Dubin & Lee Blog

Accounting & Finance jobs: 5th Hardest to Fill Jobs

  

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The Manpower 2011 list of hardest jobs to fill for U.S. companies just came out and Accounting & Finance jobs are 5^th.  It is no shock to me except that I thought it would rank higher but I guess that is just the world I live in. 

Here is the List:

1. Skilled trades

2. Sales representatives

3. Engineers

4. Drivers

5. Accounting and finance staff

6. Information technology staff

7. Management/executives

8. Teachers

9. Secretaries/administrative assistants

10. Machinist/machine operator

I’m not quite sure why there is such a shortage of Accounting & Finance talent but I have a few thoughts.

• The musts are REALLY musts.  The criteria for the jobs we work on are crucial to the candidate being successful in the role. There seems to be very little ability to hire someone that does not possess key skills sets and credentials. The issue occurs because the knowledge base changes so quickly that if you have not done "it" recently, it is like you have not done "it" at all.
• Succession Planning!  This is a good thing.  As the job market continues to pick up, albeit ever so slowly, hiring companies know that it will only get harder to find job seekers later.  It is best if they can find someone that will be great for the current job opening as well as be a great asset for the future.
• Where have all the Accountants gone?  It seems with so many more career path out there, less people are choosing to major in Accounting and are following though with getting a CPA.  Most Accounting jobs with strong career paths are requiring a CPA.
• Finance wants CPAs now too.  Because the corporate environment is becoming more and more regulated with all the new FINRA, even Corporate Finance is leaning towards people that started their career in Accounting.  Go figure….literally.
• Corporate Accounting & Finance professionals are working too many hours to look for better job opportunities.  The ones that manage to keep an eye peeled for a greener pasture are the ones getting the best career opportunities right now.

Please weigh in!  What are your thoughts?

Do You Really Have to Know Someone to Get the Job?

  

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“I think you have to know someone at the company to get a job these days.”  I hear that all the time and there is some truth to that in many instances. 

Why is that?  It does not mean that they are getting the best person for the job, so why is that the case?

Think of it this way, let’s say you are going to remodel your kitchen, which of the following would you do first?

1. Post on a service website what you need with all of the detailed kitchen measurements and materials you wish to use.
2. Surf the web on all of the service provider websites and read the reviews, specializations, locations and qualifications.
3. Shoot an email to a friend who just did her kitchen and ask her who she used.

The keyword of the question is FIRST.  You might end up doing A and B if C did not work out or even just to make sure your friends suggestion was, after all, the best choice.

For a company to fill a job it means time and money will be spent which is partially why they always reach out to their network first.  Also, a recommendation goes a long way.

In a great job market, we don’t notice it as much because there are plenty jobs that don’t get filled via the networks of those at the company but in a tough job market, very few are left for the taking. 

So what about all these job postings?

Some companies have a policy that a job must be posted for a period of time (30 days most of the time) before they can fill it.  Also, as in the kitchen remodel example, sometimes the company just wants to be sure the person they are planning to hire is in fact the best choice compared to what is out there.

It does not have to be your best friend to get you in.

You might be tired of hearing me preach networking but this is precisely why networking is so important....

You may be talking with someone at a networking event or a coffee shop and the next day they are asked in an email to the department about who they might know for a particular job opening. 

The reality is that more people are looking for opportunities to look good at work than to do a favor for a stranger they just met, hence the HUGE importance of making a favorable impression to everyone you meet!  Even if your new contact does not know you that well, if you made a positive impression, they know you will make a positive impression on the hiring manager and therefore, make them look good.

It’s never too late!  It’s time to be the person who got in because you knew someone.

Check out the upcoming networking events.

What to Research for Job Interview Preparation

  

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Congratulations!  You got the interview! 

Now you have to prepare for the interview.

• Where am I going?
• What am I wearing?
• What excuse will I tell my boss?

We are usually on top of those things but the research portion seems to be a bit of a grey area.
The research preparation for the interview is the most beneficially impactful element of the interview process that most people DON'T DO properly.  Also, interview preparation is one of the 3 things we have complete control of in the interview process.
The most common negative feedback I hear from hiring managers after an interview is,
“He did not seem like he did much research.”

So what should you research?

Here is my 5 step Interview Research Guide

1. Read the website for an overview.  I usually start on the website like reading anything else; left to right, start at the top (1^st tab and the dropdowns, 2^nd tab and so on.)  If it is a product website like Staples, make sure you scroll to the bottom for “Corporate Information” after you familiarize yourself with the products and the process of purchasing.

2. Dig in deep to your target areas of the website.  There are portions of the website that you either need to commit to memory or take copious notes.

• Press Releases, News, Media and/or Investor Relations

• Mission Statement, Credo and/or History

• Management Team

• Careers, “What it is like to work here”, etc.

• Product Pipelines and Phases (in Pharmaceutical companies)

3. Check out the company's Social Media presence.  Be aware of the branding messages on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.  Yes, even if you are an Accountant!  If your job search is confidential, there is no need to “Like” or “Follow” now but you should be aware of the company's social media efforts. 

If you are not a confidential job seeker, yes, fan-up!

4. Research the Management Team, Hiring Managers and anyone else you will speak with.  Start with Google-ing their names but this is one of my favorite uses of LinkedIn.  Be on the lookout not just for schools and prior companies but also publications, twitter pages and hobbies.  If they tweet, YOU ARE IN LUCK as you can tell a lot about personalities, views and interests from what they tweet.

5. Google the company like it’s a blind date!  See what else is out there being said about the company. 

• Company related news that might not be on the site.
• The company’s competitors
• The company’s industry
• Hoovers profile
• Financial information and statistics.  If they are publicly traded, I really like Yahoo Finances

1. Just referring to any of it in conversation, shows you have “done your research.” How that translates in and interview…. 

   • “He must really want this job.”

   • “This is not just another job interview for her.”

   • “She is really taking this seriously.”

2. This information will help you come up with better questions than your competition.

• Interviewers understand that there are a few generic interview questions you will ask but they really want to hear questions that only pertain to ONLY this interview. 

• I have seen a candidate get a job offer over another candidate when it was “neck and neck” just because she asked how they plan on dealing with a lawsuit from a competitor.

The interviewer said,

“We like her...she thinks like a business person.”