Strong, recession-proof company is growing and creating opportunities! 　This is a staff auditor role that promises solid opporutnity to learn and grow. 　This company is notorious for promoting from within and allowing individuals to explore other areas of accounting and finance, should you choose to do so. Know someone that might be a fit? 　

Job Responsibilities:

• Successfully preparing for and performing operational audits based on policies & procedures, financial best practices, SOX internal controls and overall operating efficiencies.
• Successfully documenting and testing the control environment for Internal Controls over Financial Reporting to ensure the Company’s SOX compliance.
• Identifies factors causing deficient conditions and provides constructive, economical and practical recommendations.
• Assist in the evaluation of internal control findings to determine the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
• Assisting with the completion of process improvement focus reviews, special investigation/fraud audits and/or any other specially assigned project.
• Upon gaining experience will participate in training of newly hired team members.
• Work with external auditors as deemed necessary.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Audit.
• At least 1-3 years audit experience in operations and financial statements.
• 33% travel is required.
• SOX experience with both documenting and testing internal controls.
• Current CIA/CFE certifications, public accounting and consulting experience a plus.

 

Solid company in the oil and gas industry is looking for a Senior Accountant to join the team. The ideal candidate will have:

• public accounting experience and/or a mix of public and industry experience.
• Degree in Accounting (must)
• MBA or CPA – either attained or in progress – huge plus.
• GAAP technician, strong analysis capabilities
• special project skills and process improvement ideas

 

At the end of the interview when you, the interviewer, ask the candidate, “Do you have any questions for us?” it’s often hard to know what to expect. Will the candidate ask a couple of superficial questions just to be polite, or will he or she ask deep, probing questions?

If a candidate appears to be simply going through the motions at this point, this is often a sign of a candidate who is not fully engaged with your brand and the hiring process. On the other hand, a candidate who probes and asks questions of substance is a more engaged candidate. The person is trying to form a picture of your business to see if it is the right cultural fit, job fit, technical fit and career fit for him or her. This more discerning approach is likely to be taken by the best candidates. But, what questions are these more engaged candidates likely to ask and how should you respond?

Below, I have set out seven interview questions that great candidates might ask and given some suggested responses.

1. Why did the previous job holder leave?

The candidate wants to know the fate of the former job holder, that is, was he or she fired, promoted, or did the person resign—and your answer will have a great bearing on the viability of the role for the candidate. Of course, if the former job holder was promoted, shout it from the rooftops, as it shows career progression potential in your firm. If the worker resigned amicably to broaden his or her horizon, explain this too.

If it was an aggravated resignation or dismissal you might want to prepare an answer along the lines of:

The candidate and the role did not prove to be a good match and despite us both working together diligently to rectify the situation, it did not work out and we unfortunately parted ways, which is not something we relish as we want all our employees to succeed. We followed all the correct procedures and best practices and wish them well in their career.

This shows that you can handle the ups and inevitable downs professionally and should reflect well on your business. Fudging or fogging this response will make top candidates suspicious.

2. What are the training and development opportunities?

A PwC study tells us that one of the main reasons that people leave businesses is due to a lack of career progression. Candidates know that training and development improves their skills and increases their chances of career progression; so, top candidates will want to know about training and development opportunities. Make sure to respond in detail, explaining your formal and informal training and development opportunities. Also explain how candidates can access this training. If training budgets are small, focus on how your business uses coaching, mentoring, experiential learning, stretch assignments and job rotation to train staff.

3. What is the career progression potential at your business?

Top candidates want to progress, so explain where internal roles are advertised and how they can apply, and describe one or two employees who have started low and progressed through the business to really demonstrate career potential in your firm. If you are a smaller business lacking formal role-based, career progression, explain how candidates can grow and increase their responsibilities and salary in your firm.

4. What is the company culture at the business?

Culture fit is key today, not just from the employer side. Top candidates want to work in a positive culture that they respect and is line with their values. So explain the values by which employees and managers operate in as positive and as honest a light as possible. Make sure it’s not too glossy (unless it truly is perfect!) as it won’t sound credible; so, you might want to outline one or two areas for improvement too.

5. What is your personal management style?

Studies show that one of the main reasons that employees leave and fail to meet their performance goals is a lack of rapport with their direct line manager. Good candidates know that it is important to gel with their line manager. So be open and honest about your management style, e.g. hands on/ hands off, or democratic/authoritarian etc., so the candidate can make an informed decision about his or her potential fit.

6. How do you plan to deal with changes in the market?

The best candidates will be commercially minded and will have SWOTTED up on your business model. They will know the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in your business area and will want to know how your business is planning to address them. You need to show that you are a strategically led company that can adapt to the environment by outlining how you plan to address any known weaknesses or risks to your business and/or how you plan to exploit emerging opportunities.

7. How do your employees wind down?

All employees who work hard and smart know that they need time to wind down to sustain performance and health over the long term. You don’t want to give the impression of supporting a workaholic environment, so, of course, explain how you value employee health and talk about your wellness programs and commitment to work-life balance.

http://www.recruiter.com/i/7-questions-great-candidates-ask/

http://www.careerbuilder.com/Article/CB-2824-Resumes-Cover-Letters-Grammar-lessons-all-job-seekers-should-know/?siteid=cbhandle

When applying for a job, there are few faster ways to get your résumé and cover letter thrown out of contention than by making a glaring grammatical error.

These days, human resources departments and hiring managers are flooded with résumés. They have to be narrowed down somehow, and grammatical errors are an easy way to eliminate applicants.

“In an era of spell check, easily edited documents and instantly shared ‘can you give this a look’ emails, typos and grammatical errors on résumés and/or cover letters are pretty much unforgivable,” says Sean Smith, president of Third Street, an Indianapolis-based marketing company. “The message sent by typing ‘too’ when it should be ‘to’ can literally be the difference between getting the nod or getting a no.”

Here is a proofreading checklist for your résumé and cover letter.

1. Know your homophones

Homophones are words that sound the same but have different meanings, like too, to and two. Using the correct version on your résumé is crucial.

“The misuse of your/you’re, there/their/they’re, and to/too/two occurs more times than I care to dwell on,” says Marisa Brayman, a Web developer and blogger for Stadri Emblems, a company that designs embroidered patches. “If someone uses one of these incorrectly on a cover letter, he can say goodbye to his chances of ever landing a decent job. If this is due to a simple typo, that is one thing; however, in my humble opinion, if the individual doesn’t know the difference between these basic words and has never bothered to take an hour out of his or her life to learn it, he or she is not deserving of landing a decent job.”

A quick refresher:

Their, they’re, there

Their: The possessive form of “they.” (“Applicants submitted their error-free cover letters.”)

They’re: The contraction of “they are.” (“I think they’re getting the hang of this grammar thing.”)

There: A location. (“The pile of cover letters is over there.”)

Two, too, to

Two: A number. (“There are two applicants in the lobby.”)

Too: Also. (“I’d like to be interviewed for the job, too.”)

To: A preposition or infinitive. (“I’m going to apply.”)

Your, you’re

Your: The possessive form of “you.” (“Don’t forget to proofread your résumé.)

You’re: The contraction of “you are.” (“I have a feeling you’re going to get this job.”)

It’s, its

The best-selling grammar bible, “Eats, Shoots, and Leaves” by Lynne Truss, best describes the difference between these two words:

“To those who care about punctuation, a sentence such as ‘Thank God its Friday’ (without the apostrophe) rouses feelings not only of despair but of violence. The confusion of the possessive ‘its’ (no apostrophe) with the contractive ‘it’s’ (with apostrophe) is an unequivocal sign of illiteracy and sets off a simple Pavlovian ‘kill’ response in the average stickler. The rule is: the word ‘it’s’ (with apostrophe) stands for ‘it is’ or ‘it has.’ If the word does not stand for ‘it is’ or ‘it has’ then what you require is ‘its.’ This is extremely easy to grasp.”

Some other common homophones you should know:

Whose and who’s

Every day and everyday

2. Use apostrophes properly

Apostrophes are used for a few reasons:

They indicate the possessive: “In my last job, I managed the CEO’s calendar.”

They indicate the omission of letters in words (i.e., in contractions).

They indicate the exclusion of numbers in dates: “I graduated college in ’05.”

They indicate time or quantity: “I must give my current employers two weeks’ notice.”

Be sure to check your résumé for proper use of apostrophes, as well as for any erroneous punctuation. Apostrophes do not, for example, indicate the plural form of a singular noun. It is incorrect to say “I developed orientation programs to help new employee’s get acclimated to the company.”

3. Keep tenses consistent

“Building lists correctly is important,” says Christina Zila, director of communications at Textbroker.com, a Las Vegas-based content-creation firm. “Use consistent verb tenses: If you start your job duties with ‘managing multiple employees,’ don’t have your next point as ‘prepared annual reports’ but ‘preparing annual reports.'”

Similarly, as a general rule, all activities or accomplishments that you completed in the past should be in the past tense. Activities that you perform now should be in the present tense. This should be kept consistent throughout your résumé.

4. Proofread and then proofread again

The bottom line is that proofreading your application materials before submitting them is a must.

“There are enough people with bad grammar pet peeves that there is virtually no position out there where grammar doesn’t matter,” says Debra Yergen, author of the “Creating Job Security Resource Guide.” “Since a basic search-engine inquiry for ‘grammar pet peeves’ nets more than 400,000 returns, it’s safe to say that hiring managers are paying close attention to grammar and other résumé and cover-letter errors. Read and reread everything you write for a job application, and if you doubt yourself even slightly, run your submission past someone you trust.”

Kaitlin Madden is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com and its job blog,

The Work Buzz. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues. Follow @CareerBuilder on Twitter.

 

 

Last Updated: 01/02/2012 – 11:23 AM

• Complete month end general ledger close process in accordance with GAAP
• Process weekly payrolls
• Process and manage accounts payables
• Maintain fixed asset documentation and records
• Perform monthly account reconciliation and  financial statement review procedures
• Assist Controller with certain treasury functions
• Other ad-hoc projects (governmental compliance, taxes, etc.)
  

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting is required.
• 3+ years of varied accounting experience including payroll, accounts payable, fixed assets, and general ledger is required.
• Strong working knowledge of MS Excel.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and multi-tasking abilities.
• Must be team oriented and have experience adhering to deadlines.
• Experience with Quickbooks is a plus.
• Expereience with Construction accounting is a plus.

 

Loan Processor

Job Summary: 

Processes applicable documentation for FHA, VA and Conventional mortgage loan applications and prepares required packages for loan approval.

Duties and Responsibilities

· If applicable, interviews loan applicant(s) to gather specific information relative to credit, employment, and financial history.

· Gathers, analyzes and processes necessary documentation from applicant(s), credit bureaus, employers, and various creditors to verify financial information and credit standings.

· Reviews, organizes and collates application and loan information to ensure timeliness and accuracy in providing a useable credit file to be submitted to underwriting for approval.

· Communicates with applicant(s), underwriters and/or creditors to resolve problems or questions regarding application information

Job Specifications

Minimum Education Experience:

High school graduate with at least one year of relevant course study including seminars and workshops combined with at least one year of related experience and/or training; general knowledge of loan processing and underwriting fundamentals.

Skills and Abilities:

Customer-service oriented with good verbal and written communication skills for interaction with a variety of people inside and outside of the organization. Ability to elicit, interpret, analyze and evaluate given information relative to underwriting guidelines and lender requirements. Excellent organization skills and detail-oriented aptitude. General administrative abilities to include typing, filing and use of computer, calculator, copier and facsimile machines.

 

• Prepare and file the monthly Texas gas severance tax report with the Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts (TCPA). Review and correct critical errors and data changes identified by the TCPA. Coordinate these amendments with revenue accounting personnel. 　
• Analyze the TCPA balances for all filing periods within the four year statute of limitations and resolve any balances due.
• Monitor Texas Railroad Commission (RRC) Tax Exemption Certifications and initiate timely filing of AP-180 applications for reduced tax rates on High Cost Gas (HCG) wells. Notify revenue accounting personnel of approved reduced tax rates and ensure that the tax savings are accurately accounted for in the revenue process. Review subsequent tax report amendments for accuracy and compliance.
• Reconcile the Texas gas tax liability account and the associated G/L clearing accounts and sub-ledger.

Bachelor’s degree in accounting is preferred, but a degree in a business related field would also be considered. 　Five+ years of Texas Gas Severance Tax reporting experience with a good understanding of Texas Gas Severance Tax rules and regulations, including those related to gas severance tax incentives. The candidate must have the ability to work effectively with others in the organization in order to meet 　rigorous tax reporting deadlines. Requires attention to detail and demonstrated analytical ability. Proficient knowledge of Windows, Excel and Word. Knowledge of AS/ 400 system and revenue processes is a plus.

http://lifehacker.com/5993259/ten-reasons-youre-not-getting-a-raise-and-what-you-can-do-about-it

You might think you deserve a raise, but that doesn’t always mean your boss agrees with you. And no, you can no longer heap all the blame on a bad economy. At 7.7%, the unemployment rate is the lowest it has been since December 2008. In February alone, the Labor Department reported that the economy added 236,000 jobs. So, what does this mean for you? It’s the perfect time to ask for a bump in pay.
If it’s been a while since you increased your salary and you’re coming up against a wall, the most likely reason is…you. Here are the top ten reasons you haven’t landed the increase you so desperately want, and how to fix them.

You Have Unrealistic Expectations
In 2012, a typical merit raise averaged 1.9 to 2%, while the highest-performing employees received closer to a 4% raise. To determine if you’re worthy of that 4% (or more), it’s vital to check in with your boss regularly so you’re on the same page about your performance. Does your boss think you turn in above average work or is there an area she thinks you’re struggling with?
Also, does your company give raises at a certain time each year (say, at annual review time), or are they rolling, based on performance? If it’s the former, make sure to time your request for optimal results.
Finally, remember to consider your company’s financial situation. Asking for a big raise when the company is struggling can come off as out of touch.
You Didn’t Do Your Research
Before deciding how much of a raise you deserve, look up the standard industry salaries for similar positions on sites like Salary.com and Glassdoor.com. That will give you a point of reference for framing the conversation. But it’s not enough to cite averages-you also have to make a case for your personal performance, and how you’re going above and beyond your job duties. Which brings us to…
You Do Only What’s Expected of You
Doing your job is what you are paid for, whereas a raise is a sign that your boss sees that you’re contributing at a higher level than what you were originally hired to do. One good rule of thumb is to be an employee who makes your boss’s job easier: Volunteer to take on additional projects and think about what you can do to lighten her workload. Or notice what she is complaining about, and figure out how to solve a problem within your department. If you present solutions for her now, you’ll find your superior more willing to meet your demands later.

You Don’t Call Attention to Your Accomplishments, or You Act Entitled
Neither of these extremes will help you get that salary bump. And, admittedly, mastering the fine art of self-promotion isn’t easy. First, make sure that your boss is aware of everything you’ve taken on. And feel free to share your successes—they show that you’re capable and competent. Just be subtle about it: Set up a meeting to discuss the projects you’re working on, mention key wins you’ve had and ask for feedback on how you could still do better.
Another good strategy: Rely on third-party praise. Copy your boss on an email chain discussing a successfully-executed project or forward her a particularly moving compliment from a client.
You’re Not Staying Current
Evaluate your skill set: How much has it changed since you started in your industry? In certain jobs, a lack of tech finesse, or the ability to stay on top of the latest trends, can trip you up—and cause your salary to stagnate. That’s especially true for older workers, who, unfortunately, can face age discrimination in the office: In a survey of people 50 years old or older, over one-third of respondents reported that they or someone they know has faced age discrimination at work, and 25% of all complaints filed with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission involve age discrimination.
But there’s no reason to let a lack of skills hold you back. Bookmark and follow industry blogs, and look into workshops and courses teaching the latest industry developments. You can even mention them to your boss and see if the company will foot the bill for your continuing education. Bonus: He’ll see that you’re trying to sharpen your skills.
You’re Unable to Problem Solve, or Love to Complain
Be honest with yourself: Is your gut instinct to tell your boss every time an issue arises, or do you try to navigate through hurdles yourself?
If it’s an issue that truly needs to be escalated, by all means, manage up. But a broken printer is a good example of what not to kick up the food chain. Also, beware of becoming the employee who’s always got a gripe, whether it’s about company policy or your coworker you just can’t stand. Ultimately, the people who get raises are the employees who consider it their jobs to provide solutions, not raise problems.

You Don’t Pay Attention to the Details
Does your boss tell you to fix the same type of mistake over and over again? Do you constantly need reminders? Do you usually ask the same question twice? If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, a raise is (most likely) not in your near future.
Take notes while your supervisor is giving instructions, see if you can find the answer yourself before asking questions, and each time you make a mistake, write down for yourself what it was, why it happened and how you’ll prevent it from happening in the future.
You Made it a Personal Matter
Your argument for why you deserve a raise should be focused on your work ethic, your accomplishments and your value to the company—and those three things alone. What should be left out of the proposal? Your student debt, your rent, your hospital bills or the fact that you “just can’t make ends meet on this salary.” Bottom line: A raise will be awarded based on your merit, not your sob story.
You Didn’t Ask for One
If none of the above eight reasons apply to you, then seriously, ask for a raise. Don’t expect your boss to bring it up.

You Were Unfairly Penalized for Being a Woman
Unfortunately, even in 2013, this happens: In a study by Harvard researcher Hannah Riley Bowles, participants were shown videos of men and women asking for raises—using the same script. The results: Participants agreed to give the male participants raises, while the women were considered too aggressive and their requests too demanding.
While sexist and unfair, it may still be a reality female employees need to work around. In another experiment, two techniques helped to eliminate the different perceptions of women and men. First, says Riley Bowles, a woman should focus on how her performance has helped the company, and solicit feedback, with a simple: “What do you think?” It can also be effective to bring a third party into the conversation. For example: “My leader advised me to do this.”

Diane Delgado LeMaire | Area Director, Executive Search & Branch Manager | Creative Financial Staffing, a division of Fitts, Roberts CPA Firm | 5718 Westheimer Suite 800 | Houston, TX 77057 | 713-490-6003 | dcd@fittsroberts.com| Blog| Twitter| LinkedIn