Don’t Limit Yourself to the Sunday Paper
Now’s a great time to advance your career. How would you like an average 7% raise in salary this year?According to Robert Half International*, the worlds largest placement service for accounting professionals, you can expect up to an average increase in pay of about 7% this year if you work in the accounting field. And it doesn’t matter if you work in small or large companies, the demand for skilled accounting professionals is on the rise. (Of course, depending on they type of accounting responsibility you have and the efforts you make to strengthen your skill set, your expected increase could be more or less than the average.)
What Type of Positions are Available?
According to Robert Half International, here are some of the most sought-after specialties nationwide:
- Internal Audit- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act and other corporate governance regulations, have generated unprecedented demand for internal auditors. These professionals are being hired to examine all the financial actions, develop audit strategies and conduct audits of their organization’s financial records.
- General Accounting- Businesses all over the country are recruiting staff and senior accountants to manage a variety of accounting needs, including maintaining general-ledger accounts, preparing financial statements and assisting with the budget process.
- Financial Analysis- Financial analysts are being hired to evaluate cost and expense variances, assist with budgeting and forecasting, and perform financial modeling.
- Controller- Many firms are expanding the number of controllers in their organizations. These professionals are being hired on both full-time and consulting basis to to improve the reporting process and create better internal financial controls.
- Tax Accounting- Organizations are actively hiring tax accountants to address new twists in the tax code and comply with greater documentation requirements of the Federal Government.
- Accounts Payable and Receivable- Increased purchasing activity has increased the demand for accounts payable staff to process incoming invoices. As their businesses grow, firms also need additional accounts receivable professionals to manage payments from clients.
- Bookkeeping- Small companies are hiring bookkeepers to handle their basic accounting requirements, including processing payroll, managing general-ledger reconciliations and overseeing accounts payable and recievable.
Large and small companies are looking for accounting professionals. Right now, more than ever, if you have the right skills, you’ll be able to find the right job.
What’s the Best Way to Market My Skills?
Whether or not you can broadcast your availability, you still need to make the right people aware of your desire to find a new job. Your networking skills are very important in your search, and in most cases will be what helps you find your new job.Make sure that anyone who can help you promote yourself knows about your desire to advance your career. You might be surprised at the resources you’ll find. Whether you’re marketing or considering a change in occupation, networking works. If you’d like to read a little more about the power of networking, click HERE.
Update Your Resume and Make a List of Your Professional Skills
In his book, Getting Everything You Can Out of What You’ve Got, Jay Abraham, a world renowned marketer, speaker and writer, tells a story about a friend of his that might help shed some light on how important updating your resume and list of professional skills is to help you find the perfect job.His friend was a catalogue manager for a large computer mail-order company. Over the years he’d risen to the highest level within the company that he possibly could. He had also trained a number of younger people who, over the years, had quit and gone to more prestigious, high-profile jobs.As time went on his one-and-a-half hour commute and all the bureaucratic corporate nonsense became too much. He was burned out. He hated going to work. He saw nothing fulfilling in his job. And, to make matters worse, whenever he came up with a truly innovative idea, management rejected it. He wanted out.One day, without any other job prospects, he quit.Unfortunately, he had no plan. He’d just walked away from an almost 6-figure income and had to support the Northern California lifestyle that went along with it. He struggled for a couple of months with no success.
Here are three questions that have the power to change your life.
After talking with him, Mr. Abraham asked three questions. Ask yourself the same three questions.
- Have you identified and valued your true expertise and inventoried your negotiable personal assets? (Do you know what makes you valuable to your employer right now? Do you know what valuable skills you have to offer a future employer?)
- What performance skills have you demonstrated in the past that not only have abstract, but intrinsic value and importance to a business—or specific type of business? (What are your special skills that have real value?)
- What have you accomplished that people would not only respect, but also desire to learn and utilize to gain the same benefits for their companies?
At first, he drew a blank. So Jay had him analyze and reconstruct all the monumental things he’d experienced, contributed to, and been a part of since he started working. He didn’t limit this to his current job, but in every previous position he’d ever had over the course of his entire career.To his surprise, he’d realized that under his direction, the greatest mail-order catalog success in the entire industry occurred. The owners of the company became multi-millionaires. He was on the cutting-edge of dozens of product-introduction breakthroughs that became massive successes. Further, he had personally trained the heads of critical departments at five of the industry’s top catalog companies.He began to finally realize and appreciate all of his professional skills. His previous successes and skills created a wonderful opportunity to create a better opportunity as well as financial independence for himself.Now, instead of being in a dead-end, lower-rung, middle-management position in a large corporation, he deals with owners and presidents of fast-growing and exciting entrepreneurial enterprises. But what’s more, he’s successful and extraordinarily happy.
Use the Job Search Tools that Are Available to You
It’s not just the Sunday paper anymore. Most people who find a job through a listing are finding that job online. There are a number of available job placement sites available, but don’t stop there. Many companies have human resource departments who post available jobs on their own Web sites. Think of the companies you’d like to work with, visit their Web sites and post your updated resume.
Do You Know Someone Who Already Works For This Company?
If you do… call them. Ask them to recommend you to the recruiter. It may not get you the position, but it might help you get an interview. After that, it’s up to you. Even better if they can recommend you to the department head looking to fill the position. This will give you a leg-up on anyone else who can’t get beyond the Human Resource Department.If you don’t know anyone in the company, see if anyone in your circle of influence has a contact within the company. (Yes, we’re talking about networking again.) Have them get you in touch or make a personal recommendation so you’ll get the interview.
The Right Education Will Give You the Skills to Get Your Career Moving Forward
Unlike many professions, accounting has provided a stable career with great compensation for over 500 years. By learning the skills that help small business owners increase their profits and make their life easier, you’ll create the kind of job security that few professions enjoy.Universal Accounting Center has taught small business bookkeeping and accounting for over 25 years. Since 1979, the Professional Bookkeeper Program has taught thousands of people mastery of the ins-and-outs of small business accounting. By learning the skills of the small business bookkeeper, these people found the professional and personal fulfillment that they were looking for, not to mention a stable, recession-free career track.Click on the link below to find out how improving your skill-set will make you more valuable to your employer or help you advance your career by preparing you for a better job.Learn How the Professional Bookkeeper Program Will Help Me Get a Pay Raise this Year Have you got a question? Click HERE and let us help you find the answer.
*2006 Salary Guide-Robert Half International
