http://retheauditors.com/2009/03/18/why-bother-becoming-a-cpa-a-guest-post-from-roger-philipp/

 

By Francine • Mar 18th, 2009 • Category: Pure Content, Your Career
Roger Philipp, CPA, is a Deloitte alum and the founder, CEO, and instructor for Roger CPA Review, a CPA Exam prep course. Roger CPA Review supports re: The Auditors as our first sponsor. I asked him to tell us, in a time of uncertainty, why passing the CPA exam (or whatever certification exam is applicable in your country) is still a great investment.

(I’ll give you one good reason: No one can ever take that accomplishment away from you.)

To begin, we’ll just break down the question itself: Why bother becoming a CPA? The very nature of that question implies that the act of becoming a CPA is a “bother,” or an irritating chore. Why do we see it that way? Common obstacles to getting a CPA license include the difficulty and cost of taking the CPA Exam, itself.

Not surprisingly, these are the main reasons why only about half of accounting students choose to go on to become CPAs. However, neither of these reasons should be enough to hold you back from this exciting and lucrative career choice.

Difficulty: It’s Not As Hard As You Think
Candidates imagine the CPA Exam to be far more difficult than it actually is. That’s not to say that the exam is easy — far from it. In fact, according to the AICPA, only about 47% of candidates pass the CPA Exam. But it’s important to note that the main cause of the low pass rate can be directly attributed to inadequate studying. Furthermore, out of the students who continue their attempts to the CPA Exam, as many as 75% percent eventually pass. In short, with the right commitment and preparation, it can be done. As we at Roger like to say, the CPA Exam is not an IQ test – it’s a test of discipline! If you study, you will pass!

Cost: Earning Your CPA Makes Cents
For many, cost is the decisive factor when a person considers becoming a CPA. There’s no question about it: it’s an expensive proposition. The good news is that you don’t have to shoulder the full cost all at once. The costs arrive in stages, beginning with college tuition and ending with CPA license fees.

Additionally, your initial investment will pay off quickly. Once you are a licensed CPA, your entry level earning potential increases by as much as 15% over uncertified accounting professionals (2008 Robert Half Salary Guide). This gap can continue increasing over the course of your career, eventually adding as much as $11k-$18k more to your annual earnings.

According to a recent report by the Institute of Management Accountants, the average CPA earns $131,726 per year before extra compensation while non-CPAs only earn $98,912. This is a difference of 32,814 or 28.5% higher.
To reinforce the point, let’s perform a cost/benefit analysis of becoming a CPA.

Cost:
Bachelors Degree with 150 hours (in most states)
300-400 hours preparing for the CPA Exam
CPA Exam Fees (more than $1,000 in some states, more if retesting is required)
CPA review course costs ($1,600 – $2,500 depending on course)
Licensure fees (more than $1,000 in some states)

Totals:
Time commitment: 450-550 hours
Financial commitment: $4500 or more, depending on exam success and state fees.

Benefit:
Increased earning potential of up to $18,000 per year. Duration: grows annually
Potential employers perceive CPA’s to be disciplined and committed. Duration: entire career
Potential for advancement opportunities and management or partnership. Duration: entire career
Personal growth and development. Duration: life
Business opportunities not available to uncertified accountants, such as financial consultancy, signing audit opinions, working for the FBI, or providing independent accounting services to the public.

Totals:
As much as $720,000 (assuming a 40 year career, with an 18k of increased annual income)
Inestimable value of other benefits

Many accountants currently working with firms will tell you that they’re driven to take the CPA exam by the prospect for promotions. Because most firms won’t promote uncertified accountants past the managerial level, your ‘promote-ability’ skyrockets once you’ve become a licensed CPA. Of course, with promotions come even more salary increases and bonuses.

As you can see, becoming a CPA enhances your earning potential and upward mobility over the course of your entire career. The question shouldn’t be whether you can afford to become a CPA, but rather can you afford not to?

 

Interesting article, but I must say my favorite candidates to place are entry level ones! I don’t get to place a ton of them, but I do have clients that hire directly out of college and they utilize me to find them the top graduating talent. 

http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140514132158-52594-are-you-headhunter-material-or-not?trk=eml-ced-b-art-M-2-7914099181455774709&midToken=AQEmfseMAjvmzg&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=2EdDsJ3H1t56g1

Position Duties
• Review and approve Balance sheet Account Reconciliation Forms prepared by locations in Excel
• Reconcile building, vehicle, and equipment leases between ProLease and Oracle
• Prepare revaluation JEs to bring IC Balance Sheet accounts to current translation rate
• Prepare IC revenue elimination JEs
• Prepare the Consolidated TB Roll-forward for corporate use
• Prepare IC Balance Sheet trial balance in pivot table format for corporate management’s use
• Reconcile IC invoices between the AR and AP sub-ledgers in Oracle
• Reconcile IC local statutory activity and balances against Oracle
• Help locations correct invoices entered into AGIS erroneously
• Open and close transaction types in AGIS for each period
• Reconcile AGIS activity to the GL
• Calculate interest on IC notes
• Prepare IC balance confirmations for locations
• Implement a netting process for ICs that have balances, which net to zero

Qualifications:
• Bachelor degree in Accounting, CPA preferred but not required
• 3-5 years of experience
• Advanced Excel user

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140512122551-20017018-a-resume-will-never-get-you-the-job-you-really-want?trk=eml-ced-b-art-M-2-8001154777858896322&midToken=AQEmfseMAjvmzg&fromEmail=fromEmail&ut=0X2v3nikV02mg1

 

You send in your resume. You include a hopefully eye-catching cover letter. You ask someone to put in a good word for you.

Then you wait. And wait. And don’t get the job.

Why? You didn’t put in the work.

There are many things you can’t control about the job seeking process. Cumbersome application systems, automated filters that identify keywords instead of talent, lazy hiring managers content to simply find round pegs for round holes, people who make the biggest hiring mistake of all….

But there is one thing you can control: the amount of work you put in.

If you’re struggling to land the job you want, don’t complain. Don’t blame others. Sure, the system often sucks — so accept it sucks and then figure out how to beat it. Commit to doing more. Commit to doing what other candidates aren’t willing to do. That’s how you stand out. That’s how you get the job you really want.

Try this:

1. Determine the company you want to work for.

Obvious, right? Not really. Many job seekers play the numbers game and respond to as many job postings as possible.

Shotgun resume submissions results in hiring managers sifting through dozens of potential candidates to find the right person. (Good luck emerging from that particular pile.) To show the hiring manager you are the right candidate, you have to do the work.

Instead of shotgunning your resume, put in the time to determine a company you definitely want to work for, and then…

2. Really know the company.

Pretend I’m the hiring manager. “I would love to work for you,” you say to me. What I actually hear is, “I would love for you to pay me.”

You can’t possibly know if you want to work for my company unless you know a lot about my company; that’s the difference between just wanting a job and wanting an actual role in a business. Talk to friends, relatives, vendors, customers… anyone you can find. Check management and employees out on social media. When you know the people, you know the company. Learn as much as you can.

Then leverage what you learn and…

3. Figure out how you will hit the ground running.

Many companies see training as a necessary evil. Training takes time, money, effort… all of which are in short supply. An ideal new hire can be productive immediately, at least in part.

While you don’t need to be able to do everything required in the job, it helps if the company can see an immediate return on their hiring investment. (Remember, hiring you is an investment that needs to generate a return.)

Identify one or two important things you can contribute from day one. Then…

4. Don’t just tell. Show.

Put what you can offer on display. If you’re a programmer, mock up a new application. If you want a sales position, create a plan for how you’ll target a new market or customer base or describe how you will implement marketing strategies the business is currently not using.

A show and tell is your chance to prove you know the company and what you can offer. Your initiative will be impressive and you’ll go a long way towards overcoming concerns that you’re all talk and no action.

Is it fair you’re doing a little work on spec? Should you have to create a mockup or plan in order to get the job? Not really and probably not… but doing so will definitely set you apart.

Never let “fair” — when the only person “disadvantaged” is you — get in the way of achieving your goals.

5. Use a referral as a reinforcement.

Business is all about relationships. We’ve all made made bad hiring decisions, so a referral from someone we trust is like gold.

You may have to dig deep into your network or even forge new connections, but the effort will be worth it.

Knowing that someone we trust is willing to vouch for you is a data point that often tips the decision scale towards giving you an interview… and even giving you the job.

6. Be the one who knocks.

You don’t have to wait to be called for an interview. You don’t have to wait for an opening to be posted; after all, you’ve identified ways you can immediately help the company you want to work for. Wrangle an introduction, meet with someone who can actually influence the hiring decision, and pitch away.

Think it won’t work? It will — as long as you show the person you contact how they will also benefit. Say, “I really want to work for your company. I know you’re in charge of social media marketing and I’ve developed a data-driven way to analyze activities, ROI, brand awareness… I’d love to take you to lunch and show you. If you hate my ideas, at least you got a free lunch. If you love them, you learned something. What do you have to lose?”

A friend of mine who runs a tech company has hired four people in the last six months who approached him in a similar fashion. He’s a go-getter; he loves hiring go-getters. And he loves when they find him.

Just make sure you go straight to describing how the company will benefit from hiring you. Say, “Your website is good but it could be a lot better. Here are changes I will make in the first month and here is how those changes will improve conversions and SEO results. And here’s a mock-up I created of a new site design.”

Approach them right and people will pay attention — especially entrepreneurs and small businesses. I don’t know any smart people who won’t drop everything to learn how to improve their business.

7. Assert yourself.

Many people are poor interviewers. That’s especially true for small business owners; many are terrible interviewers. (As a friend of mine says, “I don’t work in HR. I run a business.”)

So be direct and to the point. Explain what you can do. Describe your background. Don’t talk about what the job will mean to you; talk about how the company will benefit from hiring you. Show you know working for their company is different (every company thinks they’re different) and how you’re excited by the challenge. Sell yourself: use what you know about the company and how you will make an impact to back up your pitch.

8. Ask for the job.

Most people don’t mind being closed. Plus a decision put off until tomorrow is a decision added to the to-do list; no one wants more on their plates.

If you truly know you want the job — and you should by this point — ask for it. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Who knows: if you’ve worked hard to truly set yourself apart, you might get hired on the spot.

I know what you’re thinking: That’s too much work to put in, especially if there’s no guarantee your extra effort will result in a job.

Flip it around. Doing what everyone else does is very unlikely to result in a job. Decide you will be different — and then work hard to actually be different. Then you will stand out. Then you’ll have a much better chance of landing the job you really want.

http://fivethirtyeight.com/features/what-baby-boomers-retirement-means-for-the-u-s-economy/

Sr Accountant Inventory
Description
Responsible for completion and maintenance of general ledgers activity related to inventory accounting
Reconciliation of general ledger accounts and variance analysis at month end
Prepare audit support for external audit of year-end financial statements
Provide analysis and explanations for unusual items in general ledger accounts and resolve/correct those items
independently
Be able to participate in interpreting and applying accounting policy and regulations in related area
Maintains and protects operations by keeping financial information confidential
Maintains professional and technical knowledge by attending internal/external educational workshops; reviewing
professional publications; establishing personal networks; participating in professional societies
Contributes to team effort and atmosphere by accomplishing related results as needed
The ability to perform a variety of complicated tasks relying on experience, judgment, and research to plan and
accomplishes goals
Express a wide degree of creativity and responsibility
Required to learn company policies, procedures, and safety rules
Duties may change and employees may be required to perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting
At least 3 – 5 years of experience in the field or a related area
Excel experience required
Word Processing experience required
Proficient people skills – dealing with vendors and dept. support calls
Excellent communication skills required
Speaking accurately and clearly
Level of hearing adequate to communicate on the telephone

Functional Tasks:
• AP/AR
• Job Costing
• Bank reconciliations
• Will learn payroll eventually

Requirements:
• Bachelor’s degree, plus 5 years experience
• QuickBooks
• Basic Excel
• Team player! Self Motivated! Thinks outside of the box! Fresh Ideas!

Primary Responsibilities
• Assist in revenue recognition and preparation of monthly global consolidation / reporting packages
• Review of contract variances and details with Divisional Vice Presidents and Controllers
• Preparation of required audit documentation and serve as a contact for Internal/External Audit coordination
• Assist in preparation of SEC filings (10Q, 10K)
• Design and develop contract analytic suite-integrate output into business intelligence
• Assist with projects as needed
• Ensure compliance with local, state, and federal budgetary reporting requirements
• Maintain account reconciliations for job cost accounts
• Maintain SharePoint site data
• Perform follow-up on Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) Compliance

Position Qualifications, Requirements &Preferences
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting, Finance or Business Required
• 4-9 years public accounting experience or public/private mix Required
• Must be detail oriented and capable of understanding/reviewing a broad range of topics
• Understanding of percentage of completion (POC) accounting
• MAcc or MBA preferred
• CPA preferred
• Must have thorough understanding of US GAAP
• Must have understanding of SEC filing requirements
• MS Office Required
• Must be able to problem solve, and be a results-oriented, highly motivated self-starter
• Experience with JD Edwards general ledger package preferred

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2014/05/houston-a-top-city-for-jobs-this-year-forbes-says.html?ana=e_hstn_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2014-05-05&u=glKEt+uVA4SWk8BOTgN7pE+OY41&t=1399297670

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/morning_call/2014/05/energy-m-a-hits-10-year-high.html?ana=e_hstn_rdup&s=newsletter&ed=2014-05-01&u=glKEt+uVA4SWk8BOTgN7pE+OY41&t=1398952193

 

Required skills and experience:
– 5+ years of expatriate tax experience 
– Bachelors degree in Accounting or Finance
– Accounting experience and professional certification 
– Bilingual in English and Spanish languages is preferred;
– General understanding of other foreign tax regimes 
– Domestic and international travel may be required.

 

Duties include but not limited to:
– Responsible for the support of expatriate tax policy, planning and compliance requirements for the
Americas 
– Prepare assignee tax cost projections 
– Research and prepare country specific-tax memorandums on host country taxation rules 
– Analyze host country income and social security tax laws
– Answer assignee inquiries related to tax policy, residency rules and taxation of compensation and
benefits-in-kind.
– Conduct risk management assessments and develop tax compliant practices.
– Oversee tax vendor to ensure the delivery of high quality services. 
– Liaise with our regional expatriate and corporate tax team members 
– Conduct group tax presentations for assignees.
– Review and interpret income tax treaties 

http://www.bizjournals.com/houston/blog/money-makers/2014/04/economist-houston-economy-will-stay-strong-while.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2014-04-24&u=glKEt+uVA4SWk8BOTgN7pE+OY41&t=1398433838

email: dcd@fittsroberts.com for more information!!!!

Essential Duties and Responsibilities
• Analyze current and past trends in key performance indicators including all areas of revenue, cost of sales, expenses and capital expenditures to facilitate and support timely and definable planning and decision making.
• Be on a team that coordinates with the different business units the preparation of the forecast and long term projections
• Monitor performance indicators, highlight trends and analyze causal factors behind variances and trends.
• Work on a team to manage the continued development of Budgeting, Financial Forecasting, Operating Plan and Modeling tools
• Improve performance by evaluating processes to drive efficiencies and understand ROI in marketing programs, menu pricing, new store rollouts as well as new projects
• Aid in development of financial models and analyses to support strategic initiatives
• Analyze complex financial information and reports to provide accurate and timely financial recommendations to management for decision making purposes

Job Requirements

Qualifications/Skills
• Experience in multi-unit retail  concepts a plus
• Highest standards of accuracy and precision; highly organized.
• Articulate with excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to think creatively, highly-driven and self-motivated
Experience and Educational requirements
• Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting or Finance; MBA a plus
• 2-5 years of experience in Financial Planning and Analysis

JOB SUMMARY
Provide billing, job setup, analytical project support, and project reports for multiple field service departments.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS OF THE JOB
 Create project invoices to be sent to project manager and ultimately to clients. Review and revise invoices on an as needed basis. Ensure all backup/support and require approvals are attached to invoice prior to sending to client.
 Maintain client purchase orders and AFEs in project billing system.
 Provide support to project managers and directors for accounts receivable collections.
 Provide project setup and maintenance in project billing system. Ensure projects are setup according to agreements and terms are set properly in billing system.
 Analyze project gross margins, accounts receivable agers, and amounts unbilled.
 Interface with internal and external clients to determine billing and reporting needs.
 Perform pro-forma financial reports for all new and existing projects to drive project analysis and required audits.
 Perform project audits to ensure all required costs are properly allocated to jobs and all project billing is in accordance with the contract and rate sheet. Have basic understanding of job costing and detailed coding to ensure costs and revenue affect proper jobs.
 Provide project managers support through a variety of scheduled and ad hoc project reporting.
 Interact with clients to provide specific required reporting.
 Provide support to the Accounting department regarding month-end processes and other special analysis on an as needed basis.
 Provide reports and analytics to support management in determining labor, burden, and overhead rates to maximize company standard rate sheets.
 Assist accounting/billing to maximize our systems to ensure the billing function is accurate, timely, and efficient. This will include all systems and processes before and after client invoice is produced.

 

Requirements:

1 plus years of project billing experience 

About the Company

Local based company with a long standing reputation of producing, manufacturing and distributing equipment and services nationwide. The company is very stable (never been in the red) and profitable since its existence. With new technology, a new manufacturing facility and new offices, the next Controller is set up for success.

Currently looking for a Controller who is detail-oriented, take charge/ownership individual who takes pride in quality of work and is open to continuous process improvement.

Controller Responsibilities include:

•Direct and manage accounting department in accomplishing departmental objectives.
•Prepare monthly financial and operating reports.
•Perform and review account reconciliations and balances to drive accuracy of recorded activities.
•Ensure compliance with federal, state and local tax requirements.
•Coordinate periodic outside audits.
•Lead a multi-function team in developing and implementing standard costs.
•Schedule and direct periodic inventories.
•Gather and prepare information to assist in production of financial plans/budgets.
•Train and develop staff.
•Establish, implement, and document policies and procedures.
•Prepare ad-hoc reporting and analysis as needed.
•Re-engineer processes as identified in order to eliminate non-value-added tasks, improve accuracy and timeliness of financial information, and strengthen internal controls.
Preferred criteria of the Controller position:

•Accounting degree or related field is a plus
•5+ years of relevant accounting experience w/ 3+ years in an accounting management capacity
•CPA certification is a plus but not required
•Strong Excel skills
•Comprehensive understanding of current GAAP
•Working knowledge of accounting and report-writing software
•Manufacturing or distribution experience a plus

Senior Staff Accountant

Our client located in Austin, TX is undergoing a tremendous amount of growth. They will be tripling in size in the next five years and are looking for a superstar Senior Accountant to join their team.

Responsibilities

• Preparation of monthly, quarterly, and annual financial information.
• Provide detailed analyses. 
• Assists and prepares work papers, schedules and other supporting documentation for budget and audit. 
• Coordinates the scheduling and preparation of external audit documentation. 
• Assists Controller with bank activities and reporting requirements 
• Supports budget and forecast activities 
• Responds to inquiries from the CEO, CFO, Controller, and other managers regarding financial results and special reporting requests

 

Qualifications:

• One to three years of experience in public accounting or industry experience, health care accounting preferred. 
• Must have strong experience with Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, etc).
• This position is located in Southwest Austin, Texas, however occasional travel is required.

 

 

Accounting Functions
• General Ledger
o Originate and process journal entries
o Reconcile all bank and balance sheet accounts
o Prepare financial statements
o Perform multi-national currency translations and consolidations
o Produce, maintain and organize monthly financial reports
o Perform monthly account reconciliations
• Account Payables
o Prepare the year end 1096/1099 forms
o Initiate wire transfer payment
o Manage petty cash account
• Account Receivables
o Prepare excel spreadsheets used in job costing
o Book international company invoices in general ledger

Financial Functions
• Forecast and report to management cash flow projection on a weekly basis
• Assist with the maintenance of loan application
• Prepare income statement projection
• Aid in the annual budget preparation and monthly update for review
• Coordinate with outside CPA firm on Audit

Education/Experience:
Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and 5 or more years of operational accounting experience; CPA preferred

 

https://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140408130650-462480-how-to-know-your-financial-value-before-changing-job?trk=eml-ced-b-art-Ch-5-7296854779857816795&midToken=AQEmfseMAjvmzg&ut=1_vhM0BLzBimc1