Tips to Advance Your Accounting and Finance Career

Every company needs accounting and finance professionals. This provides virtually endless opportunities to advance your accounting and finance career.

Whether you are just starting out or have many years of experience, learning from other professionals in your field is an effective way to advance your accounting and finance career. These suggestions may help.

Choose among these six tips to advance your accounting and finance career.

Find a Mentor

A professional in your field who has more knowledge and experience than you likely faced issues similar to yours. As a result, this professional can share their knowledge and provide insight to help overcome the issues that you might face. You can ask for advice and feedback to continue moving forward in your accounting and finance career.

Network

Build relationships with recruiters, hiring managers, company leaders, HR employees, and other professionals in your field. You can ask these individuals for ideas, advice, and guidance on your accounting and finance career path. They may share job openings with you, serve as employee referrals, or meet with you about opportunities that fit your skills, goals, and interests.

Learn New Technologies

Staying current on the use of technology helps advance your accounting and finance career. This includes enhancing your proficiency with Excel, using business intelligence tools such as Cognos or Crystal Reports, and understanding accounting systems such as SAP, Microsoft Dynamics, or Oracle.

Gain Experience in Different Fields

Invest time learning different areas of the industry to develop your accounting and finance career. This may include bookkeeping, preparing financial statements, financial reporting, internal auditing, compliance, or taxation.  Changing your job duties every 2-3 years lets you gain the knowledge, skills, and experience needed to stay competitive.

Become a Certified Public Accountant

Earning accreditation as a certified public accountant (CPA) shows you have high-level industry knowledge, skills, and ethics. This certification demonstrates your commitment to the field and ability to take on higher levels of authority.

CPAs are in great demand because they enforce higher standards for the accounting industry. These professionals perform highly specialized job functions that provide significant value for employers. This provides the potential for high salaries and growth for your accounting and finance career.

Focus on Specialization

Develop your skills in a specific area to advance your accounting and finance career. These areas may involve regulatory compliance, anti-money laundering (AML), Know Your Customer, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Comprehensive Capital Analysis and Review, or the rules related to capital adequacy and consumer protection under the Dodd-Frank Act. High-level knowledge and experience in any of these areas are valuable to employers.

Find a New Accounting and Finance Job

Finding a mentor and networking help you gain valuable guidance to advance your accounting and finance career. Learning new technologies and gaining experience in different fields help you stay competitive in the job market. Becoming a CPA or focusing on a specialization let you provide additional value for an employer.

Work with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources to find your next role. Learn about our job opportunities today.

Interview Skills You Should Brush Up On to Succeed!

As companies move forward during The Great Resignation, they need to hire the right employees. This requires effective interview skills.

It takes a significant amount of time for a hiring manager and HR to discuss the job requirements, source and screen candidates, and conduct interviews. It also takes time to conduct background checks, finalize the candidate selections, and wait for candidates to accept offers and begin working.

As a result, hiring managers should participate in training now to refresh their interview skills. This helps build candidate pipelines for current and future hiring needs.

Discover some benefits of hiring managers brushing up on their interview skills and topics to discuss during training.

Advantages of Refreshing Interview Skills

Proving a refresher for hiring managers’ interview skills training lets them practice in a safe environment. Because these managers may not have conducted interviews for a significant time, a mini session would be advantageous.

Refresher training ensures hiring managers and HR are on the same page regarding interviewing. This increases success in hiring the best candidates.

Topics to Discuss When Refreshing Interview Skills

Intake meeting: Talk about the meeting between the hiring manager and HR to discuss the job requirements and sourcing strategy. For instance, emphasize the importance of the candidate experience throughout the hiring process. Also, discuss specific ways to show commitment to diversity and inclusion so candidates feel they are welcome and can be themselves at work.

Discussing the intake meeting ensures the hiring manager and HR are following the same policies and procedures for interviewing. This speeds up the hiring process, increasing the likelihood of hiring top candidates.

Interview questions: Emphasize the importance of asking effective, compliant behavioral interview questions. These questions provide insight into a candidate’s experience.

You may want to use the STAR method to create interview questions. This involves asking a candidate about a situation they encountered, the task they needed to accomplish, the action they took, and the results they attained.

Ensure the hiring manager asks follow-up questions to gather enough detail for a complete picture of the situation, task, action, and result. This helps provide the necessary information to make a hiring decision.

Candidate selection: Remind hiring managers to look past their unconscious biases when choosing the best candidate. This can be accomplished through an online training program that may be included in your diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts.

Need Help with Hiring?

Refreshing hiring managers’ interview skills ensures managers and HR are on the same page throughout the hiring process. Sharing details about the intake meeting, interview questions, and the candidate selection process increases the likelihood of hiring the most qualified candidates.

For additional help with hiring, partner with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Get started today.

Are You Getting Noticed? How to Stand Out in Your Job Search

Landing a job interview requires more than just a top-notch cover letter and resume. Your skills, experience, and qualifications likely align with other in-demand candidates.

This is why you need to add something that makes you stand out to hiring managers. They want to see how your contributions and results differ from other candidates’ contributions and results. Showing the unique value, you can offer a company increases your odds of being contacted for an interview.

Implement these tips to help secure your next accounting and finance interview.

Include a Pain Point Letter with Your Resume

Rather than a cover letter, submit with your resume a letter discussing a company pain point you noticed. Include a challenge the organization is facing and how you would solve it if you were hired. This shows you understand the company and are able to add value to it. Hiring managers appreciate candidates who are proactive problem-solvers.

Share Your Professional Portfolio

Create an online portfolio of your professional qualifications and work examples to submit with your resume. This may include a copy of your resume, transcripts, reference letters, or copies of your licenses or certifications. You also may want to add financial statements, variance reports, or financial analyses you created. Make sure your work examples tie in with the highlighted items from previous job postings you applied to. Change the numbers to avoid sharing confidential information.

Consider using information specific to the company you’re interviewing with to create financial documents. For instance, if the business is publicly traded, analyze the online financial statements to create different financial ratios and analyses. Then, use the information to prepare recommendations for the company. This may include paying down debt, reducing inventory, or increasing collection efforts. This shows proactive investment in the company’s success.

Secure an Employee Referral

Find out whether you know an employee at the company you want to work for. If you do, talk with them about referring you to the hiring manager. Include how your skills, experience, and qualifications make you well-suited for the role. Provide your resume as well. You’re more likely to land an interview with a referral than without one.

Partner with a Recruiter

Listing your skills, experience, and qualifications in your cover letter and resume likely isn’t enough to land an interview. You need to show how you stand out from the other candidates and can provide unique value to the organization. Submitting a pain point letter with your resume, sharing your online portfolio, or securing an employee referral can help.

You also can partner with a recruiter from Casey Accounting & Finance Resources to increase your odds of landing an interview. Contact a recruiter or submit your resume today.

When’s the Right Time to Discuss Salary, Flexible Work Arrangements and Other Benefits During an Interview?

Career coaches typically say to put an employer’s needs ahead of your own during an interview. As important as that advice is, you also need to determine whether the employer can fit your personal needs and interests with salary, flexibility and other benefits. The trick is how to gain the information you need without coming across as overly demanding or not focused on the company’s needs. With a proper strategy, you can determine when the right time is to discuss salary, flexible work arrangements and other benefits during an interview. Here are some suggestions.

When the Interviewer Shows Interest in Hiring You

A good time to discuss salary, flexible work arrangements and other benefits is after the interviewer expresses interest in hiring you. For instance, they may ask when you can start or whether you can provide references. Doing so shows you have their attention and are a good fit for the role. Because you showed the value you can add to the business, you have the leverage to ask for information about salary, flexibility and benefits.

After Being Offered a Job

Discuss salary, flexible work arrangements and other benefits after you receive a job offer. Be sure you thoroughly researched everything you want well before your first interview. For instance, review the company website and job description for salary information. Use sites such as Glassdoor and Comparably to figure out the organization’s salary range and benefit structures. Connect with employees through LinkedIn to ask about company culture. You can state your case and provide evidence for why you should receive it. After negotiating your salary, bring up benefits. Be sure you clearly understand what the company is offering and whether it fits your needs. For instance, find out whether you’ll receive health insurance, a retirement plan and PTO. Depending on your lifestyle and interests, you want to ask about reimbursement for ongoing education, daycare, a gym membership or other benefits. After negotiating your benefits, bring up flexible work arrangements. For instance, ask how the teams are structured and which work arrangements best serve the company’s mission. Ask about the number of hours employees work each week. If there is flexibility, share whether you’re looking for a variable start and end time at the office, a four-day workweek, the ability to work remotely one or more days per week or some other option. Be ready to compromise on what you request.

Interview with a Leading Chicago Employment Agency

As a leading Chicago employment agency, Casey Accounting & Finance Resources offers complimentary use of our Career Tools Portal to help with your job search. You gain access to top job search tools, an article and video library, professional resume review, career assessment programs and more. When you’re done, you can set up an interview with one of our seasoned recruiters. Contact us today to get started!

6 Tips to Help Improve Your Networking Skills

It’s true that your network is your net worth. When you network out of genuine curiosity in all environments, you learn things you otherwise may not have known. If you have a typical routine and see many of the same people each day, take the time to get to know them. You never know what opportunities you may uncover. Here are six tips to help improve your networking skills.   

 1. Introduce Yourself 

A great way to meet people is by introducing yourself. Wherever you are, walk up to someone, put out your hand and tell them your name. Talk about who you are and what you do. Ask the person to do the same. Put yourself out there and show who you truly are so you attract whom you need. 

 2. Make Friends   

Because friends do business with friends, focus on starting relationships. Discuss your goals, dreams, challenges and personal interests. Find commonality to bond over. If someone especially impresses you, ask them to coffee or lunch to continue your conversation. When you need an in at a company and you have an established relationship with an employee there, you’re more likely to find the value you’re looking for than if you simply picked up that person’s business card.    

 3. Listen 

Be unlike most people and attentively listen. Show you are truly interested in what they have to say. Given the opportunity to truly connect enhances that person’s view of you as a friend. People trust you and feel safe sharing who they are. You gain much more knowledge when you give someone your undivided attention. What you learn could lead to career opportunities down the road.    

4. Give Before Asking 

Always give before asking for something in return. When you meet someone, think about how you can help them reach a goal, make a connection or overcome an obstacle. Show your willingness to invest in them, add value to their life and build trust. If nothing comes from the relationship, be happy that you helped someone.   

5. Request an Introduction 

If you want to meet a person, ask the people you know if they know anyone who knows the person. When you find someone who does, ask them to introduce you. Because a warm lead is better than a cold one, you’re more likely to get in the door as a referral than a cold email or phone call. Be sure to reciprocate when possible.   

6. Keep your word 

Follow through on everything you say you’ll do. Your word and reputation are your biggest assets. If you promise to follow up, then follow up. If you say you’ll close a deal, uphold the deal to the highest standard. People make referrals to someone who’s reliable and always there. 

Network with a Chicago Employment Agency 

Find your next role by networking with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Our extensive networking and recruitment programs help us place all levels of accounting and finance candidates. Contact our leading finance recruiters today! 

Staying Curious Could Lead You to the Finance Career of Your Dreams

One soft skill that is beneficial to your finance career is curiosity. Continually asking questions to gain information opens you up to new opportunities. You may discover skills and interests you did not know you had, find an especially intriguing line of work or move to a position you did not see yourself having. Find out how staying curious can lead you to the finance career of your dreams. 

Networking 

Being curious about what finance professionals do encourages you to network. Asking questions about finance workers’ responsibilities, what they like best about their jobs, and how they became interested in their line of work may lead to your own career advancement or change. If the projects that finance professionals handle each day sound interesting to you, dig deeper for additional information to determine whether you may want to pursue that line of work. If so, build a relationship with your connection before asking about job openings or an introduction to the hiring manager. Even if no positions are available, you can get to know the manager and express interest if anything opens up.  

Job Change Anxiety 

Curiosity can help you with anxiety about starting a new finance job. For instance, you can use the company website and social media to research the organization, view pictures and posts about the office and culture, and see what it is like working there. You can get to know a little about potential colleagues and gain insight into job responsibilities, requirements and expectations. During the interview, you can ask questions about the company’s goals, finance department’s projects and teambuilding activities.    

Professional Development 

Being open to increasing your financial skills, knowledge and experience means you continually learn new things in your field. Staying current on industry news, trends and best practices keeps you on top in your field. Connecting something you are learning about with something you already know increases your understanding and retention of the information. Ongoing professional development shows you are willing to adapt to new circumstances and helps position you as an expert in your field. 

Career Fulfillment 

Continuing to satisfy your curiosity about different finance functions means you are taking risks and learning new things on an ongoing basis. The more you gain new experiences, skills and information, the faster you advance professionally. Receiving bonuses, raises and awards also increases your personal fulfillment, leading to additional career growth. Embracing the unknown and being OK with feeling uncomfortable helps you take on new challenges in your career.  

Find the Finance Career of Your Dreams 

As a leading Chicago employment agency, we specialize in securing employment for accounting and finance professionals in direct placement, temporary services and consulting roles. Get in touch with us today!  

Should I Accept an Interview Even if I’m Not Looking for a New Job?

Perhaps you have a quick commute, the most amazing boss ever, and absolutely love the work you do. Because you are happy with how your job is going, you may not want to even consider changing. Even so, remain open to the possibility of an even better opportunity coming your way. You will not know what might be unless you accept an interview even if you are not looking for a job. Here are some hidden benefits you could uncover.  

Expand Your Network 

The more interviews you accept, the greater your network expands. Having meaningful conversations with employers, recruiters and industry leaders means gaining access to one-on-one time you may not have received through a networking event or other circumstances. You gain the professional’s undivided attention as you discuss your job, employer, goals and the market. Even if you do not end up working for the company, by connecting with the individuals on LinkedIn and cultivating relationships, you set yourself up for future opportunities. 

Enhance Your Interview Skills 

Even an interview for a job that does not interest you provides practice for future interviews. Taking part in a variety of settings with different personalities and questions providevaluable exposure to help prepare meet with the company you want. Putting your extensive practice time into a real interview lets you test out your answers and figure out how to improve your performance. You are able to take inventory of what you do each day, what you have accomplished in your role, and what you would like to do next  

Gain Insider Information 

Every interview you participate in provides insider information on what employers are looking for. By focusing on the specific questions asked about your background and skills, you gain a sense of what is most important and what to talk about. Similarly, if an interviewer is confused by a specific part of your resume, you can update that section before sending it out. Plus, you learn information about how the company does things, such as what systems the team uses or how they have been dealing with recent changes in the field, you may be able to take back to your current role.   

Find Your Dream Job 

Going to ainterview may lead to your dream job. Perhaps the office is gorgeous, the colleagues amazing, and the vibe just what you are looking for. Even if the job description sounds less than thrilling, you may be able to perform work you love with a brilliant, fun-loving team. Or, even if the pay is not what you would like, you may able to give back to the community by working with a nonprofit organization.   

Find Accounting or Finance Work in Chicago  

Find work in Chicago with help from Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. Our seasoned recruiters can help you find the accounting or finance job of your dreams! 

11 Costly Blunders to Avoid in a Job Interview

Performing your best during a job interview includes practicing what you want to say and how to say it. You want to demonstrate your skill set and top accomplishments in a confident, personable way. Avoid diminishing your abilities and downplaying your success by avoiding these costly missteps.

  1. When scheduling your interview, make sure you can fulfill your commitment to be at the interview at the designated time and arrive a few minutes early.
  2. Make sure to dress your best (even if the company has a casual dress code), leave your phone in the car, dispose of the gum and don’t drink coffee during the interview.
  3. Don’t write “see resume” when completing an employment application.
  4. Don’t ask about working from home or what the benefits will be during the initial stages of the interview process.
  5. Keep answers relevant and to the point. Don’t be long-winded.  If you do all the talking, the interviewer will not be able to determine your ability to do the job by asking key questions.
  6. Listen! Don’t answer a different question than the one they actually ask you.
  7. Don’t talk over the interviewer.
  8. Have questions ready to ask about the company based upon the research you have done.
  9. Do not complain about your previous employer.
  10. If you are interested in the position, let the interviewer know you are interested and what the next steps will be in the interview process.
  11. Don’t write a thank you note to the interviewer while still on the job interview! Wait until after the interview and send a thank you note to express your interest in the position and to thank them for the interview.

Schedule Your Next Interview Today!

If you’re ready to start your job search, contact the recruiting experts at Casey Resources.

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5 Ways to Utilize LinkedIn During Your Job Search

LinkedIn is one of the top sites for employers, recruiters, and job seekers to connect. Employers and recruiters can determine whether job seekers have the skills, experience, and other requirements needed to call them in for an interview. Job seekers can research open roles, companies, and employers to determine whether they may be a good fit. Here are four ways you can use LinkedIn to help find your next accounting or finance job.

1. Complete and Update Your Profile

Keep your profile complete and updated. Post a current, professional photo to increase recognition of you. Include a first-person, engaging summary that highlights your strengths, value proposition, and how to reach you. Fill in a comprehensive description of your skills and objective, job descriptions, and current position. Highlight your recent experience to encourage engagement with employers and recruiters. Post articles you write, videos you make, and other content you create. Include a link to your website or online portfolio. Update your profile every time you add skills or responsibilities, achieve goals, get promoted, or change employers.

2. Use Keywords

Place keywords throughout your profile. Your headline, summary, location, job title, job description, volunteer experience, skills, activities, publications, honors and awards, and organizations can help direct hiring managers and recruiters in your direction. Look at titles and key phrases such as “project manager,” “SAP,” or “San Francisco” in job descriptions, as well as industry keywords to determine which keywords to use in your profile.

3. Build Your Network

Continuously build your network. Focus on friends, colleagues, alumni, managers, and targeted connections in your field. Include leaders in your industry, hiring managers and potential colleagues at companies you want to work for, and recruiters who can help place you in roles. Participate in LinkedIn Groups in your industry to connect with others in your field. Write a customized connection request, including how you know the person and why you would like to connect. If appropriate, reach out to a hiring manager or employee you have an established relationship with at a company you want to work for and ask for an interview or introduction.

4. Include Recommendations

Post at least three to four recommendations. A variety of people recommending your work, such as a boss, direct report, or client, encourages employers and recruiters to reach out to you. Coach each person on what you would like them to focus on when writing your recommendation.

5. Establish Yourself as a Thought Leader

Cultivate your reputation as a thought leader. Post and comment on articles you write or find interesting. Follow companies and experts in your industry to stay current on news, changes, and trends. Actively engage in conversations, ask and answer questions, and share your expertise through LinkedIn Groups.

Connect With Casey Accounting & Finance Resources

To find your next accounting or finance position, connect with a leading Chicagoland employment agency. Get in touch with our recruiting experts today!

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5 of the Biggest Misconceptions About Working in the Finance Industry

Finance is one of the most misunderstood industries. Information conveyed through movies, news reports, online articles and other sources do not always contain facts or convey the entire story. For this reason, we are setting the record straight about some of the biggest misconceptions about working in the finance industry.

You Need a Finance Degree  

Although education is important, many workers come from IT, art, or other non-finance backgrounds. Being able to understand and explain complex subjects is only one core requirement for working in the industry. As long as you have or can acquire financial skills, along with emotional intelligence and people skills, you can transfer other skills to a variety of finance positions. You also can participate in training opportunities and continuing education to enhance your skill set.

You Need an Extensive Network

Your network does not have to include connections from Ivy League schools or powerful people in the finance industry. What matters more are your education, credentials, strengths, skills, experience level, and networking ability. For instance, you can use your professional and networking skills to gain an internship that may lead to a full-time job. Once you have a job, you can begin networking with your peers and later move to professionals at higher levels and ask them to mentor you.

You Have to Work for a Bank or on Wall Street

The finance industry covers a variety of geographic locations, work environments and company culture. You could work for a large or small firm, long-established company or startup, or other range of organizations. For instance, if you work in fin-tech, you may be employed by early-stage disruptors, mid-sized companies or large corporations. The businesses may include tech lenders like OnDeck or payment companies like Square. Also, as an investment banker, you could work in almost any state. Although higher-paying jobs may be near financial hubs like New York or London, many banks are moving to remote locations such as Tampa, FL, or Providence, RI, to provide employees with a different lifestyle.

You Lack Work-Life Balance

Any career will be demanding and time-consuming when starting out. You may decide to be a banker, trader, portfolio manager, compliance analyst, research specialist or other professional and still have a life away from the office. Your level of work-life balance will depend on the profession you choose and the financial institution or organization you work for.

Break Into the Finance Industry With a Top Chicago Employment Agency 

Break into the finance industry with help from the competitive recruiters at Casey Accounting and Finance Resources!

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