01/01/2013

By Danielle Lee

http://www.accountingtoday.com/ato_issues/27_1/Job-candidates-in-control-65099-1.html?ET=webcpa:e6521:133049a:&st=email

http://www.usatoday.com/story/money/business/2012/12/21/state-unemployment-rates/1783181/

The Company is a privately held manufacturer.

This position will report to the Chief Financial Officer and be responsible for the financial operations of the company.

Essential Duties

The Financial Accounting Manger will be responsible for all the financial management, analysis, and reporting for the Company, including:
• Coordinate the monthly financial closing with closing deadlines and schedules.
• Consolidate the results of the operating entities.
• Assist with Management Reporting, Budgeting, and Forecasting.
• Interface with Parent Company.
• Manage the Billing/Accounts Receivable, Cash Application, Inventory/COGS, Purchases/Accounts Payable, Cash Disbursements, Fixed Assets, Payroll, General Ledger/Reporting, General Accounting/Reconciliations, Cost Accounting, Project Accounting, and Intercompany Accounting processes.
• Supervise the set up and maintenance of an effective Cost Accounting System including standard costing and overhead absorption rates.
• Assist in the implementation of a new ERP system.
• Develop and maintain all accounting, reporting, and financial control policies and procedures for the Company to ensure compliance with relevant accounting principles and procedures.
• Coordinate and manage the external audits, all tax and other statutory filings.
• Other tasks as delegated.
Qualifications

• BS, Accounting.
• Heavy experience in the manufacturing industry, preferably the pipe industry.
• Mix of industry and public accounting experience.
• CPA
• Experience with an ERP system.
• Experience in creating financial models in Excel
• Ten years of relevant experience with a minimum of five years in a management role.

Success Factors

• Heavy experience in the manufacturing industry
• Self starter
• Lot of energy
• Strong personality
• Results oriented leader who leads and mentors people through example.
• Team building skills – passion for staff development & cross training
• Solid business acumen
• Experience partnering with operations.
• Demonstrates Energetic self-starter with a willingness to exert substantial personal effort for success.
• Effective communicator.
• Superior analytical skills

http://www.houston.org/pdf/research/EconomicForecast.pdfutm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2013+Economic+Forecast+3363&utm_content=2013+Economic+Forecast+3363+CID_cba04e4f77c10946c8a047eb37fe51c6&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=2012%20Economic%20Forecast%20PDF

• Ensure SOX 404 compliance in Accounts Payable
• Accounts Payable Reconciliations
• Responsible for online international travel and expense reporting

• Create Intercompany invoices and provide support
• Assist with JE accruals for close

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|

Responsibilities:

• Domestic, international, and consolidated compliance as well as managerial based financial reporting and analysis
• Design, implementation, and management of various corporate initiatives including system enhancements, process automation, and internal controls
• Development and deployment of various managerial and departmental reports
• Year-end reporting, planning, and valuation processes
• Completion of state, federal, and international taxation requirements and recordkeeping
• Commercial insurance renewal and annual administration
• Third party compliance reporting and domestic and international independent audits
• Completion of general periodic departmental requirements
• Perform related duties as required

Qualifications:

• CPA required
• BBA-Accounting degree required
• GPA of 3.0 or higher required
• Microsoft office skills (Excel, Word, Outlook) required
• Public accounting experience preferred
• Hyperion Planning and Budgeting software preferred
• Oracle ERP preferred
• Spanish-speak and write

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|

Location – Houston, TX

Position Title: Cost Analyst

Requirements:

• 3+ years of experience in a manufacturing environment performing standard costing
• Bachelors Degree in Accounting
• Ability to communicate, both verbally and written, in English
• ERP experience – especially SAP

Responsibilities include the following:

• Perform accurate cost accounting and inventory valuation for Managerial and International Financial Reporting Standards purposes
• Provides reporting for profitability and cost analysis.
• Provides support in setting standard costs and budget preparation and performance measurement.
• Ensures accounting integration in the information technology system.
• Preparation of IFRS Cost Accounting Package
• Report and Analyze Sales Margin (Cost of Sales and Shipped not Billed Control)
• Report and Analyze Purchase Price Variation
• Assistance and Coordination on Physical Counts
• Report and Analyze Slow Moving and Obsolescence Reserves
• Report and Analyze Payroll Process

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|

• entry level audit – cpa firm
• entry level tax – cpa firm
• staff and senior tax – cpa firm
• staff accountant – consolidations – galleria
• corporate accounting manager – consolidations – galleria
• controller – sec & sox – southwest houston
• fp&a manager – retail background
• lease accountant
• assistant controller – retail background
• tax director – federal and state – pubic accounting background needed
• intercompany accountant – northwest houston
• revenue staff and senior – downtown houston
• entry level financial reporting – one year of public accounting needed
• sec senior – 2 years of public accounting needed
• property accountant – commerical – greenway plaza

email: dcd@fittsroberts.com

http://money.cnn.com/2012/10/11/pf/jobs/us-wages-oil-workers/index.html

6 Resume Red Flags for the Modern Age – Kazim Ladimeji – November 20, 2012  |

As we all know times are changing and the recruitment and candidate market place is changing with it. Candidates no longer submit hand-written, hard copy resumes; they don’t always interview face-to-face. No-one expects a job for life these days; candidates have a wealth of job search information resources available to them on the Internet and they can apply for jobs at the click of a button.

These changes to the recruiting and job seeking landscape are beginning to filter through to the resume short-listing process, which must adapt to suit the modern marketplace. For example, where once a candidate who changed jobs twice in a decade might have seemed unstable, in the modern age this might be the norm and could even constitute a long tenure. So, I thought it would be a good time to take stock five of the key resume red flags and update them to ensure they are in line with the modern age.

1. Changing jobs too often.

This is still a red flag as changing jobs too often can still be seen as a sign of instability in an applicant, but the parameter’s have changed dramatically.
The job for lifeparadigm is dead and buried, so recruiters should expect multiple job changes in a lifetime. But, the question is, how many? Recent reports from

Jobvite suggest that the average worker will change jobs between 11 and 15 times in a lifetime. Research from Manpower suggests that the usage of temporary workers has increased from 1.47 percent to 1.88 percent in the last year and redundancies have been on the rise. All this points to increasing volatility in the job market. This suggests the average employee might be changing jobs every two to four years or so. And, arguably, red flagging shouldn’t start until a candidate starts showing an average tenure of two years or less, perhaps.

2. Lack of bullet points and too many paragraphs.

Goal-orientated applicants will know that the best way to present their actions and achievements is in concise and precise bullet points, rather then paragraphs. 　Failure to use bullet point format suggests they have few worthwhile achievements to be proud of or do not know how to clearly explain their achievements/sell themselves, the latter of which is unacceptable in today’s climate when there is so much high quality, free resume preparation advice online or in social media groups.

3. Lack of numbers.

Resumes that contain achievements that lack supporting numbers―dollar values, numbers of people, etc.―lack credibility and mean that those achievements should be called into question, especially in today’s competitive climate where employers are more achievement orientated than ever.

4. Lack of specificity.

Achievements, duties or responsibilities that are generic, hackneyed statements which are lacking in specificity, e.g they fail to specify direct reports, budgets held, products managed, and/or revenues, lack credibility and should set the alarm bells ringing.

5. Multiple layoffs.

Even in the current climate of increasing redundancies, this can still be a red flag. This is because the very process of selecting people for redundancy is very much like a reverse recruitment process where the least equipped employees are let go. So, yes, being laid off is still a potential red flag in the current climate.

6. Failure to explain any resume red flags in the cover letter.

There is no such thing as a perfect applicant and many applications may have issues or red flags on their resumes, much of it as a result of the volatile economic times we live in and changing patterns of work and lifestyle. But, the best applicants should be aware of these red flags and will make an attempt to explain these in the cover letter. A failure to do this is a clear red flag.

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, but to take a critical look at some of the traditional resume red flags and check their relativity in the modern age. Of course, as we know, red flags are just indicators of what may be, they aren’t fact and I would urge resume reviewers wherever possible to try and clarify the concerns with the applicant before discarding what could be a good applicant.

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

Our client is growing and adding a staff accountant to their team. They are a publicly traded organization in acquisition mode.

• consolidation of 70+ companies (using Hyperion),
• various monthly account reconciliations,
• financial analysis (Excel & Hyperion),
• financial reporting (internal and external),
• ad-hoc report writing(Excel & Hyperion),
• some involvement in SEC reporting
• Frequent communication (telephone / email) with 70+ company operating controllers

REQUIRED

• Accounting degree with 2 yrs professional experience,
• Hyperion or consolidation software experience a plus.

10 ways intelligent job seekers blow their interviews
Oct 29th, 2012 @ 10:20 am › Guest Contributor

Todd Moster

The job interview is one of the most crucial components of a job search. In these lean economic times of long-term unemployment and sparse interview opportunities, it can be a make or break situation.

With so much at stake, you’d think job seekers would be at their best when they get that rare chance to meet a prospective employer. But many intelligent job seekers don’t know, or don’t think they need to know, the most basic rules of good interviewing, leading to unnecessary disasters.

One job applicant’s blunder, however, is another’s opportunity. Job interviewing may not be easy, but it’s also not rocket science. It requires a combination of preparation and common sense. Just knowing the 10 most common ways intelligent job seekers blow their interviews will give you a step-up in this ultra-competitive job market:

1. Plan? What plan? Many job seekers begin a job search without much advance thought, perhaps due to a recent unpleasant workplace event or a desire to make more money. The absence of a clear-cut professional career plan will be apparent to an alert employer, however, who will judge you as lacking commitment or simply unsuitable. Even worse, a less observant employer may actually hire you for the position, leading to your entering perhaps the wrong next chapter of your career. Know yourself and your fundamental goals before even thinking about a job search.

2. Research is for wimps: Not all companies are alike, and even when they are, employers prefer to believe they’re different and special. In fact, many will ask you what you know about the company and the position for which you’re interviewing. Try to bluff your way through that question and the interview will be over, even if you haven’t realized it yet. You can avoid that dilemma by thoroughly researching the company and job responsibilities ahead of time. That will ensure your ability to come up with a unique and convincing answer.

3. Preparation, schmeparation: You’re a bright person and fast on your feet, right? And who knows better about your experience than you, right? So why prepare? Because if you don’t, you’re going to blow it. There’s a difference between knowing something and being able to articulate that information in a concise and engaging manner. Even experienced attorneys who know their cases inside and out will rehearse before they make a final argument to a jury. Smart politicians who know their positions cold will nevertheless prepare for important appearances. Your career — and your future — is worth the same amount of effort as an important presentation.

4, Dress for failure: Dress codes in the workplace have recently taken a dramatic turn toward the informal. That development has prompted many a job seeker to assume that “business casual” attire will be just fine for an interview. An employer who pays undue attention to superficial matters such as dress doesn’t deserve you anyway, right? Wrong. Dress for an interview as you would for an important meeting, which translates into a suit or jacket and tie for men and the equivalent for women. Even if your interviewer is wearing a Hawaiian shirt and teases you about your attire, he will understand that you suited up as a gesture of respect and are someone who values the opinion of others. In other words, it doesn’t hurt to overdress.

5. Busy people are fashionably late: Many otherwise smart job candidates make the mistake of viewing an interview as just another appointment. That mindset tempts them to take the last-minute phone call or gamble that the traffic won’t be any heavier than usual. And if you’re just a few minutes late, what’s the big deal, because it shows you’re a busy, important person, right? Wrong. Lack of punctuality is almost always fatal to a candidate’s prospects, however qualified she may be and however compelling her excuse for being late. If you’re more than one minute late to an interview, you will probably not get the job. The lesson: Plan your commute so that you arrive in the reception area seven to 10 minutes before the interview.

6. Be loud and obnoxious in the reception area: All job interviews start in the reception area. Receptionists serve as the eyes and ears of the employer. In fact, they’re often sought out by the interviewers after the candidate has left to learn how he behaved before the meeting. So feel free to be rude to the receptionist. Have that nasty cell phone conversation with the client who isn’t paying you. Catch up on your dental flossing while you’re waiting. Just don’t plan on returning.

7. Find out how much they’re willing to pay you: Compensation is almost always one of the key factors an employer or job seeker considers in deciding whether to extend or accept a job offer. So it seems perfectly logical to ask the interviewer how much the position pays. After all, why waste everyone’s time if you and the employer are in completely different ballparks? Unfortunately, there are some aspects of job interviews in which social convention trumps common sense, and salary is one of them. A job applicant’s question about compensation is one of the reasons most frequently-cited by employers for rejecting candidates. So keep your curiosity in check until you get a job offer.

8. Don’t ask questions during the interview: There’s one thing worse than asking bad questions during an interview. It’s not asking any questions. Many otherwise intelligent job seekers opt not to ask questions during a job interview, even when invited to do so. Ask them why, and they’ll tell you they wanted to make a good impression by showing respect for the interviewer and her time. The result, unfortunately, will be exactly the opposite. Employers view job seekers who fail to ask any or more than a few perfunctory questions as lacking interest, enthusiasm or intellectual curiosity. Do your preparation, and walk into the interview with at least 10 open-ended, substantive questions about the company and position.

9. Be spontaneous when answering questions: Job interviews can be as unique as the people and opportunities involved. Still, there are certain difficult questions that come up with frequent regularity. They vary from the straightforward — such as why you’re seeking to leave your current job and how much money you’re seeking, to the annoying — such as what your weaknesses are, to the truly challenging — such as to describe a recent disagreement you had with a supervisor or co-worker and how you resolved it. You may be the glibbest individual to walk the face of the earth, but fail to plan your answers to the most common and challenging interview questions and you will blow your opportunity. Savvy, intelligent job candidates may in fact need less preparation than their competitors but will prepare twice as hard.

10. Tell amusing war stories: In the classic comedy movie “Airplane,” the movie’s hero, an airplane passenger on a long flight, insists on telling his long and boring life story to his seatmate. When we next see his companion, she is a skeleton. That’s a good image to keep in mind when you go on a job interview. One of the key characteristics of successful people in today’s busy, short-attention-span world is the ability to communicate in a clear and crisp manner. Insist on telling war stories or giving super-detailed answers to simple questions, and you may find yourself talking to a skeleton. Opt instead to bone up on your communication skills so that you’ll be prepared to answer any question, however complex, in 40 to 60 seconds.

Todd Moster is an attorney, interview coach and executive recruiter specializing in the legal profession. The Second Edition of his book “The Underground Guide to Job Interviewing,” an Amazon best seller in the job-hunting category, will be published later this year.