Dubin & Lee Blog

Hiring the Skills vs. Training the Skills in Corporate Accounting?

  

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The Journal of Accountancy reported that CFOs are having difficulty finding accounting and finance talent. This difficulty is up 7% from the previous quarter so there is desire to find talent that can hit the ground running. Enterprise will always be faced with the dilemma of making choices between a short term fix and a long term solution.  Sometimes, this short term fix is a necessity which creates a huge opportunity for a job seeker that can position his or herself as both a short term and long term solution to their talent needs.

Corporate Accounting is no longer a “like to have.” It is now a “must have.” Hiring Corporate Accounting & Finance staff is still considered overhead but now there are so many more considerations.

Now, the corporate accounting & finance department is front and center for the following:

• Identifying and avoiding risk
• Cost saving strategies
• New market and business line opportunities
• Mergers & Acquisition due diligence and strategy
• Company-wide internal controls and systems implementation

…and the most important component for an Accountant’s job security...

• Technical Accounting Policy (TAP).

Technical Accounting Policy expertise is no longer a “like to have.” The government ensures us that it is a “must have.” It seems as if every time the economy takes a dive, there a government stipulated accounting compliance to follow. From Sarbanes Oxley to Dodd-Frank and a myriad of less headline making compliances like Software Revenue Recognition, Lease Accounting, IFRS and Corporate Income Tax, it just keeps on coming.

Knowledge of these policies is becoming more of the criteria for any role in Corporate Accounting & Finance but how can you, as a job seeker, position yourself as a long-term solution as well as a short term human capital asset?

Usually, this takes at least a 3 step strategy.

Here are 3 steps to get your foot in the door.

1. Learn now. If it is possible to work with the people that are doing TAP (or any of the items listed above) and have the knowledge you desire, do it! You can use the knowledge you gain, even by osmosis, as leverage to get the next job you want.  If you do not have access to the people with the knowledge, research these topics and learn online.
2. Talk about it.  Use your research for status updates and discussions on LinkedIn.  Even if you are asking questions about a topic, you will get closer to becoming subject matter expert.
3. Sell it as your passion. While there is a strong desire and need for a hiring manager to hire the talent that can hit the ground running, there is no replacement for hiring someone who is “out of their skin” excited about the work. You cannot rely on selling that passion in an interview. You need to have proof that you were eating, sleeping and breathing it before you even interviewed for the job.

All 3 of these steps apply to opportunities inside and outside of your current company.

Hiring companies will naturally lean towards the immediate gratification of hiring talent that already possesses all the skills and experience desired for the position. If you are after that “reach” opportunity it is up to you to make the case.

To get the full, 6 page, Getting Hired Guide, to help you get the job of your dreams, “like” any post on the Dubin & Lee Facebook page.