Author: Dianedelgadolemaire
How do you see it?
I Am An Accountant!
How to Answer Unusual Interview Questions – The Muse
5-Day Career Boost via www.http://cfstaffing.blogspot.com/
5-Day Career Boost
Article originally posted on SharpHeels
You sleep eight hours each night, work out regularly, and eat right to be healthy. You’re conscious about improving yourself and establishing good habits, so keep up that great routine! But what have you done lately to boost your career? This isn’t about simply doing a good job at work. Certainly that’s important for your professional reputation, but what steps have you taken to bring your career to the next level?
You might be in a slump at work or maybe – if you’re lucky — your boss can’t stop giving you praise. Either way, there’s never not a great time to add a boost to your career, and you can easily do this in just five days.
Day 1: Capitalize on Strengths
Everyone has been asked about strengths and weaknesses, but not everyone uses this self-awareness to their advantage. Knowing your strengths and capitalizing on them helps boost your confidence in the workplace, which in turn helps boost your career. When you lead with your strengths, people take notice. You want to be remembered by what you’re good at, not by your shortcomings.
Career-Boost Challenge:
Identify your strengths, then incorporate them into your workday. Are you more productive in the mornings? Use that time to tackle your difficult tasks. Are you a natural leader? Talk with your manager about taking point on a new project. Make a conscious effort to exhibit your strengths at work; even if you only focus on one, it still makes a difference.
Day 2: Set Goals
If you haven’t already, determine what goals you want to accomplish in your career, both short- and long-term. Is it a promotion? Do you want to work for a specific company? Or be your own boss? Regardless of what it is or the timeline to get there, goals are vital for your professional success. Without something to work towards, you fall into the trap of career monotony. It’s as if you’re a corporate sleepwalker drifting through each day doing what’s expected and never progressing. Don’t let that happen!
Career-Boost Challenge:
Don’t be afraid to be ambitious. Write out the ultimate goal you want to achieve, and then write out the steps it’s going to take to get there (essentially, mini-goals). Focusing solely on the big goal can make accomplishing it seem daunting, so concentrate on the smaller ones first. Set deadlines for the small goals, and reward yourself along the way. Also, tell someone about what you’re working towards so you have a support system to help keep you on track.
Day 3: Know Your Industry
To help you get ahead, you need to become an expert in your industry. You should know any major developments or changes that are happening, be familiar with what industry leaders are doing, and stay up to date with current trends. By establishing yourself as an expert, people will have higher regard for your business acumen.
Career-Boost Challenge:
Get in the habit of checking industry news every day- all you need are a spare twenty minutes to get caught up on what’s happening. Search for any news outlets that cater to your industry and subscribe to their daily alerts/emails, or bookmark a section from a news website pertinent to you.
If you prefer mobile news, use apps like Flipboard or SmartNews that can filter articles based on industry topics.
Day 4: Network Effectively
You’ve heard it before: “It’s not what you know, but who you know.” Not only that, but whothose people know. Having a widespread professional network pays off. Don’t believe it? Studies show that 40% of new jobs come from referrals, and upwards of 80% of jobs aren’t publicly advertised. Don’t let those statistics scare you, though. Thanks to technology and social media, building a network has never been easier.
Career-Boost Challenge 1:
Find someone successful in your industry or someone in a position you would (ideally) want in the future and reach out to them for an “informational interview.” Ask if they are available (and willing) to discuss their current position, the steps it took to get there, and any other advice for you. Remember: your goal should be to build a relationship with this person, not to talk about possible job opportunities.
People are busy, so a quick chat over a cup of coffee might be all you get. Make the most of it! Have questions prepared, take some notes, and don’t forget to be mindful of their time. Always follow up with a thank you note. Showing your gratitude goes a long way when establishing a professional connection.
Career-Boost Challenge 2:
Find another person next week and reach out to them, and then another person the following week and so on. You should never stop trying to grow your network!
Day 5: Reflect
Reflection should be a part of your weekly (or even daily) work routine. Life gets so busy, and people rarely take the time to reflect, despite how beneficial it is for your career development.
Career-Boost Challenge:
Set aside 20 uninterrupted minutes to think about your week:
- Did you accomplish everything you wanted to?
- What did you do well?
- What can you improve on next week?
- How did you work towards your goals?
- What did you learn?
Think about these things, and then write them all down. Seeing it all on paper helps you remember your thoughts, and also holds you accountable the next week when you do this exercise again.
BONUS!
Reading might have been a chore in school, but it’s a habit you should get back into now. This shouldn’t be just any reading; rather, make it something substantial. Besides the obvious benefit that you’ll learn something, reading on a regular basis can increase focus, help your memory, broaden your vocabulary, and improve your writing skills.
Career-Boost Challenge:
Instead of scrolling through your news feed or reading about Kim Kardashian’s latest appearance, read an article about strong women leaders or even a topic you know nothing about. Or pick a book from Mark Zuckerberg’s must-read list. Whatever it is, make it worth your while.
It doesn’t matter where you are in your career, there’s no downside for improving yourself professionally. Believe in yourself enough to invest in yourself. The advantages start coming to fruition relatively quickly, and they’ll continue to benefit you in the future.
Read the original article posted on SharpHeels.
What to Look for in Company Reviews
It’s Friday night and you have been entrusted on picking where your group of friends will be having dinner. You do your research based on Yelp reviews to pick a spot that is well priced and has top reviews. You get to the place, everyone is having an awesome time, and you’re the hero! Have you ever picked a place based on great reviews, but end up having a piece of hair in your food or see a huge bug and question who wrote those amazing reviews?
I was recently speaking with an individual who went through several round of interviews with an organization, hit it off with everyone they met, and received a great job offer only to turn it down. When I asked the reason behind turning the offer down, that individual referenced the negative Glassdoor ratings.
I was also speaking with another individual who referenced several red…
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Happy Memorial Day 2016!!!!
Lessons of a job search
Lessons of a job search
Written by: Tatiyana Cure, Executive Recruiter, CFS New York
A very important lesson in your job search is to remain positive. It’s easy to get discouraged when things do not go as planned- perhaps you don’t get the job offer, or if you do get it, it’s not what you would have hoped it to be. Remember, misery loves company but a positive attitude attracts positive results.
Here are some additional lessons of a job search:
- Be open to all opportunities, even when you least expect them.
- Make a plan and laser focus on your goals.
- Nobody is a professional interviewee; the only way to get better is to practice.
- Seek out feedback on how you can improve as a job seeker- on your resume, interview skills, etc.
- Be more prepared for your next interview. Use the questions that stumped you in your prior interviews in preparation for the upcoming ones.
- Learn as much as you can and ask more questions during your interview.
- Do not get caught up on titles or salaries, but rather consider the big picture of your career growth.
- Expand your job search beyond sending your resume to the black holes of ads posted on job boards.
- Consider what problems of an organization you can solve and offer the solutions rather than only looking for a job.
- Be confident in your skills and do not get discouraged based on the ad – go for it!
- You will end up spending more time at work than you do at home. Don’t pick a job where you can’t stand your boss or the people you would work with.
- Don’t be someone you are not throughout the interview, as it will become exhausting to not be yourself once you get the job.
- Do not settle or over-compromise. Focus on making a smart long-term career move rather than simply obtaining another job.
- Never stop networking and do not underestimate anyone you meet or who they may know.
- You can always expand your expertise. Consider furthering your education, obtaining additional certifications, or seeking out mentorship.
- Stay humble and grateful for any assistance. Appreciate the time someone may take out of his or her schedule to interview you or to hear you out.
- Do not give up on finding the perfect next move!
Have more questions about your job search? Comment below! You can also reach out to one of our expert recruiters. See a full list of CFS locations here.
Posted by Creative Financial Staffing at 3:18 PM
Lessons of a Job Search | Tatiyana Cure | LinkedIn
via Lessons of a Job Search | Tatiyana Cure | LinkedIn
What does an Auditor really do????
10 Ways Highly Successful People View Life Differently
10 Ways Highly Successful People View Life Differently
Here’s what you can learn from how ultra-successful people live their lives and run their businesses.
Have you ever wondered what drives self-made, ultra-successful people to such incredible heights?
Why are they different?
Ultra-successful people view life differently from other people, and its reflected in how they live, work, save, invest, and give.
Here are 10 highlighted ways ultra-successful people view life differently and behave differently, many of which you can successfully incorporate in your life.
1) They think big
Ultra-successful people look at problems and think about big solutions. They don’t look for incremental ways to solve minor problems, or shy away from big challenges because they look too difficult, or require too much risk.
Tim Draper, the famous venture capitalist, hit this point on the head at a recent lunch, where he explained to young entrepreneurs that he only invests in people solving huge problems, because only major issues lead to real change and incredible opportunities.
2) They bring the best talent around them
My friend Katherine O’Neill, who runs Jumpstart New Jersey Angels, often says of founders pitching us: “do they want to be king or do they want to be successful?” A desire to be surrounded by great talent, rather than be king of an unsuccessful and sycophantic sandbox, often separates those who truly are successful from those who merely wish to be.
3) They take huge but calculated risks
Calculated risk is very different from gambling. Often, you read that ultra-successful people “take risks,” which is true but often belies the deeper truth: they are clear eyed about assessing the challenges, risks, and benefits and then are willing to take the risk if it is worth it.
Steve Jobs is a perfect example. In the late 1990s, it was a huge risk to return to Apple, and risk his reputation – again – on the company that had unceremoniously thrown him out and was on the edge of collapse. But Jobs assessed the risks, decided he could turn it around, and dove in headfirst.
4) They execute
Being ultra-successful requires being good at follow through. You can’t just have great ideas, or be a great talker. Most ultra-successful people are capable not only of having good ideas and identifying opportunities, but galvanizing others behind them.
5) They read
Great minds like to read what other great minds think, and do, and learn from them. The first lesson that one ultra-successful person taught me years ago was: “sure, I know what I don’t know, but I want to learn as much of it as possible – and there are others who can teach it to me.” Ultra-successful people are life-long learners and respect the knowledge others have in their domains and what they can learn. The mantra among most I know is: ‘if you know everything, you learn nothing.”
6) They negotiate hard–but smart
There is an old adage that wealthy people didn’t make it by spending it. This is certainly true. Although many ultra-successful people are incredibly philanthropic and generous of time and money, in business they tend to be shrewd negotiators with great attention to detail. Indeed, as they grow more successful, this tendency appears to increase, rather than lessen, despite their reduced need to sweat the details.
7) They have routines
Most ultra-successful people have clear, repeatable routines that they can vary when necessary but tend to stick to whenever possible. Continually changing routines upsets the body and creates added stress, which can in turn reduce rest and complicate decision-making. Using routines to increase your comfort level can help increase your success.
8) They focus on relationships, not transactions
Ultra-successful people, particularly the most successful entrepreneurs, typically develop a relatively small set of highly valued relationships with people they work with again and again. Once mutual trust is built, it becomes much easier to have repeat success together.
Indeed, many of the most successful startup teams have worked together on multiple projects, and went to the same group of investors for each one!
9) They cluster
Ultra-successful people usually want to be around other people who they feel are similar. Those clusters of individuals then tend to build more meaningful relationships and work together with more frequency and success.
10) They care
Just yesterday, I brought a project to an ultra-successful investor who told me, “this seems very compelling, but I’m not going to do it because I can’t bring myself to care.” Mercenary reasons rarely ever work. Ultra-successful know they need to care and have passion to be engaged enough for something to be successful.
The opinions expressed here by Inc.com columnists are their own, not those of Inc.com.
PUBLISHED ON: MAY 23, 2016
10 reasons that your interview technique is failing and costing you the best candidates. | Sarah Socha | LinkedIn — Randy The Recruiter by Randy Schwartz, Executive Recruiter
via 10 reasons that your interview technique is failing and costing you the best candidates. | Sarah Socha | LinkedIn
Lessons of a Job Search — TatiyanaCure
I was recently fortunate enough to travel to Cuba and get inspired by the everyday struggle the natives face. I will tie this back to what we can learn from this and how to implement it in the job search. But first, I’d love to share the inspiring photos: The first and most important lesson […]
New Openings this week…..
NEW!!!!
- Senior Tax Accountant or Supervisor – Family Office – Downtown
- Senior Accountant – Small Accounting Team – Fast Paced Environment – Midtown
- Senior Staff Accountant – GL, Month End – SW Houston
- Staff Accountant – 0 to 2 years of experience – Downtown
- Assistant Controller – 5 to 8 years of experience – Small company – Galleria
- Internal Auditor – Staff or Senior – Galleria
Still HOT!!!!
- Corporate Director FP&A – Downtown
- IT Audit Lead – West Houston
- IT Auditor – Galleria
- E&P Tax Manager or Director – Downtown
- Controller – Start Up – Greenway Plaza
- High Net Wealth Tax Manager – Greenway Plaza
- Internal Audit Senior – 40% Travel – Downtown
What to Do If You Can’t Answer an Interview Question | POPSUGAR Smart Living — Randy The Recruiter by Randy Schwartz, Executive Recruiter
via What to Do If You Can’t Answer an Interview Question | POPSUGAR Smart Living
Senior Staff Accountant – SW Houston – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com
Job Responsibilities:
- Prepare, analyze and/or review various internal and external financial statements, reports, depreciation schedules, and variance analysis in accordance with GAAP, with a high level of accuracy while ensuring deadlines are met
- Ensure accurate and timely close process through preparation or review of monthly close schedules, journal entries, reconciliations, etc.
- Assist in the coordination and completion of annual financial audits and preparation of audit schedules
- Prepare reconciliations as necessary to ensure the accuracy of the books
- Prepare bank reconciliations on a monthly basis
- Develop and implement procedures by analyzing current processes and recommending changes; monitor the implementation and maintenance of internal control procedures
- Ensure financial records are maintained in compliance with accepted policies and procedures, including document storage for reports and working papers
- Provide excellent customer service to both internal and external clients
Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
- Strong financial background including two or more years of work experience,
- Strong Excel skills including pivot tables, v-lookups, interest calculations, present value calculations and other advanced formulas
How to write a thank you note after a job interview – Business Insider
Post by @RandyRecruit.
Source: How to write a thank you note after a job interview – Business Insider
I’m An Accountant….
Happy Friday…..Accounting Humor!
Career development beyond office walls via http://cfstaffing.blogspot.com/
Career development beyond office walls
One could argue that when it comes to advancing your career, it’s not only what you know, but who you know. While networking is very beneficial, there are other ways to develop professionally and help take your career to the next level:
Take a class:
Whether you sign up for an online course or decide to enroll in a certification program, you can never go wrong with continuing your education. Educational development shows a desire to continuously better yourself and illustrates that you are taking steps towards your future career. By expanding your knowledge base, you enhance your skills and give your resume a boost.
If you feel that you don’t have the time or the extra cash to enroll in a course for credit, there are many websites that offer free classes specializing in a variety of topics. The length of each program varies- some programs only require one class a week! Committing 1-2 hours a week towards something you are genuinely interested in is not a bad deal.
Volunteer:
Dedicating yourself to a cause you are passionate about not only feels great, but it also makes a difference. Whether you have time to volunteer once a week, once a month, or a few times a year, you can always have an impact. You will meet other people who share the same beliefs as you, which is a great way to add to your network as well. In addition, hiring managers agree that volunteer work makes a candidate stand out. It illustrates dedication, philanthropic goals, and passion.
Join a Club:
As life gets chaotic, it can be difficult to do the things we love. Once you carve out the time to join a club though, you become more committed to it since other people are involved- they can hold you accountable. Don’t misinterpret because this commitment should not be seen as a chore. Rather, it’s a chance to escape your hectic life for a little bit and do something you truly enjoy. Employers will see this as you being a well-rounded person with impeccable time management skills. They will even applaud you further if you take on leadership roles within the club. Everything is an opportunity to hone your skill set, whether you are in the office or spending a day on the tennis courts.
Exercise:
As many of us already know, it’s recommended to get at least 30 minutes of exercise each day. What does this have to do with your work life? When you maintain a healthy mind/body, the benefits include lower stress levels, deeper focus, higher energy levels, etc. As you begin to feel these effects, your work will reap the rewards as well. As you become less stressed and more focused on the job, you will get more accomplished in a shorter amount of time, something that managers and colleagues will notice.
What else do you do to develop your career? We want to hear it so please comment below!
Are you on the job hunt for a new career? Our recruiters are here to help! Check out our latest job postings here, or find a CFS office located closest to you here.
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