Crude Oil and Commodity Prices
October, Thursday 29 2015 – 08:57:16

WTI Crude Oil $45.94 ▲2.74 5.96% 2015.10.28 end-of-day	Brent Crude Oil $49.05 ▲2.24 4.57% 2015.10.28 end-of-day
Crude Oil Price by OIL-PRICE.NET © Price Change 2015.10.28 – $ 45.94 2.74 5.96% 1 Year Forecast $52 / Barrel

http://advice.careerbuilder.com/posts/5-common-interview-questions-and-how-to-answer-them?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=B2CUS&linkId=18293039

Accounting & Finance Job Openings: 

• Sales & Use Tax Accountant
• Senior Accountant – Fixed Asset & GL
• Senior Accountant – GL and some S/U Tax
• SEC Reporting Manager – SW Houston
• SEC Reporting Manager – Downtown
• SEC Reporting Manager – West Houston
• Staff Accountant – Home building or Property Mgt.
• Revenue Accountant
• Small Company Controller
• Financial Analyst (Woodlands)
• IT Auditor Senior
• International Tax Staff and Senior
• Staff Auditor (30% travel)
• Internal Controls Manager
• Senior and Staff Auditor – Small to Regional CPA Firms
• Bilingual HR Generalist
• Financial Analyst (Galleria)
• Senior Accountant (job cost or POC)
• Senior Accountant – Corporate Accounting – looking for Big 4
• Internal Audit Manager (SOX, Ops)
• Tax Manager – Galleria
• Staff Tax – Bilingual Spanish – Downtown
• Senior Accountant – Clearlake
• Accounting Manager – Clearlake
• Senior Accounting Analyst – GL and Analysis – MBA preferred
• IT Auditor – Woodlands
• Contract Auditor – Woodlands
• Full time Consulting Opportunities!  – Big 4 Auditors and large regional firms!

This is a good quick read. The number one reason for leaving for my candidates tends to be the lack of growth opportunities within a company. Sometimes that means growth by job title, but most of the time they just want to learn more.

Here is the link to read more: 

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/how-to/growth-strategies/2015/10/5-top-reasons-people-quit-their-jobs.html

5 top reasons people quit their jobs

By Billy Arcement

Most business owners will admit that one of the more costly portions of managing a business is training new employees.

Turnover causes disruptions in the workflow, increased workloads for those who stay on the job, and uses huge blocks of time screening and hiring replacements. When people leave an organization, it is a costly enterprise to replace them.

What makes someone leave a job? Here are five reasons that research has shown cause people to leave.

If keeping good people is important to you, assess your work environment to assure yourself that none of these factors exist within your company culture. An ounce of prevention may be worth a pound of regret from losing a valuable employee.

1. They aren’t growing professionally

Employees should be in a constant state of learning. They appreciate and understand that information grows at a record pace in almost all businesses and not keeping up with information is a sure way to get behind the competition. Workers who seek promotions must be on the cutting edge of information. Ambitious individuals want to learn and when they sense learning opportunities are stifled, they will seek greener pastures.

Be a perpetual teacher. Help workers gain a little knowledge every day. Encourage training within your organization. Encourage initiatives that produce new information. That helps to maintain a competitive edge. There is always the risk that you train and they still leave. But, you can be assured that if you don’t train and help those who want to grow do so, they positively will leave.

2. They’re not happy with the work they do

During my career in the chemical industry, I was moved to a project chemist position. It was a new position and I was pleased to get off shift work and return to a day job. Part of the job required doing repetitive testing. I soon realized that this was boring and certainly not a challenging effort. Had I not later been promoted to another job, I’m certain I would have eventually quit. I simply could not work at a rather mundane job.

What about your workers? Are they feeling bored and unchallenged? Maximize their skills and talents to job requirements and you greatly increase the potential for producing a happy worker.

3. They don’t feel important

Everyone appreciates being appreciated. Thank people for a job well done. Give them credit when they accomplish worthy things. Acknowledge the importance of employee contributions to the bottom line. Never take employees for granted. All these things bring a sense of importance to the work place.

4. They lack support to do their jobs well

I once did a survey of workers and “pride in their work” ranked as the number one reason why they came to work. These workers wanted to do a good job and when they did, there was a very strong source of personal pride.

To do a good job, one needs the proper tools. You can’t turn a pig’s ear into a silk purse. Likewise, you cannot produce 21st-century results with 19th-century equipment and tools. Provide resources. Provide encouragement. Provide an environment where good work can take place. Do all you can to help workers gain pride for their efforts and you will build a stable workforce.

5. They are not paid enough

Most would have ranked this as the first reason people leave a company. But it is not. We must pay competitive salaries and provide competitive benefits. But pay is not the glue that keeps workers stuck to a job. Feeling good about a job, sensing that they are appreciated, having opportunities to learn new skills and support for doing their job well outrank pay in the minds of most workers. Good pay will hold people for a while. But, paying attention to these other factors works better. Where is your attention focused?

Project Accounting Manager – Portland, Oregon – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

The Project Accountant Manager works very closely with Project Accountants and Managers, the Controller and the CFO. They are an integral member in the project financial management of all firm projects, by leading the Project Accountant team, reviewing processes and guiding change management to determine and implement best practices in relation to project accounting and financial project management.

This position will:

• Recruit, select, train, mentor, and foster personal growth opportunities of PAs
• Balance workloads and appraise performance of the PA Team
• Develop, coordinate and enforce systems, policies, procedures and productivity standards
• Monitor project performance, lead PM and PA training sessions, assist in project performance meetings, and participate in the monthly close

There are 9-12 Project Accountants this position oversees; some travel between their various locations

Qualifications:

• A degree in Accounting or related-field is required.
• Proven prior management required.
• Deltek Vision experience preferred.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and analytical skills.
• Ability to work in an open team environment, while being assertive, proactive and capable of working independently.
• Microsoft Professional Office experience with emphasis on Excel and strong computer skills.

9 Signs You Should Run Away From That Job Offer

Some companies will do anything to get you to work for them. Here’s how to spot a bad situation before it’s too late.

• http://www.inc.com/jt-odonnell/9-signs-you-should-run-away-from-that-job-offer.html
• By J.T. O’Donnell, Founder & CEO, CareerHMO.com
• @jtodonnell

Last year, I was asked to predict a hiring trend for 2015. My prediction? Employers would start to play dirty in order to get people to take jobs.

In spite of the fact that 89 percent of professionals want a new job, and 26 percent feel they are underemployed, companies are claiming there’s a talent shortage right now. How can that be? It has to do with the Age Curve. As the largest population in the workforce (Baby Boomers) retires at a rapid rate, there aren’t enough Gen Xers to replace them. The result is companies have to tap into the youngest (and least experienced) population, a.k.a. Millennials. That’s why there is so much talk and frustration around generational differences. The Baby Boomers arefrustrated they can’t fill their jobs with workers who are just like them.

As a result of the perceived talent shortage, executive teams are putting pressure on recruiting departments to get workers in the door. One way they do this is by building elaborate marketing programs designed to capture the attention of talent. It’s called employment branding, and it’s how companies lure you to check out their job postings. However, as more and more companies use employment branding to vie for your attention, the recruiting space gets noisy. Recruiters then have to come up with even more ways to get you to take the job, often leading them down the path of “little white lies” to get you to say “yes” to the offer.

As a job seeker, you need to recognize a bad employer before you accept the job. Why? Once there, you’ll need to stay put for a while so you don’t look like a job hopper. One or two short-term gigs due to poor employer choices, and you’ll be seen as the one with the problem.

Here are nine signs the job opportunity isn’t all it’s cracked up to be:

1. They can’t stop telling you how much “fun” they have.

If everyone keeps saying, “We work really hard, but we have so much fun,” you have to ask yourself, “How’s that possible? What’s their definition of fun.” More important, why are they pushing it so hard? Work is about feeling a sense of accomplishment. We’re satisfied when we do work that makes an impact. Fun is nice, but it isn’t what gets the job done. Be careful of the hype — it’s usually there to mask reality.

2. They have no problem with your salary requirements.

If you’re pricing yourself at the higher end of your skill set, then good companies willpush back and want to negotiate with you. Any company that has no problem with your ideal salary is trying to fix an internal problem by hiring people they can hold hostage with salary. Think about it: If you’re getting paid much higher than you’ve ever been paid before, AND it’s higher than what you can make anywhere else, the company knows it will be difficult for you to leave. Money is the carrot. Be careful before you take hazard pay!

3. They don’t let you talk to co-workers.

You should ask to speak to as many co-workers as you can before accepting an offer. Why? It’s important to connect with your peers so you feel like you can establish relationships quickly and get up-to-speed fast. When they don’t want you talking to co-workers, they’re hiding something. Likely, they’re afraid the co-workers will tell you to run for the hills!

4. They can’t explain the unaddressed bad reviews on Glassdoor.

Every job seeker should visit Glassdoor.com to see the anonymous reviews of the company. If the ratings are consistently poor (ignoring the one random angry ex-employee), then you should ask about the themes you saw in the reviews. Politely inquire by saying, “I know no employer is perfect. I like you all very much. I checked you out on Glassdoor, and there were a few concerns around ___. Can we talk about those and the executive team’s thoughts on them? I like to hear both sides of a situation.” By giving them a chance to explain, you can see if A) they are aware they have bad ratings, B) if they have a plan to improve. If they play dumb or start the blame game by throwing ex-employees under the bus, you know they’ve got problems.

5. While researching employees on LinkedIn, you see a large percentage of them have left in the past year.

Turnover is a sign of a bad employer. If the company has fifty employees, but you’ve found twenty former employees who left in the past year on LinkedIn, that’s almost a 50 percent turnover rate. Annual turnover in good companies is usually less than 20 percent. High turnover is a sign of a company with internal issues.

6. They don’t have a clear answer on why the job is open.

The ideal answer to why the job is open is the person in the role is getting promoted. Or, the company is growing so much they need to add to staff. But if they can’t explain what happened to the last person, or they imply they’ve had a tough time finding the right candidate, you should be concerned.

7. They don’t let you talk to the manager, or they try to prep you about the manager and his “eccentric” style.

If the manager always seems to be unavailable to interview, or they feel the need to warn you about the manager’s style, then multiply what you see in the interview times ten and that’s what the manager will be like to work for. Never, ever take a job without meeting the manager and making sure you’re comfortable communicating with him or her. This is the person who can fire you. You must feel capable of working with this person. Hence, feeling confident in your ability to collaborate successfully with the manager is key!

8. Nobody makes eye contact with you at the interview.

As you walk through the halls, if nobody is smiling or looking up to make eye contact, you have to ask yourself, “Why are they so serious?” And, more important, “What are they afraid of?”

9. People keep telling you it takes a “special” kind of person to succeed in the work environment.

This is code for, “It’s difficult to work here, so you better have thick skin and be able to deal with the stress and drama.” Overly competitive cultures usually use this word. Why? When you hire a group of people who all think they are “special,” you get a bunch of self-centered people who are worried about their career first, and will do anything to make sure they’re seen as more special than the rest.

To be honest, I could give you a lot more. But, I’m going to leave that to my fellow readers and invite them to post additional warning signs in the comment section below.

The best advice I can give to job seekers is to remember you’re a business-of-one selling services to an employer. If you want a win-win situation, you need to vet the employer and make sure you know what you’re getting into. Don’t get fooled! Do your homework, be informed, and seek an outside party to help you validate the job offer if you can. There are no perfect employers — and HR has a lot they don’t want to reveal to you. But there are definitely some employers that are better than others. If you want to work with the best, you need to do your best to seek them out.

Senior Accountant

West Houston

Why take a Senior Accountant role with this company?

• Exposure to multiple business units
• Key part of corporate accounting team
• Ability to advance in growing company

What the Senior Accountant will do…

• Ensure daily, weekly, and monthly accounting tasks are accurate.
• Prepare assigned balance sheet reconciliations 
• Prepare, support, and post journal entries for assigned tasks
  • Amortization, Depreciation,  Accruals, and Allocations
  • Fixed Assets
  • Intracompany and Intercompany
• Assist with internal and external audit requests as assigned
• Work closely with business unit leaders

What the company needs in a Senior Accountant:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance or a related field; CPA is a plus
•  5+ years of general accounting
• Knowledge of GAAP

Perks of the Senior Accountant role:

• Strong medical benefit package
• 401-K with match
• Exposure to all areas of the company’s finance infrastructure

Primarily Operational & Financial Audits!!!!!

30% travel max!

Responsibilities

• Performs audits of the accounting and financial data as well as operational processes of various departments within the organization to ensure accuracy and compliance with company guidelines
• Identifies improper accounting or documentation and researches issues and makes recommendations to improve policies or procedures accordingly
• Prepares flowcharts, narratives and reports to document processes and controls
• Interviews management and operating personnel
• Works under general supervision; typically reports to the SVP or Audit Manager

Qualifications

• 1 – 2 years audit experience
• In process of obtaining CPA or CIA

dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Great article, but I do not agree with number 5. I would google counteroffers and form your own opinion about taking one.

How to Resign From Your Job Without Burning Bridges

By Sophie Deering

Via http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/

There are many reasons that you may have come to the decision to resign from your job. Whether you just feel it’s time to try something new, or you can’t wait to see the back of the place, it would be silly to burn bridges and therefore it’s important that you are tactful when it comes to breaking the news to your employer.

After all, it will be far more beneficial to the future of your career if you are to leave the company with your head held high, than to create bad feelings between you and your ex-employer and even colleagues.

So how can you go about resigning in a way that will reflect as well on you as possible? Here are a few tips for resigning in style.

1) Make sure you are 100% certain about your decision

Once you have let your boss know that you intend on leaving there’s no going back, so you need to be entirely sure that you are doing the right thing. If there is a specific reason that you want to leave, think about whether you have explored all options that could resolve the problem. The same goes for seeking out a new challenge, as there may be scope for development within your existing company if you bring your concerns to your boss’s attention.

2) Arrange a meeting with your boss

If you want to maintain ties with your employer, it’s always a good idea to arrange a face-to-face meeting with them, rather than merely delivering an impersonal resignation letter. Think about what you are going to say ahead of the appointment and stick to it. Make it clear that what you are doing is giving your oral resignation, in as diplomatic way as possible.

3) Be positive

You’ve made the decision to leave the company, so it’s likely that you have got a few issues with the place, but now is not the time to open a can of worms. Focus on the positives about your time working for the firm. You’re leaving the company now, so it’s probably time to let the negatives go.

4) Expect a reaction

Unless your boss is expecting you to quit your job, you should be prepared for how they may react to the bombshell being dropped. The news may come as a shock to them and they may become emotional or confrontational. Try to remain calm and composed and end the meeting on a good note.

5) Stick to your guns

If you have become a valued member of the team over the time you have worked with the company, chances are that your boss will be disappointed to see you go, so they may try to make you change your mind. If you are 100% sure that you want to leave, stick to your guns and politely let them know that your mind is made up. Unless of course they offer you an attractive alternative that would be foolish to turn down, in which case now is your time to negotiate!

6) Commit to your notice period

Most employment contracts will state that you must work a notice period upon resigning from your role, so that your employer has time to prepare for your departure. Though some employers are willing to let you off of your notice period, or may even want you to leave straight away, it is important that you show that you are willing to see out your notice period and do everything you can to help with the transition.

7) Put it in writing

Now that you have let your boss know your intentions, you should put it in writing to make it official. In your resignation letter you must include your name, date, your boss’s details, notice of termination of employment, the date you will be leaving and finally, your signature. If there is anything else you would like to include, that you may have missed out when speaking to your boss in person you can add it to your letter. Just keep it positive! For example, you may want to thank your boss for the opportunities they presented you and for the support they gave you during your time at the firm.

8) Do a thorough handover

Before you leave, make sure that you have completed all outstanding tasks that you were working on, so that somebody else is not left to tie up the loose ends. Participate in a smooth handover with whoever is taking on your role and be as cooperative and helpful as possible. You never know when you are going to cross paths with your colleagues in the future, so it’s in your benefit to leave on a good note!

Sophie Deering

Source: Your Boss Can Talk You Into Loving Your Salary

http://advice.careerbuilder.com/posts/5-things-to-leave-off-your-resume?utm_source=TWITTER&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=B2CUS&linkId=18046105

5 things to leave off your resume

By – Debra Auerbach

It’s never easy to figure out what to put on your resume. What will that one line be that hooks the hiring manager? Will the way it’s formatted affect the decision? You may think that it’s safer to err on the side of including more, but if you load your resume with unnecessary fluff, it could guarantee your place in the reject pile.

Here are five things you should consider leaving off of your resume:

1. Objective statement: Objective statements, which usually start with, “I’m looking for a job that…” have long been considered passé. Employers aren’t reviewing your resume to find out what you want in a job; they want the resume to tell them why they should want you. If you’re going to include a statement at the top, make it a personal summary that acts as a condensed version of your elevator pitch. It should touch on your top skills and any major achievements worth highlighting.

2. References available upon request: Including a list of references or the statement, “References available upon request,” isn’t necessary, because it’s expected that you have references, should an employer request them. Instead of taking up valuable space, create a separate document that lists your references and their contact information, and have it ready to email or hand out as needed.

3. Outdated or irrelevant information: Resumes are about quality, not quantity. Hiring managers don’t have time to read through three pages’ worth of positions held, dating back to when you were a dog sitter in high school. Consider removing any experience that is more than a decade old, especially if it’s not applicable to the position for which you’re applying. Focus instead on experience and education that show you’re relevant and up to date on the newest skills and technology.

4. Personal attributes: Unless you’re applying for a modeling job or another position where looks are a factor, leave your picture off your resume. Most employers shouldn’t — and legally can’t — care about your appearance; they just want to know why you’d be good for the job. The same goes for listing personal attributes, such as your height, weight, race or age.

5. False claims: This should go without saying, but inaccuracies or over-embellished education or experience have no place on a resume. Besides running the risk of getting caught (were an employer to do a background check, talk to references or conduct a social-media search), why would you want a job if you’re not adequately prepared for it? If you don’t know what you’re doing, the jig will be up quickly, and you’ll just find yourself jobless again and having burned important bridges.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Analyze Company operating results and develop revenue/expense variance reports and presentations for internal and external reporting.
• Liaise with business unit management to provide accounting support and management information analysis and recommendations.
• Participate in the month-end close process and support monthly close activities, including calculate and process monthly accrual and deferred expense journal entries and perform a detailed level review of the business unit operating results and statistics.
• Perform & review account reconciliations and journal entries to ensure accuracy and validity of accounting transactions and company books and records.
• Perform special projects as assigned by management including design and implementation of internal financial reporting, identifying process improvement opportunities and suggesting potential solutions.
• Respond to internal and external auditor requests for support documentation.
• Support effective operation of company internal controls.
• Application of GAAP, internal accounting procedures and best practices in support of structured financial control environment.

Required
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from an accredited college or university
3 to 5 years of professional experience, preferably a mix of public accounting and industry

Preferred
Master’s degree in Accounting or similar advanced degree
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) certification
Strong understanding of PeopleSoft ERP
Working knowledge of Hyperion Planning and Essbase
Experience working with multi-currency ledgers and international locations.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in managing and continuously improving the long-term corporate financial model.
• Provide analytical support to Business Units and corporate departments.
• Assist the organization’s Accounting team in the development of the budget, planning, and other requirements.
• Support CFO, Investor Relations, Strategy Group and Marketing with enhanced business and financial analysis at each quarter-end.
• Support Senior Management Team and Departments heads with financial analysis.
• Analyze current and past trends in key performance indicators including all areas of revenue, cost of sales, expenses, capital expenditures and free cash flow.
• Identify trends and recommend improvements accordingly.
• Develop financial models and analyses to support strategic initiatives.
• Coordination with Marketing, Operations, and Accounting to develop and maintain key drivers for business performance for use in many analyses.

Experience

• Minimum of 2 years in a similar role in a business of similar size and complexity. Previous working experience in oil and gas industry is preferred.
• The individual will need extremely strong Excel and financial modeling skills with a background in corporate planning, investment banking, or similar environment.
• A strong understanding of accounting is critical, and a CPA, CFA and/or MBA are a plus.
• The person will need to be comfortable operating under tight deadlines and have the ability to effectively prioritize projects.
• A solid understanding of equity and debt capital markets is important.
• Must be a team player with the ability to interact effectively across all levels of the organization.
• The person will need to be able to work independently without continuous oversight.

Education, Training, Licenses and/or Certifications

• Bachelor and/or graduate degree in accounting, finance, or business; or equivalent relevant work experience preferred

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Prepare quarterly tax accounting calculations for US Subpart F and certain foreign country income tax provisions. Review other foreign country income tax provisions prepared by other tax accountants.
• Prepare US tax compliance related to international transactions (Forms 5471, 8858, 8865, 1118, 5472, 1120-F, TDF 90-22.1, 5713 etc.) in CorpTax or manage and provide first level review of third party consultant work.
• Review foreign entity financial statements and corporate income tax returns prepared by third party consultants.
• Monitor transfer pricing for compliance with arm’s length standard, work with legal and accounting to properly document and charge out intercompany transactions such as rig leases, loans, administrative services charges and secondment fees etc.
• Work with third party consultants to provide data to prepare transfer pricing documentation studies for US and non-US jurisdictions as required.

Experience

Minimum of four years previous experience in a similar role
Experience with quarterly accounting for income taxes (ASC-740 f/k/a FAS 109)
Experience with US international tax compliance
Experience with foreign corporate income tax
Experience with transfer pricing
Familiarity with oil and gas services industry and equipment is a bonus.

Education, Training, Licenses and/or Certifications

Bachelor’s degree from accredited college or university in Accounting required
Certified Public Accountant (CPA) preferred

Controller

Do you love the real estate industry? Do you live on the west side of Houston and would love to shorten your commute time? Our client is growing so much they are ready to bring on an Assitant Controller or Controller to their team. This person would supervise a team of 7. We are looking for someone who loves to improve processes and procedures and someone who can isn’t afraid to jump right in and make changes.

Here is a snapshot of the controller duties:

• Manage all accounting functions (GL, A/P, Fixed Assets)

• Manage monthly close processes for corporate books and multiple financing portfolios

• Maintain accurate accounting / reconciliation of intercompany balances with sister company(ies).

• Preparation of monthly and quarterly financial reporting packages for lenders and internal management.

• Prepare financial statement consolidations monthly / quarterly or as requested.

• Manage annual budgets and quarterly reforecast along with cash flow forecasting.

• Coordinating and assisting as needed in document preparation for tax preparation with external CPA.

• Heavy involvement in the annual external financial statement audit process.

Requirements for the Controller:

• CPA preferred
• 7 to 10 years of accounting experience
• 3 plus year of supervisory

• Enhance product line analysis.
  1. Continue efforts to further improve cost standards for services performed and utilized equipment leveraging key metrics
  2. Develop pricing analysis to better identify price versus volume impact
  3. Conduct project proposal and project performance reviews implementing process where necessary
  4. Improve product line financial results through analysis, monitoring variances, identifying trends and recommending actions in partnership with the operating leaders
  5. Identify, develop and implement processes and system solutions to achieve the prior
• Perform Capital Expenditures analysis, budgeting and monitor variances to actual
• Conduct acquisition evaluation analysis and integration where successful
• Special projects as defined by the CFO 
• Perform additional finance or accounting duties as needed

Requirements:

• Knowledge of finance, revenue and cost accounting, budgeting, variance analysis and return analysis. Ability to analyze financial data and prepare financial reports and projections. Working knowledge of forecasting, rolling budgets, and product-line profitability analysis.
• Work requires professional written and verbal communication and solid interpersonal skills. Ability to produce quality materials within tight timeframes and simultaneously manage several projects.
•  A team player that works effectively with support and operating functions.
• The prior skills will likely be acquired through a combination of the completion of a Degree in Finance or Accounting and five plus years of experience – two of which will be proven working experience as an analyst.
• The successful candidate must have a strong work ethic, be a self-starter, and have strong analytical and Excel skills, with demonstrated capabilities in driving financial improvements through analysis, process change and use of systems.