Being in order
Posted by Administrator on Aug 10, 2010
Whatever position you are seeking in the Accounting industry, it’s always a must to emphasize your strong accounting history and it’s up to you if you wanted to write it in chronological order, give clear examples so that the reader will easily understand what you are trying to imply. If your work experience outweighs your degree in education, you may want to write it at the bottom so that the reader can easily spot the most important part. Also, make your resume visually appealing to the reader but not too much because you don’t want it to look like a wedding invitation.
Working in Accounting Executive Search Firms
Posted by Administrator on Jul 21, 2010
Accounting executive search firms basically help in providing financial staff. Or more specifically, they help companies recruit financing and accounting staff. If you’re looking for an accounting career, then it will do you a whole lot of good if you sign up with an accounting executive search firm.
Starting Out
If you’re looking for employment in executive accounting search firms, let me tell you, your first few months are not going to be easy at all. This is simply because you have to start right from the bottom here – as is the case with any other form of employment. But over here, it is especially difficult, because a good firm always works around its clients’ schedules and not the other way around.
As a result, being a newbie, you might have to do a lot of running around in odd hours, because really, when are busy executives free, except for maybe Sundays, and that too, very rarely do they not bring work home!
Setting up appointments, interviews and meetings when it is convenient for your client will be a major responsibility. After that, you will slowly be promoted to more lucrative positions and will have your own subordinates in turn.
Starting out is especially difficult because all of these firms are known for their incredibly short response time, so you might have to run from one busy office from another all day everyday. So the starting months might feel like one big slaving experience, but it’s totally worth it!
Positions
So what positions can you hold in executive accounting search firms? The most obvious one is that of a recruiter, where your job will be to find the most suitable candidates for your clients. In order to be a recruiter, it is helpful if you have a sales driven attitude. An executive recruiter is a senior recruiter who has several recruiters working under him.
You can also be a business development consultant, where you will be responsible for bringing new clients and bettering relations with existing ones. So as you can guess, you’ll probably have to spend the larger part of your time in the field! Management and office administration positions too are a part of working in such an accounting executive search firms.
Firms in executive accounting generally have a large database of prospective candidates who are looking for accounting and financial positions of employment. The firm may reach out to its highly sophisticated database in a matter of minutes, for the clients’ convenience and respond accordingly.
The job of the search firm in executive accounting is to basically find the candidate who meets the clients’ criteria completely, or fits the bill as closely as possible. If you’re looking for executive accounting work, then definitely do try signing up with accounting executive search firms.
Slang Words
Posted by Administrator on Jul 10, 2010
In preparing your resume try not to use “slang words†that are not appropriate to the job you are applying. Use accounting related words and action verbs to describe your accomplishments and skills. The content of your accounting resume depends on how you described yourself as an applicant. Maximize your sentences effectively and use accounting related words. In addition, use of headings and key words also add weight in describing your skills. Remember that you are applying as either an accountant or bookkeeper, etc., so don’t waste your time trying to find grammatically correct terms for your accounting skills.
What To Wear On A Job Interview
Posted by Administrator on Jul 6, 2010
Knowing what to wear on a job interview is half the battle of the interview itself. The old adage could never be so true, “You never get a second chance to make a first impression.”
When you’re going on a job interview, your appearance is extremely important. Whether or not you look professional or sloppy could play a huge role on if you get hired.
When first deciding what to wear on a job interview, you should first take into consideration the culture of the company you are interviewing with, and dress accordingly. Are you interviewing with a company where the employees wear suits everyday or do they wear t-shirts and jeans?
A suit is not always the best choice for what to wear on a job interview. If you show up wearing a suit and tie and all the employees are wearing shorts and flip-flops, you will look out of place, feel uncomfortable and give off the wrong energy. The same is true of the opposite. If you show up wearing shorts and flip-flops to a company that wears professional attire, you will be just confirming that you don’t fit into the company.
If you want to get the job, your choice of what to wear on a job interview should match or be slightly dressier than the normal work attire of the company. For example, if the normal work attire of the company is business casual, it’s ok to wear a suit to impress. If the normal work attire is casual, it’s ok to wear a business casual outfit to impress as well. Appropriateness is the most important factor on what to wear on a job interview.
After you decide whether a professional, business casual, or casual outfit the most appropriate for your interview, here are some guidelines you will want to stay with in when deciding what to wear on a job interview. The key is to wear clothing that you feel comfortable and look great in, while at the same time matching the corresponding dress code of the company. That way you’ll give off great energy and your true personality shine through.
Here are the guidelines:
1. Make sure your clothes that are neatly ironed and press. Nothing gives away the lack of attention to detail than wrinkled clothing.
2. Make sure your clothing fits properly. If your pants or sleeves are too long or something is too loose or too tight you’ll look and probably feel awkward.
3. Don’t wear flashy jewelry. You’ll want the interviewer to pay attention to you, not your bling.
4. Dress according to the season. Don’t wear a stuffy turtleneck sweater in the middle of the summer.
5. Don’t wear perfume or aftershave. You never know if your interviewer is allergic and this isn’t a good way to find out.
6. Make sure you have a nice, clean haircut that makes you look well groomed.
7. For men, make sure you shave and keep facial hair to a minimum.
8. For women, don’t wear anything that is too revealing. It’s best to keep your body parts inside your clothing and not be too exposed.
9. Avoid articles of clothing with loud, busy prints. It’s best to wear solid colors that flatter your skin tone.
10. For women, make you wear appropriate lingerie and/or pantyhose underneath your clothing. This will give you smooth lines and assure you don’t have visible panty lines on your backside.
11. For women, don’t overdo your makeup. Wear natural colors and avoid heavy eyeshadow, eyeliner and bright colored lipstick.
12. For pants outfits, make sure you wear a belt that matches the color of your shoes.
So, congratulations on getting the interview. Now, know you know exactly what to wear on a job interview so you can get the job.
Government Job Descriptions
Posted by Administrator on Jul 3, 2010
There are many governmental jobs that are advertised almost every day through every medium, ranging from newspapers, to television and radio and even the Internet. This is because there are millions of government jobs that are available every time in the nation. However, there is one major problem that often comes to notice whilst relating to government job descriptions. This is that most government job descriptions are vague and not to the point. Besides this, they sometimes advertise for requirements that far exceed the actual needs of the job.
The reason for bulking up the qualification in job advertising is simple: while the government wants to fill a managerial level position, they would advertise for it and seek the qualifications of a executive level position, hoping someone overqualified will apply and accept the job. It is hence very important to work through the clutter when talking about government job descriptions.
One can do that by first of all knowing the true strengths that one possesses. It is easy to decide from there what field you would like to go into. Then one can decide whether one would like to go in for private sector jobs or rather opt for government jobs in that field.
If one chooses to get a government job, one can search the newspapers and the various Web sites for the particular job. Often when you are not expecting it, suddenly a government job description pops that matches what you were seeking. Hence, it is very important to be an alert opportunist.
Once one finds a government job description, matching what one was looking for, the next step is to understand the job profile, which most of the time can be extremely confusing. This is in fact, one of the major complaints that the government gets. However, there is nothing one can do about it and one needs to simply read the ad thoroughly to understand the requirements. One can also call up the government office to learn more about the job profile and similar details.
Government jobs can be great, though, as they provide long-term security and ensure regular income for its employees.
Job Interview Issues – How To Dress To Match The Interview
Posted by Administrator on Jun 26, 2010
Recently a job seeker sent me this inquiry below, relating to their problems with how to dress for an interview. Read on and see how sometimes the issues become confusing.
“Hello Mark,
Couple days ago I went to a job interview with a national restaurant chain. I got the interview through a recruiter, who told me to dress “appropriately” for the job interview. So I wore Dockers, a nice shirt with button down collar and neck tie. And I wore my non-slip shoes, as the interview was to take place at one of their restaurant locations, I figured safety first. I would have wore my dress suit, but when the recruiter said to dress “appropriately,” I took that to mean to dress according to the interview location. So I did. Well, I just heard back from the recruiter and he told me I was out of consideration for the job. One of the reasons he mentioned for me being removed, was my manner of dress, and specifically mentioned my shoes. The interviewer didn’t feel I was dressed correctly for the job interview. I feel as though I was dressed correctly, because we met at a in-operation restaurant location. How is one to know what is appropriate and what is not appropriate job interview dress?
Tracy M, Lexington, KY”
As you see from the letter above, job interview dress issues can be confusing. When I speak with my own job candidates, my advice about how to dress for any job interview is almost always the same: “Dress as though you are going to meet the President of the Company.” When you enter a job interview, first impressions are lasting. You are not dressing to impress the person or persons with whom you are meeting — though that may also be a benefit of your appearance — instead, you are dressing to exhitbit yourself as a professional in your vocation. Never quibble over this, always dress for success, however cliche it may sound.
Now, there are some exceptions, which is why I say above my advice is ‘almost always the same:’ when it comes to what to wear to a job interview. For example, when your interview may include a work environment tour that requires protective clothing or when formal clothing may be vulnerable to destruction, such as a tour of a factory or manufacturing plant, or construction site, or mining facility. But in such cases, don’t assume, ask your interviewer prior to your visit what they consider proper attire. Don’t guess, and if you cannot verify their opinion of what to wear, ‘always dress for success.’ Risking the cost of cleaning or even replacing a dress suit may seem an expensive way to get a job, but if you get the job, it may seem a small price to pay.
Best Of Luck With Your Job Search
Not too important
Posted by Administrator on Jun 10, 2010
We all know that emphasizing on some facts in your resume truly helps in making it more saleable. But, don’t you know that you can also de-emphasize some of the information that were also relevant in your resume and can take a backseat. And these are: education, some non-accounting skills and extra-curricular activities. You don’t have to worry if these things were at the bottom of your resume because what are important were the accomplishments you emphasized and you want the reader/interviewer to focus on them instead of asking you about your extra-curricular activities.
What they look for in hiring
Posted by editor on May 10, 2010
by: Djai Tanji
According to a human resource specialist I know, it’s really not the qualifications and working experience printed in the resume that they actually look for in the process of a job interview. It is actually in your personality, work ethic, confidence and determination to get the job. Job interviewers have their ways of knowing even at first sight the traits a person possess. It’s also in their confident aura and self-belief that catches the interviewers attention. Arriving early will boost points in your account because it is a sign of a positive working ethics. And for your information, someone with no work experience at all can have a higher chance of getting in because they are more motivated and willing to do tasks assigned to them.
CPA Jobs – CPA Careers Explained
Posted by Administrator on May 10, 2010
If you’re thinking about a career as an accountant, you could have a very lucrative and steady job for many years to come. With the right degrees and experience, accounting professionals can have rewarding careers in CPA jobs who submit documents to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission with a state-issued license. But you may be wondering, what exactly does a certified personal accountant do?
The federal government mandates that any certified personal accountant who submits documents to the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) must have a state-issued license. There are many CPA jobs. These jobs require compiling financial reports for prominent individuals, companies, nonprofit organizations and small businesses. The financial reports may include profit-and-loss statements and expense reports. This type of career may also involve advising clients on how to decrease the amount of income taxes they owe and preparing tax statements for the client.
If you are looking for career information for the accounting field, you will first need to look into receiving a degree. Degrees in accounting typically require a college education consisting of four to five years of schooling. This means you must obtain your bachelor’s degree in accounting or graduate from a master’s degree accounting program. All states also require certified accountants to take the Uniform CPA Examination after getting their education. The Uniform CPA exam, which was developed by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, is an electronic test given in four parts. An accountant will need to pass all four parts of the exam within 18 months of passing the first part.
There is a lot of skill and clearly a lot of education required to become an accountant, but the career can be very rewarding. CPA jobs can offer an average CPA salary of around $80,000. Aside from the excellent pay, this is also a great career option because it will be in demand in many states throughout the country for many years to come. Plus, there are jobs available in big businesses as well as for small firms or individuals. With so many career options and a great job outlook, becoming an accountant is a good choice indeed.
Example For Answering Job Interview Question – What Did You Like Least About Your Last Job?
Posted by Administrator on Apr 24, 2010
This question is somewhat of a trap, because it asks for a negative answer. If you haven’t given it some thought, you may blurt out something about your boss or the company, and talk yourself right out of a job. One of the purposes of the question is to find out if you are going to be satisfied in this job. If you were dissatisfied before, you may be dissatisfied again if the circumstances are similar.
Three candidates answers:
Roopal – “I didn’t have enough challenges. After a while, all the projects became repetitive and the same. I thrive on challenge.”
Interviewer’s thoughts – “A lot of the tasks here are repetitive. What makes her think she will like it here any better? Will we be able to keep her challenged?”
Kevin – “Lack of stability. After three company acquisitions, I had five bosses in three years. I couldn’t take it any longer. What I am looking for is stability in a job and company.”
Interviewer’s thoughts – “While our company is stable now, there are no guarantees about the future. This guy sounds like he may have some burn out and flexibility issues.
Barry – “In my last job, my boss was overbearing and wouldn’t let me do my job. If she didn’t like they way I was doing something she’d criticize me.”
Interviewer’s thoughts – “Could he work with me as a supervisor? How would he react if I had to critique his work? He sounds like he could be a problem to supervise.”
Focus
When you answer the question, it is best to focus on tasks rather than talking about company politics or people.
“I’ve given this question some thought, and overall I have been very satisfied with my jobs. I’ve been able to work with some really interesting people. I have to admit that I did have a job where there was an inordinate amount of paper work. Because working with people is my strength, the paper work really bogged me down at times.”
Notice the word “inordinate” Not normal paper work, but unusually large amount, keeping you from doing what you do best: working with people.
Exercise
Make a list of the times in your past jobs when you have been dissatisfied; times when you didn’t look forward to going to work, when you “hated” what you were doing. Was it the nature of the work or the office environment that were making you dissatisfied? Spend some time looking at your list for patterns. Are there some projects that recur on your list; some situations that you don’t want to get into again? This exercise will help you identify areas to watch for and to ask questions about during the interview.
“What percentage of this job will be travel?”
“What are some of the specific tasks and responsibilities of this job?”
Job satisfaction
When you can identify the factors that give you job satisfaction, as well as the factors that were unpleasant or tedious for you, you can determine if this is the right job for you. It is a known fact that people perform best when they are doing something they enjoy. Thinking about the answer to this question is an opportunity for you to identify what you want – doing the things you like to do best, as well as what you don’t want.