Viva CIPFA

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Viva CIPFA!

• A positive career move!!

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Viva CIPFA!

• The Examining panel

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Viva CIPFA!

• The Candidate

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Viva CIPFA!

• The timetable
• Hand in - Gone forget it!
• The Viva Saturday 6 November
• Today 1 October
• Days to Viva 35!
• 35 days to change your life!

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Viva CIPFA!

• Memories
• Memory is not the mere reproduction of events
  it is a perception on which we base our actions.
• Two elements
• Short term memory
• Long term memory

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Viva CIPFA!

• Short Term Memory
• Central Executive
• Controls the allocation of limited STM resources
• Attentive processes
• Controls those processes requiring a lot of
  attention
• Automatic processes
• Controls those processes that have become
  automatic

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Viva CIPFA!

• Long term memory
• For all practical purposes unlimited resource
• Stores information in files called schema or in
  individual flashbulb files
• Information in these files is changed by
  subsequent events and by internal manipulation

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Viva CIPFA!

• Relevance to Viva
• Short term memory not good enough to store all
  the information required
• Must be moved into long term memory.
• How? - thats the question

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Viva CIPFA!

• How to move from STM to LTM
• SIMPLE!
• Repetition!!
• Why it works no one is sure but does that
  matter?
• Practice makes perfect!

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Viva CIPFA!

• ACTION PLAN
• Daily Keep jolly good notes on a copy!
• Line by line analysis of your project at least
  one chapter per day
• Identify errors and weaknesses.
• Develop responses to those areas of concern
• Ask the What if type questions
• Deliver introduction to the cat/wife/husband/partn
  er/toilet door

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Viva CIPFA!

• Weekly
• Review whole project where are your strong
  points / weaknesses
• Review responses to areas of concern
• Develop new improved answers
• Run through full introduction in front of a
  mirror or an audience - time it must be 10
  minutes.

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Viva CIPFA!

• Weekly (Cont)
• Develop your talk book slides
• Make notes on the back of the slides
• Practice using the talk book the viva is not a
  good time to start using it!
• Check professional journals/ newspapers/
  internet/ radio for any issue that increases your
  wider knowledge of the subject and where your
  project fits in the wider scheme of things

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Viva CIPFA!

• Three sets!
• During this period
• Make sure you get at least three practice vivas
• Two from colleagues at work and one from an
  independent panel
• Get written feedback
• Develop responses to this feedback

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Viva CIPFA!

• Theres a project in that error!
• Remember all mistakes in the project are yours
  take ownership.
• These are likely to include
• Proof reading tables not adding up cross
  references wrong contradictions technical
  errors failure to meet your own objectives

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Viva CIPFA!

• If you try to blame someone or anything other
  than yourself you will be admitting an inability
  to plan, research and control events.
• Only option available to the examiners in these
  circumstances is to give you another opportunity
  to get it right. i.e. FAIL or at best referral

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Viva CIPFA!

• When you find a mistake?
• Is it material?
• If not if it is raised admit to it, tell the
  examiners that you are aware of that mistake and
  have determined that it makes no material
  difference to the answer
• If is it will be raised prepare a very brief
  summary of its impact
• Did you do some sensitivity analysis?
• If so you are probably ok.

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Viva CIPFA!

• Final Week.
• Get a clean copy of your project.
• On each page
• Highlight and number possible question points
• Opposite each page
• Make notes of responses to possible questions
• Prepare your 2 minute finale

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Viva CIPFA!

• Finalise your talk book slides
• Learn your 10 minute introduction
• Print your notes on the back of the slides
• Load your talk book
• Learn the basis of your two minute finale
• Practice
• Practice
• Practice

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Viva CIPFA!

• 10 vital minutes
• No second chances to make a good first impression
• Be clear and concise no jargon or waffle
• Add information do not repeat what is in the
  project
• Explain but do not patronise
• Be confident you are the professional
• Make it interesting show some emotion make it
  yours

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Viva CIPFA!

• The Introduction
• Work the system!
• 2 minutes why I selected the project and my
  objectives
• 2 minutes why I used the techniques I did
• 2 minutes what I found
• 2 minutes - what I concluded linked back to
  objectives
• 2 minutes what I recommended and why

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Viva CIPFA!

• During the Viva
• Listen to the questions
• Answer only the question asked do not waffle or
  open other doors!
• Explain be careful not to patronise give
  detail only you could be expected to know.
• Be prepared for the naïve question
• Use answers to key questions you are expecting

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Viva CIPFA!

• The 2 minute finale
• Deal with any issue you may not have dealt with
  well during the viva
• Clarify any unclear points
• Do a mini swot analysis
• Emphasise key points
• Emphasise strengths

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Viva CIPFA!

• Dangers
• You think you know it all
• You think you have adequately prepared
• You think you know your subject better than
  anyone else
• Worst of all
• You think you have failed!!

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Viva CIPFA!

• A few tricks
• Use prompt cards
• Stall awkward questions
• Ask for clarification
• Drink the water
• Defend aggression with assertiveness do not
  attack
• Smile make eye contact try to relax

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Viva CIPFA!

• On The Day!
• You are trying to convince the examiners that you
  are professional
• So
• Dress the part.
• You are an accountant wear a suit!
• Its November wear a poppy?
• You are not on the pull!

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Viva CIPFA!

• Get there at least an hour before your Viva.
• If travelling- go the night before
• If close get someone else to drive you
• Leave plenty of time you need an emergency plan
  if things go wrong

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Viva CIPFA!

• Use relaxation techniques before the viva
• Use the loo!
• Do not rehearse your introduction while you wait
  you already know it!
• Panic is confusing!

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Viva CIPFA!

• FINALLY
• Failure to prepare is preparing to fail
• Work hard it is crucial
• Give of your best
• Remember you wrote the question!
• No one writes a question they cannot answer do
  they?