Author: Dianedelgadolemaire

JIB Accountant – North Houston – dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Reporting to the JIB Accounting Lead and assisting the team in ensuring that all costs are allocated correctly according to the joint operating agreements and follow COPAS guidelines and are accurately and timely reflected in the financial records.

Detailed Description
• Handling of designated operated properties
• Clearing unbilled items
• Analysis of cost related expenses
• Assist with special projects as needed

Job Requirements
• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting preferred
• Industry experience in Oil and Gas required
• Prefer 5+ years of relevant experience
• Oracle Energy experience a plus
• Knowledge of COPAS required
• Ability to interact well with others
• Strong analytical skills

Additional Details
• Demonstrates initiative, resourcefulness and adaptability.
• Multi-tasker who can meet tight deadlines and solve problems in time-sensitive environment.
• Quick learner, strong analytical skills with attention to details.
• Hands on team player with ability to effectively interact and communicate with staff, peers and management

Senior Auditor – 30% travel – dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Position Responsibilities and Duties:

Identify, review and test key business controls to assist management in meeting objectives.
Develop audit objectives, assess adequacy of internal controls, conclude on effectiveness of internal controls, and draft written audit reports to senior management and the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors to document significant concerns.
Ensure corporate activities are performed in accordance with management’s expectations, identify operating improvements and cost savings, and assist management in efforts to address challenges facing the Company.
May lead audit team to ensure audits are properly planned, executed and completed within established timelines; will be responsible for all elements of audit from administration and project management to monitoring and periodically reporting progress.
Senior auditors must quickly understand the business process under review and apply analytical and problem solving techniques to evaluate its effectiveness. Then using communication and influencing skills, convince management that corrective actions are necessary. They must do this while being minimally intrusive to the client’s day-to-day responsibilities.

Required:
The legal authorization to work in the U.S. for any U.S. employer.
A minimum of a B.S. degree in any of the following: Accounting, Finance, Information Technology, Engineering
A minimum of 3 years previous audit experience; experience in process innovation may compensate for lack of prior audit experience.
Ability to travel both domestically and internationally on average 30% – 40% of the time
Understanding of Microsoft software such as: MS Excel, MS Word, MS Access and audit sampling software

Preferred:
Fluency in Spanish, Portuguese or French
Masters Degree in Accounting, Finance, Engineering or Information Technology.
Professional certification in financial or information systems field, e.g., CPA, CIA, CMA, CISA
Six Sigma and/or Lean

Senior Accountant – The Woodlands – email: dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Senior Accountant in Financial Reporting

External Reporting (SEC):
• Assist in the preparation of quarterly and year-end external financial reports, including business section, risk factors, footnotes and MD&A for quarterly earnings releases, 10-Qs and 10-Ks.
• Participate in SOX 404 efforts, including documentation of processes, testing process controls, and making recommendations for improvements.
• Help improve formal processes to ensure that appropriate support is maintained for all disclosures in the Company’s SEC filings.
• Assist with compliance and implementation of all new standards and guidance promulgated by the SEC, FASB, and other applicable regulatory agencies.
• Work closely with external auditors as well as the internal audit department.
• Assist corporate finance in various capacities, including but not limited to, internal reporting duties.

Technical Accounting:
• Help document accounting policies and assist in technical accounting research.
• Assist with implementation of new accounting standards.

Transaction Support:
• Assist with financial due diligence related to business combinations and purchase accounting.
• Help prepare pro forma financial statements as needed.

CANDIDATE QUALIFICATIONS
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
• Knowledge of accounting and financial concepts.
• Strong analytical and problem solving skills. Ability to independently identify and resolve problems or take advantage of opportunities.
• Strong computer skills, including a demonstrated ability to use accounting systems and Microsoft Office.
• Excellent organizational skills, ability to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.

Qualifications:
• Bachelors/Masters Degree in Accounting.
• CPA required.
• Minimum 3 years of accounting experience including at least 1-2 years of public accounting (Big 4 Firm).
• SOX 404 experience preferred.
• Experience with GAAP accounting research and application.
• Excellent writing skills; proficient in technical accounting writing ability

Accounting Manager – Sugar Land – dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Key Success criteria:
Individual Job Responsibilities– four to six key areas
1. Team leader and builder for local accounting related issues
2. Coordinate a thorough G/L review and monthly closing process
3. Perform variance analysis and comments for management’s discussion and analysis
4. Maintain consistency with respect to accounting procedures and files
5. Ensure procedures are in place for timely and accurate reporting.
6. Assist with Journal Entries and account reconciliations where necessary
7. Perform accounting review and month-end metrics.
Expected Outcomes– list for each responsibility
1. Timely and accurate monthly financial reporting
2. Accounting processes executed within established and document policies and procedures
Experience Required
1. Strong Skill with Microsoft Excel.
2. Experience should include at least three years accounting experience in manufacturing environment.
Qualifications – Competencies
1. Position requires professional written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills.
2. The ability to motivate teams to produce quality materials within tight time frames and simultaneously manage several projects.
3. Microsoft Excel proficiency- Expert.
Job Complexity –
Difficulty is dependent upon experience with Excel with ability to handle, manage, and mitigate manual close and consolidation process and change implementation. This Position will be controller’s right hand.

Senior Accountant – Commercial Construction exp required – dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

West Houston – 70 to 90K

Position:
This role is a senior accounting position, with potential to move into a leadership role. Duties will include but are not limited to the following:
– General accounting (AR, AP, process payroll, general ledger postings)
– Process AR and understand the construction billing and collection process
– Work with project managers on billing verification & collection
– Perform/review bank account reconciliations and monthly corporate balance sheets

Requirements:
Minimum 2 years of Commercial Construction related accounting
Degree is not a requirement
Must understand the construction billing and collection process
Self starter w/ strong work ethic
Detail oriented w/ creative problem- solving skills

Billing Specialist – Galleria – dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Perform Client Contract Billings: Draft invoices, prepare adjustments, obtain approvals, finalize and submit to client per the Contract.
Setup of Rate Build formulas per contract in Oracle.
Maintaining revenue recognition on projects on a weekly basis.
Prepare manual events as needed.
Monitor labor and costs on the project.
Prepare Labor and AP correction forms as needed.
Maintain dept processes: Project Billing Status, Invoice Logs, and Invoice Finals
Assist as needed with misc other financial activities.

8 Questions Great Candidates Will Ask You (Part 1) By Kazim Ladimeji

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

http://www.recruiter.com/i/8-questions-great-candidates-will-ask-you-part-1/

8 Questions Great Candidates Will Ask You (Part 1) By Kazim Ladimeji

Job interviews are a two-way process where, of course, you as employers want to question candidates to find out how suitable they are for the job. But, increasingly, a large part of interviews should be about candidates questioning you about the job and company. I know what you are thinking, “Hang on a minute, I’m the boss here and I should be conducting the interrogation.” And you still can do this even while taking questions, because the questions that a candidate asks will reveal lots of information about the candidate’s knowledge, motivation and priorities; so, this also represents another, slightly more stealthy opportunity to assess candidates when their guard might be down.

So, below I have outlined eight questions, (four will appear below and four will appear in part 2 of this article), that candidates should be asking you and how to interpret them if they do and don’t ask them. These are in no specific order, candidates don’t need to ask every question, and they might not be worded in this exact way but the gist may be similar.

1. What are the key objectives for the team and company over the next 12 months?

This indicates that candidates have a team player orientation as they want to be inspired by the group vision, understand the bigger picture and what the entire team needs to do to achieve success. Someone who was focused more on his or herself might not show as much genuine concern for the team effort.

2. What are the key priorities for the job incumbent?

This follows on from the previous question and is an excellent corollary question because it shows that the person is not only team orientated but also has a focus on individual contribution and personal effectiveness within a team.

3. What aspects of this job are most challenging and sometimes keep you up at night?

This is a brave question for candidates to ask as they are asking for a realistic job preview of both the good and the bad bits. It might make you feel uncomfortable, but it’s a good question as studies show that candidates who have a realistic view of both the good and bad parts of a job before joining are more engaged and satisfied. It’s a brave and wise candidate who asks this question, and for this question to be effective you need to answer it with some degree of honesty, but with balance.

4. Can you outline the career progression opportunities within the business?

I have seen many employers baulk at this question, regarding it as a sign that the candidate is not really satisfied with the job on offer. I think this is a cynical view as most employees want to join a company where there is a career progression and it’s one of the main reasons that employees leave. Asking this question shows that you have a motivated and healthily ambitious employee who wants to go into this position with his/her eyes open and being fully conscious of the career possibilities. This kind of employee is likely to be more engaged and loyal to your business.

As you stay tuned for part two of this article, I’d like to know of any questions that you believe are an indicator of a great candidate in the meantime. Share your interview questions in the comments section below.

The Right and Wrong Reasons for Changing Jobs By Lou Adler

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

View the link below to see the grid…Which box do you fall into?

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140806165720-15454-the-right-and-wrong-reasons-for-changing-jobs

As the job market heats up, it might be time to update your LinkedIn profile. Just updating your profile is a clue to the folks at LinkedIn that you’re thinking of switching jobs, so don’t be surprised if you see more job opportunities pushed your way as a result.

But don’t overreact. Leaving a job to minimize pain should not be the primary reason for accepting another job. This idea is captured in the Job-Seeker’s Decision Grid. The bottom half of the grid represents the reasons why people consider switching jobs. The upper half represents reasons why they accept offers. These negative and positive motivators are divided into extrinsic (short-term) motivators shown on the left, and intrinsic (long-term) motivators shown on the right.

When considering a job switch, too many candidates overemphasize what they get on the start date of their new job – a title, location, company name and compensation package. While positive, these are short-term and if the job doesn’t represent a long-term career move, job satisfaction will quickly decline and the negative motivators will quickly reappear. I refer to this as the “vicious cycle” of dissatisfaction, underperformance and turnover. The decision grid can help job-seekers make more balanced career decisions, even when the pressure to leave is overwhelming and there’s a sizzling offer in hand.

Consider changing jobs when the intrinsic negatives outweigh the positives.

Quickly review the descriptions of the four categories. There is no question that if your job is “Going Nowhere” it’s time to change jobs. If the “Daily Grind” is getting you down, you should consider some short fixes but changing jobs should be just one of your options. The big problem for most job-seekers is that when given an offer there is usually not enough information available to make a full long-term career assessment. This is largely the fault of the company, hiring manager and recruiter involved in the process. In their rush to fill jobs as rapidly as possible with the best person who applies, little thought is actually given to the actual job itself and the potential opportunity it represents.

In this case, it’s up to the discerning candidate to better understand that what on the surface might appear to be a fine career move, underneath might be next year’s excuse for why you want to change jobs again. Here are some simple things you can do to conduct your own career due diligence.

1.Understand real job needs. Ask the recruiter and/or hiring manager to define real job needs. If you get a sense the interviewer is flaying about ask, “What’s the most important goal the person in this role needs to accomplish in order to be considered successful?” Then follow up to further clarify job expectations, finding out the scope of the job, the resources available and the importance of the job.
2.Convert “having” into “doing”. When someone starts box-checking skills or asks a brain-teaser, ask how the skill will be used on the job. If the person stumbles on this, you have a clue that the job hasn’t been defined too well.
3.Find out why the job is open. The point of this question is to discover if there is some inherent problem with the job or if it’s the result of a positive change.
4.Ask what happened to the last person in the role. This is often a clue to the manager’s ability to select and develop people.
5.Ask how performance will be measured. Be concerned if the hiring manager is vague or non-committal. Strong managers are able to tell you their expectations for the person being hired.
6.Go through the organization chart. Find out who’s on the team and who you’ll be working with. You’ll want to meet some of these people before you accept an offer. If you’re inheriting a team, ask about the quality and your opportunity to rebuild it.
7.Ask about the manager’s vision for the department and the open role. This will give you a good sense of the capabilities of the hiring manager, his or her aspirations and the upside potential of the open job.
8.Understand the manager’s leadership style. There could be a problem if the manager is too controlling or too hands-off, reactive or a planner, or a coach or a super techie, etc. The point: make sure your style meshes with the person you’ll be working for or you’ll be disappointed in a few months.
9.Find out the real culture. Ask everyone you meet how decisions are made, the company’s appetite for change, the intensity, the politics, and the sophistication of the infrastructure. Don’t buy into the platitudes and fancy vision statement.
When considering whether to accept an offer or not, don’t get seduced by your desire to leave or by the Big Brass Employer Brand and what you get on Day 1. These will all become less important 3-6 months in to the job. Instead emphasize what you’ll be doing and learning, the people you’ll be working with and how this all meets your career and personal needs. This is how to prevent the “Daily Grind” from becoming too big an issue and a “Going Nowhere” job from becoming your next excuse for leaving.

_____________________

Lou Adler (@LouA) is the CEO of The Adler Group, a consulting and training firm helping companies implement Performance-based Hiring. He’s also a regular columnist for Inc. Magazine and BusinessInsider. His latest book, The Essential Guide for Hiring & Getting Hired (Workbench, 2013), provides hands-on advice for job-seekers, hiring managers and recruiters on how to find the best job and hire the best people. You can continue the conversation on LinkedIn’s Essential Guide for Hiring Discussion Group.

Manufacturing / Division Controller – West Houston – dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Our client, a midsize multi-national manufacturing company, is looking for a Division Controller to join their team. This roll is a team player and leader within the accounting department as well as in the company. We are looking for an out of the box thinker, who loves process improvements and analytics. Excellent work life balance, with no more then 40-45 hours a week.

Essential Functions:
Supervise accounting team members
Supervise monthly close
Preparation of annual budget
Implement a process to record transactions by department
Review and record journal entries required to reflect the monthly activity
Preparation of work papers supporting the monthly close process and month end balances
Preparation of monthly reforecast incorporating historical results and future assumptions
Review of semi-monthly payroll
Supervision of all accounts payable process
Maintenance of fixed asset records
Accurate and timely production of all financial information

Education:
Bachelors and/or Master’s Degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in accounting.
Advanced Excel Skills
Strong manufacturing/cost knowledge within multi-location environment
Financial Consolidation experience a plus

Small Company Controller – Odessa, Texas EMAIL: dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Our growing manufacturing / distribution client in the oil & gas industry with approximately 40M in sales is looking for a Controller for their accounting department.

The Manufacturing Controller will be responsible for working across functions to establish accounting standards. In addition, the Manufacturing Controller will be responsible for full P&L responsibilities and the monthly financial package.
• Analysis and understand manufacturing location P&L swings. Including expense, absorption, variances, sale, and cost of sales.
• Driving/leading plant cost roll and understanding the impact of manufacturing plant cost roll on product cost. Working with team to load appropriate data and establishing overhead rates in order to roll cost at least annually.
• Support process improvements to improve efficiency and accuracy of group and the facilities you support.

The Manufacturing Controller qualifications include:
• Degreed accountant (CPA/MBA/Public accounting experience a plus)
• 5 to 7 years of experience with 1 to 2 years of supervisory experience preferably in the manufacturing industry with exposure to/through understanding of cost accounting and variance analysis
• Basic understanding of cost variances
• QuickBooks Enterprise solutions software experience a plus
• Advanced Excel skills a plus

Top 30 Interview Bloopers – Add to this List! By Dana Manciagli

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

A quick and great list to review. Most of these should be self explanatory…but unfortunately they are not!

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140804224858-38311-top-30-interview-bloopers-add-to-this-list?_mSplash=1

Good news, bad news. Bad news: The majority of job seekers are blowing it in their job interviews. So the bar is pretty low.
Now the good news: You can stand out in interviews by being prepared. Well-rehearsed, smart about your answers and balanced between confidence and humility.
So instead of lecturing you more about the “crap” that happens in interviews (both with external company interviews or within your company), I’ll just point out the multiple bloopers.

See other LinkedIn blogs and my website blogs for the interview solutions.

In my 30+ years hiring, interviewing and helping thousands of job seekers, the following 30, in no particular order, are the most popular mistakes.

1. Not listening to the question.
2. Babbling on and on and on and on
3. Not having interesting questions.
4. No passion, low energy.
5. Cocky, not self-aware or not humble.
6. Negative about your prior company, prior boss, or prior anything.
7. Not being prepared with good ‘ole strengths and weaknesses.
8. Forgot to go for the close, or ask to continue to the next step of the hiring process.
9. Slow with turnaround on a request from the interviewer (like sending information).
10. Smelling. Onions, cigarette smoke, perfume, cologne.
11. Chewing gum.
12. Phone on and vibrating or ringing
13. Dressed inappropriately, sloppy.
14. Nothing to write with (and I don’t mean on a PC or phone).
15. Having something to write with, but not writing anything down.
16. Spilling a cup of coffee or soda.
17. Leaving your dirty cup of coffee or soda on their desk upon departure.
18. Sticky or wimpy handshake.
19. No eye contact.
20. Slouching.
21. Interrupting.
22. Forgetting your resume, not having enough copies.
23. Not knowing the job description of the position you are interviewing for.
24. Not doing research on the web about the company, division, hiring manager, etc.
25. Scuffed shoes.
26. Listening to music or talking on your phone in the waiting room.
27. Asking about salary or benefits.
28. Left your manners at home.
29. Messy with your stuff: messy papers, coat, bags, purses all disheveled, no hand free to shake hands.
30. Being late!

More bad news: there are more than these 30! Help our LinkedIn blog readers and contribute more mistakes that you see as an interviewer.
(To accelerate your next career move or hire a dynamic speaker, visit DanaManciagli.com)

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| My LinkedIn | My Blog |

July 2014 Newsletter for Accounting Professionals from Diane Delgado LeMaire @ CFS

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Dianedelgadolemaire's avatarHouston's F&A Recruiter and Talent Connector

July 2014
Industry News and Updates

Hot, hot, hot! Yes, it is summer time in Houston. The weather is not the only thing that is hot right now, the job market is on fire too. It seems like every client I have ever worked with is adding headcount to their accounting / finance departments this year. The majority of the roles being added are staff and senior accountants, as well as financial analysts. The energy industry continues to dominate with hiring demands, but retail, construction and real estate are also picking up speed. So as predicted the Houston market is continuing to improve. Traditionally the 3rd quarter tends to be the busiest quarter every year for me and I don’t see things slowing down anytime soon.

CFS is also hiring and trying to keep up with the demands of the market. You have probably already noticed an increase of emails…

View original post 456 more words

July 2014 Newsletter for Accounting Professionals from Diane Delgado LeMaire @ CFS

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

July 2014
Industry News and Updates

Hot, hot, hot! Yes, it is summer time in Houston. The weather is not the only thing that is hot right now, the job market is on fire too. It seems like every client I have ever worked with is adding headcount to their accounting / finance departments this year. The majority of the roles being added are staff and senior accountants, as well as financial analysts. The energy industry continues to dominate with hiring demands, but retail, construction and real estate are also picking up speed. So as predicted the Houston market is continuing to improve. Traditionally the 3rd quarter tends to be the busiest quarter every year for me and I don’t see things slowing down anytime soon.

CFS is also hiring and trying to keep up with the demands of the market. You have probably already noticed an increase of emails and phone calls from recruiters. There will be a lot of new recruiters jumping into this market. Be careful who you trust with your resume and your job search. Not all recruiters are created equal! LinkedIn is a great resource to see who you want to work with. By the way, are we connected? http://www.linkedin.com/in/dianedelgadolemaire/

Until next time..

Local Statistics:
• National / Houston Unemployment rate: 6.1/5.0
• Price of Oil: $106 (last year $96)
• Oil Rig Count: 1861 (last year 1761)
• Industries hiring: Oil & Gas Field Services, Chemicals, E&P, Construction and E&C
• Positions in demand: Project Cost Accountants, Financial Analysts, Tax & Audit

Local Searches
• Controller – Real Estate / Funds – 100 to 140K
• Senior Auditor, DT, CPA Firm
• Senior Cost Analyst – West Houston – 90’s
• Senior Accountant – PE Portfolio Company – high growth mode – West
• Staff Auditor – West Houston – heavy travel
• Field Examiner – Work from home! 60’s
• Treasury Analyst – Bonds – 120’s
• Tax Senior with short track to Manager!
• Tax Manager ready for Partner!!!!! Existing book of business
• Auditor – less than 20% travel, DT
• Senior Production Accountant – North Houston – 90 to 100K
• Internal Controls & Compliance Manger – West Houston – 90 to 110K
• Senior Accountant (heavy excel), Katy
• Senior Accountant – Midstream – DT
• Senior Income Tax Manager – North Houston – 120 to 150K
• International Tax Senior -North Houston – 90’s
• Law Firm Billing Analyst – 75K
• Sales & Use Tax – all levels – DT and North Houston
• Staff Accountant – Galleria and SW Houston
• Senior Accountant – SE Houston – 75K
• Project Cost Accountant Staff – GWP
• Project Cost Accountant Senior – Bellaire
• Financial Analyst – Derivatives & Strategy – Galleria
• Accounting Manager – Clearlake
• Income Tax Manager – Clearlake
• Financial Planning Analyst – NE – 75K
• Assistant Controller – NW – 90’s
• Senior Accountant – O&G Field Service – West Houston
• Senior GL Accountant – DT 85K
• SEC Accountant – Staff or Senior – GWP
• Senior Expatriate Tax Supervisor – Galleria
• Senior Audit Manager – DT – Public Accounting – 120 to 150K
• IT Auditor, Galleria & DT
• Accounting Analyst – NW Houston
• Accounting Analyst – GWP
• Fixed Asset Accountant, Katy
• CFO – non profit – 130’s
• AP Lead, Katy – 60’s
• Senior Accountant, Galleria, SAP/BPC – 80 to 85K
• Revenue Accountant – DT

News and Resources
The Questions YOU Ask During a Job Interview Can Help or Hurt You By Dana Manciagli
http://wp.me/puDjI-KB

Sales & Use Tax Accountant – dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Job Description:
Assist in the coordination of large complex State Sales/Use Tax Audits and refund requests.
Independently manage smaller State and Local Sales/Use Tax Audits and refund requests.
Autonomously be responsible for sales/use taxes for company division(s), including performing reviews of transactions, reviewing State/Local tax returns, training, and answering taxability questions.
Independently perform Sales/Use Tax research and obtain documentation as defense for audit and refund/credit issues.
Assist in Department tax accounting requirements as needed, including tax account reconciliations.
Assist in the building and maintaining of Use Tax rules by State for system requirements, and building and maintaining tax tools by State for tax users.
Requirements:
Bachelors degree in Accounting preferred, other business related degree would be considered.
5 years multi-state Sales/Use Tax experience.
2 years experience in the upstream and midstream Oil & Gas industry preferred.
Experience with the Microsoft Office Suite, including MS Access.
CPA, CMI or MBA a plus.

The Questions YOU Ask During a Job Interview Can Help or Hurt You By Dana Manciagli

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

The Questions YOU Ask During a Job Interview Can Help or Hurt You

July 29, 2014

The questions you ask in an interview can help you OR knock you out of the running.

Susan had an hour-long interview at 8:00 A.M. with the hiring manager, Joseph, for a position she really wanted. She did some research on the company, reread the job description, and brushed up on her top strengths and weaknesses. She was on time and did well during the interview. Until the last 15 minutes. When Joseph asked, “Well, Susan, what questions do you have for me?”

Susan displayed “crap” in the form of mistakes that sabotaged her odds of winning this job.

Scenario #1: She didn’t have any questions prepared.Mistake!

Solution #1: Prepare your questions, write them down, and bring the piece of paper in with you to the interview.

Scenario #2: Susan asked, “What is the starting salary?” Mistake!

Solution #2: Never ever, ever, ever talk salary, even in ranges. Your mission is to get an offer in hand. Once you do, you can ask questions and possibly negotiate. Not before. Not to the human resources (HR) person, a recruiter, or to any interviewer.

Scenario #3: Susan asked, “Is there a training program or structured on-boarding process?”Mistake!

Solution #3: Think about the story or perception the interviewer is creating with your questions. Put yourself in their shoes. In this case, Joseph may be thinking, “Wow, she needs hand-holding and may be too high-maintenance for me. I need someone who knows how to do this.” If a training program is mentioned in the job description or on the company website, then it is appropriate to ask for more insights about the structure, length, etc.

Scenario #4: Susan asked, “What does your division or company do?” Really big mistake!

Solution #4: It is still shocking how many job seekers ask this question. With the web, calling people you know, social media, and many other resources, there is no excuse like, “I didn’t have time.” By the way, in the U.S., one of my favorite resources (one that I have referred hundreds of job seekers to) is your local city’s Business Journal, both their online resources and the printed publication. Find your local Business Journal and invest in your job search!

The keys to devising great questions from you to the interviewer are:

  • How can I show a strength through the question?
  • How can I convey something to the interviewer that we haven’t already covered but it’s important for them to know about me?
  • How can I avoid inadvertently showing softness in a skill they need strength in?
  • Is my question relevant to the interview? You are there for a purpose. Your questions should focus on helping you understand the job or the team you will be joining. For example: Don’t ask, “What are Boeing’s top challenges as a company?” if you are interviewing for an accounting job where the hiring manager is looking for a very specific set of skills. You’re burning up valuable time, you can read those online or in the papers, and the question is not relevant to the job unless you are interviewing for the CEO or CFO position.

Here are my favorite questions to ask in an interview:

  • I’m very self-motivated. How will you measure my success in this position after one full year?
  • The first 30 days are very important for me to meet as many team members as possible. How will you recommend I do that?
  • What are the top 3 skills or experiences you are looking for that may not be mentioned in the job description?
  • Of all of the people who have worked for you, what are the characteristics of those who have stood out as great performers?
  • I have to admit I’m a perfectionist in some areas. What are the aspects of this position that absolutely require precision and attention to detail?
  • Of all of the criteria you have outlined for this position, what are the top 3 in stack rank order?
  • The position we are discussing is something I am very excited about. Can you give me feedback on how I am meeting your qualifications and if I will proceed to the next level of the hiring process? (This is called “going for the close” or “asking for the order” in sales.)

Feel free to copy these exact questions and use them over and over again, even when meeting with multiple people on one day.

As an experienced hiring manager and interviewer, I am impressed when a candidate brings out a piece of paper with their questions written out. Obviously, they are prepared, thoughtful and thorough. It’s even better when they write down the answers under each question! Now that’s the type of employee I need on my team. What a great ‘sample’,showing how you will prepare for an important meeting.

Change your game around interview preparation! You can do this!

(To accelerate your next career move or hire a dynamic speaker, visitDanaManciagli.com)

The Top 10 Accountant Resume Mistakes By Rick Telberg

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

A little end of the day humor…….

The Top 10 Accountant Resume Mistakes
July 28, 2014

By Rick Telberg

Hard to believe some of them. But the folks at Accountemps insist they “recently went on an archeological dig into the archives and unearthed a treasure trove of accounting-related resume mistakes.”

Here are the 10 all-time favorites:

1. “SKILLS: Familiar with all faucets of accounting.”
Accountant by day, plumber by night.

2. “JOB DUTIES: Tax preparer: I prepared client taxes for the 2007 tax year. I provided superior in-person customer service using the telephone.”
He may need a better definition of ‘in-person.’

3. “OBJECTIVE: My dream job would be as a professional baseball player, but since I can’t do that, I’ll settle on being an accountant.”
Your enthusiasm is overwhelming.

4. “JOB DUTIES: Account retaliation.”
We really hope you meant accountreconciliation.

5. “WORK EXPERIENCE: Senior accountant (2009 – president).”
A CEO in the making.

6. “QUALIFICATIONS: I have a college degree and seventy years of experience with QuickBooks Pro software.”
She’s always been ahead of her time.

7. “JOB HISTORY: Accountant assistant (Intern Ship).”
Does that mean you have boatloads of experience?

8. “JOB DUTIES: I peppered customers’ tax returns.”
He puts the seasoning in tax season.

9. “OBJECTIVE: To obtain a payroll position with a financial organization. To gain a job in the ever-growing design field.”
Which is it?

10. “PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE: Accountand.”
Hopefully, you’re more accurate with numbers than you are words.
•

Internal Auditor – 10% travel – Downtown – EMAIL: dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

 Our clients internal audit department performs operational, financial, and compliance audits of the  operations. Professional growth opportunities exist inside and outside of the department.

           
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

  • Interview process owners and control performers throughout the organization
  • Understand and document business processes and risks
  • Participate on engagements to evaluate and test controls and performance metrics of company operations
  • Perform engagement administration, execution, and wrap-up responsibilities in accordance with established guidance
  • Maintain and communicate audit status and results to Internal Audit supervisory and management personnel.

KNOWLEDGE & SKILLS:

  • Motivated, self-starter with excellent communication and demonstrated critical thinking skills
  • Ideal candidate will have sufficient knowledge and experience to perform audits of business processes and general IT and application level risks and controls
  • CIA, CPA, or CISA designation or pursuit; familiarity with CCH TeamMate audit management software is a plus
  • Travel to field locations estimated to be 10-20%.

 

EDUCATION / EXPERIENCE:

  • BA/BS Degree in Accounting, Finance, or MIS; Internal Audit Certificate from a recognized University Internal Audit Program is a plus
  • 0-2 years of industry and/or public accounting experience, preferably in a Big 4 firm (or Big 4 internship) or major risk consulting firm’s internal audit practice

 

 

Q & A – Handling an Unplanned Interview BY Dana Manciagli

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Q & A – Handling an Unplanned Interview

How do you prepare for an on-the-spot call from an interviewer? Or if they call you should YOU ask to set up a time? It seems I get caught off guard and not prepared when the interviewer just calls and says, ”I would like to discuss with you the job you applied for.”

Answer: I warn all of my clients to be “on deck” (ready) the minute you start applying to jobs or networking for new opportunities. That means:

•Change your voicemail message to ensure it is professional. “Hello, this is and I’m sorry I missed your call. Please leave a message and I’ll get right back to you. Thank you.”

•Change your auto-signature in your e-mail. Go into the settings and create an auto-signature that has your first and last name, phone number, and e-mail address. Why e-mail address? If the recipient wants to forward your e-mail your address may be lost from the address bar at the top.
•Answering the phone: “Hello, this is Joe” instead of “Hey” or “Whattup.”
Now, for surprise interviews, there are two paths you can go down:

A. IF you are in a quiet place and have your notes with you for this company, then say “I would be happy to talk to you now. May I have a few minutes to get to a quiet place?”

B. IF you are not in a quiet place, or you are at work, or you don’t have your preparation with you, then say “I am very interested in talking to you. However, this is not a good time. Can we look at calendars together and set a phone meeting time?”

Either way, you should have your interview answers pre-scripted, especially for the most commonly asked interview questions. Additionally, you should have the job description at your fingertips so you can make your answers relevant to what the interviewer is looking for.

I am a mature Dallas paralegal who will be interviewing with local law firms. Of course a high-quality skirted business suit with conservative accessories is appropriate attire for when interviewing. Is a similarly-accessorized pantsuit of comparable quality an appropriate choice as well?

Answer: For women interviewees, a pantsuit is equally appropriate, formal, and effective as a skirted business suit. For maximum formality, the pantsuit should be a “set.” However, a wonderful jacket with solid slacks is also very nice. For cost savings, I have a few pairs of black slacks and a few nice blazers that all mix and match. Local consignment stores have beautiful garments, too!

For both genders, be sure you are focused on what you are carrying. Do you have a briefcase? How about a folio that you can place on the desk with copies of your credentials? And a pad and pen, since you will be taking notes, right? Leave laptops, coats, umbrellas, etc. in the car so you are not burdened with extra items you have to carry and manage.

Manager Financial Controls and Compliance – Houston, Texas EMAIL: dcd@fittsroberts.com

Posted on by Dianedelgadolemaire

Description

  • Oversee SOX compliance efforts, ensuring effective operation of  supported internal controls for financial reporting
  • Operate in a consultative capacity as a business partner and financial controls expert
  • Create, implement, and document financial controls and compliance program, ensuring alignment with SOX and Academy best practices and requirements
  • Perform broad analysis to identify business objectives and resource requirements and evaluate the associated business risks
  • Plan and scope financial department audit engagements, to assess operational weaknesses, perform process improvement analysis, and develop corrective action plans
  • Identify and document internal controls, including their design and operating effectiveness
  • Execute work programs to evaluate internal controls related to financial risks, operational activities, and compliance requirements utilizing various approaches including sampling, corroboration, observation, and performance
  • Coordinate the development and monitoring of remediation plans
  • Execute detailed test plans, develop results summaries, prepare reports, and present findings and recommendations to management
  • Evaluate control deficiencies and conclude on the potential impact to financial statements
  • Develop audit findings, recommendations, and reports that identify control weaknesses and the resulting residual risks
  • Employ a broad range of data analysis tools to maximize audit efficiency and effectiveness
  • Ensure adherence to requirements and deliverables, and complete assigned work activities and planned tasks within specified time frame
  • Manage departmental requests for assurance and controls review
  • Partner with Internal Audit regarding financial departments’ preparedness regarding compliance efforts
  • Develop and maintain a thorough understanding of departmental plans and strategies
  • Update process narratives annually through collaboration with business partners to ensure proper documentation of all significant processes
  • Assess new accounting standards and guidance to ensure enhancement of current accounting processes and controls
  • Special projects and participation in various initiatives, including new system implementation, updates or upgrades
  • Required to learn company policies, procedures, and safety rules.

Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting required; MBA preferred
  • CPA or CIA license required
  • 5+ years’ experience in an accounting/financial audit role
  • Big 4 Accounting firm experience strongly preferred; or equivalent combination of industry and corporate experience
  • Proficiency with Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX) 404 requirements and internal control concepts required
  • Experience evaluating SOX requirements, identifying controls, analyzing control gaps, and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of controls
  • Demonstrated application of internal controls standards, including control environment, risk assessment, control activities, information and communication, and monitoring
  • Background in internal controls over financial reporting