| Keep
Calm and Carry On |
04/15/09 |
| The
last month or so was marked by a maelstrom that included
a clumsy backing maneuver that put part of my car in a ditch,
a frozen hot water pipe, and the emergency purchases of
a new natural gas furnace and a new car thermostat. In the
midst of all this, I received an e-mail purporting to be
from "HM Government." |
| Network
Even When You Have a Job |
04/13/09 |
| Networking
isn’t just for the unemployed. As more workers look over
their shoulders in anticipation of the dreaded tap, they’re
increasingly reaching out. |
| A
Twitter Cheat Sheet |
04/10/09 |
| As
ever more businesses and individual professionals take up
microblogging on Twitter, "tweeting" may become an indispensable
career tool. A recent post on Susan Weiner's Investment
Writing blog offers tips for coming up to speed. While aimed
at financial advisors, her advice is useful for other professionals
too. |
| Managing
Your References |
04/09/09 |
| The
care and feeding of references has taken on greater importance
in today's market. As reported in The Wall Street Journal,
you'll enhance your chances of getting a job if you go the
extra mile when you’re preparing them. |
| Our
Take: Job-Search Bubble |
04/06/09 |
| Riding
the subway home from a job-search networking party at which
you met more jobless-services entrepreneurs than job-seekers,
you skim a free local newspaper. One page is divided into
two distinct advice columns, each about coping with a layoff.
The next page reviews a career consultant's latest how-to
book about bouncing back from being laid off. |
| Recruiters
Not Responding? Here's Why |
04/03/09 |
| A
story on our sister site eFinancialCareers that showcased
recruiters' complaints about "crazy" candidates struck a
nerve among many users there. Several comments draw a link
between overeager job-seekers - who recruiters may view
as pests - and uncommunicative recruiters whom sincere and
well-behaved job-seekers may label rude and unprofessional.
|
| New
Grad's Job Strategy Primer |
04/01/09 |
| If
experienced pros can't find jobs today, what's a new graduate
with little or no professional experience supposed to do?
College students who adopt the same tactics as their experienced
counterparts have better chances of success than you might
think. |
| Your
Options In Negotiating Severance |
03/30/09 |
| As
the number of layoffs has risen, the willingness of companies
to negotiate the contents of severance packages has fallen
off due to fears of creating inequalities among classes
of employees and the necessity to hoard cash. |
| Don't
Be Like These Guys |
03/27/09 |
| Successful
individuals often urge keeping a positive mind-set, even
while between jobs. As a cautionary flag, here are a couple
of examples of its opposite. The poisonous attitudes that
follow are markers of what not to let yourself do, or even
think, in the course of your job search. |
| Larger-Than-Life
Job Search Tactic |
03/25/09 |
| Mark
Heuer turbo-charged his job search by attracting potential
employers to his online resume through an outdoor billboard
advertisement. But he says the most important thing job-seekers
should do is communicate directly with people. |
| An
Accounting Student Meets the Job Market |
03/23/09 |
| Kim
Kaemmer thought for sure she wanted to earn her CPA and
work in public accounting. But as she readies for her May
2009 graduation from the University of St. Thomas, a regional
Catholic school in St. Paul, Minn., she's beginning to have
second thoughts. |
| Our
Take: Be Visible, Not Desperate |
03/20/09 |
| Was
Joshua Persky ahead of his time? Nine months ago, the laid-off
investment banker made his pitch to passers-by in midtown
Manhattan wearing a poster that read, "Experienced M.I.T.
Grad For Hire." His out-of-the-box tactic brought encouraging
words, worldwide media attention and many a contact - but
few concrete job opportunities, and no offers. Persky found
a new job in October, a full four months after his week
inside the sandwich board. |
| Changing
Jobs? Leave Bad Habits Behind |
03/18/09 |
| People
with experience in accounting bring a great amount of knowledge
and skills with them when they move to a new job. But they
also bring their old habits, including some harmful assumptions
about how work should be done. |
| Your
Facebook 'Friend' May Want a Favor |
03/16/09 |
| With
175 million members and counting, Facebook is so firmly
entrenched in so many lives that the time has come to start
asking the tough questions: What’s Facebook really for?
And how can Facebook help with your career? |
| Speak
Up and Speak Better: Communication Skills Primer |
03/13/09 |
| "Hi.
Okay, you guys, hi. How's it goin'? I'm your presenter today,
so just, like, open your packets and, like, follow along
with the PowerPoint so we can jargon, jargon, jargon, gobbledygook,
thirty-six million four hundred twenty-nine thousand eighteen
point one percentage points and more, you know, like, jargon.
Okay?" |
| Anger
in the Workplace Isn't All Bad |
03/11/09 |
| We've
all been taught that anger is harmful and dangerous – especially
at work. But a long-term study by Harvard researchers of
824 adults points to a different conclusion: expressing
anger in a controlled way serves both careers and personal
lives far better than keeping frustration bottled up all
the time. |
| No
Stimulus For Hotels, Sports Events |
03/09/09 |
| Congress
last month approved $787 billion in new spending to stimulate
the economy and preserve jobs. Somebody tell that to the
13.2 million Americans who work in the leisure and hospitality
industry – whose customers are standing aside in droves,
partly because of those very same lawmakers' sermons against
corporate "excess." |
| New
Grads' Entitlement Colliding With Reality |
03/09/09 |
| Bankers
aren't the only people whose sense of entitlement is taking
a beating lately. College students feel pretty entitled
too, if a post in the Daily Beast blog is any indication.
|
| Plug
and Play Resume Customization |
03/05/09 |
| Customizing
your resume to match each job opportunity will result in
more interviews and offers. But is the potential return
worth the time investment? |
| Severance
and Your Rights |
03/02/09 |
| The
firestorm surrounding Microsoft's severance package gaffe
- first overpaying about 25 laid off workers, and then asking
for the money back - brings up a question: Are former workers
legally obligated to return money to a company that's let
them go? |
| TU
for the Interview? NVR! |
02/27/09 |
| Thanks
to mobile technology, you can find new job opportunities,
network online and research prospective employers on the
run. But be warned: When you call a prospective boss or
send him a post-interview thank you e-mail, you should sit
down and turn off your Blackberry. Formal communications
standards and traditional etiquette rules still apply to
the job hunting process. |
| How
to Do Unto Others |
02/25/09 |
| A
recent blog post by corporate consultant Richard Skaare
serves up a fresh slant on networking: the best ways to
help a friend who is unemployed. |
| How
to Manage an Exit Interview |
02/23/09 |
| For
whatever the reason - maybe you've been let go, maybe you're
leaving for another firm - you're facing a human resource
officer on your last day of work. |
| What
NOT to Include in Your Resume |
02/18/09 |
| It’s
a tough job-hunting environment, so in your zeal to stand
out you may have made a mistake on your resume that could
sink your chances instead of enhancing them. So, in the
interests of helping you stay safe, we present highlights
of HR World’s list of 25 things you should never include
in your resume. |
| Economy
Pressures Smaller Firms |
02/13/09 |
| If
the economy continues to crash, accounting firms may find
themselves forced to lay off employees to balance the books
after the busy season. |
| Grow
Professionally Online |
02/09/09 |
| Looking
for career guidance or growth? Want to share your wisdom
with others? Then consider becoming an online mentor or
protégé and let the coaching begin. |
| Half
of CFOs Plan to Retire On Schedule |
02/06/09 |
| Economic
conditions have led about a quarter of chief financial officers
(CFOs) to delay their retirement - bad news for those who
were hoping to move up when the boss stopped working. |
| Good
Background, Strong Skills - And No Job? |
02/04/09 |
| Despite
a perfect resume, flawless references and years of experience,
some finance professionals are finding it difficult to land
a job suitable to their skills. Even people who've put in
time at Big Four accounting firms or well-known investment
banks have sometimes gotten less-than-receptive reactions
from prospective employers. |
| Firms
Still Hiring, But More Slowly |
02/02/09 |
| If
there's an unwritten rule not to change public accounting
jobs during tax season, plenty of accountants are ignoring
it. And despite the emergence of some interesting staffing
options, hiring in accounting and finance has slowed. |
| A
Career Change Road Map |
01/30/09 |
| Changing
careers requires intensive research, self-knowledge, and
passionate commitment to a goal. Ultimately, getting hired
may rest on devising a marketable idea you can present to
an employer in the field you’ve trained your sights on. |
| Coping
With Difficult People At Work |
01/28/09 |
| Vicky
Oliver's book, Bad Bosses, Crazy Coworkers & Other
Office Idiots, comes at the right time. Until a year
or so ago, "retention" was a mantra for HR officers. Now
the shoe is on the other foot: It's employees who obsess
about retaining their own jobs. So a tool kit for coping
with difficult workplace personalities falls on fertile
soil. |
| How
Managing Up Positions You For Growth |
01/26/09 |
| Even
if no one reports to you, your job still involves managing
people - the ones occupying slots above yours on the organization
chart. It's called "managing up," and those who do it well
can become indispensable to their organizations, resulting
in choice assignments and promotions. |
| Fraud
Threat Creates Opportunities, Too |
01/23/09 |
| The
financial crisis and recession will stimulate both fraud
and employers' efforts to combat it. That spells danger
as well as opportunity for financial professionals, says
fraud expert Ralph M. Fatigate of BDO Seidman's consulting
division. |
| SEC
Could Add Enforcement Jobs |
01/21/09 |
| The
SEC might add as many as 120 new slots for enforcement lawyers
and accountants later this year. That's how many new bodies
one securities law expert believes the agency will need
to restore its reputation as a market watchdog. |
| Strategic
Career Change |
01/19/09 |
| Since
Change is the national theme of the week, we thought we'd
look at a recent article in Psychology Today that, while
it focuses on personality change, can apply to the idea
of career change, as well. If nothing else, it's a helpful
guide to taking stock of your position and whether it's
really the right one for you. |
| More
Ways to Hurt Yourself with E-Mail |
01/14/09 |
| The
day before we warned about new ways to injure yourself online
- in particular, by losing control of important correspondence
- a personal experience hammered home the message. |
| Analysts,
Accountants Needed At FBI |
01/12/09 |
| If
you're looking for a way to utilize your analytical skills
and the Madoff story makes you hopping mad, the Federal
Bureau of Investigation has several openings with your name
on them. But you'd best act fast, because most of those
career doors are set to shut on Jan. 16. |
| Our
Take: Networking is Hard |
01/09/09 |
| Networking
your way to a job opportunity takes both ingenuity and a
significant time commitment. That's why so many of us get
it wrong. |
| Wield
New Tools, But Wear Protective Gloves |
01/07/09 |
| Job-seekers
are often urged to ramp up their use of online tools like
personal Web sites, social networking, live-blogging and
mobile Web-based e-mail. Just as with physical tools, however,
any relatively new product poses a risk of self-injury. |
| Finance
Smarts Needed at NCIS |
01/05/09 |
| You
won't get to work with Mark Harmon, star of the television
drama NCIS, but if you take a job at the real Naval Criminal
Investigative Service, you could find yourself leading the
real-world version of his on-screen life. |
| ‘Preparation’
Tops the list of 2009 Resolutions |
12/30/08 |
| The
events of 2008 remind us that job security can be fleeting.
Job market vigilance has become a modern day career survival
technique, requiring professionals to keep a constant eye
open for that next opportunity and be prepared to launch
a job search on a moment’s notice. |
| Dating
for Jobs |
12/29/08 |
| Having
spent the last six months of my life on a fairly concentrated
job search - I'm looking for a position as a financial writer
or communications professional - it's become obvious to
me there are parallels between finding the perfect job and
finding the perfect date or future mate. |
| Success
with Behavioral Interviewing Questions |
12/19/08 |
| Interviewing
for a job can be nerve racking. Even experienced professionals
can have a hard time demonstrating their capabilities and
expressing themselves effectively, given the tension of
an interview situation. The best way to reduce your anxiety
and increase your interviewing proficiency, is to eliminate
the element of surprise by anticipating the questions you’ll
be asked, and preparing some answers. |
| Charting
a Course to the Controller's Office |
12/12/08 |
| So,
you want to be a corporate controller. To make yourself
a viable candidate, you'll need a CPA, acumen in auditing,
finance and operations, and a career focus on a narrow set
of industry sectors. |
| Strategize
Your Job Search |
12/10/08 |
| There's
always room for good, solid people in the workplace. Industries
may be different, but there's always a need for good managers.
But if you're searching for a job in today's marketplace,
you need a plan of attack. The fact is most people are skilled
as job holders - but not as job hunters. |
| CareerWire:
Clueless on MySpace |
12/08/08 |
| If
you don't want your private life to ruin your career, then
take steps to keep it private. And stop whining about free
speech. |
| Ex-Bankers
Make Good Accounting Candidates |
12/03/08 |
| If
hordes of unemployed investment bankers and fund managers
are contemplating a switch to finance-related jobs, Seiki
Murono hasn't seen the evidence. The managing director of
Boyden Global Executive Search's San Francisco office says
he's received a few extra resumes from ex-bankers - but
hardly an onslaught. |
| CareerWire:
Watch Your Back! |
12/01/08 |
| An
economy in recession encourages the in-house blame game.
Take steps to avoid being scapegoated by an ill-motivated
colleague or boss. |
| Selecting
Your Ideal Boss |
12/01/08 |
| It's
often said people don't leave companies - they leave bosses.
The expression suggests that bad chemistry with their supervisors
can cause employees to quit. But the relationship between
you and your boss is more complicated than that, and in
truth even a boss you adore may not be a good match for
you professionally. |
| CareerWire:
Zig Where the Market Zags |
11/24/08 |
| Classic
bear-market specialties like litigation support, risk management
and crisis management are among areas spawning opportunities
for accounting and finance pros lately. |
| Considering
Coaching? Consider This |
11/24/08 |
| Many
financial professionals view a personal cheerleader as a
necessary investment on their way to achieving their goals.
But before you embrace the idea that coaching is indispensable
to success, think carefully about whether it's the best
approach for you. To start, consider whether any of these
descriptions apply to you. |
| Six
Ways to Not Get the Job |
11/21/08 |
| If
you want to know all the stupid things people do when job
hunting, ask Ed Navis. He's been reading resumes for two
decades as a human resources consultant to mid-size companies
and non-profits. Here are the top six mistakes he sees job
hunters make. |
| Valuation
Experience Needed in N.Y. Area |
11/19/08 |
| Despite
concerns over layoffs at Citigroup, Morgan Stanley and other
financial institutions, CPAs remain positive about valuation
work. With increasing regulatory oversight and forced consolidation
in the financial services sector, more accountants are needed
to deal with valuation matters. |
| Correcting
Your Credit Report Before Your Job Interview |
11/17/08 |
| More
and more companies are checking the credit and background
reports of their employment candidates. Before sending in
a resume, smart job-seekers should pull their own documents
to make sure their information is correct. Here's how you
do it. |
| Recruiter
Sees Drop in CPA Searches |
11/14/08 |
| A
leading California-based recruiter of CPAs and finance executives
says his business has fallen off significantly since the
start of the year. Paul Herrerias, who heads the San Francisco
office for Stanton Chase, says his volume of search assignments
is down to a trickle, and he is having to market himself
more vigorously than he has before. |
| Profiting
From Performance Reviews |
11/12/08 |
| To
many, the annual performance review is about as welcome
as a colonoscopy. Could any good ever come from a one-on-one
where your boss - no matter how much he might respect your
work - is required to detail your strengths and (mostly)
weaknesses? Surprising as it may seem, experts answer in
the affirmative. |
| Interviewing
in Cyberspace |
11/07/08 |
| Virtual
jobs fairs and interviewing by avatar instead of by phone
are moving into the mainstream, and could be standard several
years from now. Here are some perspectives and coping tips
from people on the front lines of cyber-recruiting today. |
| Public
Accounting Still Favors Job Seekers |
11/05/08 |
| While
it may appear that all jobs in the financial markets are
evaporating or experiencing severe reductions in compensation,
public accounting continues to be healthy, with salaries
increasing at high levels for experienced tax and audit
professionals. |
| CareerWire:
Tax Work, N. Calif. Top Pay Gains |
11/03/08 |
| New
surveys by Robert Half and Ajilon Finance provide detailed
insights into expected movement in accounting and finance
salaries for various specialties and metropolitan areas.
|
| Options,
Demand in Corporate Accounting |
10/31/08 |
| Despite
layoffs and a tightening job market in various industries,
corporate accounting remains a strong line of work nationwide.
Not only is there continued need for corporate accountants
in a variety of positions, salaries are holding steady -
and even increasing in certain high-demand areas. |
| Guide
to Surviving a Merger |
10/29/08 |
| The
news hits you like a truck: the corporation or financial
institution you work for has agreed to be acquired. Now
what to you do? |
| SALT
Skills Needed in N.Y., N.J. |
10/24/08 |
| Given
the ever-increasing complexity of the region's state and
local corporate tax laws, New York and New Jersey CPAs with
SALT experience are in increasing demand. The jobs offer
strong pay and job security, but require some grueling hours
and tons of reading. |
| Mass
Customization and Your Job Search |
10/22/08 |
| By
utilizing a direct marketing technique called "mass customization,"
a job seeker can send out volumes of documents to prospective
employers without having to hand-tailor each one individually.
|
| Building
Your Internal Network |
10/17/08 |
| Building
a network within your company can be as important to your
success as developing contacts outside. But watch out: The
wrong moves can sink you. Here’s how to avoid some of the
most common pitfalls. |
| Q&A:
Greg Burke, Chair, CalCPA |
10/15/08 |
| California
Society of CPAs Chair Greg Burke has an ambitious agenda.
At the top of his list, Burke, wants to overhaul educational
requirements that are beginning to restrict California CPAs
from practicing out of state and can limit career opportunities.
He also wants to recruit more veteran accountants to academia,
and revamp committees to address industry trends more quickly.
|
| Craft
Cover Letters, Resumes that Earn You a Second Look |
10/10/08 |
| If
you plan to make a job move soon distinguish yourself from
the thundering herd of job-seekers that's building in the
market. You'll need a dazzling cover letter and a brilliant
resume: a total package designed to sell your skills and
talents to potential employers. |
| Financial
Tumult Pressures N.Y. Area CPAs |
10/08/08 |
| Recent
staff cuts at some of the Big Four, coupled with the woes
in financial services, are beginning to concern the New
York area's accounting community. Are the Big Four simply
performing their usual annual pruning? Are CPAs working
in the financial services industry vulnerable? The answers
depend on who you talk to, and what sort of experience you're
talking about. |
| Economic
Woes Color California Hiring Strategies |
10/03/08 |
| Although
Ernst & Young doesn't anticipating making major changes
to its business plans in the region, the firm is adapting
its hiring strategy to address new demands spawned by the
growing financial turmoil in the U.S. |
| Timing
the Transition to IFRS |
10/01/08 |
| Now
that the Securities and Exchange Commission has set a 2011-2015
timetable for moving from U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting
Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards,
how long will it take the accounting world to make the change?
|
| Networking
Tips for Introverts |
09/30/08 |
| Effectively
building - and leveraging - a network of professional contacts
is essential to your ultimate success. But if glad-handing
isn't your style, networking can look like a high hurdle.
The good news: There are several ways to make effective
networking more comfortable. |
| Relocating
Means Negotiating the Best Package |
09/29/08 |
| You
live in Baltimore and you've been offered two jobs: one
in Kansas City and the other in Columbus. The jobs pay the
same, but the company in Kansas City will pay your relocation
expenses. How hard will your wallet be hit if you decide
Ohio's the place for you? |
| The
Initial Interview: Don't Be Screened Out |
09/26/08 |
| Every
interview I've had began with an initial phone screen, where
the HR person/internal recruiter wanted to assess basic
skills for the job and asked a few internal assessment questions.
The skills questions should be a slam-dunk, as they're almost
always just an extension of the job requirements. The internal
assessment questions, however, can be potentially dangerous.
You need take care not to be screened out of the next round
of interviews. |
| Succession
Plans Offer Opportunities to Firm Staff |
09/24/08 |
| As
accountants age and look for exit strategies from the firms
they own, their succession plans become key factors to consider
for those looking to move up the ranks and perhaps takeover
the business. |
| Near-Term
Stability for Wall Street Accountants |
09/23/08 |
| The
move by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to convert to bank
holding companies will mean more work for accounting and
compliance professionals in the short run, but may lead
to eventual layoffs, industry observers say. |
| CareerWire:
Good Time to Switch |
09/22/08 |
| If
you've been considering moving to another sector, the time
might be right. As long as you're switching into the right
industry, of course. |
| What's
Behind Layoffs at the Big Four |
09/19/08 |
| Recent
layoffs at Deloitte weren't the first cuts made by a Big
Four firm this year, but they were the most highly publicized.
Every year, Big Four and next-tier firms have layoffs, but
they do them in small pieces, spread them out geographically,
and tend not to send out press releases about them. |
| Tech
Skills Become Vital to Accounting Careers |
09/16/08 |
| It's
a given you have finance and accounting skills. But what's
the next most important item in your career tool belt? If
you'd asked CFOs that question five years go, they would
have said "operations." But today, they'll answer "technology." |
| N.Y.
Area CPAs Face the Economy |
09/12/08 |
| Accounting
professionals in New York and New Jersey are often seen
as immune to changes in the financial markets, bumps in
the economy and even employment changes on Wall Street.
Skilled CPAs, after all, are always in demand. Aren't they?
|
| Ins
and Outs of Contract Accounting |
09/10/08 |
| Accountants
who want the stimulation of multiple clients but not the
long hours of public accounting may find they can have it
all by working for a contract accounting firm. But, as those
who run such companies warn, project-based work isn't for
everyone. |
| California
Aids Prospective Academics |
09/09/08 |
| As
part of an effort to address a shortage of accounting professors
in California, CalCPA is expanding its program to help accountants
interested in academia shoulder the costs of their studies.
|
| CareerWire:
Layoff At Deloitte |
09/08/08 |
| It's
now official: The slowing economy is impacting demand for
accounting work. So says Deloitte & Touche, the first
of the Big Four to announce a mass layoff this business
cycle. |
| Our
Take: Age Matters |
09/03/08 |
| Recently,
two sports stories caught my eye by showcasing opposite
poles of an issue many financial services professionals
grapple with every day: the perceived relationship between
job performance and age. |
| CPAs
Need Communications Skills to Advance |
09/01/08 |
| Communication
skills are more important than ever when it comes to climbing
the corporate ladder. But what are accountants to do, when
they spend more time number crunching than dealing directly
with people or learning to write effectively? The answer:
Learn the communication skills you need to rise to the next
level. |
| Tune
Up Your Grammar |
08/27/08 |
| Is
your resume grammatically correct? For many job seekers,
writing a flawless resume is difficult enough, yet nothing
is more important. If it contains grammatical errors, reviewers
may surmise you're uneducated, lack good communication skills
or attention to detail. |
| Making
the Move to Public Accounting |
08/26/08 |
| Accountants
who move back and forth between the public and corporate
worlds can maintain - and even boost - their salaries, but
only if they have the right combination of credentials and
experience. |
| Where
You Went Wrong |
08/22/08 |
| It's
been months since you started looking for a job and you
still haven't found anything. Wondering where you're going
wrong? |
| Tracing
The Career of Wikimedia's CFO |
08/20/08 |
| California's
many non-profit and education organizations offer some of
the best opportunities for CPAs who want to advance their
careers. Veronique Kessler has spent most of the past decade
- more than half her career - working for such organizations. |
| Creating
Your Personal Career Vision |
08/19/08 |
| In
an earlier post, I explained why it's important to create
a "Personal Career Vision" before you leap into a job search.
Once you've done that, it's time to stop the daily mad rush,
reflect on where you've been and where you are now, and
assess where it is you want to end up. |
| How
to Stand Out, Make Friends, and Influence People |
08/15/08 |
| We
all want to be the whiz kid, the one whose brilliance makes
us stand out. Ironically, deep down inside, we resent the
very type of person we aspire to be. In other words, standing
out has its dangers. Here's how to deal with them. |
| Economy
Pressures Accountants' Optimism. Should It? |
08/13/08 |
| A
shaky global economy, rising oil prices and falling home
values have cut into the optimism that accounting and finance
professionals typically report when asked about their employment
prospects. |
| CareerWire:
Broadening the Mission |
08/11/08 |
| A
growing number of CPA firms are taking a wider view of their
business. Beyond obvious extensions like tax planning and
business consulting, some are offering marketing and communications
services. |
| Our
Take: Be Humble |
08/08/08 |
| Humility
helps. Haughtiness hurts. That's a message I'm hearing with
increasing frequency when career experts discuss interviewing
skills. |
| Fundamentals
of the Functional Resume |
08/06/08 |
| If
you have a background that's not traditional for an accountant,
or you're considering a career change, the Functional Resume
Format may be your best option. |
| In
California, Hint of a Slowdown - But Just a Hint |
08/05/08 |
| The
slumping economy may be impacting hiring at West Coast CPA
firms. One hint: The managing partner at one of Los Angeles's
largest full-service accounting firms says he won't be hiring
as much as he has in the recent past. |
| CareerWire:
Who's Watching Whom? |
08/04/08 |
| When
you work at home, do you think you have more privacy than
at the office. Maybe you do. But, then, maybe you don't. |
| Tax,
Business Consulting Grows in N.Y. |
08/01/08 |
| Outside
of traditional accounting firms New York and New Jersey
CPAs are finding growing opportunities at specialized tax
and business consulting practices. To succeed, accountants
must learn to play up their marketing, communications, and
negotiation skills. |
| Risk
Management Jobs in Chicago |
07/29/08 |
| As
the credit markets continue to deteriorate and large financial
institutions tighten controls, a number of Chicago firms
are seeking risk management professionals in many specialties.
|
| Podcast:
Earning the CMA Credential |
07/25/08 |
| Listen
in as the Institute of Management Accountants ' John M.
Brausch, CMA, CFM, CPA, talks with Contributing Editor Dona
DeZube about obtaining the Certified Management Accountant
credential, including his experience in preparing for the
exams. |
| The
Value of a Personal Career Vision |
07/23/08 |
| If
you think you'll be happier in your career simply by switching
companies, think again. To be successful and love your work,
you'll need more than a job. Before you focus on resume
writing, networking, and job hunting, you'll need what I
call a "personal career vision" - a tangible blueprint of
the direction you want your life to take. |
| E&Y
Shuffles Executives in the West |
07/22/08 |
| CPAs
seeking Big Four experience in Southern California and the
Southwest will have to reshuffle their contact files after
a chain reaction of promotions in three of Ernst & Young's
major Western offices. |
| CareerWire:
Poll Finds Robust Job Market |
07/21/08 |
| The
accounting job market remains as strong as ever, in the
view of most respondents to a JobsintheMoney poll. However,
32 percent saw some degree of slowing. |
| Salaries
Up, But Gender Gap Widens |
07/18/08 |
| The
Institute of Management Accountants' 2007 salary survey
uncovered both good news and bad news for accountants. The
good news: Average salary for IMA members now tops $100,000,
having risen 6.9 percent last year. The bad news: The gap
increased between men's and women's pay. |
| Credentials
as a Lever into Management |
07/16/08 |
| If
you're interested in moving into management, credentials
can often provide the boost you need. A designation can
move your resume to the top of the pile – but you'll still
have to win the job during the interview process. |
| Northeast
Mergers Impact Staff Loyalty |
07/15/08 |
| Just
when it seemed that merger mania was over, the New York
and New Jersey metro region saw a crop of announcements
of CPA firm combinations. Accountants facing the tumult
that goes along with such changes should remember they have
options: Being under demand means the "loyal to the end"
staff accountant may be a thing of the past. |
| CareerWire:
Firm Aims to Double Its Staff |
07/14/08 |
| Mitchell
& Titus, the nation's largest minority-controlled accounting
firm, looks to add about 150 people to its staff over the
next three years under incoming CEO Anthony Kendall. |
| Globalization
Impacts Diversity Programs |
07/11/08 |
| Globalization
of operations, products and services means multinational
firms must redefine the nature of their diversity programs.
But morphing inclusion policies present benefits and challenges
to both companies and local employees. |
| Is
Forensic Accounting for You? |
07/09/08 |
| Bribery
involving a Fortune 500 and a foreign government. Untangling
the next Enron. For an auditor with a few years of experience,
forensic accounting and litigation support (F&L) can
be an exciting career option. |
| Calif.
FBI Offices Seek Accountants |
07/08/08 |
| California
CPAs looking for a different career path might consider
- the FBI. Its offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and
other cities are seeking accountants to work in areas such
as counter-terrorism, drug enforcement and corporate crime.
|
| Do
I Need a Resume if I'm Not Looking For a Job? |
07/07/08 |
| Ask
the Expert: "I'm a manager in the finance department of
a mid-sized, private firm and haven't had a resume since
college. One of my colleagues says I should have one. I'm
not looking for a job, so why would this be important?" |
| Moving
onto the Management Track |
07/02/08 |
| If
you're happy where you work, your near-term goals probably
include a move up into management. In that case, you need
to prepare by picking up new skills and possibly more credentials. |
| CFOs
See Concern Over Long Hours |
07/01/08 |
| Accounting
and financial professionals have never enjoyed short hours
and light workloads, but have things gotten even worse in
recent years? According to a new survey by Accountemps,
one in three chief financial officers (35 percent, to be
precise) cited heavy workloads as the top workplace concern
for their financial teams. |
| CareerWire:
Another Angle on IFRS |
06/30/08 |
| When
the time arrives to transition to International Financial
Reporting Standards, accounting program curricula and the
CPA exams could prove a potential Achilles heel. |
| Little
Compliance Hiring in Chicago |
06/27/08 |
| While
compliance jobs at all levels abound in New York, San Francisco
and other parts of the U.S., in Chicago the market remains
sluggish. |
| In
Getting Ahead, Your Words Count |
06/25/08 |
| A
career in finance presupposes that you're good with numbers.
To get ahead, you have to be good with words, too. That's
not to say you have to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, but you do
have to convey your thoughts, plans and data clearly, concisely
and in a jargon-free style that any audience can understand.
Plus, you want to write in a way that makes you look good. |
| Standing
Out from the Competition |
06/24/08 |
| What
are the likely trends in the California job market for the
remainder of 2008? What should job seekers be doing to boost
their prospects - in the short and long terms? |
| Our
Take: Watch What You Say |
06/20/08 |
| Our
topic sounds like old hat in the context of a job interview.
But many tried-and-true rules of interview behavior are
just as valid for other professional situations. |
| From
Public to Private - Accounting, That Is |
06/17/08 |
| With
demand so high, today's accountants have an enormous number
of opportunities to choose from when shifting their career
gears. Once you've got some experience under your belt,
you can pursue any number of specialties that match your
strengths and interests. So how do you plot your direction?
In part, the answer depends on where you started your career
and where you sit now. |
| Female
CFOs Dissected |
06/11/08 |
| What
qualities does a woman need to make it to CFO of a major
corporation? |
| Tech
Skills Gives CPAs a Leg Up |
06/10/08 |
| While
CPA firms in New York and New Jersey are beefing up their
business advisory and consulting arms, they need more than
accounting and business talent. They're looking for business
experts who are tech-savvy, and able to understand how IT
efforts can benefit accounting and business processes. |
| Accounting
Job Market Holds Steady |
06/06/08 |
| A
new survey shows the accounting job market appears to be
holding steady, with employers neither increasing or decreasing
their staff. |
| Our
Take: Active Job Search Techniques |
06/04/08 |
| Recently
we explained our philosophy of career planning and growth,
which can be summed up as "active career management." Now,
here are some techniques to help you maximize expected returns
from the effort you put into your job search. |
| New
Designation for Fraud Experts |
06/03/08 |
| Accountants
seeking to bolster their forensic and litigation-support
credentials have a new option starting this fall, when the
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants launches
its Certified in Financial Forensics designation. |
| Number
of New CPAs Soars in Bay State |
05/30/08 |
| The
number of people that have passed the Massachusetts CPA
exam rose by more than 66 percent in 2007, according to
the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants.
The jump comes in the wake of changes to state regulations. |
| Accountants
Dodge Wall Street Layoffs |
05/28/08 |
| CPAs
in New York and New Jersey often face the unenviable task
of delivering bad news to a company's management. The region's
financial services firms, after all, are in the midst of
contraction, hit by the credit crunch, the sub-prime blowout
and a variety of regulatory pressures. While being the bearer
of bad tidings certainly takes a toll, accountants in the
financial world are by and large being spared one thing:
layoff notices. |
| Stopping
Bullies at Work |
05/23/08 |
| Studies
find bullying is alive and well in the workplace. Learn
strategies for coping. |
| San
Francisco Firm Relies on Organic Growth |
05/20/08 |
| Some
CPA firms succeed by being all things to all people: Their
growth stems from their ability to serve a varied clientele.
Others focus on narrow specialties, and develop their staffs
to thrive in the challenges posed by their target industries.
|
| Learning
by Doing Overseas |
05/16/08 |
| When
it comes to cultural awareness, immersion in a country's
daily life beats reading about it every time. That's the
thinking behind a new KPMG program that puts interns into
short-term international assignments the year before they
graduate. |
| When
Following Up, Persistence Pays |
05/15/08 |
| Would
you call a prospective employer 63 times if your calls weren't
picked up or returned? How about 24 times over a two-year
period? |
| CareerWire:
SOX Workload Under Control |
05/12/08 |
| Although
demand for auditors won't vanish any time soon, the quantity
of work needed to fulfill the much-feared Sarbanes-Oxley
Section 404 requirements appears to have peaked. |
| Our
Take: Your Portfolio, Your Career |
05/09/08 |
| "Career
path." That's a phrase often spoken by HR staffers eager
to show young employees that management is meeting their
need for professional growth. Does the phrase mean anything
- or is it simply hot air? |
| N.Y./N.J.
Firms Bulk Up Offerings Through Associations |
05/07/08 |
| A
number of CPA firms in the New York/New Jersey area are
joining together in alliances that allow them to access
expertise they might not ordinarily have. These non-profit
associations illustrate a new tactic in facing today's shortage
of accountants. |
| Spanish
Ability Aids California CPAs |
05/06/08 |
| California
CPAs may want to consider boning up on their Spanish as
a career-advancement strategy. With the state's Latino population
growing rapidly, accounting firms are serving more Hispanic-owned
businesses and Latin American companies seeking to expand
in the U.S. |
| 'Authenticity'
Serves Women Executives Well |
05/02/08 |
| Women
who rise to the upper levels of business follow the same
recipe for success as men as they combine vision, intellect,
guts and hard work with their ability to influence others.
They also add another ingredient: authenticity. |
| Chicago
CPAs and Accountants in Demand |
04/29/08 |
| Recruiters
and accounting firm insiders report a strong demand for
accountants and CPAs in public accounting, the corporate
market, and financial services and alternative investment
firms in Chicago. |
| Real
Paths to the CFO's Chair |
04/25/08 |
| Forget
everything you've heard. The road to the CFO's chair doesn't
always pass through public accounting firms and big company
detours that could leave you stranded, staring at spreadsheets
in your cubicle for decades. Here's some advice from two
CFOs about how to break into the management game. |
| 'Fairness
Opinion' Expertise Sought in N.Y. |
04/22/08 |
| New
York and New Jersey CPAs with fairness opinion expertise
are in hot demand. Just what's driving the boom, and what
skill sets are needed to get into this growing area of accounting? |
| San
Francisco Firm on Fast Track |
04/18/08 |
| CPA
job seekers on the look-out for firms on the rise take notice.
Burr Pilger and Mayer took top honors as California's fastest
growing accounting firm in 2007. In a state with firms like
Armanino McKenna, Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt, and
Novogradac & Co. posting 20 to 30 percent gains - or
more - that's no small feat. |
| Call
Me Anything I Want |
04/16/08 |
| Would
you jump to a new firm if it agreed to give you any title
you wanted? Like, say, Chief of the Known Accounting Universe?
Don't laugh. More companies are dangling "chief" titles
as lures to keep current leaders onboard as well as to entice
new employees. |
| CareerWire:
Working Abroad |
04/14/08 |
| A
Chicago-area magazine describes some day-to-day concerns
of Big Four accountants temporarily posted to India, Europe,
Australia and elsewhere. |
| Tech-Risk
Experts Needed in New York |
04/11/08 |
| Considering
the nature of business today and the growth of legal and
financial reporting requirements, it's not surprising technology
risk professionals are needed by many corporations. The
demand is especially critical in the New York and New Jersey
area. |
| When
Negotiating, Look Beyond Base and Bonus |
04/09/08 |
| Even
in a ragged job market, candidates who get job offers can
improve them. The key is being flexible about what you ask
for - and having the confidence to ask in the first place.
|
| How
Accountants See Jobs in Non-Profits |
04/08/08 |
| Compared
to the rest of the people working in the non-profit sector,
accounting and finance professionals are more likely to
be male, have an MBA and work in middle management. |
| California
Firms Leverage Growth |
04/04/08 |
| Fast
growth has been a common theme among California accounting
firms. In Accounting Today's annual survey of the country's
largest firms, four in the Golden State were among the 20
fastest growing. Revenues at Burr, Pilger & Mayer, Armanino
McKenna, Novogradac & Co. and Holthouse Carlin &
Van Trigt each rose by at least 23 percent. |
| Master's
Program at Western Washington |
04/02/08 |
| Western
Washington University's College of Business and Economics
and Department of Accounting will unveil a new Master of
Professional Accounting program tonight. |
| Despite
Crunch, Hedge Funds Hire Accountants |
04/01/08 |
| Discussion
of hedge fund careers usually focuses on portfolio management,
where top performers enjoy rock-star status and routinely
pull seven- or eight-figure incomes. But funds' need for
additional bodies actually is strongest in supporting roles
- like accounting. |
| Detroit
Firm's Focus is Over the Horizon |
03/28/08 |
| Clayton
& McKervey serves only middle-market entrepreneurs who
want to expand globally. Such focus makes it easy to train
employees, but harder to find the accountants it wants:
Those who already know both IFRS and GAAP. |
| Show
Up, Show Off, Get On The Team |
03/25/08 |
| Globalization
and increased regulation are making business more complex
and causing multifaceted challenges for large and mid-sized
businesses. To face them, more companies are creating cross-functional
teams that include professionals from a variety of disciplines.
This means opportunity for candidates who can be effective
team players as well as great technicians. |
| CPAs
Eyes Jobs as Recruiters, Consultants |
03/19/08 |
| For
many New York-New Jersey CPAs, saying goodbye to the 80-hour
work week entails leaving their corporate, Big Four or regional
firm to pursue jobs at small consulting firms, specialized
recruiters, and others. |
| Seven
Signs You're Getting Good Training |
03/18/08 |
| Virtually
every accounting firm offers training, but not all firms
offer great training. Take this quiz to find out if you're
getting just training - or really great training. |
| CareerWire:
The IRS Got There First |
03/17/08 |
| Some
people say working for the IRS isn't glamorous, but it was
the Service's investigators who first suspected something
was amiss in (former) N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer's financial
records. It just led them in a direction they didn't expect
to go. |
| Roundup:
Executive Moves in the Northeast |
03/13/08 |
| The
AICPA steps up its campaign for mobility laws, while Thomas
Rollauer joins Deloitte's regulatory and capital team and
Benjamin Gadon becomes a tax partner at New York's Mahoney
Cohen & Company. |
| Few
Women See Financial Workplace Gains |
03/12/08 |
| Nearly
all women working in finance believe they are paid less
than men for the same work, and most don't feel they've
made much progress when it comes to issues of parity. |
| Corporate
Options Abound in N.Y., N.J. |
03/11/08 |
| Accountants
in the New York-New Jersey area are fast becoming well-respected
experts in business issues beyond accounting, and are gearing
up for choice spots in the boardroom. |
| CFOs
See Slowdown in Hiring |
03/05/08 |
| Chief
financial officers expect hiring activity in accounting
and finance to slow during the second quarter, with the
great majority seeing no change in their hiring levels at
all. |
| The
Ins and Outs of International Assignments |
02/27/08 |
| You're
no longer competing only against the accountant in the next
cubicle, now you have to beat out the accountant in the
next country, according to a survey of more the 850 C-suite
executives in the U.S., the European Union and Asia. |
| Q&A:
Kenn McFarland, CPA, Hospital CFO |
02/26/08 |
| "Young
accountants don't want to make decisions because they want
to do more analysis. I got some wonderful advice: Don't
be afraid to make the decision. You've got to have it in
your head but you've got to move with your heart." |
| The
Art of Effective Presentations |
02/22/08 |
| Although
speaking in public frightens many people, it can help you
gain visibility and exposure, and increase your chances
of getting that new job or promotion. |
| Hedge
Funds Expected to Add CPAs |
02/20/08 |
| Hedge
funds in New York and New Jersey need CPAs who can handle
risk management. Even in the midst of the credit crunch
- and maybe because of it - funds will bring on board more
accountants as they mature and receive more scrutiny. |
| CareerWire:
Recruiting Tools and Challenges |
02/19/08 |
| Separate
surveys by BDO Seidman, Robert Half and a professional association
took different tacks to quantify the challenges of recruiting
and retaining accounting talent, and the best tools for
doing so. |
| Switch
Jobs During Tax Season? |
02/15/08 |
| With
so many empty seats to fill, public accounting firms may
be willing to overlook a candidate's willingness to jump
during the busy season. But that doesn't mean doing so is
a good idea. |
| Roundup:
Mergers and Promotions |
02/14/08 |
| Flexible
scheduling is losing ground as a recruiting tool. Dixon
Hughes absorbs a Memphis firm, while Archer Daniels Midland,
CNET and Conn's name new CFOs. |
| Merger
Trend Can Impact Careers |
02/12/08 |
| If
you work in a small CPA firm, would your career suffer if
your employer were to merge with a larger organization?
If you think so, you'd better start preparing now. |
| CareerWire:
PwC Tops Professor's Survey |
02/11/08 |
| Accounting
professors ranked PricewaterhouseCoopers first among the
Global Seven accounting firms in an annual poll that covers
various dimensions including client service, staff training,
ethics and compensation, and ranks employers separately
in each. |
| Shrunken
Bonuses Spark Grumbling In New York Area |
02/08/08 |
| Accountants
in financial services firms in New York and New Jersey remain
secure in their positions. But with all of the flux going
on in the sector, they're beginning to feel a tad discontented.
|
| Roundup:
Mergers, Moves Across U.S. |
02/06/08 |
| The
hiring landscape's still good, CFOs are sweating about recruitment,
and firms are making business moves from Texas to California. |
| Pay
Moving Higher in California |
02/05/08 |
| Why
are California employers nervous? Because a whole lot of
accountants are open to the idea of changing jobs, and their
replacements are nowhere in sight. |
| Opportunities
in Healthcare Companies |
02/01/08 |
| Whatever's
happening in the economy, healthcare companies continue
to need accountants to keep business going and handle a
maze of regulation. |
| Roundup:
Firm Mergers, Hires, Promotions |
01/30/08 |
| CPA
firms merge in South Florida, Chicago, Long Island, N.Y.,
and Fort Worth. In Tucson, a local CPA firm adds two staff
accountants, while an industrial firm names a permanent
CFO. |
| What
Mid-Size Firms Seek in California |
01/25/08 |
| Despite
the slump in real estate and worries about the economy,
the market for accountants in Los Angeles and Orange County
shows few signs of tailing off. Several small- and mid-sized
firms will be adding employees in upcoming months, and even
beyond. |
| The
View From Over 50 |
01/24/08 |
| Twenty
one percent of the U.S. workforce will be 55 or older by
2014, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So if you
feel superannuated among your Gen X and Y colleagues, you've
got age-appropriate company. And the good news is: Employers
will value your experience. |
| Volunteering:
More than 'Feeling Good' |
01/22/08 |
| Too
busy for volunteer work? There's a reason you may want to
find time to squeeze some in: It can boost your career,
and even help you be a better accountant. |
| Demand
Rising from N.Y. Non-Profits |
01/18/08 |
| Large
not-for-profit associations and philanthropic organizations
pick the Big Apple as a key spot to locate. For area CPAs
with the right credentials, the nonprofit sector holds good,
though specialized, opportunities. |
| A
New Way to Injure Yourself Online |
01/14/08 |
| Job-seekers
are often urged to ramp up their use of online tools like
personal Web sites, social networking, live-blogging and
mobile, Web-based email. Just as with physical tools, however,
using any relatively new product poses a risk of self-injury. |
| CareerWire:
Sleep Working |
01/14/08 |
| If
your firm can't find the accountants it needs, guess who's
going to keep things moving? That's right. You are. |
| Midsize
Firms Act to Retain Young Accountants |
01/09/08 |
| To
keep junior staffers from bolting, midsized accounting firms
are moving to provide more feedback from managers, formal
input into firm decisions, departmental and individual employee
work schedules calibrated to minimize the 24/7 syndrome,
and mentoring programs. |
| New
Skills Required for CFOs |
01/08/08 |
| If
you have designs on a chief financial officer's office in
California or other points west, you'd be wise to strengthen
your communication and other "softer" skills. The region's
employers are more likely to hire executives who know how
to present information clearly and work well with others.
In other words, financial skills aren't enough any more.
|
| N.Y.
Area Mergers Driven by Need for Growth |
01/07/08 |
| New
York and New Jersey CPA firms are still in the midst of
a serious reshuffling, as merger mania continues across
the Empire and Garden States. But even an attractive merger
deal can be fraught with angst for accountants wary of change. |
| Balance
at Deloitte |
01/02/08 |
| We
talk with Deloitte Services' Anne C. Weisberg, a director
specializing in talent diversity, about the firm's experience
in keeping up with the changing workforce. |
| CareerWire:
Escaping to Interview |
12/26/07 |
| If
you're job-hunting while working, there are better options
than using your sick days to get away from your office for
job interviews. |
| 'Average'
Monthly Confidence Among Accounting Workers Gained in 2007 |
12/21/07 |
| Employee
confidence looks to end 2007 at a record low among both
accounting and finance workers and the overall U.S. population,
according to one widely followed monthly survey. But connoisseurs
of rear-view-mirror driving can take comfort from this:
averaged throughout the first 11 months of 2007, the monthly
Hudson Employment Index slightly exceeded the monthly average
for 2006. |
| More
Risk Opportunities for N.Y. Area CPAs |
12/20/07 |
| Management
accountants in the New York metropolitan area are finding
increasing opportunities in the burgeoning field of enterprise
risk management. But the jobs require the right combination
of technical, financial, industry, and managerial savvy. |
| Introverted?
Consider Accounting and Auditing… |
12/19/07 |
| Opportunities
for accountants and auditors are expected to grow more than
22 percent between now and 2014, which may be good news
for people who want to strike a balance between working
with others and working alone. |
| CareerWire:
Tips for Career Changers |
12/17/07 |
| Thinking
of changing careers? When it comes to making a plan, you've
got to sweat the details. That and more in this week's CareerWire. |
| Office
Politics and You |
12/12/07 |
| Pam
Hedges has spent nearly thirty years advising senior executives
- including CFOs, controllers and other financial executives
in a range of industries - about how to do their jobs better.
Among her themes: being "politically competent" in the workplace
by building strong ties with people, including subordinates
and peers. |
| Big
Four Diversity Programs: A Wrap-Up |
12/11/07 |
| The
Big Four initiated diversity programs before much of the
finance world. But just what do those efforts consist of
today? In recent interviews, the firms offered up details
of their current programs. |
| Calif.
CPA Focuses Practice on 'Special Needs' Families |
12/07/07 |
| Some
California accountants believe they don't have many options
when it comes to what industries or areas they cover. But
a few have broadened the playing field by creating practices
around their own outside interests or causes. |
| N.Y.
Area Litigation Experts in Demand |
12/05/07 |
| Area
CPAs acting as litigation experts are enjoying prosperity
as New York and New Jersey accounting firms and corporations
lean more heavily on their specialized skills. |
| Matchmaker,
Matchmaker, Get Me a Job |
12/04/07 |
| Fiddler
on the Roof had Yenta, the matchmaker. The corporate
world has recruiters. Same principle, slightly different
parameters. But if you want to find a job you love, developing
a relationship with a recruiter, says Heidrick and Struggles'
Michele Heid, "is a phenomenal idea." |
| CareerWire:
Ethics and the Real World |
12/03/07 |
| Some
recent surveys indicate the push toward corporate responsibility
may not be as strong as many say - at least as far as job-hunters
are concerned. |
| Is
This Job Offer for Real? |
12/02/07 |
| How
do you protect yourself from fake job offers you might receive
from spammers? Here are some tips. |
| It's
Not About Balance - It's About Reality |
11/30/07 |
| Notoriously
long hours, detail-oriented work, and considerable face
time are parts and parcels of the CPA's working life. For
accounting firms, changing this kind of culture may be even
more important than money in the quest for new hires. |
| 'Responsibility'
Reporting Poised to Widen? |
11/28/07 |
| Corporations
and investors are increasingly adopting environmental, social
and governance measures of performance, alongside the usual
financial ones. That means expanded career opportunities
for internal auditors, management consultants and other
professionals who can apply a new generation of non-financial
reporting tools. The activities of finance departments and
external auditors will be affected as well. But it's going
to happen slowly. |
| Area
Accountants Feel Wall Street's Pain |
11/27/07 |
| With
record write-downs reported at large banks and investment
firms, many of which are headquartered in the tri-state
region, it's not surprising that hiring is slowing down.
New York, New Jersey and Connecticut accountants needn't
rush to these firms looking for a golden opportunity, at
least not in the short-term. |
| Getting
Credit When Credit is Due |
11/21/07 |
| You're
doing all the work and someone else is taking all the credit.
It's not only unfair, but it may affect your career. Handling
the situation requires tact, diplomacy and a plan. |
| How
Clothes Make the Accountant |
11/20/07 |
| In
California, most accounting firms favor business casual
attire. Staples of twentieth century office life - like
ties and jackets for men or hosiery for women – are largely
passe. So, what do the well-dressed accountants wear? Pay
attention if you want to look the part. |
| What
to do With Ethical Questions |
11/16/07 |
| If
you stay in finance and accounting long enough, someone
is going to ask you to fudge something. What should you
do? First, clarify the situation, then refuse to act unethically
and seek input from outside sources and people further up
the chain of command. |
| Network
Your Way to the Top |
11/15/07 |
| "I
can find my next job all by myself" is one myth that needs
to be exploded, say search experts. The old conventional
wisdom, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," is
alive and well. So get out of your chair, into some social
and professional events, and nurture your network. |
| How
Long Should Your Resume Be? |
11/14/07 |
| For
any resume, a key to success is length - or lack of it.
It's critical to understand not only how a resume is reviewed,
but what its length says about your professionalism. |
| CareerWire:
How You View Networking |
11/12/07 |
| Online
or offline, on LinkedIn or through e-mail, many accountants
and financial professionals understand the importance of
keeping in touch. |
| Conflict
Resolution Skills Can Boost Careers |
11/09/07 |
| While
accountants are used to helping clients solve difficult
problems, they're often less adept at resolving issues within
their own firms. Reserved by nature, they tend to shy away
from conflict and let situations fester. What they may not
realize is the ability to resolve disagreements can be a
great tool in developing their careers. |
| Success
with Telephone Interviews |
11/08/07 |
| Telephone
interviews can be trying. There are no visual cues from
the interviewer, no body language to read and, in some cases,
you've got to answer questions posed by a panel of voices
over conference lines or speaker phones. Here's some tips
on engaging successfully - long-distance or local. |
| How
to Leapfrog the Pay Scale |
11/07/07 |
| Through
a recruiter, a former co-worker got an offer for 30 percent
more than he was making. His employer offered him 50 percent
more to stay. How do you orchestrate a deal like that for
yourself? |
| Ask
the Expert: How to Find Solid References |
11/02/07 |
| "I've
interviewed for a position with a company that wants to
contact my current employer for a reference. Obviously,
I don't want anyone in my firm to know I'm looking for a
new job, in case I decide to stay put. However, I've worked
here for the last 15 years, and so no other references seem
relevant. What should I do?" |
| Accounting
Workers' Confidence Slides |
11/01/07 |
| Accounting
and finance workers' confidence appears to be swinging downward
more steeply than among the U.S. adult population as a whole,
new surveys show. |
| Relocating
Means Negotiating the Best Package |
10/31/07 |
| You
live in Baltimore and you've been offered two jobs: one
in Kansas City and the other in Columbus. The jobs pay the
same, but the company in Kansas City will pay your relocation
expenses. How hard will your wallet be hit if you decide
Ohio's the place for you? |
| Calif.
CPAs Meld Tech, Accounting Skills |
10/30/07 |
| The
use of technology for business is opening up new job opportunities
for California CPAs. Consider the growing number of consultancies
that need CPAs to help implement and support business management
software. The work can be stimulating for accountants who
want to try something beyond public firms or private industry.
|
| CareerWire:
Networking Survival |
10/29/07 |
| Networking
is an important - most would say critical - tool to use
in managing your career. Yes, there are drawbacks to it.
But there are ways to address the downsides. |
| It
Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time… |
10/26/07 |
| The
new job sounded perfect: a great working environment, the
right amount of travel and an exciting accounting challenge.
But a month after you started, you realize the working environment
is toxic, the travel is non-stop and your biggest challenge
is figuring out what to do about it. |
| Accountants'
Starting Salaries Pushed Higher |
10/25/07 |
| Starting
salaries for accounting and finance professionals are expected
to increase an average of 4.3 percent in 2008, according
to Robert Half International's 2008 Salary Guide. Public
accountants, financial analysts and internal auditors are
expected to see the largest gains. |
| Employers
Open to Jobless CPAs |
10/24/07 |
| With
a dearth of talent on the market, companies in the New York
metro area are considering candidates they might not have
looked at before. That's good news for CPAs who got pushed
out of large firms for growing too old, and for mass-layoff
victims. |
| Q&A:
Jerrold Pellizzon, CFO, Ceradyne Inc. |
10/23/07 |
| "I
don't think you can be focused on just being the guy who
crunches numbers. It's the analytics that you need to put
together with those numbers. To quantify something is great
but you have to look at the quality aspect of something.
I think a lot of times financial people are stuck on the
quantifying approach too much." |
| Accounting,
Job Security, and You |
10/19/07 |
| Pretend
you're a techie: Someone offers you a raise or even just
an opportunity to work with a product that's new and cool.
You'll probably happily leap to the new job. But you're
an accountant. Someone offers you $10,000 more a year, and
maybe - maybe - you'll consider their offer. What's up with
that? |
| Should
You Take Notes in an Interview? |
10/18/07 |
| If
a job interview is an exchange of information, is it proper
for you to take notes during the conversation? It depends
who you ask. We checked with a variety of career authorities
and received a diversity of answers. |
| Firm
Merging? Your Job's Probably Safe |
10/17/07 |
| The
perpetual search for talent and leadership is propelling
a wave of mergers and acquisitions among accounting firms.
If your shop is involved, should you be concerned about
your job? |
| Ask
the Expert: Waiting for the Right Offer |
10/16/07 |
| "I've
been offered a job at one firm, but also interviewed for
a position at another, a place where I'd prefer working.
How do I hold off replying to the first firm until I have
a sense of what's happening at my first choice?" |
| N.Y.,
N.J. Companies Recruit Auditors Out-of-State |
10/12/07 |
| New
York and New Jersey recruiters are looking high and low
for CPA audit pros as the field continues to churn and burn
staffers. Now, firms are filling openings with folks from
outside the area - another sign the market is red-hot. |
| Negotiating
Severance Upfront Can Be Tricky |
10/11/07 |
| If
you're a below-C-level employee, a golden parachute may
be beyond reach. But you may be able to get a golden umbrella
that protects you if it starts raining pink slips. |
| The
Job Hunt: Birth of a Salesman |
10/10/07 |
| Regardless
of your professional experience and title, when you're job
hunting you become a salesman with one product: you. |
| CareerWire:
Sometimes You Have to Sell |
10/09/07 |
| If
you prefer tooling through spreadsheets or a QuickBooks
problem to chatting people up at a chamber of commerce breakfast,
you may need to make a conscious effort get out more. |
| Firms
Venture into New Territories |
10/05/07 |
| Last
month, California-based Armanino McKenna LLP ventured into
new territory, launching what could be the accounting industry's
first media consulting practice, Armanino McKenna Foster.
The move is just one illustration of how some firms are
expanding their non-accounting services. |
| Considering
a Career Change? Plan Ahead |
10/04/07 |
| Many
career experts say modern workers will have multiple careers
over the course of their lifetimes. Certainly a number of
accountants mull what life would be like if they were focusing
on something besides tax returns and accounting rules. But
changing careers is difficult. It requires a great deal
of perseverance, conviction and quite frequently a temporary
downshift in lifestyle. However, the rewards can be fruitful.
|
| Move
to a Non-Profit With Open Eyes |
10/03/07 |
| If
you day dream about using your skills to sway the electorate,
shelter the homeless or spread your religion, a move into
the non-profit sector may brighten your workday. It'll also
lighten your wallet. |
| Calif.
Demand Strong, But Lags Other Areas |
10/02/07 |
| The
market for accountants and finance professionals in California
will remain strong during the fourth quarter, according
to the latest Robert Half International Hiring Index. But
demand will lag behind the regional and national average
in the state's four largest cities. |
| CareerWire:
Listening to Your Critics |
10/01/07 |
| As
painful as it may be to listen to, honest criticism can
help improve our performance on the job. Here are some ways
to spin negatives into positives. |
| Looking
for a New Job - Discreetly |
09/26/07 |
| Elizabeth
Taylor excepted, most people change jobs more often than
they do mates. But no matter how many times you do it, looking
for a new position when you already have one can be tricky. |
| CareerWire:
Thoughts on Diversity |
09/24/07 |
| Can
diversity programs succeed without real culture change -
change that extends far beyond the offices of accounting
firms? |
| Mature
Workers: A New Challenge for Employers |
09/23/07 |
| By
the end of this decade, some 64 million baby boomers will
stare down the road to retirement. This fact leaves some
companies facing an about-turn on their employment practices.
|
| Audit
Sector Outlook Remains Bright |
09/21/07 |
| Auditing
client companies' books was the traditional raison d'etre
of public accounting firms. The growth of newer services
such as consulting, merger advice and compliance testing
has reinforced the market power of both CPA firms and the
professionals who work in them. |
| Choosing
a Resume Consultant |
09/20/07 |
| It's
a daunting task for anyone to prepare a good resume, especially
if you're the kind of person that has difficulty expressing
yourself on paper. If you are one of those people, or just
figure you'd like some help, does it make sense to hire
one of the countless writers out there who profess to be
resume professionals? |
| Do
Minority Women Have a Reason to Stay? |
09/19/07 |
| For
many minority women, cultural challenges and a feeling of
exclusion make it easy to leave their current firms. They
can empower themselves to succeed, but many are asking if
it's worth it. |
| CFOs
Less Upbeat About Economy and Hiring |
09/14/07 |
| Business
sentiment among CFOs dived this quarter, according to a
survey by Duke University and CFO magazine. A Duke finance
professor says the results raise the odds of recession.
|
| A
Blog on Certification Woes |
09/13/07 |
| Building
on the popularity of the Internet as a form of communication
for younger CPAs and accounting students, the New Jersey
Society of CPAs' Web site now features the “Exam Cram Blog.”
|
| Fewer
Top-Level Shifts in Finance - For Now |
09/12/07 |
| For
better or worse, if you work at a giant public company your
odds of having a new CFO this year are the lowest since
1995. But that's about to change, a C-suite headhunter predicts.
|
| Will
This Recruiter Get Me a Job? |
09/11/07 |
| Time
is money. So, should you make an investment by interviewing
with agency recruiters when looking for a new opportunity?
The answer is yes - if the recruiter has available jobs
that match your skill set and career goals. |
| United
Commercial Bank Adding Financial Staff |
09/10/07 |
| United
Commercial Bank is on the prowl. Over the next year, the
San Francisco-based commercial bank wants to add to its
treasury and controller departments, in positions ranging
from low-middle to more senior posts. |
| Ask
the Expert: How Do I Resign 'Professionally?' |
09/06/07 |
| "We've
had a management change at our firm, and I am very unhappy
with my new supervisor. The one I worked with for the last
five months has just disappeared. I'm planning to resign
and wonder whether I can do this verbally, or must I write
a resignation letter?" |
| In
Job-Hunting, Subtle is Best |
09/05/07 |
| Of
course, you want to stand out. But when you're trying to
convince a firm you're the solution to their problems, there's
a fine line between creative and weird. |
| To
Blog or Not to Blog? |
08/30/07 |
| Visibility
and Web-savvy are useful when job-hunting. So, should you
merge those goals by starting your own financial Web site
or blog? In most situations, experts say no. |
| Facing
the Tough Stuff |
08/29/07 |
| What
do Steven Jobs, Howard Stern and Terrell Owens have in common?
They've all been fired. While at the time it seems devastating,
most people rebound after termination and move on to new
opportunities. One thing is certain: To get your next job
you'll need to answer questions about why you left your
last one. |
| Compliance,
M&A Drive Hiring in N.Y., N.J. |
08/28/07 |
| Compliance
initiatives and merger and acquisition work are driving
CPA hiring in New York and New Jersey. Meanwhile, professional
ethics remain in focus for Empire State accountants, as
the state's industry association appoints the first public
member - a former New York State comptroller- to its professional
ethics committee. |
| Certifications
Boost Pay for Management Accountants |
08/17/07 |
| Despite
demand, salaries for management accountants have been rising
only modestly. However, bonuses and profit sharing are picking
up, and the money for those with relevant certifications
- like the CPA and CFM - remains much higher than for those
without. |
| Calif.
Program Targets Industry CPAs |
08/16/07 |
| An
increasing number of CPAs have been filling leadership roles
in California's non-accounting firms. Yet traditionally,
most programming from the state's leading accounting organization
has targeted CPAs at public accounting firms. Now, the California
Society of Certified Public Accountants thinks it's fixed
that. |
| Recruiters
Hunt in Association Directories |
08/15/07 |
| Joining
a professional association for accounting or financial professionals
may have an added benefit beyond networking and keeping
up-to-date on industry trends: Recruiters are increasingly
combing their membership lists of potential job candidates. |
| Get
Ready: Four Trends to Watch |
08/14/07 |
| Just
as CPAs have caught up with the changes wrought by Sarbanes-Oxley,
a whole new set of dynamics is coming down the pike. The
time to prepare is now. |
| CareerWire:
The Inside Scoop |
08/13/07 |
| Learning
what life is really like at a potential employer takes a
strategy, discretion and contacts - and contacts only come
with a long-term networking effort. This and more were covered
on our blog last week. |
| AICPA
to H.S. Students: Look Over Here! |
08/10/07 |
| As
the pressure for talent continues, the AICPA is looking
for ways to encourage high school students to pursue the
education they need to become accountants - and to remember
who their friends were along the way. |
| CalCPA
Chair Focused on Women, Corporate CPAs |
08/09/07 |
| Three
months into her one-year term, the chairman of the California
Society for Certified Public Accountants has two major goals:
Encouraging more firms to promote women into partnership
roles, and providing more resources for accountants in senior
positions throughout the state. |
| Ace
the Interview at Age 50+ |
08/08/07 |
| Rejecting
a candidate because of their age is illegal, right? Ask
anyone over the age of 50 and they will probably tell you
that, despite what the law says, there have been times where
they felt discriminated against because of their age. |
| N.J.
Sees Need for Forensic Accountants |
08/07/07 |
| A
New Jersey community college is responding to the demand
for forensic accountants, and an executive recruiter observes
the specific job needs in the area around Parsippany. Across
the river in New York, the state's CPA society holds its
annual leadership conference. |
| CareerWire:
Stand Up, Get Up, Network |
08/06/07 |
| Networking
is really pretty simple. But you have to get up out of your
chair to do it - Facebook or not. This and other highlights
from our blog are here. |
| Winning
Strategies for Loser Projects |
08/03/07 |
| It's
unavoidable: Projects appear that no one wants to tackle.
Some of them are bound to end up in your lap, and when they
do you might as well take them on cheerfully. If nothing
else, your attitude may get you noticed. |
| In
Networking, Making Introductions Pays Off |
08/02/07 |
| When
people think about networking, they usually put it in the
context of meeting other people. But when you're out there
developing a group of contacts who can help you with advice,
job tips and raw information about potential employers,
it's important to remember these same people are looking
for you to help them. |
| How
to Ask for a Raise |
08/01/07 |
| You've
done your homework, methodically assessed your skills and
experience, consulted salary surveys, and determined you're
worth more than you're getting. So, how do you broach the
subject with your boss, much less negotiate a successful
outcome? |
| CareerWire:
The Big Four Approach to Retention |
07/30/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
them: Why and how the Big Four focus on retention. |
| Think
Carefully When Weighing Counter Offers |
07/24/07 |
| Have
an offer on the table? While candidates are enjoying good
times, with employers dangling more money and higher bonuses
in a bid to get them to jump ship, local recruiters say
you should think twice before accepting any generous counteroffers
from your present employer. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
07/23/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Are
you networking enough? |
| Ask
the Expert: A Coach or Not a Coach? |
07/19/07 |
| "I've
been working at my firm for four years and I'm having difficulty
moving into management. I'm considering a coach but wonder
if it's worth the expense. What do you think?" |
| Networking
Doesn't Have to be Hard |
07/18/07 |
| Although
better networking can boost career opportunities, many accountants
don't spend enough time doing it. Of those who do, many
got about it in the wrong way, without enthusiasm or strategy.
Here's some tips on networking effectively. It's not that
hard. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
07/16/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Can you NEVER burn a bridge? |
| Higher
Profile Seen For Internal Auditors |
07/16/07 |
| Internal
auditors believe they are gaining influence and visibility
with senior corporate managements, a broad-based international
survey suggests. The sector "is predicted to expand its
role in organizational governance and risk management,"
according to the Institute of Internal Auditors, which released
the survey last week. |
| Howard
Organizes Effort to Add, Retain Black CPAs |
07/13/07 |
| A
partnership that includes Howard University, a number of
minority-owned accounting firms and several large firms
are seeking to increase the number of African-Americans
who become accountants, and increase the proportion of those
who remain in the field. |
| NY/NJ:
Risk, Compliance, Process Firms Seek Pros |
07/11/07 |
| While
regional risk, tax and audit firms are enjoying good times
with plenty of work on the horizon, the graying of their
workforce may present problems in the near future. And,
since summer generally offers a slower pace at work, this
might be a good time to brush up on critical CPE credits. |
| Sometimes
Smaller is Better |
07/10/07 |
| While
there's no question that larger organization - whether corporations
or public agencies - offer solid career paths, a number
of California accountants continue to find success in smaller,
family run businesses. And, because they play a bigger part
in their company's performance, these CPAs believe their
experience has been more professionally rewarding. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
07/09/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Negotiating a flexible schedule. |
| To
Manage Your Career, Know Thyself |
07/06/07 |
| When
Socrates said "know thyself," he probably wasn't offering
career management advice. But whether he intended it or
not, it's career advice that works. Just listen to the experts. |
| Standards
Convergence: Further Spur to Offshoring? |
07/05/07 |
| The
accelerating movement to adopt international accounting
standards within the U.S. could eventually force accountants
into the same sinking boat as Americans in other businesses,
warns accounting educator Bruce Pounder. |
| CFOs
Scramble to Find Qualified Workers |
07/03/07 |
| An
influential quarterly survey of CFOs of primarily midsize
companies found reduced hiring expectations compared with
three months ago, yet more than one in four respondents
said their greatest business challenge is "finding qualified
workers." |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
07/02/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Don't be afraid to request relief. |
| N.Y./N.J.:
Wall Street, Hedge Funds Seek Finance Pros |
06/28/07 |
| Investment
firms are driving demand for risk pros and industry-knowledgeable
accountants in the New York area. In New Jersey, the State
Board of Accountancy posted some clarfications to its continuing
education requirements for licensees. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
06/25/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Beware of job-board scams. |
| Ask
the Expert: Is My Resume Too Long? |
06/22/07 |
| "I
was unexpectedly laid off and I'm not prepared to retire.
My resume is four pages long and spans a 35-year career.
Do I need to get it down to two pages and if so, how do
I do that?" |
| Growing
Role For CPAs in Risk Management |
06/21/07 |
| Michael
S. Kridel, partner in Daszkal Bolton LLP in Boca Raton,
Fla., talks about the risk management role for today's CPA:
"We look for strong communicators, and those who are interested
in being respected, but not necessarily in being liked.
These are the people who will make the right decisions regardless
of personal relationships." |
| Five
Ways to Become Job-Search Savvy |
06/20/07 |
| Some
people scour jobs boards, others network like there's no
tomorrow. Whatever your job-search strategy, here's five
tips to help you stand out from the pack. |
| N.Y./N.J.:
Generalists Still Needed |
06/19/07 |
| Specialized
CPAs are at work in many area financial firms, but generalists
are still sought. Meanwhile, reform legislation is on the
horizon in the Empire State. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
06/18/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Raising your visibility - nicely. |
| The
Rise of the Part-Time CFO |
06/14/07 |
| They
sport names like B2B CFO, CFO Network, and Your CFO For
Rent. Most are one-man shops, vehicles for semi-retired
accountants or full-time freelancers to control their own
work lives. But the ranks of part-time CFO vendors also
include some team practices with support staffs and a regional,
or even nationwide, client base. |
| 'Fiduciary
Accounting' a Growing Niche |
06/12/07 |
| With
the responsibilities - and liabilities - of those who oversee
direct investments growing, opportunities are increasing
for CPAs in the area of fiduciary services. As accountants
branch out beyond traditional tax services, their roles
here can fit easily with many of their pre-existing skills. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
06/11/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Auditing on Broadway (and we don't mean at
the Tonys). |
| Ten
Ways to Show You Don't Want That Job |
06/08/07 |
| During
the dance that goes on between a candidate and employer,
you've got many chances to shoot yourself in the foot. In
no particular order, here are 10 ways to pull the trigger. |
| Firms
Showcase Concern for Staff Success |
06/07/07 |
| How
do you handle problem employees? Growing accounting firms
in California are learning the answer: with great care.
These firms have come to understand that how they treat
workers who've gone astray speaks volumes. Demonstrating
they are genuinely concerned with their staff's success
can be a boon to their recruiting efforts. |
| CPA
Shortages Impact Work at Senior Levels |
06/06/07 |
| CPAs
with a few years of experience are benefiting from a supply-demand
imbalance that's pushing up salaries at a double-digit clip.
That's good news for younger accountants still working their
way toward certification. |
| Shape
an Offer Through Shadow Negotiating |
06/05/07 |
| You've
made it through five interviews, a personality test, a sample
assignment, and weeks of nail-biting. At last, you get an
offer. But it's 25 percent less than you'd hoped for. Now
what? |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
06/04/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Why are audit costs exploding? |
| UK
Seeks Accountants for Risk Jobs |
06/01/07 |
| British
banks have exhausted the their supply of senior risk specialists
and are seeking accountants from overseas to fill open risk
positions. |
| Women
Gain at Illinois Firms - Slowly |
05/31/07 |
| A
survey by the Illinois CPA Society found only slight shifts
in hiring and retention patterns among women from last year,
and says women are still underrepresented in key leadership
positions at firms throughout the state. |
| Five
Steps to a Standout Resume |
05/30/07 |
| Before
you land an interview, you'll need to make sure you've got
one of your job-hunting tools honed to a razor's edge: your
resume. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
05/29/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week's: Your resume should be focused. |
| Are
Employers Too Picky? |
05/25/07 |
| It
takes months to fill an opening, hiring managers lament.
It takes months to land a job, applicants complain. If both
sides want speed, what's taking so long? |
| Stepping
Off the Fast Track |
05/24/07 |
| So,
you're six or eight years into your career and you've decided
the partnership track isn't for you. What happens now? |
| Standing
Out in the First Five Minutes |
05/23/07 |
| Although
most job interviews take at least an hour, hiring managers
often decide how they feel about a candidate within a few
minutes of shaking hands. So, it's critical that you separate
yourself from the pack right away. Here's how to do it. |
| California
Conference Focuses on Careers |
05/22/07 |
| The
success of the recent Young Professionals Conference in
California underscores rising interest in the accounting
profession nationwide. More than 300 professionals from
around the state gathered to hear, among other things, tips
for developing a successful career. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
05/21/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week: How happy are you? |
| CPAs
Weigh Outsourcing Certification |
05/18/07 |
| As
more corporations consider business-process outsourcing,
professionals involved in related decision-making - including
management accountants - are seeking to establish ways to
recognize their expertise and build on their skills sets. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
05/14/07 |
| Our
blog offers daily news and advice for accountants and finance
professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. Among
this week: How confidant are accountants? |
| Fine-Tune
Your Recruiter Connections |
05/10/07 |
| For
many job-seekers, working with search firms is an emotionally
laden topic. We asked recruiters and career counselors for
some do's and dont's to help you make the most of opportunities
these agencies can offer. |
| MBAs
See Lowest Pay Within Accounting Sector |
05/08/07 |
| MBA
candidates ranked accounting as the lowest-paying among
47 industries included in Fortune Magazine’s 2007 survey
of attitudes toward various employers and professional roles. |
| Your
Boss is Going - Do You Follow? |
05/08/07 |
| Imagine
you're working for a high-flying boss who asks you to join
her at a new company. Or a former supervisor rings you up
to say there's an opportunity at his firm that's too good
to pass up. Should you stay or should you go? |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
05/07/07 |
| We
update our Blog daily with news and advice for accountants
and finance professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. |
| N.Y./N.J.:
Revised 'Qualifying Experience' |
05/03/07 |
| The
New York State Board for Public Accountancy expands the
definition of experience for first-time CPAs and increase
mandatory education hours; New Jersey accountants stay ahead
of the market with certifications, and Garden State's CPA
association hosts a conference for controllers looking to
become CFOs. |
| Calif.
Financial Firms Embrace Telecommuting |
05/02/07 |
| In
California, some small and mid-sized financial services
firms are making increased use of telecommuting. They're
allowing more employees to work part- or full-time at home,
sometimes at great distances from any office hub. |
| Getting
the Lowdown on Potential Employers |
05/01/07 |
| Of
course, you want to know what it's like to work for a firm
before you relocate your coffee mug and family pictures
to your new desk. Save for having a friend on the inside,
how do you get the dirt on a company's culture? |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
04/30/07 |
| We
update our Blog daily with news and advice for accountants
and finance professionals. Here are some of our recent highlights. |
| Return-to-Work
Roundtables Planned in Four Cities |
04/27/07 |
| Tuck
Executive Education at Dartmouth is convening roundtable
discussions in four cities to explore how professionals
can make "the cultural and logistical leap" back to the
workforce after they've been away from office for a long
period of time. |
| Calif.
Wrap-Up: Non-Profits Can Be Intense, Too |
04/26/07 |
| Opportunities
in non-profits can be as challenging as in business... Educational
institutions seeks financial professionals... Education
Foundation plans conference for young professionals. |
| XBRL
Know-How Means Extra Pay for CPAs |
04/25/07 |
| If
you're an analyst who's on a first-name basis with EDGAR,
you might want to meet its new cousin, XBRL. A beautiful,
and profitable, relationship could result. |
| IRS
Seeks IT, Appeals Specialists |
04/24/07 |
| The
IRS is stepping up recruitment to fill anticipated gaps
in a number of specialized fields, including information
technology and appeals officers. |
| CareerWire:
Best of the Blog |
04/23/07 |
| Several
times a day, we update our JobsintheMoney Blog with news
and advice for accountants and finance professionals. Here
are some of last week's best items. |
| To
Open Doors, Woo the Gatekeeper |
04/20/07 |
| Even
before they get to the job interview, applicants must be
articulate, polite and compelling. It's not the hiring manager
you're trying to impress - it's the corporate gatekeepers.
Make friends with them, and whole new worlds can open up. |
| A
Tip on Managing Your Career |
04/19/07 |
| Richard
Franchella, senior managing director at RBC Dain Rauscher
in New York, has a simple suggestion for approaching career
management. |
| Banking
Firms Prepare for Slowdown |
04/17/07 |
| Citigroup
isn't the only bank taking a knife to its expenses. Wachovia,
First Horizon and SunTrust are also girding for a slowdown. |
| CareerWire:
The Best of the Blog |
04/16/07 |
| Several
times a day, we update our JobsintheMoney Blog with news
and advice for accountants and finance professionals. Here
are some of last week's best items. |
| Q&A:
Mitchell & Titus CEO Bert N. Mitchell |
04/13/07 |
| A
conversation with Bert N. Mitchell, chairman and chief executive
of Mitchell & Titus, the largest African-American controlled
accounting firm in the U.S.: "As you advance in accounting,
you start managing more than just the numbers. You have
to manage people." |
| Solution
to CPA Crunch is On-Campus |
04/12/07 |
| The
salad days are continuing at California's accounting programs.
At a number of schools, inquiries and enrollment have continued
rising over the past year, continuing an upward trend that's
half a decade long. |
| Managing
Up: True Life Tales |
04/11/07 |
| The
guidelines for managing up sound simple and straightforward.
Among other things, you must communicate clearly and openly,
anticipate your boss's needs, avoid surprises, be sensitive
to his work and management styles and, in general, make
him look good to both superiors and subordinates. Tales
from the trenches tell a similar story. |
| Managing
Up: True Life Tales |
04/11/07 |
| The
guidelines for managing up sound simple and straightforward.
Among other things, you must communicate clearly and openly,
anticipate your boss's needs, avoid surprises, be sensitive
to his work and management styles and, in general, make
him look good to both superiors and subordinates. Tales
from the trenches tell a similar story. |
| California
CPAs Urged to Be Aggressive |
04/10/07 |
| Financial
professionals need to be more aggressive job seekers, says
one executive recruiter. "The war for talent is still on
and getting larger," Paul Herrias told two groups in California
recently. "This is your chance to get ahead." |
| CareerWire:
The Best of the Blog |
04/09/07 |
| Several
times each day, we update our JobsintheMoney Blog with news
and advice for accountants and finance professionals. Here
are some of last week's best items. |
| N.Y.
Focus Shifts to Regional Banks |
04/06/07 |
| The
job market for New York area retail bankers appears to be
improving. However, the better opportunities are with regional
players, with many offers coming from outside Manhattan. |
| Retailers
Need Accounting Managers |
04/05/07 |
| Retail
stores are pressed to find managerial accountants, controllers
and chief financial officers who possess retail and consumer-business
experience. |
| Dropping
CPA Supply Pressures Balance Debate |
04/04/07 |
| As
the number of seasoned CPAs dwindles, will those seeking
balance be able to address the quality of life concerns
discussed with such fervor throughout the profession? |
| CareerWire:
The Best of the Blog |
04/02/07 |
| Several
times each day, we update our JobsintheMoney Blog with news
and advice for accountants and finance professionals. Here
are some of last week's best items. |
| Surviving
the Subprime Slowdown |
03/29/07 |
| Bank
regulators' pronouncements on alternative loan products,
the closing of subprime lenders and rising foreclosure rates
are churning the mortgage employment market. |
| Safe
From Outsourcing? Maybe Think Again |
03/28/07 |
| Economist
Alan Blinder thinks the impact of free trade is about a
lot more than moving customer service jobs to India or manufacturing
to China. It could very well be all about you. |
| Letters:
Your Comments on Outsourcing |
03/23/07 |
| When
we asked for your thoughts on outsourcing, we got a lot
of e-mail. We learned both outsourcing and age discrimination
are on a lot of people's minds. |
| Career
Advice from the Top |
03/22/07 |
| Terri
Dial, executive director of retail banking for Lloyds TSB
in London and formerly of Wells Fargo, offers her advice
on managing your career. |
| Building
Careers for Hispanic Professionals |
03/21/07 |
| Ann
Marquez, executive director of the Association of Latino
Professionals in Finance and Accounting's New York chapter:
"Once you get past seven years, or the partnership level,
that's where we need to do more." |
| The
'American Idol Factor' in Job Interviews |
03/20/07 |
| With
so many accounting and auditing positions up for grabs,
it should be easy for qualified candidates to land a new
job. So why do some feel like off-key singers on American
Idol - the ones whose voices sound good to them, but make
everyone else in the room wince? |
| What
Wealth Managers Seek in New Hires |
03/15/07 |
| What
are the traits upper-tier wealth managers look for in new
hires? Richard Franchella, senior managing director at RBC
Dain Rauscher in New York, has some definite ideas. |
| Restaurant
Firms Seek Tech-Savvy, Creative Thinkers |
03/14/07 |
| The
food industry, which generates one in seven new U.S. jobs,
has an especially strong need right now for professionals
in accounting and finance. Those in highest demand have
sophisticated analytical skills, an understanding of the
latest business technology and compliance issues, and a
keen ability to think outside the proverbial box. |
| New
York Real Estate Drives Financial Positions |
03/13/07 |
| Despite
the downturn in other sectors of the country, the outlook
for real estate in the New York City and New Jersey area,
particularly for office and retail space, remains strong,
as does the prospect for finance jobs related to the field. |
| New
York Real Estate Drives Financial Positions |
03/13/07 |
| Despite
the downturn in other sectors of the country, the outlook
for real estate in the New York City and New Jersey area,
particularly for office and retail space, remains strong,
as does the prospect for finance jobs related to the field. |
| CareerWire:
CFOs Under Pressure |
03/12/07 |
| CFOs
heading for the door under as compliance, board pressures
mount... HSBC won't make new U.S. acquisitions... Reasons
for continued CPA demand... and more |
| In
Getting Ahead, Your Words Count |
03/02/07 |
| A
career in finance presupposes that you're good with numbers.
To get ahead, you have to be good with words, too. That's
not to say you have to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, but you do
have to convey your thoughts, plans and data clearly, concisely
and in a jargon-free style that any audience can understand.
Plus, you want to write in a way that makes you look good. |
| Opportunities,
Challenges In Supermarket Banks |
03/01/07 |
| The
number of bank branches opening in supermarkets is again
on the rise, presenting job opportunities for banking professionals
with the right combination of banking and sales skills. |
| California
Compliance Salaries Reflect Demand |
02/28/07 |
| The
job outlook for internal and outside auditors, financial
analysts and staff accountants in California looks good
for the balance of 2007. Compliance specialists with SEC
experience are especially coveted. Growth in demand, coupled
with a shrinking pool of top talent, dovetails with national
trends and has forced companies to bid harder for skilled
employees, bolstering salaries in the process. |
| Looking
Good |
02/27/07 |
| If
the U.S. job market is strong, the accounting and finance
market is Paul Bunyan. But how long will this last? Do you
update your resume every time reports indicate a drop in
housing starts, or a hike in interest rates? Will the Iraq
situation send us packing our Far Side desk calendars and
family photo mouse pads? |
| CareerWire:
Price Opens Office in Toronto |
02/26/07 |
| T.
Rowe Price begins push in Canada... Accounting professionals
are optimistic... Federal court dismisses most claims in
wrongful dismissal suit against Morgan Stanley... and more. |
| Ask
the Expert: How Do Plan for My Own Business? |
02/23/07 |
| So
you're thinking it's time to your for yourself? Running
your own financial business can be rewarding emotionally
as well as financially - if you're realistic and prepared
in your approach to starting it up. Robbie Miller Kaplan
explains the basics. |
| Ask
the Expert: How Do I Plan for My Own Business? |
02/23/07 |
| So
you're thinking it's time to go into business for yourself?
Running your own financial business can be rewarding emotionally
as well as financially - if you're realistic and prepared
in your approach to starting it up. Robbie Miller Kaplan
explains the basics. |
| Is
Faster Better for Executive MBAs? |
02/22/07 |
| A
number of executive MBA programs are changing their schedules
so that students can earn their degrees in less time, and
with more flexibility. But some of the top-tier schools
are keeping their more traditional schedules, for fear of
diminishing the value of their credentials. |
| Researchers
Find Uncomfortable Realities in 'Balance' |
02/21/07 |
| Talk
to recruiters in the financial world - and in accounting
in particular - and they'll tell you how options for work-life
balance are key components of their hiring and retention
strategies. Now comes research indicating that perhaps accounting
firms aren't so whole-heartedly behind the concept, after
all. |
| CareerWire:
MetLife Seeking Summer Interns |
02/20/07 |
| MetLife
is seeking applicants for its summer fellowship program...
The California CPA Education Foundation's third annual business
and industry conferences will have a career and hiring flavor...
Marsh & McLennan contributed an additional $23 million
to its 401(k) program... and more. |
| Morgan
Stanley Hires for Latin Wealth Management |
02/16/07 |
| Morgan
Stanley's Private Wealth Management group appointed Jon
Mallon as Regional Sales Manager for Latin America and hired
a team of five from Lehman Brothers to serve high-net-worth
Brazilian clients and institutions in Latin America. |
| Career
Focus at California CPA Conferences |
02/15/07 |
| The
California CPA Education Foundation's third annual business
and industry conferences will have a career and hiring flavor
when they take place in Long Beach and San Francisco late
in March. Each one-day event will feature sessions on career
management, recruiting and employee retention. An additional
session will offer advice on compensation, a timely subject
in the present job market. |
| Retail
Bankers Expect Modest Raises in '07 |
02/14/07 |
| From
branch managers to sales reps, retail banking professionals
can count on modest pay increases during 2007, with their
raises tracking slightly ahead of inflation. They can thank
rising profits and increased operating efficiencies. |
| UBS
Seeking Wealth Managers |
02/13/07 |
| UBS
plans to nearly triple the number of financial advisors
working in its wealth management group for super-rich clients
in the U.S. It's part of the Swiss bank's strategy to gain
a top position here. |
| CareerWire:
Insurers Develop Overseas Markets |
02/12/07 |
| International
insurance companies are developing new channels in emerging
markets... The number of Americans who work remotely continues
to rise... Retail bankers shouldn't expect their employers
to be comfortable with their tattoos and body piercings...
and more. |
| Growing
Demand in Micro-Enterprise Sector |
02/08/07 |
| The
Association for Enterprise Opportunity (AEO), a Washington
D.C. non-profit trade group, has roughly 500 member, micro-enterprise
organizations that provide access to capital and support
for aspiring and active entrepreneurs from low-income communities.
Most of these organizations are small with only a few employees.
But in all, they provide about 4,000 jobs, many of them
for financial professionals who want to switch to the non-profit
sector. |
| Skilled
Brokers Can Weather The Rates Downturn |
02/07/07 |
| Commercial
insurance brokers are balking as rates soften to levels
not seen since the 1990s. And, with contingency fees becoming
a thing of the past at many of the large firms, money worries
are dominating the industry. However, cost-cutting measures
needn’t impact the IT-savvy and seasoned professional
on the brokerage side. |
| E-Banking's
Scope Spurs Need for Product Managers |
02/01/07 |
| In
just a few years, electronic banking has evolved from a
simple way to check balances to a nearly essential tool
for paying bills. It's also become ubiquitous - meaning
banks are searching for ways to make their online channel
even more important to their customers. As a result, say
industry observers, people who can understand how online
banking tools can be packaged to attract and retain customers
will be in demand. |
| A
Recruiter's View of Accounting and Finance |
01/31/07 |
| A
Q&A with Shane Hill of Hudson Highland Group: "The higher
you go on the organizational chart, the more paramount are
communication skills. I know when I've got a good candidate,
even if their technical skills aren't exactly what the client's
after, if the candidate articulates well, you can teach
them a lot of other things." |
| Flexibility
Can Aid Laid-Off Bankers |
01/30/07 |
| Amidst
continued news of bank mergers and projected layoffs, bankers
in New York and New Jersey should be prepared for uncertain
times ahead. However, regional financial institutions could
offer opportunities to the right banking professionals. |
| CareerWire:
HR Faces Torrents of Resumes |
01/29/07 |
| Be
prepared: HR managers face a crush of resumes... Deloitte
launches blog on work-life balance... Bryant University
adds "master of professional accountancy" program... and
more. |
| Hotel
Industry Needs Accounting Staff |
01/25/07 |
| A
healthy economy, thriving business travel and a general
demand for financial professionals have tightened the market
for back-office accounting and finance staff at hotels.
It's a sharp reversal of the post 9/11 landscape, when many
hospitality firms were forced to freeze employee salaries. |
| Change
Afoot in the CFO's Role, Approach |
01/24/07 |
| Pity
the CFOs. They've got Sarbanes-Oxley requirements to meet,
Securities and Exchange Commission and Internal Revenue
Service officials to contend with, and answer to increasingly
energized boards. How do they deal with it? Increasingly,
the answer seems to be "move on." |
| Some
Firms Eye Real Estate Agents as FAs |
01/23/07 |
| Always
on the hunt for financial advisors with potential, many
wealth management firms are looking beyond their traditional,
industry-centric pipelines. Successful real estate agents
- especially those who've worked with high-income clients
- are often attractive candidates. |
| CareerWire:
Credit Suisse Hires Wealth Management Head |
01/22/07 |
| Credit
Suisse appoints new head of U.S. family wealth management...
KPMG's Forensic Practice hires former IRS special agents…
LoanCity appointed Jeff Minch as senior vice president and
national sales manager… |
| Is
40 the New 50? Do the Discrimination Math |
01/20/07 |
| When,
like diffident dowagers, two well-known corporate-finance
recruiters say, "We don't talk about age," there's probably
something to hide. Is age discrimination the workplace's
dirty little secret? |
| Independence
Isn't for All Financial Advisors |
01/19/07 |
| Anyone
mulling a career change into the ranks of financial advisors
should realize the field's intricacies can be difficult
to grasp. For starters, it's important to understand that
managing assets and offering investment advice is only part
of the job. |
| Franklin
Templeton Expands Training Program |
01/18/07 |
| Franklin
Templeton Investments is expanding its training program
for financial advisors from Europe and Asia into the U.S.
and Latin America. The program, called the Franklin Templeton
Academy, is designed to help financial advisors develop
financial planning and business development skills, and
ultimately provide better service to their clients. |
| Franklin
Templeton Expands Training Program |
01/18/07 |
| Franklin
Templeton Investments is expanding its training program
for financial advisors from Europe and Asia into the U.S.
and Latin America. The program, called the Franklin Templeton
Academy, is designed to help financial advisors develop
financial planning and business development skills, and
ultimately provide better service to their clients. |
| CareerWire:
Schwab Incents Independent FAs |
01/16/07 |
| Schwab
Institutional introduces incentives for independent-minded
financial advisors... Transamerica Occidental Life Insurance
moving to Iowa... Commerce Bancorp plans 65 new branches
in 2007... and more. |
| Licensure
a Key to Accounting Success |
01/12/07 |
| A
number of accounting and finance professionals wonder why
they can't find good jobs despite their years of experience.
The solution lies in becoming a CPA. |
| In
N.J.: CPA Clients Seek Wealth Management Advice |
01/11/07 |
| Some
accounting firms in New Jersey are leveraging their knowledge
of the state's complex tax structure to offer wealth-management
services to their clients. We interview Vincent Pallitto,
president of Summit Asset Management and a partner in Kirsch,
Pallitto & Abbate, who believes, "Tax preparation is
a reactive approach. Tax consulting is a different story,
as it's more proactive. Honestly, tax practices are dwindling." |
| Plotting
Your Path to the CFO's Office |
01/10/07 |
| If
you want to be a CFO, recruiter Scott W. Simmons has some
thoughts you can use now - observations about the market
and advice on how you can prepare. For one thing, he says:
"Clients tell us, 'Don’t get me a bean counter. Get me
somebody who I can talk with from a strategic perspective…'" |
| Lawyers
Fit As Wealth Managers |
01/09/07 |
| When
Jamie Smith graduated from law school, he knew he didn't
want to be a lawyer. A chance encounter with a recruiter
led to a career in financial planning. Now, nearly four
years later, he's the hiring manager of AXA Advisors' San
Diego office, and he's trying to convince other JDs to follow
a similar path. |
| CareerWire:
FAs' Pay Lagged in 2005 |
01/08/07 |
| Financial
advisors' compensation lagged revenue increases in 2005...
HSBC chief sees opportunities... Banks must focus on retail
experience... and more. |
| Calif.
CPA Firm Seeks Experience, Communication Skills |
01/05/07 |
| A
conversation with Zandy Ryder, recruiting manager for Armanino
McKenna LLP: "Softer skills are just as important as having
the experience and hard skills. Our employees, particularly
on the consulting side, are representative of our firm and
out in front of clients all the time. Being able to communicate
effectively is very important." |
| Morgan
Stanley Sued for Age Discrimination |
01/04/07 |
| A
56-year-old former managing director is suing Morgan Stanley,
charging the firm fired him because of his age. Edward Sullivan,
who earned as much as $1 million annually for his work at
the firm's retail division, claims two human resources executives
created a "poison-pen critique" of his performance as a
way to justify discharging him after a 24-year career. |
| A
CEO's View of Financial IT |
01/03/07 |
| Yacov
Wrocherinsky, CEO of Infinity Info Systems: "The people
we are looking at have an entrepreneurial spirit. They are
willing to take initiative, and they have to be able to
work in teams. We look at how people view their career journey,
and we also look at the choices they make. We want good
listeners so they will work well with our in-house team
and our customers." |
| CareerWire:
Salary Guide Available |
01/02/07 |
| Robert
half publishes 2007 salary guide… Deloitte has greatest
percentage of women partners… Virginia banks divest mortgage
businesses… and more |
| ABN
AMRO To Cut 900 U.S. Jobs |
12/29/06 |
| ABNÂ AMRO
will eliminate some 900 jobs from its North American workforce
during 2007, a five percent reduction. The cuts will be
in the Dutch bank's LaSalle Bank Corporation and its subsidiaries,
and also in ABNÂ AMRO's global businesses operating
in the U.S. Most of the reductions will take place by the
middle of 2007. |
| Broad
View Helps Tax Executives |
12/27/06 |
| While
tax professionals believe they can play a more strategic
role in their companies, often the financial executives
who oversee corporate tax functions don't fully understand
their priorities. The dynamic is making tax executives with
a broad perspective on business issues ever more attractive. |
| How
to Catch a Rising Star - and Not Get Burned |
12/22/06 |
| You
know the type: They're your firm's rising stars. They're
the people named as team leaders. They're picked for plumb
projects and seen chatting in the vice president's office.
As for you, you're good at your job, but you're not standing
out. Does that mean you can't rise along with a star? Not
necessarily. |
| More
Online Options for California CPA Credits |
12/21/06 |
| The
California Certified Public Accountants Education Foundation
will nearly triple the number of webcasts it stages for
CPAs seeking to renew their state credentials in 2007. Less
than a year after introducing webcasts as part of its Continuing
Professional Education services, the foundation will hold
60 such events, up from 24 in 2005. |
| Finding
the Manager Behind the Ad |
12/20/06 |
| The
advertised position might be a solicitation for a seasoned
controller or a skilled SOX specialist. Nowadays, the ad
likely offers few details on the company hiring or the person
handling the screening process. You might fit the bill for
the job, but applying to such ads seems like a shot in the
dark. How can you get in touch with the hiring manager directly? |
| Ask
the Expert: Researching New Possibilities |
12/19/06 |
| You're
interested in exploring options beyond your current role
- but finance is so big, you're not sure where to begin.
Career expert Robbie Miller Kaplan offers some help. |
| Sovereign
Bancorp Cuts 800 Jobs |
12/15/06 |
| Sovereign
Bancorp is cutting 800 jobs, or about 7 percent of its workforce,
in order to cut costs. The company's announcement confirms
reports that surfaced earlier this week that it would cut
positions. |
| A
'Micro' Alternative to Traditional Banking |
12/14/06 |
| Micro-lending
has gotten a lot of press since Muhammad Yunus won the Nobel
Peace prize for his work providing seed capital to micro-borrowers
throughout the developing world. In the U.S., the number
of organization involved in such loans - they call themselves
micro-enterprise organizations - has skyrocketed over the
past 15 years, creating opportunities for financial professionals
seeking alternatives to traditional accounting and banking
positions. |
| How
N.Y., N.J. Advisors Keep Business When Clients Move |
12/13/06 |
| New
York and New Jersey are expensive places to live and work,
spurring a number of well-to-do families to retire or relocate
elsewhere. So what's a financial planner to do when their
clients are considering moving to greener - and cheaper
- pastures? |
| Employers
Cautious About 2007 |
12/12/06 |
| Employers
in finance, insurance and real estate are planning a cautious
approach to hiring early next year. According to the recruiting
and consulting firm Manpower, employers in the financial
sector expect to do less hiring during 2007's first quarter
than they'll do in the last three months of 2006. |
| Accounting,
Finance Professionals Sought in California |
12/08/06 |
| The
news continues to be upbeat for accountants and financial
professionals seeking jobs in California. According to the
Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index, more chief
financial officers in the state's four largest cities expect
to increase staff than to cut jobs. |
| The
Need for GAAP Knowledge Overseas |
12/07/06 |
| Globalization
brings a new set of headaches to finance executive in charge
of hiring. Do they opt for local talent who understand local
accounting practices, corporate culture and U.S. GAAP? Or,
do they try to find U.S.-trained accountants who can learn
to navigate local laws and customs? |
| Communicating
is Vital - Even in Finance |
12/06/06 |
| We
hear it again and again: Finance isn't all about numbers.
It's about communications, too, whether you're reporting
results, working with colleagues in other departments, or
developing client relationships. Here, Petter Wendel, chief
financial officer of Greystone & Co., shares lessons
he's learned about communicating and relationship-building. |
| The
Gang's All Here: Surviving a Group Interview |
12/06/06 |
| It’s
rare for multiple candidates for the same job to be interviewed
at the same time, experts say. What's not uncommon is for
one applicant to be interviewed simultaneously by several
people at a hiring company. Stressful, yes, but there are
ways to turn a group interview to your advantage. |
| John
Hancock Helps Producers Move to Management |
12/05/06 |
| John
Hancock Financial Network has introduced a program to help
producers prepare to become sales managers. Dubbed "the
Protege Program," it integrates coursework with development
goals and closely involves local managers. |
| Banks
Seek Help Selling Mortgages to Minorities |
12/01/06 |
| Since
the refinancing wave has washed out of the mortgage industry,
companies have sought to build volume by hiring employees
who can tap diverse, emerging markets. Consequently, mortgage
bankers who know how to build business in the African-American,
Latino, Asian and other immigrant communities are in demand. |
| Challenges
for Corporate Accountants in N.Y. |
11/30/06 |
| If
you're a CPA seeking a license in New York State, and most
of your experience is in corporate accounting or investigations,
you should be aware: Documenting your qualifying experience
may be a bit more difficult than you expect. Here's an overview
of the requirements. |
| Skeptical?
A CPA? FCPA Work Might Be For You |
11/28/06 |
| If
you're a certified public accountant with an innate skepticism,
and you enjoy foreign travel, problem-solving and out-of-the
box thinking, you're a perfect fit for a rapidly growing
accounting niche: the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act. |
| CareerWire:
The IRS On Campus |
11/27/06 |
| IRS
brings "Adrian Project" to campus... Atlanta attracts young
professionals... Deloitte chair talks of mentoring... jobsinthemoney.com
is blogging for accountants. |
| Strategies
to Help You Move Up |
11/21/06 |
| Even
if you're just beginning your career, it's never too early
to start planning your rise through the ranks. At a panel
discussion sponsored by the Urban Financial Services Coalition's
New York chapter, banking executives discussed strategies
to help you develop a plan. |
| Foreign
Firms Seek U.S. Talent for Expansions |
11/20/06 |
| Though
the rise of London as an investment banking center has gotten
much media play in recent months, financial professionals
with international expertise can benefit from the expansion
of European firms right here in the U.S. |
| CareerWire:
Private Bank for Physicians |
11/20/06 |
| Illinois
bank launches private banking service for physicians...
Montana, New Jersey seek CPAs... Schwab, Fidelity plan to
enhance technology for FAs... and more. |
| Wachovia
Turns Its Eyes West |
11/17/06 |
| Wachovia
will close about 200 of its 3,400 branches across the country
by the end of 2008. At the same time, it will open between
100 to 130 branches in the western U.S. during 2007 as part
of its efforts to expand in what one executive calls "high-growth
markets." |
| Ask
the Expert: Job Searching After Age 55 |
11/16/06 |
| Healthy,
able and over 55. No matter how good the job market might
be, older workers face their own unique challenges. How
can you organize your job search? Robbie Miller Kaplan offers
some tips. |
| Banks
Increase Focus on Women |
11/14/06 |
| Banks
are grappling with understanding the differences between
their male and female customers, and searching for ways
to better serve women business people. |
| CFOs
Value Employee Loyalty |
11/13/06 |
| Chief
financial officers like candidates who've spent time in
their previous positions. Nearly 90 percent of them say
the length of a candidate's tenure with earlier employers
is an important part of the equation they consider when
deciding whom to hire. |
| CPA
Firms Still Need SALT Expertise |
11/09/06 |
| It's
been a boom time for state and local tax (SALT) professionals
as accounting firms have worked to address a rising demand
for their highly specialized and increasingly valuable services.
However, experts believe recruiting will grow at a slower
pace over the next 12 months. |
| Career
Changers Attract Financial Recruiters |
11/08/06 |
| When
recruiters consider candidates who are transitioning into
a financial advisor's job from previous careers, they often
look for one common trait: success. It doesn't always matter
what skills you may bring from another profession. Investment
firms first want to know how well you put those skills to
work. |
| Experience
in Demand for Boston CPAs |
11/03/06 |
| Like
other cities around the country, Boston is suffering a talent
shortage in public accounting. Those with some experience
and time spent managing others are the hottest commodities. |
| Asian
Advisers Leverage Community |
11/01/06 |
| When
building their businesses, Asian financial advisers have
a unique opportunity to leverage their insight into their
own communities. |
| Edward
Jones Has 10-Year Plan |
10/31/06 |
| Edward
Jones plans to continue its expansion efforts by hiring
investment advisers and support staff, strengthening market
share in the U.S. and Canada, and investing up to $260 million
to expand its headquarters near St. Louis. |
| Offshoring
Comes to the Back Office |
10/27/06 |
| An
evolution in offshoring could eventually move a number of
back office jobs outside of the U.S., saving large corporations
as much as $58 billion a year and impacting some 1.5 million
positions between now and 2016. |
| Demand
Seen Pushing Financial Salaries in 2007 |
10/25/06 |
| Continued
demand for accounting and finance professionals will push
starting salaries higher in 2007, as businesses mull expansions
and continue to wrestle with compliance requirements. In
particular, professionals in compliance, internal audit,
financial analysis and public accounting should benefit. |
| Bonuses
Boost Risk-Technology Compensation |
10/24/06 |
| Risk
professionals in software and technology earned a 7 percent
average increase in total compensation in 2005 as an 11
percent rise in bonuses bulked up a 3 percent bump in salaries. |
| Ask
the Expert: Reaching Beyond Company Networks |
10/23/06 |
| "I
take advantage of my company's networking and mentoring
programs, but sometimes feel like I see the same people
at each event. How can I extend my network beyond this regular
circle?" |
| Atlanta's
HomeBanc Cuts Workforce |
10/20/06 |
| As
it announced its expectation for a wider-than-anticipated
third-quarter loss, Atlanta-based HomeBanc Corp. said it's
reducing the workforce of its HomeBanc Mortgage unit by
4 percent. The move will save the firm about $19 million. |
| For
Brokers, Training Issues Come into the Open |
10/19/06 |
| Are
financial services firms on the edge of a new model in broker
training? As Morgan Stanley's James Gorman urges firms to
be "brutal" in sending their least effective advisers packing,
and executives of smaller firms remark on the inability
of wirehouses to expand the ranks of successful FAs, some
wonder if the time is right to adapt new approaches to developing
novices. |
| Corporations
Use Project Professionals to Fill Gaps |
10/18/06 |
| Sarbanes-Oxley,
increased regulatory scrutiny, globalization and downsizing
has left Fortune 100 companies lacking well-credentialed,
senior-level personnel to meet ever-increasing professional
demands. But the corporations' challenge can be the outside
professional's opportunity. |
| Mid-Size
CPA Firms Form National Network |
10/17/06 |
| Twenty
two mid-size accounting firms have formed a national network,
designed to act as a single firm and better compete with
the Big Four. The network, Baker Tilly USA, offers tax,
audit and consulting services under one brand name. |
| Treasury
Departments Staff Up to Field Wider Roles |
10/16/06 |
| The
responsibilities of corporate treasurers are growing as
they play a greater role within their companies. While these
executives have long been responsible for managing cash
flows, they're now being drawn further into the strategic
framework of their organizations, creating new opportunities
and responsibilities for themselves and those in the treasurer's
department. |
| How
Managing Up Positions You for Growth |
10/13/06 |
| Even
if no one reports to you, your job still involves managing
people - the ones occupying slots above yours on the organization
chart. It's called "managing up," and those who do it well
can become indispensable to their organizations, resulting
in choice assignments and promotions. |
| One
Author's Tactics for Women, Minorities |
10/12/06 |
| In
Minority Rules: Turn Your Ethnicity Into a Competitive
Edge, Kenneth Arroyo Roldan and Gary Stern identify
what they say are key strategies women and minority executives
can use to rise through the ranks of corporate America.
In an exclusive interview Roldan, chief executive of search
firm Wesley, Brown and Bartle, says: "You can't change a
company that doesn't embrace the principles of diversity.
So, you have to control your own destiny." |
| Firms
Seek Advisers From Range of Backgrounds |
10/11/06 |
| A
financial background may not be the most important part
of an erstwhile financial planner's resume, which is good
news for newcomers trying to break into a field that's feeling
pinched for qualified talent. |
| Tips
for Finding That Overseas Job |
10/06/06 |
| If
you're interested in finding a finance position abroad,
there are a few things to consider before you start packing.
First on the list: the economic health of the country you're
interested in, as well as the jobs considered "hot" there. |
| First
American Launches Subordinate Lien Group |
10/05/06 |
| First
American Corp. launched First American Subordinate Lien
Outsourcing group, a unit that will develop information
solutions for the subordinate lien market. The group will
serve as "a storefront" for many of First American's second
lien products, leveraging the company's property and credit
databases. |
| Top
Interview Mistakes - And How to Avoid Them |
10/03/06 |
| Few
people really like job interviews: You have to be "on,"
the stakes are high, and you have to show off your expertise
and intelligence every step of the way. "Successful interviewing
reflects your ability to sell yourself," says Steve McMahan,
president of Kforce Professional Staffing. "That becomes
easier when you recognize the potential pitfalls and learn
to avoid them." |
| Compensation
Stable for Energy Risk Professionals |
09/29/06 |
| Risk
professionals in the energy sector received modest compensation
increases during 2005, but should benefit if investment
banks and hedge funds increase their activity in the area
and the markets' instability continues. |
| Recruiters
Can Make You More Likeable |
09/27/06 |
| It's
an age-old conundrum: How do you promote yourself to managers
or prospective employers without sounding too impressed
with yourself? The answer, says Jeffrey Pfeffer of the Stanford
Graduate School of Business, is to get a recruiter to do
the promotion for you. |
| Countrywide
Warns of Layoffs |
09/27/06 |
| Countrywide
Financial Corp. has warned its staff to expect layoffs as
falling home sales take their toll on the firm's mortgage
business. |
| CFOs
See Steady Hiring in Fourth Quarter |
09/25/06 |
| Hiring
within accounting and finance departments will remain steady
during the last quarter of 2006, with six percent of chief
financial officers planning to add full-time personnel and
two percent anticipating a cut in staff levels. That net
four percent increase is unchanged from the third-quarter
forecast of the quarterly Robert Half International Financial
Hiring Index. |
| CareerWire:
Morgan Stanley Pauses in Layoffs |
09/25/06 |
| Morgan
Stanley is taking a break from layoffs in its wealth management
division... Financial firms fuel job changes with hefty
compensation to advisers... U.S. workers value health benefits
over pay. |
| From
Independent CPA to Corporate Finance |
09/22/06 |
| Big
companies expect their CPAs to have experience with accounting
issues unique to public firms, especially compliance with
Sarbanes-Oxley and other regulations. The need for that
kind of track record makes jumping from an independent firm
to a corporate finance department challenging. The key is
to understand the CFO's needs, and set about building a
resume that demonstrates you can meet them. |
| Mellon
Names Wealth Management Head in S. Calif. |
09/20/06 |
| Mellon
Financial Corporation has appointed David Emmes managing
director of Private Wealth Management in southern California.
Russell Kartub has been promoted to managing director of
portfolio management. |
| 50?
You're Not Old, You're Seasoned |
09/14/06 |
| Whether
you're pushing or pulling the big five-oh, it can be tough
to find a job. So it's not unethical to give your resume
- and your waistline - a few nips and tucks. |
| CareerWire:
UBS Strengthens U.S. Presence |
09/12/06 |
| UBS
to acquire McDonald Investments of Cleveland to strengthen
U.S. presence… A record 462 of FORTUNE 500 companies provide
sexual orientation protection… Securian named “Great
Place to Work in the Twin Citiesâ€â€¦ and more |
| CareerWire:
UBS Strengthens U.S. Presence |
09/12/06 |
| UBS
to acquire McDonald Investments of Cleveland to strengthen
U.S. presence… a record 462 of FORTUNE 500 companies provide
sexual orientation protection… Securian named “Great
Place to Work in the Twin Citiesâ€â€¦ and more |
| CareerWire:
UBS Strengthens U.S. Presence |
09/12/06 |
| UBS
to acquire McDonald Investments of Cleveland to strengthen
U.S. presence… a record 462 of FORTUNE 500 companies provide
sexual orientation protection… Securian named “Great
Place to Work in the Twin Citiesâ€â€¦ and more |
| Some
Hiring Managers May Up the Ante |
09/06/06 |
| Most
hiring managers say its more difficult to find qualified
candidates than it was a year ago, a dynamic that may play
into candidates' hands as they negotiate the terms of a
new position. However, indications are few candidates are
taking advantage of the pressure. |
| Is
Your Boss a Bully? |
09/06/06 |
| Thought
you left that playground bully for good back around the
third grade? Guess again. He - or she - can come back to
haunt you in the form of your boss. |
| Position
Yourself for a New Job - Discreetly |
09/01/06 |
| Recruiters
say financial professionals can gain an inside track for
plum jobs through a proactive approach that includes regular
networking, researching potential employers, working selectively
with recruiters and undertaking projects that will broaden
your skills. All of these activities, they point out, can
be pursued without signaling an interest in leaving one
firm for another. |
| Do
Your Homework on Prospective Employers |
08/31/06 |
| Doing
your homework on prospective employers is critical to your
chances of landing a new position. Nearly half of the executives
recently polled said that not knowing about their company
was the most common mistake they saw job-seekers make during
interviews. |
| Diversity
at Deloitte _ampersand Touche USA |
08/30/06 |
| Kaplan
Mobray, U.S. diversity recruiting leader for Deloitte &
Touche USA, discusses his firm’s efforts to diversify
its workforce: "We know that diverse and satisfied team
members foster innovation." |
| Public
Company Executives Lured by Private Equity |
08/30/06 |
| Private
equity groups are working hard to recruit senior executives
away from public companies, offering more money and a chance
to leave behind the short-term pressures that are part of
dealing with the capital markets. |
| Torn
Between Two Job Offers |
08/30/06 |
| Your
technical skills, interpersonal communication and references
are top-notch. Your shoes are shined, your suit is pressed,
every hair's in place and there's a smile on your face.
And so you find yourself in the enviable position of having
multiple job offers to consider. You can only accept one,
so now what? |
| CareerWire:
Return of the Perk |
08/28/06 |
| Companies
are bringing back low-cost perks… Merrill Lynch asks panel
to end its obligation to broker who won discrimination suit…
Residential mortgage brokers eye commercial loans… and
more. |
| Women
Make Inroads to CFO's Office |
08/23/06 |
| Although
women have long been underrepresented among corporate executives,
they’re making modest inroads to the CFO's office. In
the S&P 500, women presently hold about seven percent
of CFO positions, according to an informal analysis of data
from Hoover's, a service which maintains a database on 16
million companies. |
| Demand
for CPAs Rising Globally |
08/22/06 |
| As
if financial executives didn't have enough trouble finding
CPAs in the U.S., word is spreading that companies overseas
are seeking the very same talent. |
| CareerWire:
From CFO to CEO |
08/21/06 |
| From
CFO to CEO… Insurance Training Benefits Financial Advisers…
Citigroup Expanding in Key Markets. |
| MBA
Applications Rise |
08/21/06 |
| Applications
to full-time MBA programs have risen for the first time
in three years, according to the Graduate Management Admission
Council. Much of the increase comes from international students,
the GMAC said, although more women are applying as well. |
| What
Tax Directors Look for When Hiring |
08/16/06 |
| Whether
you aspire to be a tax manager or a tax accountant, you
need certain skills to get ahead working in a corporate
tax department. Here are five things tax directors consider
before hiring new staff. |
| How
to Move Around The Baby Boomers |
08/15/06 |
| Efforts
by companies to retain baby boomers are frustrating younger
professionals by delaying promotions and infringing on their
independence at work. If you're in Generation X or Generation
Y, you've got to be creative to attain the position you
want. |
| CareerWire:
Private Firms Buy Into SOX |
08/14/06 |
| More
private companies comply with at least some parts of Sarbanes-Oxley...
Court won't dismiss overtime suit against A.G. Edwards...
Federal agencies face mass retirement of procurement officers...
and more |
| Five
Things CFOs Look For in Job Candidates |
08/11/06 |
| "What
are they looking for?" Everyone who has responded to a job
ad has asked themselves that question. To shed some light,
we called several CFOs to find out what those elusive honchos
seek in new hires. |
| Piper
Advisors Depart Ahead of Takeover |
08/10/06 |
| Around
81 - or nearly 10 percent - of Piper Jaffray's financial
advisers resigned from the firm's retail brokerage unit
during the second quarter, followed by 31 more during two
weeks in July. The departures come as Piper's takeover by
UBS Wealth Management USA approaches. |
| Leadership
Skills As Career Tools |
08/09/06 |
| The
quality of your leadership skills can impact your career
path. In fact, industry sources say, strong managerial skills
are almost as important as the ability to sell a product.
But the key word there may be "almost." |
| Tips
for Responding to Online Ads |
08/02/06 |
| Job-seekers
often complain their responses to online ads disappear without
any reply from employers. In reply, HR departments and hiring
managers say their work is made harder by e-mails that are
too long, inappropriate or simply miss the mark. To help
you break through, here are some tips on making your message
as effective as it can be. |
| Salary
Increases Slowing for Accountants |
07/28/06 |
| While
demand for professionals in audit, tax and management services
at public accounting firms is expected to continue for many
years, salary increases will be less dramatic in 2006. |
| IT
Hiring Ramping Up |
07/26/06 |
| Demand
continues strong for technology professionals across a range
of industries. In fact, nearly half of all companies plan
to use summer interns to help out their IT departments. |
| Certifications
Showcase 'Real-World' Expertise of CPAs |
07/26/06 |
| The
sheer number of advanced certifications available beyond
the CPA designation can be daunting. But what's the best
one to earn to advance on your career path? It seems specialization
is key to figuring out the best certification for you. |
| CareerWire:
Changing the Gender Equations |
07/24/06 |
| Women
are still making slow progress into executive suites...
Merrill Lynch says attracting FAs a cornerstone of growth
strategy... DaimlerChrysler mulls outsourcing accounting
jobs. |
| Hispanic
FAs Find More Opportunities |
07/21/06 |
| The
growth in the Hispanic market means financial companies
must develop a workforce representative of the customers
they want to reach. While many Hispanic FAs prefer to work
for themselves, opportunities are increasing for those interested
in joining a larger organization. |
| Top
3 Banks Focus On Internal Growth |
07/20/06 |
| Bank
of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase are focusing on
growing from within, a strategy that could help position
them to face a cooling economy. |
| Goldman
Sachs Leaders Emphasize 'Doing' |
07/19/06 |
| Financial
companies like people who get things done. Students looking
for ways to position themselves might want to consider the
backgrounds of the Goldman Sachs Global Leaders, a group
of 100 high achieving college students from 20 countries.
Their common thread: real accomplishments, some made even
before they've entered college. |
| UBS
Opens Office For 'Ultra-High-Net-Worth' Clients |
07/19/06 |
| UBS
has opened an office in New York dedicated to serving ultra-high-net-worth
clients. The Park Avenue office will be staffed by 13 wealth
advisors and three private bankers, and will offer a suite
of brokerage, trust and private banking services, the company
said. |
| Merrill
Official Says Firm Can 'Do Better' In Diversity |
07/18/06 |
| Even
as they contend with a class-action lawsuit alleging racial
discrimination in its brokerage operation, officials at
Merrill Lynch say they have to do better when it comes to
hiring and promoting black financial advisors. |
| DWS
Scudder Expands Distribution |
07/07/06 |
| The
ranks of DWS Scudder, the U.S. mutual fund business of Deutsche
Asset Management, have swelled to include 19 new staff. |
| Internal
Audit Still Faces Talent Shortage |
07/06/06 |
| Although
a number of companies have tried to expand their internal
audit departments to cope with the demands of Sarbanes-Oxley,
a lack of talent has kept many positions unfilled. |
| Ace
that Interview - Top Ten Tips |
07/05/06 |
| Last
week Alcoa, Ameritrade, Ford, Interstate Bakeries and Winn-Dixie
all announced reductions in their respective workforces. |
| Dramatic
Pay Increases For Risk Executives |
06/30/06 |
| Pay
for risk professionals has risen dramatically over the last
five years as companies have become more pro-active, and
less reactive, in their approach to risk. |
| SOX
Leads To IT Opportunities |
06/22/06 |
| Sarbanes-Oxley
has opened up a growing range of opportunities for accountants
and other financial professionals with solid IT skills. |
| Certified
Fraud Examiners In Demand |
06/21/06 |
| Whether
they're ferreting out tax improprieties, securities fraud
or money laundering, financial professionals certified as
fraud examiners are hot properties on the job market. |
| Static
Networks Can Be Dangerous To Your Career |
06/07/06 |
| They
say it's good to have friends in high places. Yet many in
the accounting and retail banking sector - particularly
women and minorities - spend most of their time with people
just like themselves. |
| CareerWire:
Tax Departments Need More Resources |
06/05/06 |
| Corporate
tax departments need additional resources... Turnover among
Fortune 500 chief financial officers increased last year...
More than 84,000 people were expected to take the CFA exam...
and more |
| Demand
For Socially Responsible Investing Jobs Outpaces Need |
06/02/06 |
| While
socially responsible investing has been a buzz word for
nearly 20 years, interest in the practice of encouraging
corporate sustainability through sound social and environmental
practices has gained momentum in recent years. But while
the financial industry is paying more attention to SRI,
the number of professionals trying to enter the field still
outstrips the demand of investors. |
| Women
Reach Beyond Internal Networks |
05/31/06 |
| Tell
a woman CPA in Connecticut she’s being transferred to
California and within a day she’ll have a list of the
best pediatricians in Los Angeles and a list of local women’s
soccer teams looking for players. |
| Diversity
At Citigroup's Corporate and Investment Banking Division |
05/26/06 |
| jobsinthemoney.com
recently spoke with Patricia David, managing director and
global head of diversity/talent and employee programs for
the corporate and investment banking division of Citigroup.
David is responsible for overseeing, developing and implementing
the diversity strategy for nearly 49,000 employees around
the world. |
| Starting
Salaries Climb For New MBAs |
05/24/06 |
| Starting
salaries of newly graduated MBAs have risen 4.2 percent
since 2005, spurred by hiring among employers confident
about the overall economic outlook. |
| CareerWire:
HSBC The Leading Firm For Women Executives |
05/22/06 |
| Financial
firms dominate Diversity Inc.'s list of best companies
for women executives... NewStar Financial hiring for West
Coast office... Royal Bank of Scotland to offer corporate
banking services... and more. |
| CFOs
Gain Higher Profiles At Hedge Funds |
05/19/06 |
| As
hedge funds continue to grow in both numbers and assets,
the role of the chief financial officer is becoming more
challenging and high profile, according to industry experts. |
| IT
Auditors Salaries At Premium |
05/16/06 |
| Information
technology auditors, professionals who determine whether
corporate IT systems are effectively maintaining Sarbanes-Oxley
controls, are in demand from a wide range of companies.
|
| CareerWire:
Jobs Outlook Strong - For Now |
05/15/06 |
| The
overall U.S. job outlook is strong for the next 6-12 months,
but predictions for financial services might be described
as ''steady, but slow''... The number of women in leadership
roles in Illinois CPA firms has remained largely unchanged
over the last four years... A Massachusetts stockbroker
has sued Citigroup Smith Barney for allegedly failing to
pay him overtime... and more. |
| Feeling
Burned Out? Accountants Have Options |
05/12/06 |
| In
college, you majored in accounting. You sweated through
the CPA exam and put in countless billable hours as a young
practitioner. Now you're well into a successful career.
But what happens if you discover making numbers talk no
longer carries the thrill it once did? |
| Women,
Minorities Lag In Executive Ranks |
04/28/06 |
| Women
and minorities continue to lag in gaining management positions
in large financial firms, according to a report by the Equal
Employment Opportunity Commission. ''This report shows that
we still have some ways to go,'' EEOC Chair Cari Dominguez
said. ''The report found that women of all races and backgrounds
advance more slowly as they climb up the career ladder.'' |
| Mortgage
Banking Jobs Hold Steady |
04/28/06 |
| Some
economists believe the market for new homes isn’t as strong
as the surge in March sales figures would suggest. Media
reports note that builders have been cutting prices to address
rising mortgage rates, and the number of available homes
is increasing. What’s it all mean for mortgage bankers?
Despite some fallout on the consumer side, observers see
their job security as being pretty solid. |
| Pay
Rises In Corporate Tax Departments |
04/26/06 |
| It’s
no secret the job of corporate tax departments has become
tougher. The challenges they face, and the ongoing scramble
to find talent to meet them, is translating into higher
compensation for tax professionals at the top of their game. |
| IRS
Recruiting Revenue Agents |
04/21/06 |
| The
Internal Revenue Service is seeking hundreds of revenue
agents, many for its small-business/ self-employed division,
and is offering signing bonuses to those willing to work
in ''hard-to-fill'' locations. |
| Corporate
Finance Compensation Jumps |
04/19/06 |
| Macro
trends are creating macro pay increases for those in the
corporate finance world. Double-digit compensation increases
stem from stiffer federal regulation and a push for corporate
growth – two movements that have companies scrambling
for top-notch finance staff in a time of short supply. |
| Executives
Look For Resume Follow-Ups |
04/17/06 |
| You've
submitted your resume to a prospective employer. Now what?
Most executives think you should follow up within two weeks:
It shows you to be self-motivated and pro-active - traits
managers value. |
| CFOs
Predict Increased Hiring For Finance Staffs |
04/14/06 |
| When
business is good, chief financial officers hire. According
to the latest quarterly survey by Financial Executives International,
business is good. Over the next 12 months, 77 percent of
the 200 CFOs surveyed by the organization expect to hire
more staff for their companies’ financial areas. |
| BET
Founder’s Bank Expects To Offer 'Opportunities' - Eventually
|
04/10/06 |
| Robert
L. Johnson, founder of the cable network Black Entertainment
Television, is positioning himself to become owner of the
largest African-American controlled financial services business
in the U.S. Although the company has no specific hiring
plans to reveal just yet, a representative said experienced
financial professionals can look for “rich opportunities
in the future.†|
| Private
Banking Opportunities On The Rise |
03/29/06 |
| As
more banks and other financial companies work to develop
a wealthier client base, opportunities are rising for bankers
and others considering a move to private banking. |
| Are
Companies Serious About Diversity? |
03/27/06 |
| Nearly
80 percent of the jobsinthemoney.com users who responded
to a snap poll asking whether their company is serious about
diversity said "no." |
| For
SOX Staffers, Workload May Be Key Challenge |
03/24/06 |
| Many
accounting managers have said the intricacies and tedium
of Sarbanes-Oxley compliance has discouraged accountants
and auditors from getting into the field – or made them
itchy to get back into what they regard as “core†financial
functions. But could the challenge be simply that SOX specialists
are overworked? |
| Unintended
Consequences Of Work/Life Programs |
03/22/06 |
| A
decade ago, professional service firms began offering women
more flexibility as they replaced their “up-or-outâ€
attitude with flextime, maternity leave and part-time options.
But as more women take advantage of programs that allow
them to pursue the "mommy track" or "family track," the
pool of women remaining in leadership roles has been shrinking. |
| Thrivent
Financial To Hire 675 Representatives |
03/13/06 |
| Thrivent
Financial for Lutherans, the not-for-profit financial services
firm focused on the Lutheran markerplace, said it plans
to hire 675 financial representatives by the end of this
year. |
| Five
Signs It's Time To Move On |
03/08/06 |
| Knowing
when to quit your job usually boils down to instinct. Yet
in banking and finance, where takeovers and lackluster bonuses
are regular occurrences, there can be telltale signs it's
time to move on. Here are a few. |
| Rising
Above Your Past Employer |
03/03/06 |
| If
you worked at one of the accounting firms or corporations
implicated in the creative accounting scandals of the last
few years, will prospective employers hold it against you? |
| Commercial
Real Estate Firms Seek Financial Professionals |
02/17/06 |
| As
commercial real estate has become more sophisticated and
Wall Street-friendly, professionals with backgrounds in
accounting or experience in controller or chief financial
officer functions are seeing their value rise. |
| Pension
Expertise In Growing Demand |
02/15/06 |
| As
reform and funding pressures increase the challenges involved
in running a plan, financial professionals who’ve stayed
on top of pension issues may find themselves in increasing
demand. |
| Price
Expects Hiring To Stay Flat, Despite Strong Business |
02/10/06 |
| T.
Rowe Price expects to keep its hiring essentially flat this
year, despite record results in 2005’s fourth quarter
and a growing institutional business that’s gotten the
attention of the likes of Institutional Investor.
|
| Merrill
Lynch Cuts Brokers' Cash Compensation |
02/08/06 |
| Merrill
Lynch has quietly reduced the cash compensation of its brokers
by 1 percentage point while crediting an extra 1.5 points
to the company’s deferred stock plan, according to the
trade newspaper Investment News. |
| IRS
Needs Agents, Auditors as Retirements Loom |
01/31/06 |
| The
IRS’s Large and Medium Size Business Division (LMSB) is
staffing up as many of the career staffers who conduct or
manage corporate audits approach their retirements. Pay
packages could prove taxing to some, however. |
| Your
Own Best Cheerleader: Find a Coach |
01/31/06 |
| Lauren*,
a long-time employee of Big Four accounting firm Deloitte,
had worked her way up to manager of Northeast operations
in a New York-metropolitan area division that then underwent
an organizational transition. That set a career change into
motion. |
| Know
Your File Before a Background Check |
01/25/06 |
| Got
something in your background that you'd rather not discuss
during your next job interview - like a conviction for disorderly
conduct or a really low credit score? Do your homework before
you start mailing out your resume, because most companies
are going to look your background right after they look
at your resume. |
| Certifications
Aplenty in Financial Planning for Seniors |
01/19/06 |
| Years
ago, one big baby boomer question was, “Dad, can I have
the car tonight?†Now the boomers have their own cars.
Dad, now retired, might be sitting on a comfortable-to-substantial
nest egg. But he’s still being pestered. |
| H-1B
Visas Put U.S. Financial IT Jobs at Risk |
01/19/06 |
| The
foreign job threat for American technology workers isn’t
limited to work that can be sent abroad. Companies are using
skilled workers brought in under the H-1B visa program to
replace American staff with foreign workers who are paid
substantially less – nearly $13,000 a year less on average
according to a recent study. |
| Accountants'
Pay Jumps on Lack of Supply |
01/10/06 |
| If
you’re an accountant who can both crunch numbers and talk
management through them with the same panache, you are in
high demand and low supply in many U.S. markets. And you
may be worth more than you think. |
| Balance
of Power Shifting to Employees |
01/10/06 |
| If
one of your resolutions for 2006 is to find a new job, you’ll
be happy to know that the hiring picture for accounting
and finance is robust, particularly if your skills are strong. |
| Industry
and Big 4 Want Audit Managers |
01/03/06 |
| One
thing’s for sure if you aspire to become an audit manager
at either a Big 4 firm or in private industry: You’ll
need to be a CPA. But the demand is high and salaries are
up over last year. |
| Sarbox
Costs Down but Hiring Still Strong |
12/20/05 |
A
recent study commissioned by the Big 4 shows that total
Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 implementation costs, not surprisingly,
are projected to decline substantially for both larger and
smaller companies in the second year of implementation.
What does this mean on the hiring and pay fronts?
|
| Bank
Branch Managers See Huge Churn |
12/19/05 |
| As
the talent pool for branch managers continues to shrink,
commercial banks have responded with stock options, increased
compensation, business casual dress codes and recognition
events like paid resort vacations. |
| CFOs
say Pay, Hiring to Freeze |
12/13/05 |
| Chief
financial officers are holding the line on 2005 bonuses
and raises. And good luck if you decide to seek a fatter
paycheck elsewhere, because those same CFOs aren’t planning
to do much hiring in the first quarter of 2006, according
to two recent surveys. |
| CPAs
Back in the Black |
12/09/05 |
| Financial
firms are pushing recruiters to find Certified Public Accountants
(CPAs) or candidates with Bachelor’s or Master’s degrees
in Accounting. They’re also offering all the right incentives
for the right candidates. |
| Surviving
Sarbanes-Oxley |
11/29/05 |
| As
the Sarbanes-Oxley Act enters its second year of implementation,
organizations and individuals are looking back to assess
the costs of compliance and the sustainability of the consequent
infrastructure, and forward toward streamlining those elements. |
| Unhappy
at work? You're not alone |
11/15/05 |
| Are
you dissatisfied with where you work? If so, join the 80%
of finance professionals who are unhappy with their employers.
It could be time for a rebalancing act. |
| Workplace
Diversity Is a Bottom-Line Issue |
11/01/05 |
| Female
entrepreneurship has grown rapidly over the last decade,
and the numbers of women at corporations, including those
in corporate finance and those in leadership positions,
continue to increase. But the numbers also show that women
– both as employees and as board members – aren’t
just taking up space. They’re also enhancing the bottom
line. |
| Wal-Mart
Goes A-Banking |
10/31/05 |
| Retail
giant Wal-Mart filed an application in July with the Federal
Deposit Insurance Corporation to establish an industrial
bank in Utah to process its monthly volume of 140 million
credit and debit transactions. The FDIC received over 1,000
letters – many times the norm – commenting on the proposal
and had to extend the public comment period to two months
from one. |
| Annual
Bonuses: Carrots Dangle Higher, Sticks Get Longer |
10/24/05 |
Annual
bonuses are being scrutinized in an effort to design equitable
pay packages in the wake of corporate accounting scandals
and criminally excessive compensation paid to top executives
at many firms. And everyone’s feeling the fallout.
|
| Market
Is Strong for Temporary Accounting Pros |
10/18/05 |
| The
recent announcement by H&R Block that it plans to increase
its tax network’s peak temporary work force by 39,000
professionals – nearly 40% – in the coming filing season
prompts the question, “What besides tax season drives
the market for temporary accounting pros?†|
| Where
are the Good Actuarial Candidates? Guest Comment |
10/17/05 |
Scott
Rollins is President of the Chicago area executive search
consultancy S. C. International, which has specialized in
the recruitment of actuaries and employee benefits talent
since 1984.
With more than thirty years in recruiting, the last twenty
of which have focused on the actuarial and employee benefits
marketplaces, I have seen both strong and weak job markets.
And in order to adapt to a changing job market, savvy employers
and job seekers alike have had to improve their processes
and procedures for working with executive search firms.
But unfortunately, a good number are still approaching the
job market blindly and not reaching their maximum potential.
|
| Retail
Banking: Sell, Sell, Sell or Else |
10/11/05 |
| The
banking trend that has tellers selling home loans is making
its way into the back-office, as more and more institutions
are requiring everyone from the CFO on down to bring in
new business. |
| Bye-bye
Stock Options, Hello Incentive Pay Mix |
10/03/05 |
Reaction
to the excessive compensation paid to top WorldCom, Tyco,
Enron and other executives is driving more than media attention.
It’s also responsible for a spate of new government regulations
designed to curb future abuses and concomitant trends in
overall compensation.
|
| Compliance
Demands Controllers |
09/16/05 |
| The
recent emphasis on enhanced corporate governance reporting
and controls has focused mainly on the growing demand for
accountants well versed in them. But the demand for controllers,
and what controllers can command in pay, is rising, too,
recruiters say. |
| Treasurers
Usually Promoted, Not Hired |
09/12/05 |
| In
the wake of Hurricane Katrina, as with 9/11, many companies
are turning to their treasurers - and paying them a bundle
- to reevaluate their insurance coverage and reassess their
risk-management scenarios. But don’t expect to see tons
of treasurer jobs being advertised. |
| Summer
Reading: Manners Matter |
08/25/05 |
| Sure,
your parents always taught you to say “please†and “thank
you†and not put your elbows on the table. They coached
you to write prompt thank-you notes because they knew that
having good manners would help to smooth out your life.
But could they have known to instruct you not to give a
clock as a gift in Japan because it’s a symbol of death?
Business etiquette – whether around the dining table or
the conference table – is a whole different ball game. |
| Sarbox
Makes Salaries Snowball |
08/12/05 |
Remember
those Saturday morning cartoons? The ones where a little
snowball kept jouncing downhill, growing and growing until
it was as big as Mars? The recent rapid increase in compensation
for any corporate accountant involved with Sarbanes-Oxley
reporting, SEC reporting or auditing is giving similar momentum
to accountants’ salaries.
|
| Staff
Accountants Show Slight Uptick in Salary |
08/08/05 |
There’s
good salary news for staff accountants at all levels in
most industry sectors – including those who work in South
Carolina – according to pay experts. South Carolina?
|
| Market
for Actuaries on the Rise |
08/04/05 |
The
market for actuaries in all disciplines has been quite strong
this summer, says recruiter David Simpson, managing principal
of D.W. Simpson & Co. http://www.actuaryjobs.com/ “We’re
getting 20 to 30 new positions an all disciplines and at
all levels each week. That’s just our firm, although we
are the biggest,†he adds.
|
| Fraud
Examiners Do Good |
07/26/05 |
| It
sounds like the lineup on the six o’clock news: Identity
theft. Money laundering. Gaming control and surveillance.
Health care, insurance, bank, mail and Internet fraud. And
this is by no means a complete list of fraud examiners’
remits. |
| Forensic
Accountants Follow Trail of More Jobs, Pay |
07/19/05 |
| If
you’re a CPA who’s technically proficient, intellectually
curious, persistent, creative and discrete – and who always
secretly yearned to be Sherlock Holmes – grab your deerstalker
hat and your magnifying glass and find a position in forensic
accounting. The field, while niche, is booming. |
| Financial
Analysts Ascend in Pay, Hiring |
07/12/05 |
| After
playing second fiddle to accountants recently as the rush
to compliance dominated corporate finance, financial analysts
are back in demand, recruiting experts say. |
| SOX
Moves Management Accountants' Pay Up |
06/21/05 |
| Love
it or hate it, Sarbanes-Oxley is proving a boon for management
accountants. A new salary survey claims their pay has leapfrogged
pay for public accountants even amid one industry association's
calls for cutbacks to SOX. |
| Open
the Door to the Big 4 |
06/07/05 |
| 'No
one wants to work for me, although I could use the help.
They all want to work for the Big 4,' laments one New Jersey
CPA with a small private practice. But how does a Big 4
aspirant become a Big 4 employee? |
| Where
You Went Wrong |
06/01/05 |
| It's
been months since you started looking for a job and you
still haven't found anything. Wondering where you're going
wrong? JobsintheMoney.com has created a 10-step checklist
you can use to figure out just where your search is derailing.
Starting with Step #1, have you accomplished each task?
|
| Career
Shift: Housing Counsellors Earn High Karma And Low Pay |
05/31/05 |
| If
you love the counseling aspects of financial planning or
loan origination, but can't stomach sales, there may be
another option for you – a move into the non-profit sector
where about 3,500 organizations provide homeownership and
financial fitness counseling to consumers. |
| Auditing
Auditors' Salaries |
05/27/05 |
| Stringent
regulations, corporate scandals, and a spate of prosecutions
have created a need for competent auditors. But while some
experts in the field describe a hiring and compensation
frenzy, others have a more dispassionate view. |
| Your
Career: Build a Vision, Make It Real |
05/20/05 |
| Tired
of the same old grind? Want more money? A better title?
More responsibility? A corner office with an ocean view?
Well hey – do something about it. |
| Interim
Managers See International Growth |
05/16/05 |
| Cliché
has it that variety is the spice of life, and after several
years in the same job it may well be easy to see why. In
search of renewed vigour, some Chief Financial Officers
are reinventing themselves as interim managers. |
| Insurance
Jobs Are Spring's Hot Spot |
05/16/05 |
| Despite
ongoing investigations of fraud, allegations of bid-rigging
and even interest on the part of the FBI, the hiring picture
in the insurance industry is strong, employment experts
say. |
| Mortgage
Banking Designations: Nice-To-Haves or Must-Haves? |
04/18/05 |
| Looking
for a way to separate yourself from the herds of people
who went into mortgage banking during the refinance boom?
Earning a designation from the Mortgage Bankers Association
of America (MBA) may give you the edge over the competition
when you’re job hunting, but it may not raise your salary
in your current job. |
| Career
Path: PwC US Tax Services Principal |
04/13/05 |
| Carl
Dubert is a principal in the Washington National Tax Services
practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Washington,
DC. Here he explains his route to PwC (for the second time)
via Deutsche Bank and the U.S. Treasury. |
| Just
How Good IS That Offer? |
04/07/05 |
| You’ve
been offered your first job in banking, accounting, finance
or insurance. It seems like your new employer is offering
you a good compensation package, but wouldn’t you like
to know what everybody else is getting before you decide
how good their offer is? |
| More
Jobs, Pay for June Grads |
04/04/05 |
| The
outlook on pay for this June’s graduates is warming up,
with offers in the high 30s to low 40s, thanks to growing
demand for entry-level finance, accounting and banking professionals. |
| Take
the Offer and Run |
03/29/05 |
| A
recruiter has brought you an offer of a better salary from
a competing firm. You go into your manager’s office to
resign and receive a counteroffer. Should you take it? |
| DoD
to Feed Army of Auditors |
02/18/05 |
| If
you've got a CPA and secret security clearance, Washington,
D.C. is about to become a very lucrative place for you.
The Department of Defense (DoD) has just let an almost $1
billion contract to 20 accounting and IT companies who will
help the agency’s Office of Inspector General earn clean
audits from each of the military services and dozens of
defense agencies. |
| Get
Up to Speed on Sarbox |
02/18/05 |
| Many
readers have been writing in to ask about training venues
for Sarbanes-Oxley compliance, both in general and in terms
of Sarbox’s IT component. If you feel you’re not up
to snuff on the various Sarbanes-Oxley Act requirements
(can you say SOX 404?), or the technology to help get the
job done, there are conferences and websites that can help. |
| CFOs
Take Sweet Time to Fill Jobs |
02/15/05 |
| The
typical chief financial officer takes four weeks to fill
a staff-level accounting position and six weeks to bring
a new manager on board, according to a recent survey from
Robert Half International, Inc. |
| Ante
Up for Chief Risk Officers |
02/11/05 |
| Corporate
entities are beginning to realize that Kenny Rogers was
right all those years ago. You gotta know when to hold ’em.
Know when to fold ‘em. That’s why they’re now hiring
chief risk officers (CROs). |
| Financial
Planners Get Top Pay in Growing Sectors |
02/04/05 |
| Among
the alphabet soup of certifications for financial planners
- CPA, CLU, ChFC, CFP and more - there is one constant:
Those who earned the right to put those initials after their
names make more money than those who didn't. |
| Ask
the Expert: How Can I Make My Sarbox Skills Convincing? |
02/01/05 |
| After
reading an article here on Sarbanes-Oxley auditors, a job
seeker wrote in for help on landing a job without Big 4
experience. Read below for what our panel of industry experts
had to say. If you need some job advice, your questions
are put to our experts by Carol Lippert Gray. |
| So
you want to be a CFO? |
01/27/05 |
| Be
prepared. Be versatile. Be articulate. And multitask. In
one day, you might be talking to anyone from your CEO to
a disgruntled shareholder, from the staff at the SEC to
your local plumber. |
| No
End to Internal Audit Hiring Spree in Sight |
01/11/05 |
| Looking
to increase your salary (and who isn't)? Geography, education
and experience levels, company size and a CPA or graduate
degree obviously enter the salary equation. But two areas
— Sarbanes-Oxley compliance and fraud examination —
are where the bigger bucks are right now. |
| Mortgage
Banking Operations Staff Prepare for Layoffs |
01/11/05 |
| When
mortgage volume is off, as it was in 2004, mortgage bankers
are known for layoffs of operational staff. Which back office
employees are going to get the axe first, where can they
go, and what are the pay prospects? |
| Multiple
Offers for Internal Auditors Come With Pay Raises |
01/11/05 |
| In
real estate, the mantra is location, location, location.
Today in corporate finance, the mantra is internal audit,
internal audit, internal audit – a direct result of the
new Sarbanes-Oxley legislation governing corporate reporting
and compliance. |
| Time
for Mortgage Producers to Jump Ship? |
01/11/05 |
| Rising
interest rates, declining conventional mortgage origination
volumes and the explosion of the subprime lending market
have mortgage banks hiring sales staff. |
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