Nervous Habits: A Roadblock to Interview Success Written by Alan Carniol

Everyone feels nervous at one point or another, and to cope with this feeling, we develop nervous habits. Sometimes these habits are what make other people judge you and your skills for the job prematurely, leaving you little room to make a positive impression on the interviewer.

 

The only way you can counter this prejudgment of who you are is by being aware of your habits when you’re nervous and by practicing those situations in order to prevent the nervous impulses from taking over.

Speaking too fast – The pressure of not taking too much time in giving your answer and getting your point across might cause you to speak faster than usual, which makes it harder for your interviewer to understand what you’re saying. Practicing speaking in tense situations will help you overcome the need to speak fast and will make you more aware of it when you’re speaking faster than necessary.

Conversation fillers – When nervousness takes over, even your most basic conversational skills can suffer. Instead of getting the point across with less time and fewer words, you spend half the interview filling your sentences with “ums.” In order to reduce this, have a friend help you be more aware of your fillers.

Blank out – Instead of speaking fast or filling your sentences with “ums,” what you do is… nothing. Because of your nervousness when the interviewer asks you a question, your only response is a blank stare. A good way for you to avoid blanking out is to reveal it at the start of the interview to get it off your chest.

Avoiding eye contact – You’re not someone who is used to making eye contact with everyone, so it’s only natural for you to be the same way in your interview. However, a lot of people associate this with lying, which you want avoid at any cost. Before you even get to an interview, practice and make establishing eye contact habit.

Fidgeting – One of the worst ways to cope with your nervousness is by fidgeting. It not only shows how you can’t keep your cool in pressure situations, but it also distracts an interviewer from listening to your answers. Whether it be playing with your fingers, twirling your hair, or tapping a foot, it’s definitely not recommended.

Most people get nervous before and during an interview, and everyone has a habit of his or her own. There are times when these habits get in the way and become roadblocks to your success. Practice and be aware of your habits, and get past the roadblocks to become more successful in your interviews.

Alan Carniol

Alan is the creator of Interview Success Formula, a training program that has helped more than 40,000 job seekers to ace their interviews and land the jobs they deserve. Interviewers love asking curveball questions to weed out job seekers. But the truth is, most of these questions are asking about a few key areas. Learn more about how to outsmart tough interviewers by watching this video.

Senior International Accountant – Houston – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

International Senior Accountant 

This is a newly created role due to growth! Image result for international accountant

We are looking for someone with 4 plus years of experience. Oracle or Hyperion, and International and Intercompany accounting experience is required for this role. The position is locate in the Spring Branch area of Houston.

Responsibilities

  • Analyze the financial results of international subsidiaries for accuracy;
  • Obtain and provide first level review of international subsidiaries variance analysis;
  • Review sales commissions calculation and work collaboratively with Accounts Receivable on collections;
  • Ensure balance sheet accounts are reconciled and analyzed in accordance with U.S. GAAP and company policy;
  • Monitor intercompany balances and transactions and ensuring proper allocation, reconciling transactions and resolving discrepancies;
  • Manage dividend collections and ensure proper coding of dividends by subsidiaries;
  • Support statutory audits of international subsidiaries;
  • Support development of accounting policies and procedures over international operations;
  • Support the development and implementation of process improvement initiatives;
  • Ad-hoc reporting and assistance in special projects as needed by management

Requirements/Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or Finance
  • Over 4 years of relevant work experience
  • Strong working knowledge of US GAAP;
  • Excellent analytical and technical research skills and ability to make sound business decisions in complex and ambiguous business environments;
  • Demonstrated high level of integrity and business ethics;
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills;
  • Ability to drive change confidently, rapidly and effectively;
  • Recent experience in international accounting and finance;
  • High proficiency with Oracle and Hyperion;
  • Advanced computer skills and knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, etc)

dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

 

 

 

 

Senior Accountant – Katy, Texas – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

ABOUT THE COMPANY

Our client has a key advantage in being able to construction services, as well as engineering and procurement.

Their tight knit, highly productive, team atmosphere makes our client a great place to work.

RESPONSIBILITIES OF THE SENIOR ACCOUNTANT:

    • Assisting the Controller to ensure adherence to the company’s minimum financial controls.
    • Revenue recognition for turnkey and time and material construction projects.
    • Collaborating to timely and accurate complete the company’s Standard Reporting Package.
    • Establish and build relationships that improve results on key initiatives.
    • Manage cost accounting procedures and methods.
    • Ability to identify, assess and manage risks in areas of the role.

EXPERIENCE PREFERRED FOR THE SENIOR ACCOUNTANT ROLE:    

    • Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting
    • Proficient in using Financial ERP systems data mining technologies
    • Proficient in Microsoft Office with mastery in Excel (e.g. pivot tables, advanced formula creation, VLookUps, spreadsheet creation) 
    • Demonstrated ability to understand business processes and impact on profitability
    • Demonstration of ability to work in a changing environment and balance priorities
    • Ability to travel from 5 to 10% of the time
    • A minimum of two years of experience performing the above requirements

 

May 2017 Newsletter for Accounting & Finance Professionals from Diane Delgado LeMaire @ CFS

Industry News and Updates

I can’t believe it is already May. This year is flying by so quickly and with that, the employment market is shifting. Personally, I have seen a tremendous amount of new orders coming across my desk. The actual volume truly started to pick up towards the end of March and I am hopeful that it is here to stay!

Every year we attend an event sponsored by the CT Bauer College of Business (Go Coogs!) and the Institute for Regional Forecasting Economics Symposium. I wanted to share some of the things we learned from Robert W. Gilmer Ph. D. and his presentation.

  • For the first time since November of 2014, oil-related jobs are growing in Houston
  • Throughout the “oil recession” Houston has only lost 0.5% local jobs because of the strong surrounding economy and population growth related to the prior oil boom. This momentum typically lags behind the current market by 1-3 years.
  • Over the long term, job growth in Houston is determined 28.3% by long-term interest in the city such as climate and culture, 38.6% by US economic expansion nationwide, and 33.2% by oil-related job growth.
  • Big picture, the price of oil is a supply-side issue. Demand has steadily been increasing since records first started being taken, and the global drilling technology has increased by a faster rate than the demand since the early 2000s.
  • Drillers are still waiting on 50-60 dollar oil to become profitable. Some of the deep-water and shale methods of exploration will not be profitable until oil is priced above $65/barrel. Internally, we have seen a strong pickup in activity from offshore drillers and oil transportation companies since the end of 2016.
  • In Spring 2016, rig counts have started to rebound and all predictive forecasts estimate slow and steady growth in this area for the next five years.
  • 2017 is projected to be one of the largest construction years for petrochemical & refinery projects in Houston’s history.

Please feel free to share any comments or ask any questions! See you in August!

Local Statistics:

  • National Unemployment Rate: 4.6 (last year 5.1)
  • Houston Unemployment Rate:  5.7 (last year 4.9)
  • Labor Participation Rate: 62.9% (last year 62.8%) – All time high January 2000: 67.30% / All-time low 1977: 62.4%
  • Manufacturing Index: 51.4 (last year 45.9)
  • Oil Rig Count: 789 (last year 477)
  • Price of Oil:  $49.33  (last year $37.55)
  • Industries hiring: Retail, Manufacturing, Real Estate, Consumer Goods, Limited Oil & Gas is coming back, Non Profit, Public Accounting Firms!!!!
  • Positions in demand: Audit, Audit & IT Audit! SEC Reporting at all levels, Staff Accountants and limited Controller roles. Senior Accountants with specific niche experience.

Interesting Articles:

Current list of openings:

Galleria and Downtown:

  • Assistant Controller  – Manufacturing, Consolidations, Hyperion
  • Senior Internal Auditor – 10% travel – SOX, Financial, Operational Audits – 2B
  • Senior IT Auditor – 10% travel – Public Accounting preferred – 2B
  • Senior Financial Analyst – Private Equity backed portfolio company
  • Controller – 70M privately held company – POC, Time and Labor exp needed
  • Senior Treasury Analyst – CTP and international / foreign exchange needed
  • Pricing Analyst – Professional Services exp required!
  • Spanish speaking Bookkeeper / Office Manager
  • E&P Financial Reporting Manager (Fund), CPA a MUST
  • Procurement Financial Analyst, must have leasing, modeling and capex
  • Benefits Administrator, Spanish a Plus, 2 years experience
  • Senior Internal Auditor – 50% – TRUE Mgt Rotation Program!!!!


Northwest Houston

  • Senior Internal Auditor – 10% Travel – 500M dollar company
  • Staff Internal Auditor – 10% Travel – 500M dollar company
  • Senior Auditor – 20% Travel – MUST have CPA
  • Senior Internal Auditor – 50% travel – 30% bonus (historically PAID!)


Sugar Land, Stafford Area: 

  • Cost Accounting Manger – Standard Cost and Inventory – High Growth Mode
  • Entry Level Accountant – December 2016, May 2017 grads with internships needed!
  • Senior Accounting Analyst – Big 4 or SEC reporting exp. – If you really want to learn SEC and Corporate Accounting – this is the one for you!
  • Accounting Supervisor – Temp to Hire!
  • Grant Accountant


North Houston: 

  • Senior Internal Auditor – 10% travel….short track to manager; revamping Audit program!


Bryan / Navasota:

  • Bookkeeper or Staff Accountant – AP, AR, Payroll, GL

Pearland:

  • Junior Accountant – New Accounting or Finance Graduate ready to work for a global company with over 90,000 employees

West: 

  • Payroll Specialist – MUST speak Spanish
  • Financial Analyst with FERC
  • Crude Oil Analyst – Midstream
  • Senior Accountant – Far West – E&C – Project Accounting experience preferred

 

Southeast Houston: 

  • Financial Reporting Manager, CPA, Big 4

 

Diane Delgado LeMaire

Senior Managing Director, Executive Search & Branch Manager

dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

www.linkedin.com/in/dianedelgadolemaire/

https://dianedelgadolemaire.wordpress.com/

www.facebook.com/CPARecruiterHouCFS

 

 

How to handle a preliminary phone interview….

Beware, beware the preliminary phone interview. While often disguised as a ”quick chat” or little more than a formality en route to the real thing, it’s really not to be underestimated. For the hiring manager the call is a chance to whittle down their search to the genuine candidates and to gauge the interest, professionalism, […]

via How to handle a preliminary phone interview — claireaydogan

The Five Worst Types of Resumes By Andrea Gerson

Article originally posted on http://www.resumescripter.com

Resume Scripter Blog – Resume Scripter

 

Senior Financial Analyst – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com – Houston

Senior Financial Analyst
The Finance Analyst position will support the Financial Planning & Analysis Director through various planning, reporting and analysis tasks.

Responsibilities:                                                                                             

  • Works with various departments to gather and update the rolling 18 month forecast on a monthly basis.
  • Supports the regional finance managers with the 18 month forecast.
  • Maintains the revenue model based on feedback from operations management and functional support management.
  • Compiles and presents monthly and quarterly operating plans
  • Analyzes P&L data, identifies significant variances and recommends updates to the current plan monthly.
  • Prepares monthly reports for financial book and ensures accuracy and completeness of final books.
  • Develops, refines and documents forecasting processes and procedures.
  • Assists with the development, maintenance, and testing of new BPC reports and templates.
  • Participates as a key contributor to the annual budgeting team, helping to coordinate P&L and capital expenditure budgeting

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s degree in Finance or Accounting
  • 3+ years of related experience minimum
  • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (specifically Excel and PowerPoint)
  • Aptitude for financial reporting systems; SAP Business Planning and Consolidations (BPC) preferred

Other: 

  • Strong analytical and organizational skills, with the ability to handle multiple priorities concurrently
  • Eagerness to learn and contribute in a team environment
  • Broad understanding of financial models and analytical tools
  • Strong written and oral communication skills
  • Strong work ethic

UPDATED: Accounting & Finance JOBS – Houston – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Galleria and Downtown:

  • Assistant Controller  – Manufacturing, Consolidations, Hyperion
  • Senior Internal Auditor – 10% travel – SOX, Financial, Operational Audits – 2B
  • Senior IT Auditor – 10% travel – Public Accounting preferred – 2B
  • Senior Financial Analyst – Private Equity backed portfolio company
  • Controller – 70M privately held company – POC, Time and Labor exp needed
  • Senior Treasury Analyst – CTP and international / foreign exchange needed
  • Pricing Analyst – Professional Services exp required!
  • Spanish speaking Bookkeeper / Office Manager
  • E&P Financial Reporting Manager (Fund), CPA a MUST
  • Procurement Financial Analyst, must have leasing, modeling and capex
  • Benefits Administrator, Spanish a Plus, 2 years experience
  • Senior Internal Auditor – 50% – TRUE Mgt Rotation Program!!!!

Northwest Houston

  • Senior Internal Auditor – 10% Travel – 500M dollar company
  • Staff Internal Auditor – 10% Travel – 500M dollar company
  • Senior Auditor – 20% Travel – MUST have CPA
  • Senior Internal Auditor – 50% travel – 30% bonus (historically PAID!)

Sugar Land, Stafford Area: 

  • Cost Accounting Manger – Standard Cost and Inventory – High Growth Mode
  • Entry Level Accountant – December 2016, May 2017 grads with internships needed!
  • Senior Accounting Analyst – Big 4 or SEC reporting exp. – If you really want to learn SEC and Corporate Accounting – this is the one for you!
  • Accounting Supervisor – Temp to Hire!

North Houston: 

  • Senior Internal Auditor – 10% travel….short track to manager; revamping Audit program!

Bryan / Navasota:

  • Bookkeeper or Staff Accountant – AP, AR, Payroll, GL

West: 

  • Payroll Specialist – MUST speak Spanish
  • Financial Analyst with FERC
  • Crude Oil Analyst – Midstream

Southeast Houston: 

  • Financial Reporting Manager, CPA, Big 4

 

Staff & Senior Auditor 10% Travel – Northwest Houston – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Our client is a $500MM publicly traded retailer with locations nation-wide. Over 500 locations in 48 states! And they have been in business for over 20 years!

  • Opening: 1 Staff & 1 Senior Internal Auditor. T

 Why work here?

  • 10% travel nationally
  • CPA/CPE support
  • “Get your work done” environment where schedules can be flexible
  • 50% discount on all products
  • One of the few retailers in growth mode
  • ½ day Fridays during Summer
  • 40-45 hour weeks
  • New-hires will be direct reports to the Director of Internal Audit

The Senior Internal Auditor will be responsible for the co-development and performance of audits in support of the Company’s internal audit plan and supervision of staff on the internal audit team.

The Senior Internal Auditor will also assist management with the planning, testing, review, and reporting of the Company’s internal controls related to Sarbanes Oxley compliance, as well as performing substantive audit procedures in support of the external auditor’s year-end audit.

If you love Audit, but not the travel, this role could be for you!!!!

Our client has been in business for over 100 years! They are currently revamping their Audit program and searching for an Audit Senior who would love to be part of that process.

If you love to train and mentor, there are two staff auditors waiting for your guidance!

What do you need to qualify:

  • Accounting or Finance Degree
  • CIA, CPA, CISA or any other related Audit certification
  • 4 to 10 years of Audit experience
  • SOX
  • A great attitude!

Why Apply?

  • Get in on the ground floor of a new Audit program
  • Have a great shot at the manager role….quickly!
  • Travel less than 15% (all domestic and day trips!)
  • Get a chance to truly make your mark.
  • Help train and mentor the rookie Auditors.
  • This is NOT just SOX!

Responsibilities:

  • Assist in the development of an annual audit schedule along with quarterly updates
  • Participate in a wide range of audit projects to include SOX testing along with various operational, financial and compliance audits
  • Partner with Director and key business leaders to continually evolve Audit Plans and risk coverage.
  • Use judgement and critical thinking skills to influent business partners, senior managers and peers.
  • Review Workpapers of various team members and prepare written reports to support opinions.
  • Keep abreast of current and industry best practices and assist in training audit staff on audit principles and processes, while reinforcing management expectations.

 

This Is What the Best Candidates I Ever Interviewed Had in Common – By Sara McCord

This Is What the Best Candidates I Ever Interviewed Had in Common by Sara McCord originally appeared in The Muse

Tell me if this sounds familiar: You continually make it to the interview stage, and then—crickets.

You have the skills to get in the door, but for some reason, you stall out when it comes to getting the offer. It’s super frustrating, and you can’t help but wonder why.

As someone who was responsible for recruiting and interviewing applicants for fellowship openings at organizations nationwide, I can tell you it’s true that being qualified isn’t always enough to edge out the competition.

So, how do you become on of those people the hiring manager will fight for when it comes down to just two qualified people?

The answer is simple: Build a real connection with your interviewer. Without a doubt, that was what made me pick one similarly-qualified applicant over another. (I’m only human, after all.)

Doing this is easier than you think—in fact, all the applicants who “connected” with me during the process only had to do the following:

1. They Made it Clear Why They Fit the Organization

It’s fair to think of an interview like a test. After all, someone’s asking you questions and judging you based on your answers.

However, this mindset will backfire.

That’s because you ace a test by studying up and giving the right answers. But the “perfect” answers are almost never the best in an interview situation, because they make you sound like everyone else. If you say you want to work at a company because it’s number one in it’s field—and leave it there—odds are you’re giving the same answer as others.

The trick is to push yourself a step further and make sure you figure into your reply.

For example, I interviewed a candidate, who in discussing her commitment to public interest work talked about efforts to raise awareness about sexual assault on her campus. While it wasn’t directly relevant to the role she was applying for, it showed that she volunteered on causes she cared about—and that’s the sort of civically engaged applicant we were looking for.

So, work stories that show why you’re interested in the company into your answers. Often, when you relay a story you share more about how you think and that helps the other person feel like he or she’s getting to know you. Plus, it feels like a more genuine way to talk about yourself.

 

2. They Showed They Were Listening

You know that asking questions at the end of your interview is a great way to build a connection. However, posing them is not enough.

The crucial next step is to actually listen to the answer.

I know, it sounds obvious. But you wouldn’t believe how many people asked me something, and then when I finished dove right into an unrelated next question without even taking a breath.

This made me feel like they had no interest in what I had to say, and just wanted to score points.

Conversely, I was always impressed with the applicants who listened close enough to what I said to ask an unrehearsed follow-up question. Too nervous to think on your feet? It can be a simple as saying “Can you tell me more about [something the interviewer just said]?”

When you listen, it becomes a two-way exchange. That makes your interview feels more like a conversation, which boosts the likelihood of feeling connected.

 

3. They Wrote a Thoughtful Thank You Note

Another way I knew a candidate was listening was if they referenced something I said in their follow-up.

Some people will tell you that all that matters about thank you notes is that they’re sent. And it’s true that simply following this rule would put you leagues ahead of those who forget.

However, I always appreciated one that went the extra mile and discussed something specific to the conversation.

Ask yourself: Did you learn anything new during the discussion? Was there a story they seemed especially interested in (by asking more)? Or something you feel you only touched on that you could’ve discussed further?

Let these answers guide your message. It’ll give you something meaningful to say between “Thank you for taking the time…” and “I look forward to hearing about next steps.” Plus, it’ll reinforce the connection you started to build.

Pro tip: In addition to sending an email within 24 hours, also send a handwritten one so the hiring manger will be reminded of you fondly a few days after the fact.

It’s not enough to just have the skills or passion. The candidates who rose to the top of my list also took the time to connect with me, to make it clear they saw me as a person, and not just an obstacle standing between them and the position. And because of that, it was easy to say to my team, “This person is the right one for the job!”

Cost & Inventory Accounting Manager – Stafford – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Position Summary:

This newly created position will be responsible for developing and maintaining process and internal controls around the financial inventory function.

Essential Functions/ Key Results Areas:

  • Work with Operations to develop and maintain a cycle count process.  Reconcile and investigate variances between counts and Infor, and propose possible solutions.
  • Support Operations, Quality,  Services and other internal clients to ensure accurate DEA product recording and reporting.
  • Responsible for coordinating the year end physical inventory with Operations.
  • Partner with Operations in inventory related improvements that will result in increased production and efficiency as the company expands.
  • Utilize expertise in ERP inventory transaction flows to partner with Operations in developing and maintaining process mappings; use subject expertise to determine possible inefficiencies within Infor to create cost and/or time savings.
  • Develop reporting tools and internal controls with the Cost Controller to ensure the accuracy of the inventory valuation and monthly Cost of Goods Sold calculations.
  • Work closely with Accounts Payable to ensure all payments for inventory have been properly ordered and received.
  • Support internal and external financial audit activities.
  • Perform month-end close activities including reconciling of inventory and related liabilities.
  • Perform other duties, as needed, for the Financial Operations Controller, Chief Development Officer and the leadership team.

Requirements: 

 

  • Bachelor’s degree in Accounting or relevant discipline
  • Strong understanding of GAAP
  • 5-7 years of experience as an Inventory or Cost Accountant
  • Experience with ERP systems required;

(70-82K) + 5-10% discretionary bonus

 

 

Sourcing / Procurement Financial Analyst – Houston – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Our client is a Fortune 500 company and a market leader with annual sales north of 5 Billion dollars! 

This position reports to the Director and has an active role in month end reporting and analysis, ad hoc reporting, budgeting, forecasting, projections and preforming detailed analytics on companies purchasing behavior. The Financial Analyst partners with Operations in helping to drive consistency through their procurement methods and reporting. 

Overview: 
• Assists in the preparation, review and distribution of monthly capital expenditure and commitment reports.
• Prepares monthly analytics report and distributes to field.
• Tracks and reconciles operating leases within consolidated tool.
• Analyzes reports for variances from forecasted, budgeted and benchmarked performance and provide recommendations.
• Monitors and reports actual results vs. key business performance indicators.
• Provides management with continuous improvement plans to sustain and drive improvements throughout the business.
• Assists in the budgeting process.
• Participates in a wide variety of specific financial analysis projects and compile a variety of specific reports.

Requirements

  • 3 to 6 years of relevant experience (Audit/Accounting/Finance)
  • Experience with Leases, rentals and construction eexperiencepreferred
  • “Rockstar” personality – Growth oriented

dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Professional Services – Financial / Pricing Analyst – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Financial / Pricing Analyst – Houston – 

Responsibilities:
• Develop pricing proposals
• Perform predictive scenario / sensitivity analysis and modeling to assess the impact of proposed initiatives.
• Assist with the development and administration of pricing systems.
• Monitor the performance and compare financial and operational performance against internal and external benchmarks.
• Compare financial and operational performance against internal and external benchmarks.
• Research and analysis related to other assigned financial projects, including monitoring of trends in support of the rate-setting and review process.
• Maintain billing rate information in systems and address questions as needed.
• Report on the status of various department initiatives and metrics to the Chief Financial Officer and other key stakeholders.

Job Requirements:
• A bachelor’s degree in finance, economics, accounting, or a business related degree is required.
• A minimum of two years’ experience in a professional services firm in areas related to financial analysis is strongly preferred;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work effectively with employees at all levels.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
• Must be organized, analytical and detail oriented.
• Able to multi-task, prioritize, and deliver quality work product in a deadline driven environment; overtime is required during peak times.

Senior Accounting Analyst – Stafford – dlemaire@cfstaffing.com

Senior Accounting Analyst

  • Assist in preparation of SEC filings (Forms 10Q, 10K and 11K, 8-K, Proxy), including completion of the GAAP disclosure checklist, tie out binder and related schedules, and assist with and review the XBRL tagging
  • Responsible for preparation of non-standard journal entries as part of the monthly closing of the corporate books
  • Responsible for performing research and related documentation in technical memoranda, as necessary
  • Perform monthly / quarterly analysis of significant balance sheet and operating accounts
  • Responsible for supporting the Corporate Controller with audit requests from the external auditors, benefit plan auditors, and internal audit, as requested
  • Support the data conversion and validation efforts related to the implementation
  • Ad Hoc Projects!!!!

Requirements:

  • Degree in Accounting
  • CPA a Plus
  • Public Accounting experience (Big 4 or large regional firm experience preferred)

dlemaire@cfstaffing.com