Our brain, a marvel of nature, it operates in a remarkable manner. Like Dave Grohl at Glastonbury, our brains steal the show with their mind-blowing capabilities. While you engage in reading and comprehending this text, decoding the symbols on this screen into the English language, your brain is simultaneously making countless decisions behind the scenes. Thank goodness for that! Can you even imagine the chaos if you had to consciously remember to breathe or keep your heart pumping?
Even more wonderful, is the way the brain is divided into two hemispheres, namely the right and left halves, each associated with distinct cognitive functions. The right hemisphere is generally associated with artistic expression and creativity, and the left hemisphere is characterized as the seat of logical reasoning and analytical thinking.
This quirky split allows our brain to be an artsy, creative wingman you turn to when chatting with friends about random stuff, and events, like gossiping about that neighbour who mows their lawn at midnight. Then, when required, it becomes the Archimedes on board, ready to tackle spreadsheets and financial equations like a pro.
Interestingly, it has been suggested that when engaging in formal or business-related phone conversations, like talking to the bank or Aunt Mildred, placing the phone against the left side of the head and using the left ear may yield better decision-making and communication abilities. The underlying theory is that the left hemisphere’s logical thinking processes can effectively communicate information and decisions to the rest of the brain. On the other hand, for emotionally connected conversations, such as having a heartfelt chat with a friend, it is suggested to use the right ear and involve the right side of the brain because that’s where the emotional connection is supposedly plugged in. Who knew phone calls had a brain-side preference?
Also, according to widely held beliefs, someone favouring the left hemisphere would gravitate toward a role such as finance analyst, for example, due to their inclination toward mathematics, logical thinking, and systematic work processes that can be seen through to completion.
But hold on to your thinking caps, because, although it is essential to acknowledge that it’s absolutely true that some brain functions occur in one or the other side of the brain (e.g. language tends to be on the left, attention more on the right), being too rigid in using left and right brain approaches in the understanding of human cognition and behaviour fails to account for all of our wonderfully unpredictable and spontaneous actions. It would be wrong to base a career choice solely on presumed brain hemisphere dominance.
In fact, in 2013, neuroscientists at the University of Utah used brain imaging to show there is NO evidence that people are ‘right-brained’ or ‘left-brained’.
A team at the university scanned the brains of 1,011 people between the ages of seven and 29. They used a technique called resting-state functional connectivity magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fcMRI). The study tested the idea that one half of a person’s brain is more active, more connected and more synchronised than the other.
The team divided each person’s brain into over 7,000 regions and examined each region to see if it showed stronger activity on the left or the right side of the brain. They also looked for connections between regions that were more localised (‘lateralised’) to one hemisphere or the other.
The scientists didn’t see patterns where the whole left-brain network was more connected or the whole right-brain network was more connected in some people… and they concluded that people don’t tend to have a stronger left- or right-sided brain network.
So for those working in the realm of finance, from management accountants to finance analysts, while it is true that financial operations often rely on the ability to follow structured processes, a certain degree of creativity is also necessary. In fact, one could argue that effectively managing finances demands a blend of brilliance, creative flair, and the utilization of both brain hemispheres.
The finance industry seeks professionals who can leverage both sides of their brain equally to devise innovative solutions and navigate the complexities of financial management.
So, as an aspiring finance analyst, don’t be discouraged if you have ‘right-brained’ tendencies and ooze creativity. The finance world needs your colourful imagination and outside-the-box thinking, provided it comes with an aptitude for numbers! Or indeed, if you love analysing everything with cold, calculating logic, pursuing a career as a finance analyst because your brain likes processes and order is a no-brainer.
At Core3 we will always clue you in on what each job really requires and make sure that you are fully prepared. We’ll start out by helping you to create a roadmap of where you want to be and define what is possible. This might mean looking at your CV and improving it so that you will maximise your chance of securing interviews. Then we’ll take your CV to all the employers we have connections with. This will mean being proactive and opening doors that might otherwise be closed. Then, when the invitations to interview start to come in, we’ll brief you thoroughly with all the details you’ll need to succeed. You’ll be going into every one of those interviews fully armed, with all the information you need about the job and our talent partners will help you brush up on your interview technique. Finally, if the interview was not successful, we will always feed back to you. Receiving constructive, helpful feedback is the key to success next time round.
If you are looking for a role as a finance professional, and a chance to give your amazing brain its next challenge, why not try conscious recruitment with Core3? We’ll treat you well throughout the process and we’ll make sure that 3% of our income goes to causes that benefit people and planet.
