Spending time at Linden Ranch Retreat was like visiting family, our hosts including their colleagues Joey and Carla made us feel so welcome and I definitely will be coming back!

Ying Yang

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After Linden Retreat, we hit the road to the Island of Pag to take in some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery-it was just breath-taking. We literally had to stop at some places to take it in. We stayed at the Ying Yang Villa which is a great party house with an amazing pool and bar outside as well as a room that stores plenty of alcoholic beverages. Another stop was Boskinac hotel and winery where we tasted some of their delicious wines and award winning food. We made stops at Zcre beach (which is very popular during festival season) and Netajana beach.

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Zadar 3

Zadar 2

Zadar was the next stop on the tour and was one of my favourite towns in Croatia. The vibe of the town is just chilled and relaxed and it is surrounded by water which I love! The centre has so much history and architecture which is very Romanesque and it has plenty of great bars, clubs and restaurants which are ridiculously reasonable. In fact the prices across all cities was so cheap! It was in Zadar where I also faced a terrible fear of mine-flying! We took a private plane ride with Mato the owner of Air Action across Zadar and over some of Croatia’s 2000+ islands. I honestly do not know how I got the courage to get on this plane but the views were well worth it-stunning. Thanks to Mato who made this experience amazing and comfortable.

Paragliding

Our final stop was Split which is a very touristy town with again amazing beaches and scenery. We took part in bike riding along the coast and Sabina and I did paragliding. We had no idea what we signed up for and only realised after we went up that we were with the company who does the highest paragliding in the WHOLE of Croatia and he yanked us 500m above sea level! Sabina and I knew something was up as we just kept going higher and higher! Another fear: FACED!

Massage

house

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Our last night was spent in one of Cro Exclusive’s most luxurious and premium accommodation: Glorious Fantasy in Primosten just 30 mins from Split. This villa was just amazing! We had our own private pool (where I had a massage ) our own dock where we took a boat ride to watch the sunset and our own private chef who cooked us up a treat for dinner. The Villa Manager, Helena, went above and beyond for us and catered to all our needs and just made us so relaxed.

Croatia is my new second home and I will definitely visit again soon. It is the perfect place to go away with friends, or for team building, as a couple and also with your family. There is something for everyone and most of all you will feel so relaxed and ready to take on the world after you visit.
If you would like to book a holiday and experience what we did visit their website here: http://cro-exclusive.co.uk/

Or email venesa@cro-exclusive.co.uk

Thank you to the owner Venesa who organised this amazing experience for us!

Vanessa Sanyauke, Founder of Girls Talk London