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| In the News |
| Craft Cover Letters, Resumes that Earn You a Second Look | 10/10/08 | | If you plan to make a job move soon distinguish yourself from the thundering herd of job-seekers that's building in the market. You'll need a dazzling cover letter and a brilliant resume: a total package designed to sell your skills and talents to potential employers. |
| Financial Tumult Pressures N.Y. Area CPAs | 10/08/08 | | Recent staff cuts at some of the Big Four, coupled with the woes in financial services, are beginning to concern the New York area's accounting community. Are the Big Four simply performing their usual annual pruning? Are CPAs working in the financial services industry vulnerable? The answers depend on who you talk to, and what sort of experience you're talking about. |
| Economic Woes Color California Hiring Strategies | 10/03/08 | | Although Ernst & Young doesn't anticipating making major changes to its business plans in the region, the firm is adapting its hiring strategy to address new demands spawned by the growing financial turmoil in the U.S. |
| Timing the Transition to IFRS | 10/01/08 | | Now that the Securities and Exchange Commission has set a 2011-2015 timetable for moving from U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles to International Financial Reporting Standards, how long will it take the accounting world to make the change? |
| Networking Tips for Introverts | 09/30/08 | | Effectively building - and leveraging - a network of professional contacts is essential to your ultimate success. But if glad-handing isn't your style, networking can look like a high hurdle. The good news: There are several ways to make effective networking more comfortable. |
| Relocating Means Negotiating the Best Package | 09/29/08 | | You live in Baltimore and you've been offered two jobs: one in Kansas City and the other in Columbus. The jobs pay the same, but the company in Kansas City will pay your relocation expenses. How hard will your wallet be hit if you decide Ohio's the place for you? |
| The Initial Interview: Don't Be Screened Out | 09/26/08 | | Every interview I've had began with an initial phone screen, where the HR person/internal recruiter wanted to assess basic skills for the job and asked a few internal assessment questions. The skills questions should be a slam-dunk, as they're almost always just an extension of the job requirements. The internal assessment questions, however, can be potentially dangerous. You need take care not to be screened out of the next round of interviews. |
| Succession Plans Offer Opportunities to Firm Staff | 09/24/08 | | As accountants age and look for exit strategies from the firms they own, their succession plans become key factors to consider for those looking to move up the ranks and perhaps takeover the business. |
| Near-Term Stability for Wall Street Accountants | 09/23/08 | | The move by Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs to convert to bank holding companies will mean more work for accounting and compliance professionals in the short run, but may lead to eventual layoffs, industry observers say. |
| CareerWire: Good Time to Switch | 09/22/08 | | If you've been considering moving to another sector, the time might be right. As long as you're switching into the right industry, of course. |
| What's Behind Layoffs at the Big Four | 09/19/08 | | Recent layoffs at Deloitte weren't the first cuts made by a Big Four firm this year, but they were the most highly publicized. Every year, Big Four and next-tier firms have layoffs, but they do them in small pieces, spread them out geographically, and tend not to send out press releases about them. |
| Tech Skills Become Vital to Accounting Careers | 09/16/08 | | It's a given you have finance and accounting skills. But what's the next most important item in your career tool belt? If you'd asked CFOs that question five years go, they would have said "operations." But today, they'll answer "technology." |
| N.Y. Area CPAs Face the Economy | 09/12/08 | | Accounting professionals in New York and New Jersey are often seen as immune to changes in the financial markets, bumps in the economy and even employment changes on Wall Street. Skilled CPAs, after all, are always in demand. Aren't they? |
| Ins and Outs of Contract Accounting | 09/10/08 | | Accountants who want the stimulation of multiple clients but not the long hours of public accounting may find they can have it all by working for a contract accounting firm. But, as those who run such companies warn, project-based work isn't for everyone. |
| California Aids Prospective Academics | 09/09/08 | | As part of an effort to address a shortage of accounting professors in California, CalCPA is expanding its program to help accountants interested in academia shoulder the costs of their studies. |
| CareerWire: Layoff At Deloitte | 09/08/08 | | It's now official: The slowing economy is impacting demand for accounting work. So says Deloitte & Touche, the first of the Big Four to announce a mass layoff this business cycle. |
| Our Take: Age Matters | 09/03/08 | | Recently, two sports stories caught my eye by showcasing opposite poles of an issue many financial services professionals grapple with every day: the perceived relationship between job performance and age. |
| CPAs Need Communications Skills to Advance | 09/01/08 | | Communication skills are more important than ever when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder. But what are accountants to do, when they spend more time number crunching than dealing directly with people or learning to write effectively? The answer: Learn the communication skills you need to rise to the next level. |
| Tune Up Your Grammar | 08/27/08 | | Is your resume grammatically correct? For many job seekers, writing a flawless resume is difficult enough, yet nothing is more important. If it contains grammatical errors, reviewers may surmise you're uneducated, lack good communication skills or attention to detail. |
| Making the Move to Public Accounting | 08/26/08 | | Accountants who move back and forth between the public and corporate worlds can maintain - and even boost - their salaries, but only if they have the right combination of credentials and experience. |
| Where You Went Wrong | 08/22/08 | | It's been months since you started looking for a job and you still haven't found anything. Wondering where you're going wrong? |
| Tracing The Career of Wikimedia's CFO | 08/20/08 | | California's many non-profit and education organizations offer some of the best opportunities for CPAs who want to advance their careers. Veronique Kessler has spent most of the past decade - more than half her career - working for such organizations. |
| Creating Your Personal Career Vision | 08/19/08 | | In an earlier post, I explained why it's important to create a "Personal Career Vision" before you leap into a job search. Once you've done that, it's time to stop the daily mad rush, reflect on where you've been and where you are now, and assess where it is you want to end up. |
| CareerWire: Age Discrimination? | 08/18/08 | | JobsintheMoney readers dispute a story we published last January that asserted that employers value older workers' "experience." |
| How to Stand Out, Make Friends, and Influence People | 08/15/08 | | We all want to be the whiz kid, the one whose brilliance makes us stand out. Ironically, deep down inside, we resent the very type of person we aspire to be. In other words, standing out has its dangers. Here's how to deal with them. |
| Economy Pressures Accountants' Optimism. Should It? | 08/13/08 | | A shaky global economy, rising oil prices and falling home values have cut into the optimism that accounting and finance professionals typically report when asked about their employment prospects. |
| CareerWire: Broadening the Mission | 08/11/08 | | A growing number of CPA firms are taking a wider view of their business. Beyond obvious extensions like tax planning and business consulting, some are offering marketing and communications services. |
| Our Take: Be Humble | 08/08/08 | | Humility helps. Haughtiness hurts. That's a message I'm hearing with increasing frequency when career experts discuss interviewing skills. |
| Fundamentals of the Functional Resume | 08/06/08 | | If you have a background that's not traditional for an accountant, or you're considering a career change, the Functional Resume Format may be your best option. |
| In California, Hint of a Slowdown - But Just a Hint | 08/05/08 | | The slumping economy may be impacting hiring at West Coast CPA firms. One hint: The managing partner at one of Los Angeles's largest full-service accounting firms says he won't be hiring as much as he has in the recent past. |
| Tax, Business Consulting Grows in N.Y. | 08/01/08 | | Outside of traditional accounting firms New York and New Jersey CPAs are finding growing opportunities at specialized tax and business consulting practices. To succeed, accountants must learn to play up their marketing, communications, and negotiation skills. |
| Risk Management Jobs in Chicago | 07/29/08 | | As the credit markets continue to deteriorate and large financial institutions tighten controls, a number of Chicago firms are seeking risk management professionals in many specialties. |
| Podcast: Earning the CMA Credential | 07/25/08 | | Listen in as the Institute of Management Accountants ' John M. Brausch, CMA, CFM, CPA, talks with Contributing Editor Dona DeZube about obtaining the Certified Management Accountant credential, including his experience in preparing for the exams. |
| The Value of a Personal Career Vision | 07/23/08 | | If you think you'll be happier in your career simply by switching companies, think again. To be successful and love your work, you'll need more than a job. Before you focus on resume writing, networking, and job hunting, you'll need what I call a "personal career vision" - a tangible blueprint of the direction you want your life to take. |
| E&Y Shuffles Executives in the West | 07/22/08 | | CPAs seeking Big Four experience in Southern California and the Southwest will have to reshuffle their contact files after a chain reaction of promotions in three of Ernst & Young's major Western offices. |
| CareerWire: Poll Finds Robust Job Market | 07/21/08 | | The accounting job market remains as strong as ever, in the view of most respondents to a JobsintheMoney poll. However, 32 percent saw some degree of slowing. |
| Salaries Up, But Gender Gap Widens | 07/18/08 | | The Institute of Management Accountants' 2007 salary survey uncovered both good news and bad news for accountants. The good news: Average salary for IMA members now tops $100,000, having risen 6.9 percent last year. The bad news: The gap increased between men's and women's pay. |
| Credentials as a Lever into Management | 07/16/08 | | If you're interested in moving into management, credentials can often provide the boost you need. A designation can move your resume to the top of the pile – but you'll still have to win the job during the interview process. |
| Northeast Mergers Impact Staff Loyalty | 07/15/08 | | Just when it seemed that merger mania was over, the New York and New Jersey metro region saw a crop of announcements of CPA firm combinations. Accountants facing the tumult that goes along with such changes should remember they have options: Being under demand means the "loyal to the end" staff accountant may be a thing of the past. |
| CareerWire: Firm Aims to Double Its Staff | 07/14/08 | | Mitchell & Titus, the nation's largest minority-controlled accounting firm, looks to add about 150 people to its staff over the next three years under incoming CEO Anthony Kendall. |
| Globalization Impacts Diversity Programs | 07/11/08 | | Globalization of operations, products and services means multinational firms must redefine the nature of their diversity programs. But morphing inclusion policies present benefits and challenges to both companies and local employees. |
| Is Forensic Accounting for You? | 07/09/08 | | Bribery involving a Fortune 500 and a foreign government. Untangling the next Enron. For an auditor with a few years of experience, forensic accounting and litigation support (F&L) can be an exciting career option. |
| Calif. FBI Offices Seek Accountants | 07/08/08 | | California CPAs looking for a different career path might consider - the FBI. Its offices in Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities are seeking accountants to work in areas such as counter-terrorism, drug enforcement and corporate crime. |
| Do I Need a Resume if I'm Not Looking For a Job? | 07/07/08 | | Ask the Expert: "I'm a manager in the finance department of a mid-sized, private firm and haven't had a resume since college. One of my colleagues says I should have one. I'm not looking for a job, so why would this be important?" |
| Moving onto the Management Track | 07/02/08 | | If you're happy where you work, your near-term goals probably include a move up into management. In that case, you need to prepare by picking up new skills and possibly more credentials. |
| CFOs See Concern Over Long Hours | 07/01/08 | | Accounting and financial professionals have never enjoyed short hours and light workloads, but have things gotten even worse in recent years? According to a new survey by Accountemps, one in three chief financial officers (35 percent, to be precise) cited heavy workloads as the top workplace concern for their financial teams. |
| CareerWire: Another Angle on IFRS | 06/30/08 | | When the time arrives to transition to International Financial Reporting Standards, accounting program curricula and the CPA exams could prove a potential Achilles heel. |
| Little Compliance Hiring in Chicago | 06/27/08 | | While compliance jobs at all levels abound in New York, San Francisco and other parts of the U.S., in Chicago the market remains sluggish. |
| In Getting Ahead, Your Words Count | 06/25/08 | | A career in finance presupposes that you're good with numbers. To get ahead, you have to be good with words, too. That's not to say you have to be F. Scott Fitzgerald, but you do have to convey your thoughts, plans and data clearly, concisely and in a jargon-free style that any audience can understand. Plus, you want to write in a way that makes you look good. |
| Standing Out from the Competition | 06/24/08 | | What are the likely trends in the California job market for the remainder of 2008? What should job seekers be doing to boost their prospects - in the short and long terms? |
| Our Take: Watch What You Say | 06/20/08 | | Our topic sounds like old hat in the context of a job interview. But many tried-and-true rules of interview behavior are just as valid for other professional situations.
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| CPA-Lawyers Find Growing Opportunities | 06/18/08 | | There's hot demand for CPAs in New York and New Jersey who can also put out the shingle with the Esquire moniker. The combination of passing the bar and having accounting expertise can provide a boost up the corporate ladder. |
| From Public to Private - Accounting, That Is | 06/17/08 | | With demand so high, today's accountants have an enormous number of opportunities to choose from when shifting their career gears. Once you've got some experience under your belt, you can pursue any number of specialties that match your strengths and interests. So how do you plot your direction? In part, the answer depends on where you started your career and where you sit now. |
| Tech Skills Gives CPAs a Leg Up | 06/10/08 | | While CPA firms in New York and New Jersey are beefing up their business advisory and consulting arms, they need more than accounting and business talent. They're looking for business experts who are tech-savvy, and able to understand how IT efforts can benefit accounting and business processes. |
| Accounting Job Market Holds Steady | 06/06/08 | | A new survey shows the accounting job market appears to be holding steady, with employers neither increasing or decreasing their staff. |
| Our Take: Active Job Search Techniques | 06/04/08 | | Recently we explained our philosophy of career planning and growth, which can be summed up as "active career management." Now, here are some techniques to help you maximize expected returns from the effort you put into your job search. |
| New Designation for Fraud Experts | 06/03/08 | | Accountants seeking to bolster their forensic and litigation-support credentials have a new option starting this fall, when the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants launches its Certified in Financial Forensics designation. |
| Number of New CPAs Soars in Bay State | 05/30/08 | | The number of people that have passed the Massachusetts CPA exam rose by more than 66 percent in 2007, according to the Massachusetts Society of Certified Public Accountants. The jump comes in the wake of changes to state regulations. |
| Accountants Dodge Wall Street Layoffs | 05/28/08 | | CPAs in New York and New Jersey often face the unenviable task of delivering bad news to a company's management. The region's financial services firms, after all, are in the midst of contraction, hit by the credit crunch, the sub-prime blowout and a variety of regulatory pressures. While being the bearer of bad tidings certainly takes a toll, accountants in the financial world are by and large being spared one thing: layoff notices. |
| San Francisco Firm Relies on Organic Growth | 05/20/08 | | Some CPA firms succeed by being all things to all people: Their growth stems from their ability to serve a varied clientele. Others focus on narrow specialties, and develop their staffs to thrive in the challenges posed by their target industries. |
| Learning by Doing Overseas | 05/16/08 | | When it comes to cultural awareness, immersion in a country's daily life beats reading about it every time. That's the thinking behind a new KPMG program that puts interns into short-term international assignments the year before they graduate. |
| When Following Up, Persistence Pays | 05/15/08 | | Would you call a prospective employer 63 times if your calls weren't picked up or returned? How about 24 times over a two-year period? |
| CareerWire: SOX Workload Under Control | 05/12/08 | | Although demand for auditors won't vanish any time soon, the quantity of work needed to fulfill the much-feared Sarbanes-Oxley Section 404 requirements appears to have peaked. |
| Our Take: Your Portfolio, Your Career | 05/09/08 | | "Career path." That's a phrase often spoken by HR staffers eager to show young employees that management is meeting their need for professional growth. Does the phrase mean anything - or is it simply hot air? |
| N.Y./N.J. Firms Bulk Up Offerings Through Associations | 05/07/08 | | A number of CPA firms in the New York/New Jersey area are joining together in alliances that allow them to access expertise they might not ordinarily have. These non-profit associations illustrate a new tactic in facing today's shortage of accountants. |
| Spanish Ability Aids California CPAs | 05/06/08 | | California CPAs may want to consider boning up on their Spanish as a career-advancement strategy. With the state's Latino population growing rapidly, accounting firms are serving more Hispanic-owned businesses and Latin American companies seeking to expand in the U.S.
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| 'Authenticity' Serves Women Executives Well | 05/02/08 | | Women who rise to the upper levels of business follow the same recipe for success as men as they combine vision, intellect, guts and hard work with their ability to influence others. They also add another ingredient: authenticity. |
| Breaking Through the Wall | 04/30/08 | | The ability to reach a prospective employer directly can be vital to your job-hunting efforts. Your prospects increase dramatically if you can talk to a person, instead of "Human Resources." |
| Chicago CPAs and Accountants in Demand | 04/29/08 | | Recruiters and accounting firm insiders report a strong demand for accountants and CPAs in public accounting, the corporate market, and financial services and alternative investment firms in Chicago. |
| Real Paths to the CFO's Chair | 04/25/08 | | Forget everything you've heard. The road to the CFO's chair doesn't always pass through public accounting firms and big company detours that could leave you stranded, staring at spreadsheets in your cubicle for decades. Here's some advice from two CFOs about how to break into the management game. |
| Q&A: Krista McMasters of Clifton Gunderson | 04/23/08 | | What does it take to reach the top in public accounting? JobsintheMoney News asked Krista McMasters, who recently became the first woman named chief executive officer at a Top 25 public accounting firm, to share her best advice for those who want to follow the trail she's blazed at Clifton Gunderson in Milwaukee. |
| 'Fairness Opinion' Expertise Sought in N.Y. | 04/22/08 | | New York and New Jersey CPAs with fairness opinion expertise are in hot demand. Just what's driving the boom, and what skill sets are needed to get into this growing area of accounting? |
| San Francisco Firm on Fast Track | 04/18/08 | | CPA job seekers on the look-out for firms on the rise take notice. Burr Pilger and Mayer took top honors as California's fastest growing accounting firm in 2007. In a state with firms like Armanino McKenna, Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt, and Novogradac & Co. posting 20 to 30 percent gains - or more - that's no small feat. |
| Call Me Anything I Want | 04/16/08 | | Would you jump to a new firm if it agreed to give you any title you wanted? Like, say, Chief of the Known Accounting Universe? Don't laugh. More companies are dangling "chief" titles as lures to keep current leaders onboard as well as to entice new employees. |
| CareerWire: Working Abroad | 04/14/08 | | A Chicago-area magazine describes some day-to-day concerns of Big Four accountants temporarily posted to India, Europe, Australia and elsewhere. |
| Tech-Risk Experts Needed in New York | 04/11/08 | | Considering the nature of business today and the growth of legal and financial reporting requirements, it's not surprising technology risk professionals are needed by many corporations. The demand is especially critical in the New York and New Jersey area. |
| When Negotiating, Look Beyond Base and Bonus | 04/09/08 | | Even in a ragged job market, candidates who get job offers can improve them. The key is being flexible about what you ask for - and having the confidence to ask in the first place. |
| How Accountants See Jobs in Non-Profits | 04/08/08 | | Compared to the rest of the people working in the non-profit sector, accounting and finance professionals are more likely to be male, have an MBA and work in middle management. |
| California Firms Leverage Growth | 04/04/08 | | Fast growth has been a common theme among California accounting firms. In Accounting Today's annual survey of the country's largest firms, four in the Golden State were among the 20 fastest growing. Revenues at Burr, Pilger & Mayer, Armanino McKenna, Novogradac & Co. and Holthouse Carlin & Van Trigt each rose by at least 23 percent. |
| Master's Program at Western Washington | 04/02/08 | | Western Washington University's College of Business and Economics and Department of Accounting will unveil a new Master of Professional Accounting program tonight. |
| Despite Crunch, Hedge Funds Hire Accountants | 04/01/08 | | Discussion of hedge fund careers usually focuses on portfolio management, where top performers enjoy rock-star status and routinely pull seven- or eight-figure incomes. But funds' need for additional bodies actually is strongest in supporting roles - like accounting. |
| Detroit Firm's Focus is Over the Horizon | 03/28/08 | | Clayton & McKervey serves only middle-market entrepreneurs who want to expand globally. Such focus makes it easy to train employees, but harder to find the accountants it wants: Those who already know both IFRS and GAAP. |
| Show Up, Show Off, Get On The Team | 03/25/08 | | Globalization and increased regulation are making business more complex and causing multifaceted challenges for large and mid-sized businesses. To face them, more companies are creating cross-functional teams that include professionals from a variety of disciplines. This means opportunity for candidates who can be effective team players as well as great technicians. |
| CPAs Eyes Jobs as Recruiters, Consultants | 03/19/08 | | For many New York-New Jersey CPAs, saying goodbye to the 80-hour work week entails leaving their corporate, Big Four or regional firm to pursue jobs at small consulting firms, specialized recruiters, and others. |
| Seven Signs You're Getting Good Training | 03/18/08 | | Virtually every accounting firm offers training, but not all firms offer great training. Take this quiz to find out if you're getting just training - or really great training. |
| CareerWire: The IRS Got There First | 03/17/08 | | Some people say working for the IRS isn't glamorous, but it was the Service's investigators who first suspected something was amiss in (former) N.Y. Gov. Eliot Spitzer's financial records. It just led them in a direction they didn't expect to go. |
| Roundup: Executive Moves in the Northeast | 03/13/08 | | The AICPA steps up its campaign for mobility laws, while Thomas Rollauer joins Deloitte's regulatory and capital team and Benjamin Gadon becomes a tax partner at New York's Mahoney Cohen & Company. |
| Few Women See Financial Workplace Gains | 03/12/08 | | Nearly all women working in finance believe they are paid less than men for the same work, and most don't feel they've made much progress when it comes to issues of parity. |
| Corporate Options Abound in N.Y., N.J. | 03/11/08 | | Accountants in the New York-New Jersey area are fast becoming well-respected experts in business issues beyond accounting, and are gearing up for choice spots in the boardroom. |
| Roundup: Merger in Massachusetts | 03/06/08 | | Two suburban Boston firms merge, former KPMG partner moves to a New York-New Jersey regional firm, and Goodyear and Dow Jones name new CFOs. |
| CFOs See Slowdown in Hiring | 03/05/08 | | Chief financial officers expect hiring activity in accounting and finance to slow during the second quarter, with the great majority seeing no change in their hiring levels at all. |
| The Ins and Outs of International Assignments | 02/27/08 | | You're no longer competing only against the accountant in the next cubicle, now you have to beat out the accountant in the next country, according to a survey of more the 850 C-suite executives in the U.S., the European Union and Asia. |
| Q&A: Kenn McFarland, CPA, Hospital CFO | 02/26/08 | | "Young accountants don't want to make decisions because they want to do more analysis. I got some wonderful advice: Don't be afraid to make the decision. You've got to have it in your head but you've got to move with your heart." |
| The Art of Effective Presentations | 02/22/08 | | Although speaking in public frightens many people, it can help you gain visibility and exposure, and increase your chances of getting that new job or promotion. |
| Hedge Funds Expected to Add CPAs | 02/20/08 | | Hedge funds in New York and New Jersey need CPAs who can handle risk management. Even in the midst of the credit crunch - and maybe because of it - funds will bring on board more accountants as they mature and receive more scrutiny. |
| CareerWire: Recruiting Tools and Challenges | 02/19/08 | | Separate surveys by BDO Seidman, Robert Half and a professional association took different tacks to quantify the challenges of recruiting and retaining accounting talent, and the best tools for doing so.
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| Switch Jobs During Tax Season? | 02/15/08 | | With so many empty seats to fill, public accounting firms may be willing to overlook a candidate's willingness to jump during the busy season. But that doesn't mean doing so is a good idea. |
| Roundup: Mergers and Promotions | 02/14/08 | | Flexible scheduling is losing ground as a recruiting tool. Dixon Hughes absorbs a Memphis firm, while Archer Daniels Midland, CNET and Conn's name new CFOs. |
| Merger Trend Can Impact Careers | 02/12/08 | | If you work in a small CPA firm, would your career suffer if your employer were to merge with a larger organization? If you think so, you'd better start preparing now.
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| CareerWire: PwC Tops Professor's Survey | 02/11/08 | | Accounting professors ranked PricewaterhouseCoopers first among the Global Seven accounting firms in an annual poll that covers various dimensions including client service, staff training, ethics and compensation, and ranks employers separately in each. |
| Shrunken Bonuses Spark Grumbling In New York Area | 02/08/08 | | Accountants in financial services firms in New York and New Jersey remain secure in their positions. But with all of the flux going on in the sector, they're beginning to feel a tad discontented.
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| Roundup: Mergers, Moves Across U.S. | 02/06/08 | | The hiring landscape's still good, CFOs are sweating about recruitment, and firms are making business moves from Texas to California. |
| Pay Moving Higher in California | 02/05/08 | | Why are California employers nervous? Because a whole lot of accountants are open to the idea of changing jobs, and their replacements are nowhere in sight. |
| Opportunities in Healthcare Companies | 02/01/08 | | Whatever's happening in the economy, healthcare companies continue to need accountants to keep business going and handle a maze of regulation. |
| Roundup: Firm Mergers, Hires, Promotions | 01/30/08 | | CPA firms merge in South Florida, Chicago, Long Island, N.Y., and Fort Worth. In Tucson, a local CPA firm adds two staff accountants, while an industrial firm names a permanent CFO. |
| What Mid-Size Firms Seek in California | 01/25/08 | | Despite the slump in real estate and worries about the economy, the market for accountants in Los Angeles and Orange County shows few signs of tailing off. Several small- and mid-sized firms will be adding employees in upcoming months, and even beyond.
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| The View From Over 50 | 01/24/08 | | Twenty one percent of the U.S. workforce will be 55 or older by 2014, says the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. So if you feel superannuated among your Gen X and Y colleagues, you've got age-appropriate company. And the good news is: Employers will value your experience. |
| Volunteering: More than 'Feeling Good' | 01/22/08 | | Too busy for volunteer work? There's a reason you may want to find time to squeeze some in: It can boost your career, and even help you be a better accountant. |
| Demand Rising from N.Y. Non-Profits | 01/18/08 | | Large not-for-profit associations and philanthropic organizations pick the Big Apple as a key spot to locate. For area CPAs with the right credentials, the nonprofit sector holds good, though specialized, opportunities. |
| Auditors, Senior Accountants Lead Wish Lists | 01/15/08 | | Even if everyone's looking for CPAs, some specialties are in more demand than others. Combine expertise in an area like internal auditing or hedge fund accounting with softer skills like communication, and you could be the object of affection for many a firm. |
| CareerWire: Sleep Working | 01/14/08 | | If your firm can't find the accountants it needs, guess who's going to keep things moving? That's right. You are. |
| Midsize Firms Act to Retain Young Accountants | 01/09/08 | | To keep junior staffers from bolting, midsized accounting firms are moving to provide more feedback from managers, formal input into firm decisions, departmental and individual employee work schedules calibrated to minimize the 24/7 syndrome, and mentoring programs. |
| New Skills Required for CFOs | 01/08/08 | | If you have designs on a chief financial officer's office in California or other points west, you'd be wise to strengthen your communication and other "softer" skills. The region's employers are more likely to hire executives who know how to present information clearly and work well with others. In other words, financial skills aren't enough any more. |
| N.Y. Area Mergers Driven by Need for Growth | 01/07/08 | | New York and New Jersey CPA firms are still in the midst of a serious reshuffling, as merger mania continues across the Empire and Garden States. But even an attractive merger deal can be fraught with angst for accountants wary of change. |
| Balance at Deloitte | 01/02/08 | | We talk with Deloitte Services' Anne C. Weisberg, a director specializing in talent diversity, about the firm's experience in keeping up with the changing workforce. |
| Follow Ups Are Important - Even When There's No Reply | 12/27/07 | | Conventional wisdom says you should always follow up with prospective employers after you've sent them a resume or met them for an interview. But many candidates find such tactics fruitless: Either they receive no response from their actual contact, or find no way to reach a live human being. We asked Dawn Fay, a New York vice president for recruiter Robert Half International, how best to proceed. |
| CareerWire: Escaping to Interview | 12/26/07 | | If you're job-hunting while working, there are better options than using your sick days to get away from your office for job interviews. |
| 'Average' Monthly Confidence Among Accounting Workers Gained in 2007 | 12/21/07 | | Employee confidence looks to end 2007 at a record low among both accounting and finance workers and the overall U.S. population, according to one widely followed monthly survey. But connoisseurs of rear-view-mirror driving can take comfort from this: averaged throughout the first 11 months of 2007, the monthly Hudson Employment Index slightly exceeded the monthly average for 2006. |
| More Risk Opportunities for N.Y. Area CPAs | 12/20/07 | | Management accountants in the New York metropolitan area are finding increasing opportunities in the burgeoning field of enterprise risk management. But the jobs require the right combination of technical, financial, industry, and managerial savvy. |
| Introverted? Consider Accounting and Auditing… | 12/19/07 | | Opportunities for accountants and auditors are expected to grow more than 22 percent between now and 2014, which may be good news for people who want to strike a balance between working with others and working alone. |
| CareerWire: Tips for Career Changers | 12/17/07 | | Thinking of changing careers? When it comes to making a plan, you've got to sweat the details. That and more in this week's CareerWire. |
| Office Politics and You | 12/12/07 | | Pam Hedges has spent nearly thirty years advising senior executives - including CFOs, controllers and other financial executives in a range of industries - about how to do their jobs better. Among her themes: being "politically competent" in the workplace by building strong ties with people, including subordinates and peers. |
| Big Four Diversity Programs: A Wrap-Up | 12/11/07 | | The Big Four initiated diversity programs before much of the finance world. But just what do those efforts consist of today? In recent interviews, the firms offered up details of their current programs. |
| Calif. CPA Focuses Practice on 'Special Needs' Families | 12/07/07 | | Some California accountants believe they don't have many options when it comes to what industries or areas they cover. But a few have broadened the playing field by creating practices around their own outside interests or causes. |
| N.Y. Area Litigation Experts in Demand | 12/05/07 | | Area CPAs acting as litigation experts are enjoying prosperity as New York and New Jersey accounting firms and corporations lean more heavily on their specialized skills. |
| Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Get Me a Job | 12/04/07 | | Fiddler on the Roof had Yenta, the matchmaker. The corporate world has recruiters. Same principle, slightly different parameters. But if you want to find a job you love, developing a relationship with a recruiter, says Heidrick and Struggles' Michele Heid, "is a phenomenal idea." |
| CareerWire: Ethics and the Real World | 12/03/07 | | Some recent surveys indicate the push toward corporate responsibility may not be as strong as many say - at least as far as job-hunters are concerned. |
| Is This Job Offer for Real? | 12/02/07 | | How do you protect yourself from fake job offers you might receive from spammers? Here are some tips. |
| It's Not About Balance - It's About Reality | 11/30/07 | | Notoriously long hours, detail-oriented work, and considerable face time are parts and parcels of the CPA's working life. For accounting firms, changing this kind of culture may be even more important than money in the quest for new hires. |
| 'Responsibility' Reporting Poised to Widen? | 11/28/07 | | Corporations and investors are increasingly adopting environmental, social and governance measures of performance, alongside the usual financial ones. That means expanded career opportunities for internal auditors, management consultants and other professionals who can apply a new generation of non-financial reporting tools. The activities of finance departments and external auditors will be affected as well. But it's going to happen slowly. |
| Area Accountants Feel Wall Street's Pain | 11/27/07 | | With record write-downs reported at large banks and investment firms, many of which are headquartered in the tri-state region, it's not surprising that hiring is slowing down. New York, New Jersey and Connecticut accountants needn't rush to these firms looking for a golden opportunity, at least not in the short-term. |
| Getting Credit When Credit is Due | 11/21/07 | | You're doing all the work and someone else is taking all the credit. It's not only unfair, but it may affect your career. Handling the situation requires tact, diplomacy and a plan. |
| How Clothes Make the Accountant | 11/20/07 | | In California, most accounting firms favor business casual attire. Staples of twentieth century office life - like ties and jackets for men or hosiery for women – are largely passe. So, what do the well-dressed accountants wear? Pay attention if you want to look the part. |
| What to do With Ethical Questions | 11/16/07 | | If you stay in finance and accounting long enough, someone is going to ask you to fudge something. What should you do? First, clarify the situation, then refuse to act unethically and seek input from outside sources and people further up the chain of command. |
| Network Your Way to the Top | 11/15/07 | | "I can find my next job all by myself" is one myth that needs to be exploded, say search experts. The old conventional wisdom, "It's not what you know, it's who you know," is alive and well. So get out of your chair, into some social and professional events, and nurture your network. |
| How Long Should Your Resume Be? | 11/14/07 | | For any resume, a key to success is length - or lack of it. It's critical to understand not only how a resume is reviewed, but what its length says about your professionalism. |
| CareerWire: How You View Networking | 11/12/07 | | Online or offline, on LinkedIn or through e-mail, many accountants and financial professionals understand the importance of keeping in touch. |
| Conflict Resolution Skills Can Boost Careers | 11/09/07 | | While accountants are used to helping clients solve difficult problems, they're often less adept at resolving issues within their own firms. Reserved by nature, they tend to shy away from conflict and let situations fester. What they may not realize is the ability to resolve disagreements can be a great tool in developing their careers. |
| Success with Telephone Interviews | 11/08/07 | | Telephone interviews can be trying. There are no visual cues from the interviewer, no body language to read and, in some cases, you've got to answer questions posed by a panel of voices over conference lines or speaker phones. Here's some tips on engaging successfully - long-distance or local. |
| How to Leapfrog the Pay Scale | 11/07/07 | | Through a recruiter, a former co-worker got an offer for 30 percent more than he was making. His employer offered him 50 percent more to stay. How do you orchestrate a deal like that for yourself? |
| Ask the Expert: How to Find Solid References | 11/02/07 | | "I've interviewed for a position with a company that wants to contact my current employer for a reference. Obviously, I don't want anyone in my firm to know I'm looking for a new job, in case I decide to stay put. However, I've worked here for the last 15 years, and so no other references seem relevant. What should I do?" |
| Accounting Workers' Confidence Slides | 11/01/07 | | Accounting and finance workers' confidence appears to be swinging downward more steeply than among the U.S. adult population as a whole, new surveys show. |
| Relocating Means Negotiating the Best Package | 10/31/07 | | You live in Baltimore and you've been offered two jobs: one in Kansas City and the other in Columbus. The jobs pay the same, but the company in Kansas City will pay your relocation expenses. How hard will your wallet be hit if you decide Ohio's the place for you? |
| Calif. CPAs Meld Tech, Accounting Skills | 10/30/07 | | The use of technology for business is opening up new job opportunities for California CPAs. Consider the growing number of consultancies that need CPAs to help implement and support business management software. The work can be stimulating for accountants who want to try something beyond public firms or private industry.
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| CareerWire: Networking Survival | 10/29/07 | | Networking is an important - most would say critical - tool to use in managing your career. Yes, there are drawbacks to it. But there are ways to address the downsides. |
| It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time… | 10/26/07 | | The new job sounded perfect: a great working environment, the right amount of travel and an exciting accounting challenge. But a month after you started, you realize the working environment is toxic, the travel is non-stop and your biggest challenge is figuring out what to do about it.
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| Accountants' Starting Salaries Pushed Higher | 10/25/07 | | Starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals are expected to increase an average of 4.3 percent in 2008, according to Robert Half International's 2008 Salary Guide. Public accountants, financial analysts and internal auditors are expected to see the largest gains. |
| Employers Open to Jobless CPAs | 10/24/07 | | With a dearth of talent on the market, companies in the New York metro area are considering candidates they might not have looked at before. That's good news for CPAs who got pushed out of large firms for growing too old, and for mass-layoff victims. |
| Q&A: Jerrold Pellizzon, CFO, Ceradyne Inc. | 10/23/07 | | "I don't think you can be focused on just being the guy who crunches numbers. It's the analytics that you need to put together with those numbers. To quantify something is great but you have to look at the quality aspect of something. I think a lot of times financial people are stuck on the quantifying approach too much." |
| Accounting, Job Security, and You | 10/19/07 | | Pretend you're a techie: Someone offers you a raise or even just an opportunity to work with a product that's new and cool. You'll probably happily leap to the new job. But you're an accountant. Someone offers you $10,000 more a year, and maybe - maybe - you'll consider their offer. What's up with that? |
| Should You Take Notes in an Interview? | 10/18/07 | | If a job interview is an exchange of information, is it proper for you to take notes during the conversation? It depends who you ask. We checked with a variety of career authorities and received a diversity of answers. |
| Firm Merging? Your Job's Probably Safe | 10/17/07 | | The perpetual search for talent and leadership is propelling a wave of mergers and acquisitions among accounting firms. If your shop is involved, should you be concerned about your job?
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| Ask the Expert: Waiting for the Right Offer | 10/16/07 | | "I've been offered a job at one firm, but also interviewed for a position at another, a place where I'd prefer working. How do I hold off replying to the first firm until I have a sense of what's happening at my first choice?" |
| N.Y., N.J. Companies Recruit Auditors Out-of-State | 10/12/07 | | New York and New Jersey recruiters are looking high and low for CPA audit pros as the field continues to churn and burn staffers. Now, firms are filling openings with folks from outside the area - another sign the market is red-hot.
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| Negotiating Severance Upfront Can Be Tricky | 10/11/07 | | If you're a below-C-level employee, a golden parachute may be beyond reach. But you may be able to get a golden umbrella that protects you if it starts raining pink slips.
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| CareerWire: Sometimes You Have to Sell | 10/09/07 | | If you prefer tooling through spreadsheets or a QuickBooks problem to chatting people up at a chamber of commerce breakfast, you may need to make a conscious effort get out more.
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| Firms Venture into New Territories | 10/05/07 | | Last month, California-based Armanino McKenna LLP ventured into new territory, launching what could be the accounting industry's first media consulting practice, Armanino McKenna Foster. The move is just one illustration of how some firms are expanding their non-accounting services. |
| Considering a Career Change? Plan Ahead | 10/04/07 | | Many career experts say modern workers will have multiple careers over the course of their lifetimes. Certainly a number of accountants mull what life would be like if they were focusing on something besides tax returns and accounting rules. But changing careers is difficult. It requires a great deal of perseverance, conviction and quite frequently a temporary downshift in lifestyle. However, the rewards can be fruitful. |
| Move to a Non-Profit With Open Eyes | 10/03/07 | | If you day dream about using your skills to sway the electorate, shelter the homeless or spread your religion, a move into the non-profit sector may brighten your workday. It'll also lighten your wallet. |
| Calif. Demand Strong, But Lags Other Areas | 10/02/07 | | The market for accountants and finance professionals in California will remain strong during the fourth quarter, according to the latest Robert Half International Hiring Index. But demand will lag behind the regional and national average in the state's four largest cities. |
| CareerWire: Listening to Your Critics | 10/01/07 | | As painful as it may be to listen to, honest criticism can help improve our performance on the job. Here are some ways to spin negatives into positives. |
| Looking for a New Job - Discreetly | 09/26/07 | | Elizabeth Taylor excepted, most people change jobs more often than they do mates. But no matter how many times you do it, looking for a new position when you already have one can be tricky. |
| CareerWire: Thoughts on Diversity | 09/24/07 | | Can diversity programs succeed without real culture change - change that extends far beyond the offices of accounting firms? |
| Audit Sector Outlook Remains Bright | 09/21/07 | | Auditing client companies' books was the traditional raison d'etre of public accounting firms. The growth of newer services such as consulting, merger advice and compliance testing has reinforced the market power of both CPA firms and the professionals who work in them. |
| Choosing a Resume Consultant | 09/20/07 | | It's a daunting task for anyone to prepare a good resume, especially if you're the kind of person that has difficulty expressing yourself on paper. If you are one of those people, or just figure you'd like some help, does it make sense to hire one of the countless writers out there who profess to be resume professionals? |
| Do Minority Women Have a Reason to Stay? | 09/19/07 | | For many minority women, cultural challenges and a feeling of exclusion make it easy to leave their current firms. They can empower themselves to succeed, but many are asking if it's worth it. |
| CFOs Less Upbeat About Economy and Hiring | 09/14/07 | | Business sentiment among CFOs dived this quarter, according to a survey by Duke University and CFO magazine. A Duke finance professor says the results raise the odds of recession. |
| A Blog on Certification Woes | 09/13/07 | | Building on the popularity of the Internet as a form of communication for younger CPAs and accounting students, the New Jersey Society of CPAs' Web site now features the “Exam Cram Blog.” |
| Fewer Top-Level Shifts in Finance - For Now | 09/12/07 | | For better or worse, if you work at a giant public company your odds of having a new CFO this year are the lowest since 1995. But that's about to change, a C-suite headhunter predicts. |
| Will This Recruiter Get Me a Job? | 09/11/07 | | Time is money. So, should you make an investment by interviewing with agency recruiters when looking for a new opportunity? The answer is yes - if the recruiter has available jobs that match your skill set and career goals. |
| United Commercial Bank Adding Financial Staff | 09/10/07 | | United Commercial Bank is on the prowl. Over the next year, the San Francisco-based commercial bank wants to add to its treasury and controller departments, in positions ranging from low-middle to more senior posts. |
| Building Your Safety Net | 09/07/07 | | Demand for accounting and finance professionals, from both CPA firms and private industry, has been robust for so long it's hard to imagine it might weaken. But financial markets are mired in uncertainty over the near-term path of the U.S. economy. If the worst happens, are you ready for the fallout? Here are tips on how to prepare. |
| Ask the Expert: How Do I Resign 'Professionally?' | 09/06/07 | | "We've had a management change at our firm, and I am very unhappy with my new supervisor. The one I worked with for the last five months has just disappeared. I'm planning to resign and wonder whether I can do this verbally, or must I write a resignation letter?" |
| In Job-Hunting, Subtle is Best | 09/05/07 | | Of course, you want to stand out. But when you're trying to convince a firm you're the solution to their problems, there's a fine line between creative and weird. |
| To Blog or Not to Blog? | 08/30/07 | | Visibility and Web-savvy are useful when job-hunting. So, should you merge those goals by starting your own financial Web site or blog? In most situations, experts say no. |
| Facing the Tough Stuff | 08/29/07 | | What do Steven Jobs, Howard Stern and Terrell Owens have in common? They've all been fired. While at the time it seems devastating, most people rebound after termination and move on to new opportunities. One thing is certain: To get your next job you'll need to answer questions about why you left your last one. |
| Compliance, M&A Drive Hiring in N.Y., N.J. | 08/28/07 | | Compliance initiatives and merger and acquisition work are driving CPA hiring in New York and New Jersey. Meanwhile, professional ethics remain in focus for Empire State accountants, as the state's industry association appoints the first public member - a former New York State comptroller- to its professional ethics committee. |
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