At the end of the interview when you, the interviewer, ask the candidate, “Do you have any questions for us?” it’s often hard to know what to expect. Will the candidate ask a couple of superficial questions just to be polite, or will he or she ask deep, probing questions?
If a candidate appears to be simply going through the motions at this point, this is often a sign of a candidate who is not fully engaged with your brand and the hiring process. On the other hand, a candidate who probes and asks questions of substance is a more engaged candidate. The person is trying to form a picture of your business to see if it is the right cultural fit, job fit, technical fit and career fit for him or her. This more discerning approach is likely to be taken by the best candidates. But, what questions are…
Many older workers are holding on to their jobs instead of retiring — and that’s causing a logjam in the labor market.
After reaching a historic peak in 2000, the labor force participation rate — the sum of workers and those who want to work as a proportion of the working-age population — “drifted gradually downward,” says Patrick O’Keefe, director of economic research at CohnReznick, an accounting and advisory firm. The decline accelerated with the 2008 recession and the rate fell to a 36-year low of 62.8% at the end of 2013 and, he says, “has hovered around that level since.” The rate was at 62.9% in January 2015.
There’s been a sharp decline in labor force participation among younger workers (aged 16 to 24) and prime-age working adults (aged 25 to 54), according to the most recent Bureau of Labor Statistics figures, while older workers have been holding on to their jobs. “Coincidentally, a larger share of baby boomers, an exceptionally large cohort, continues to participate at historically high levels,” O’Keefe says. “Fewer Americans have or are seeking jobs and that has long-term implications for the U.S. economy and economic policy.”
In the fourth quarter, the labor force participation rate of younger workers was just 55.5% after holding steady at about 66% from 1998 to 2000, and participation by the prime earning group (ages 25 to 54) was unchanged at 80.8% after peaking at 84.4% in early 2000. However, participation among those approaching retirement had slipped only slightly from the mid-2010 post-war record rate of 65.3% to 64.3% in the most recent quarter and was 18.6% for those 65-plus, just shy of a two-year high of 19%.
Americans have either decided to remain in the workforce at a time when they might have otherwise retired due to finances or because they like working, “and that has meant greater competition for jobs,” says Mark Hamrick, Washington bureau chief at personal finance site Bankrate.com. Only 26% of Americans have a traditional notion of retirement in which they plan to stop working altogether, according to a new survey of 7,000 households released last week by The Pew Charitable Trusts.
Many Generation Xers — those born between 1965 and 1980 — are stuck in middle management and waiting for leadership jobs, says Dan Schawbel, founder of WorkplaceTrends.com. “They’re the most stressed out, raising children, hit hardest by the property market crash and impatient and frustrated because they want to seize those executive-level roles, but they’re going up against boomers who are not ready to leave,” he says. “But they potentially have the first shot when these positions become available.”
This creates problems for those at the bottom of the ladder.
Many millennials — born between 1981 and 1996 — are choosing to stay in college longer and go to graduate school, a decision designed to help their employment and wage prospects in later years, Bankrate.com’s Hamrick says. “This also helps explain why the near-term financial prospects for many young people have been dampened early,” he adds. “The result is a ripple effect touching on many things including the housing market, vehicle purchases and saving for retirement.”
This is also manifested in the trend of more young people living at home. A record high of 21.6 million millennials were living with their parents in 2012, up from 18.5 million of their same-aged counterparts in 2007, according to a 2013 report released by the Pew Research Center. Of these young people living at home, at least a third and perhaps as many as half were estimated to be college students, Pew found. One theory: With more boomers working, Generation Xers are holding on to jobs that were once available to millennials.
Boomers, meanwhile, are hanging on, too. CohnReznick‘s O’Keefe, 68, is one such case. “I have a job that requires virtually no physical activity,” he says. “Many of my peers are still in the process of repairing the damage of the twin meltdowns.” Technology has also rendered many jobs obsolete in recent years, he adds. “Changes in calculations that used to take a couple of days now take minutes,” he says. “We didn’t have electronic calculators back then. We actually knew how to do a square root or calculate compound interest.”
Our client is growing and adding to their HR Team. We are looking for candidates who started their career in Accounting, but prefer to work in Human Resources. This is a newly created role and a blank sheet of paper to make into your own. Email me for more details at dlemaire@cfstaffing.com
Responsibilities:
Support bi-weekly, semi-monthly, monthly, quarterly, and annual financial closes with the recording of needed journal entries.
Analyze data and reconcile and balance payroll results, payroll postings and general ledger interface transmittals for all on and off cycle processing’s and adjustment runs.
Provide reconciliations of payroll-related balance sheet and bank accounts.
Provide analysis and back up for all payroll accrual accounts.
Provide subject matter expertise related to HR queries and reports.
Design and develop timely and accurate ad-hoc reports for management; provide analysis and interpretation of report data as required.
Manage regular reporting of employee data to state and federal regulatory agencies, EEO-1.
Interpret and forecast data, as well as translate the metrics into a compelling story and relate it to business impact for HR and company leadership.
Perform analysis of relevant HR data, identify trends and develop predictive analytics to support the business and fact-driven decision making.
Keep current with emerging industry standards and industry issues as they relate to HR accounting and reporting.
Responsible for 401(k) audit and Form 5500 preparation
Serve as primary contact for record-keeper
Prepare quarterly report for the 401(k) Committee
Review and reconcile claims paid
Reconcile health plan-related general leger accounts
Prepare Form 5500 work papers
Other
Supervise the Payroll Administrator, HR Admin (Comp and Benefits), Receptionist and Operator
Take ownership of and ensure integrity of HR data through development of audit reports; troubleshoot irregularities; research, correct discrepancies, and ensure compliance
Knowledge:
Bachelor’s Degree in accounting or finance required
Knowledge of GAAP and statutory accounting principles
Our client is looking to hire a Sales & Use Tax Manager to supervise a team of 5. Email me at dlemaire@cfstaffing.com for more details.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Aggressive, timely and responsive audit defense of companies sales and use tax positions. Manage statute of limitations. Recommend and advise whether to pay without protest, protest or settle audits.
Manage the preparation and accuracy of monthly account reconciliations to ensure that balances are consistent with returns filed/payments made and resolve any special issues.
Preparing or reviewing annual reports and business /city license registrations.
Ensure sales tax rates are updated as per state requirements within Taxware and third party tax service providers.
Manage customer sales tax exemption certificates.
Monitor tax disputes and their resolution in a timely manner.
Manage a team of 5 sales and use tax professionals.
Preparation of tax information as needed for third parties.
Oversee storage and electronic maintenance of tax returns and related tax supporting documentation.
Act as a tax department liaison and advocate on tax issues impacting the company.
Effectively manage relationships with third party tax service providers.
As a part of our executive management team, the CFO will have input on strategic decisions, such as budgeting, pricing, acquisition and new market initiatives, and major capital projects. This will include oversight of administration throughout the organization including insurance, IT and HR.
Position Objectives:
Improve financial reporting, costing, and analysis to support strategic decision making
Lead the creation of new business plans regarding additional facilities, acquisitions, and new product line profitability
Manage controllers at each operating entity to ensure detailed and accurate revenue tracking and cost accounting
Leading the integration and growth of HR, IT, and risk management
Manage relationships with banks and investors including financial reporting, borrowing base calculation, cash flow monitoring, and covenant tracking
Criteria:
CFO or Controller experience managing accounting, FP&A, and/or other strategic and leadership responsibilities
Desire and ability to take a leadership role in a dynamic and growing organization
10+ years of accounting or finance experience
Interest in diverse areas, from system and software technology to human resources
CPA, or equivalent experience, is a benefit but not a requirement
Reporting: Reports to and will work closely with the CEO and the companies’ founders
10 Reasons Why a Recruiter Hates your CV? – Interview Expert Academy//
Your CV or Resume is your first impression with a recruiter. It can leaving a lasting impression – both positively and negatively.
Get it right and the likelihood is that you’ll get an interview. Get it wrong and that’s the last you’ll hear from them. You won’t get the chance to meet them face to face.
What can you do to make sure that you get an interview?
Well, the starting point is to avoid the following pitfalls. Too many times candidates fall into one or more of these traps. Take time to craft your CV or Resume. Remember it’s your brochure. It represents you and is your first impression.
10 CV / Resume Pitfalls to Avoid
1. Poor Layouts or Odd Formats
Now I’m not a big fan of the traditional black text on white background as a way of ensuring that your CV or Resume stands out. I like to see a little bit of creativity to show that you’re different from everyone else.
Regardless of whether you go the traditional black text on white route or something more creative, be careful. Your CV or Resume needs to be easy on the eye of the recruiter. They need to be able to glance at it quickly and find the information they need. They will not spend a lot of time searching for information.
Put time and effort into crafting your CV or Resume. Just remember that its purpose is to get you an interview.
2. Too Many Fonts
Whilst I’m a fan of being creative to stand out from the crowd, it does not mean using lots of different fonts to do it.
Stick to 1 or 2 fonts. No more.
If you do use more than 1 font make sure that it looks appropriate and easy to read next to the main one.
When we read text our eyes adjust to the font and its size. Too many fonts becomes difficult to read. It increases the likelihood that you’ll end up in the ‘No’ pile.
3. Spelling Errors
Make sure that every word that you’ve used is spelt correctly. Use a dictionary or spellchecker on your computer to double check a spelling. Then have someone else check your CV to make sure everything is spelt correctly. Sometimes spellcheckers aren’t always right.
Don’t leave it to chance. Recruiters want to see that their potential new recruit is proficient in the use of language.
4. Grammatical Errors
Avoid long sentences. Keep your sentences short and to the point. It’ll make it that much easier to read.
Be careful with punctuation, commas and full stops.
Again once you’ve completed your CV or Resume have it checked for grammatical errors.
5. Weak Personal Statement
Personally I’m not a big fan of personal statements at the top of CVs or Resumes.
Why?
Because they generally say little about a candidate. Rather they appear like a bucket list of everything that the candidate is e.g. ‘great working as part of a team or working on my own’ or that they are ‘innovative, creative….’
I really dislike them!
Do you get the idea? But many recruiters like to see them. So if you’re going to use one make it relevant to the role you’re applying for. Tailor it. Be specific. Use it to draw a recruiter in to reading more about you.
Just please don’t use it as a bucket to throw every cliche into.
6. Meaningless Words
CVs and Resumes have a tendency to include meaningless words.
Words that we think sound good. Words that sound powerful and impressive.
Unfortunately those words create the opposite impression. I wrote about this in ’28 Overused Meaningless Resume Words’. Take a look at the most popular meaningless words.
Be specific in your language. Make it easy to read and understand.
7. Lacking Relevance
This is a real bugbear of mine. Far too many CVs or Resumes are prepared once and then used for every job application. No two jobs are the same, so your CV or Resume cannot be the same for each role. Make it specific to the role you’re applying for. Make it relevant.
Too many CVs and Resumes list the responsibilities or tasks for a job role.
Your emphasis needs to be on what you achieved. What value you brought to the role and the tasks.
9. Gaps
Recruiters hate gaps on CVs and Resumes. Gaps in employment usually raise alarm bells for a recruiters.
It may not stop you from getting an interview, but chances are you will get the question, ‘Why is there a gap between ‘x’ date and ‘y’ date?’
You’ll need to be ready with an answer.
Better still explain the gap in your CV. Show that you’ve used the time wisely and positively. For more information read ‘Explaining a Gap on your CV’.
10. Too Long
How long is too long for a CV or Resume?
Well it depends.
Some recruiters will tell you to stick to 2 pages, but sometimes that just isn’t enough space to detail everything about you.
One thing is for sure, 8 pages is too long! I had a candidate with a CV that lasted 8 pages. Far too long!!
The point of your CV or Resume is to interest and intrigue a recruiter. A CV or Resume is not your life story. Make sure that is contains all the important points. It’s long enough to cover them, but short enough to keep a recruiter interested.
CV Pitfalls
If you’re about to put together your CV or Resume or if you’ve already crafted it, take some time to review it against these 10 pitfalls. Does yours fall into 1 or more of these? If it does change it.
Remember you want to stand out for the right reasons, not the wrong ones!
NEW YORK (MarketWatch)—Can oil futures sustain an admittedly volatile rebound that has left crude prices up around 14% from six-year lows in six sessions? It might all depend on how traders react to storage incentives.
In other words, it won’t be nearby futures contracts that tell the story. The clue will come from how oil futures for delivery months or years into the future perform, strategists say.
First, though, it’s important to note that the oil market is in a condition known as “contango” (see chart below). This means that the spot price for oil is lower than the price for future delivery (when the nearby price is higher than the future price, that is known as “backwardation.”) As the chart shows, the contango has been deepening, as is often the case in bearish episodes.
For example, Nymex West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery CLH5, +1.88% settled Thursday at $50.48 a barrel, while oil for delivery a year later in March 2016 CLH6, +0.86% finished at $60.96.
In the Brent market, March 2015 futures LCOH5, +1.04% settled at $56.57 a barrel versus $66.12 for the March 2016 LCOH6, +1.18% contract, a smaller but still significant premium for the year-ahead contract.
This sort of disparity can provide a trading opportunity. Here’s how it works:
If the premium is wide enough to cover storage costs, it provides an incentive for physical traders to store crude. That’s contributed to the recent run-up in crude supplies, with U.S. inventories now the largest in eight decades.
In fact, the differential between nearby and longer-dated futures is wide enough that deep-pocketed commodity-trading firms have started to buy more expensive floating storage, i.e. oil tankers, in an effort to take advantage of the contango. One large trading firm even booked a three-million-barrel-capacity tanker, one of the world’s largest, to store oil, Reuters reported last month.
Here’s an example of how it works from Vikas Dwivedi, global oil and gas strategist at Macquarie in Houston:
Buy the physical crude, say, for example, dated Brent for $55.10 per barrel
Obtain a VLCC (very large crude carrier). Capacity: two million barrels Cost: $1.15 per barrel per month.
Add monthly financing cost: $55.10 x 10% = $5.51 per year or $0.45 per barrel per month
Full monthly cost per barrel to store oil is $1.15 + $0.45 = $1.60 per barrel.
Sell second month Brent futures at $57.78 to deliver the oil against from the VLCC
Total economics = $57.78 sale price – $55.10 purchase price – $1.60 cost of carry = $1.08 per barrel of risk free profit
Analysts say that large storage increases by themselves aren’t necessarily bearish. Indeed, the notion that traders are buying crude oil and locking it away in storage is getting some credit for the rebound in oil futures.
But the market might be facing a moment of truth.
“If the back end of the curve fails to benefit from the recent price increase, we would see a high chance for the front end to reverse the latest gains,” wrote strategists at JBC Energy in Vienna on Wednesday.
In other words, if the contango doesn’t steepen, the incentive to store will fade away, making more crude readily available and weighing down the market. The need for a steeper contango will be amplified as storage tightens, driving costs higher.
Macquarie’s Dwivedi is skeptical that oil has bottomed.
“There is a chance the oil markets were already discounting the large oversupplies we are expecting when the recent lows were reached but we doubt i t— commodity markets are rarely that efficient and if they were, the back of the Brent curve would already be trading in the low $80s instead of the mid-$60 range,” he wrote.
Why take an AR Analyst role with this company?
• Exposure to many areas of AR and Treasury
• Key part of the AR team
• Opportunity to work for one of the best employers in Houston
• Ability to with a diverse group of clients both domestic and international
What the AR Analyst will do…
• Checking bank account for wires and allocate payments
• Process payments from lockbox
• Reconcile GL Accounts and research credit balances and problems
• Perform the above functions on an engagement by engagement basis
What the company needs in an AR Analyst:
• H.S. Diploma or some college
• 2 years of electronic lock box experience
• 5 years of AR experience
• Ability to work independently and as a team
Perks of the AR Analyst role:
• Annual bonus
• Strong medical benefit package
• 401-K with match
• 37.5 hour work week
There have been a lot of changes at CFS and the local market this year. First things first: CFS has changed its legal structure and is now an ESOP, as such please update my new email address to dlemaire@cfstaffing.com.
Now, let’s get into the crazy drop in oil price and my personal opinion on what may happen this year. I still think Houston is going to experience steady growth. I just don’t think it will be at the rate it was in 2014. There are certain industries that will benefit from the price of oil. The flipside to that is that there are also industries that will not do so well and will experience some layoffs. At this point though, I think everyone is enjoying the cheap gas prices. The reduction in cost gives the consumer more money to spend on goods. If it were a perfect world, oil would settle around 60 dollars a barrel in my mind. That would make the Oil & Gas companies happy (not ecstatic) and the consumers would be satisfied as well.
It will be interesting to see what happens with the US production continuing to increase over the years to come. Will 50 dollars a barrel be the new norm? Either way, business always finds a way to make money. Some will be able to make a profit at the current price and some simply will not. I think the bottom line is that there will be an impact on Houston, but we are in a much better place economically to take the hit.
I love this quote from Patrick Jankowski Senior VP of Research at the GHP: “When oil prices are low, Houston’s economy grows and When oil prices are high, Houston’s economy booms!”
Houston has landed the No. 1 spot on Forbes’ latest annual list of America’s Fastest-Growing Cities.
“Thanks in large part to the boom in horizontal drilling and fracking, which has helped the Houston metro area add a whopping 667,800 new jobs since 2005, the energy city is an economic powerhouse: Its 4.5 percent year-over-year job growth rate is the nation’s fastest,” the Forbes report notes. “Jobs at major corporations like ConocoPhillips and Halliburton help boost the median annual pay for college-educated workers to $71,900, fourth among America’s 100 largest metro areas. Add to that an economy that grew at a 3.52-percent clip last year alone.”
The Houston metro area is expected to create 63,000 jobs in 2015, Forbes reports from stats offered by the Greater Houston Partnership. As well, some 1,500 corporate relocations or expansions have come to Houston since 2009, leased 20,000 or more square feet of office space or invested $1 million or more in capital improvements.
“When oil prices are low, Houston’s economy grows. When oil prices are high, Houston’s economy booms.”
“In the past four years, greater Houston grew by half a million people — half from moves, half from births,” the Forbes study notes. “Population growth means housing demand, and realtors sold more than 425,000 homes in the last five years, amounting to a home-closing rate of one every six minutes, according to the Greater Houston Partnership.
“What’s more, jobs boost construction, which is why last year Houston topped our list of “Building Boom Towns”: Metro areas with the most new construction.”
Forbes attributes exports as the driving force, beside oil, behind the boom, noting between 2009 and 2013 the value of Houston’s exports grew 74.5 percent, making the metro area the nation’s top exporter. Even though the falling price of oil is expected to slow Houston’s growth, the city’s economy should “chug along” with the rest of the country, the report says.
“When oil prices are low, Houston’s economy grows,” Patrick Jankowski, senior vice president of research at the Greater Houston Partnership, tells Forbes. “When oil prices are high, Houston’s economy booms.”
Houston is joined by four other Texas cities to give the Lone Star State half the moving-and-shaking cities in the Top 10.
Austin is ranked No. 2 on the list, followed by Dallas at No. 3, Fort Worth at No. 8 and San Antonio at No. 10. Strong population growth and unemployment levels under 5 percent are propelling the cities’ expansions, the report notes.
After Texas, the Golden State has the next greatest number of metro areas on the list with three: San Francisco at No. 7, San Diego at No. 16 and San Jose, No. 17.
The methodology behind the study began with taking the country’s 100 most populous cities and their surrounding suburbs and ranking the areas on six metrics. Estimated population growth for 2014 and 2015, year-over-year job growth for 2014, 2014 gross economic growth rate, federal unemployment data and median annual pay for college-educated workers determined the final results for the 20 fasting-growing metro areas in terms of population and economy.
Forbes’ 20 fastest-growing cities in the 2015 report are as follows:
Perform annual cost standard updating process for all inventoried items. Gather and organize new information, contracts, and pricing. Compile and analyze historical cost data.
Assist in financial period/year-end closing activities and external audit review.
Provide guidance to the operations group through financial & cost analysis and data that impacts decision-making.
Cost new variations of current product lines as needed by the sales department for presentation to prospective buyers.
Prepare cost estimates for new products
What the company needs in a Senior Cost Accountant:
BS or BA degree required with a concentration in Accounting or Finance is required.
Must have 5 years of applicable work experience; prior experience in Consumer Packaged Goods is highly desirable.
Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office tools as well as ERP systems.
Company: Investments include holdings in private equity, hedge funds and real estate.
Description: Highly motivated individual to take over the day to day accounting of owner’s personal, partnerships and trusts. Individual should be an independent and fast learner.
Responsibilities:
Maintaining and monitoring the investor reporting schedules
Creating monthly financials, including balance sheet, income statement and sources and uses, for the family members, trusts, and foundations
General Ledger maintenance
Tracking Capital calls and distributions
Maintaining family loan schedules and calculating interest
Cash Management
Monthly and Bank reconciliations
Bill Pay for various accounts
Any Special one-time projects that often occur
Assisting in implementation of the electronic filing system
Assistance with accumulation of tax data/documentation
Get it right and the likelihood is that you’ll get an interview. Get it wrong and that’s the last you’ll hear from them. You won’t get the chance to meet them face to face.
Houston's F&A Recruiter and Talent Connector 