Effective Communication – Part I
Ten Tips to Making Yourself Better Understood in the Work Place(Part I)
The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has occurred.—George Bernard Shaw
How many of us have a mental image of the accountant as the bean counter in a back room, surrounded by accounting ledgers and calculators? Accountants should be the profit center experts in an organization, but that’s impossible to accomplish when fraternizing with numbers alone. One of the keys to becoming an invaluable accountant is in effectively communicating with colleagues, many of whom have no background in accounting and may be a little skittish talking profit margins.So how should an accountant engage with coworkers in a manner that puts everyone in the financial know? Here are five of ten tips to becoming a better communicator, which will enable your colleagues, including management, to become profit center enthusiasts.
1. Listen
Effective communication can’t take place if one person is doing all the talking. Part of effectively engaging with colleagues is in understanding their goals, responsibilities, and concerns. This can only happen when you listen to them. Once you do, you better understand how your objectives can align with theirs, making you true business partners.
2. Determine Your Audience
After listening to your colleagues, you can better understand who they are and how your message can be catered to them. Ask yourself the following questions in order to better understand your audience:
- How much accounting knowledge do they have?
- Do they have responsibilities that can contribute to profit center success?
- How does your message or purpose relate to their organizational role?
Once your understand how your message relates to their role and the company’s success, they will be more likely to respond favorably.
3. Identify Your Purpose
You must identify the purpose of your message. Are you simply sharing information or do you want to effect organizational change? Once you understand what you’re trying to accomplish, you can eliminate the fluff and ensure your message is communicated clearly and succinctly.
4. Determine Your Method of Presentation
After identifying your audience and the purpose of your message, you need to determine the best method of presenting it. Not all messages are created equal; pick the method of presentation best suited for your audience and purpose. Should you present in staff meeting, write a company memo, or schedule a one-on-one meeting? It would be silly to share your message in a staff meeting if your purpose is to communicate one individual. It would be a waste of time to schedule one-on-one meetings with a handful of people all getting the same message.
5. Use Plain Language
Accountants have a tendency to use accounting jargon that can intimidate, confuse, and even bore an audience. Be sure to use plain language, especially when communicating with colleagues who don’t have an extensive accounting background. Consider ways to explain accounting concepts simply and clearly.These five tips can help accountants effectively communicate with colleagues and ensure a profit center’s success. Return next week to discover five more ways to improve your communication skills as an accountant.Learn more to speak the accounting language.
You’ve probably heard a lot of tips about creating the perfect resume, but have you read about the most common mistakes? There are some things you can do that will ensure that your resume won’t go in the slush pile. And here are five:
If you’ve ever considered becoming a freelance accountant you need to ask yourself some serious questions before taking the plunge. There are a lot of variables to consider when becoming self-employed, and very few of them have to do with your accounting skills. 
Regardless of your expertise, whether you’re a beginner, intermediate, or expert accountant, the 
But getting the word out is sometimes problematic. While accountants may be comfortable crunching numbers, they generally are not comfortable marketing their services. Wouldn’t it be nice to learn a proven system for marketing your newfound small business accounting skills? Universal knows how to do that, and we want to teach you! For years we’ve been offering the 
I was recently reading “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak to my kids for a bedtime story. I was stricken with how similar this well-known story line reflects what we all go through when pursuing our professional goals.In the story Max is sent to his room, feeling constrained by those who are in authority over him. He imagines for himself a world where he has the control of what happens. How often have we, sitting in our little cubicles, had those same imaginings about our careers? How many of us have imagined what it would be like to gain the control necessary to steer our careers in the direction of success and happiness? How many of us have imagined that happy, yet seemingly unattainable position of empowerment, where we are in charge of our professional futures?Most of us can imagine being able to dictate what we do, how we do it and for how much we will do it for. We imagine a place of business where we are not only invaluable to the company we work with, but an indispensable part of that company’s success. Or perhaps we imagine working for ourselves, determining our own schedules as we grow an accounting practice that we manage.Unlike Max who, after creating his ideal world, went back to the reality of his own room, will we settle for this dissatisfying stage of our careers? Or will turn our dreams into reality?The corporate world can really be a jungle, and for those in our field we need to be gaining the right tools that will help us clear a path to the places we would like to be in five, ten, or fifteen years from now. Where are your “Opportunity Things”? What tools can you use to take advantage of that next promotion, pay increase or business opportunity?
Building your own accounting practice will require exceptional marketing skills. And when you couple the PB Program with the 
You finally scored that interview and are ready to dazzle and amaze the interviewer. How do you prepare? One way is to formulate answers to the most common interview questions. There are quite a few out there, but here are 10 of the most popular ones:1. Tell me a little bit about yourself.While this is the interviewer’s attempt to put you at ease at the start of an interview, it is not an open invitation to blather on and on about your childhood or to recap your resume. This is, however, your chance to highlight your experience, expertise, and skills, and how they relate to the position for which you are interviewing.2. Why did you leave your last job?Be honest. Whether you quit, were laid off, or fired, you need to be honest and upfront about it. But be brief and as positive as possible. Complaining about your previous experience will not leave a good impression. Conclude by saying that you are looking forward to new and rewarding work experiences.3. Why do you want this position?This is your chance to align your career objectives with this position. It is important that you display passion and excitement for the job and what you bring to it. And when discussing your qualifications, ensure that they align with the job description provided.4. Why do you want to work here?This question may seem similar to the one above, but there’s a fundamental difference. The previous question was asking about the position. This question is asking about the employer for which you might be working. The interviewer is interested in learning what you know about the organization and whether or not you value what it has to offer you. Be sure you’ve done your homework. What do you find appealing about this particular employer? If you can’t answer that question now, you should be prepared to do so before the interview.5. Why should I hire you?Some people feel uncomfortable selling themselves in an interview, but this is exactly what you need to do. And this particular question is begging for you to tell the interviewer how you can benefit their organization. What strengths do you have and how will they work to strengthen the company? As always, be sure that your points align with the job description.6. What’s your greatest weakness?The last thing you want to do is share your greatest weakness and leave it at that. Or worse, tell the interviewer that you are unaware of any personal weaknesses (This is a definite red flag: everyone has weaknesses, and if you claim to be unaware of them, you’re either lying or delusional and arrogant). This is your chance to demonstrate how you have acknowledged a weakness and worked to overcome it. For example, if you’re too detail-oriented, explain how you have worked to step back and see the big picture. Or, if you procrastinate, explain what you have done in order to motivate yourself to slowly work towards completing projects on time and on budget.7. What are your salary expectations?This is another question that requires a little research. Considering your experience and expertise, what is a realistic salary range? Search on the Internet to find out. And do a little research on the company as well. Is it reasonable to expect them to pay top dollar? Or should you expect a more modest salary range from this employer? But before you answer this question in your interview, ask if the interviewer can provide a salary range with which to base your response. If not, answer the question based on your research.8. What do you like in a boss or supervisor?This isn’t a trick question. The interviewer wants to know whether or not you are a good match for the individual supervising this position. I remember being shocked at an applicant’s response that he liked being micromanaged. And because I was not the type of supervisor who could micromanage my employees, and because he would not have felt comfortable working independently, it was exactly the answer I was looking for. So be honest (and positive) as you describe your ideal working arrangement.9. Where do you see yourself in 5 years?Regardless of your desire to be independently wealthy and touring Europe in 5 years, you should answer this question in regards to your career goals. The person asking this question is interested in knowing whether you have any goals and how ambitious you are regarding them.10. Do you have any questions for me?The answer to this question should always be “yes.” It shows that you have been attentive throughout the interview (unless, of course you ask a question that has been answered through the course of the interview) and know enough about the company to compose thoughtful questions. It also gives you the chance to illustrate your interest in the job; if nothing else, ask about the next step in the selection process. Will they be conducting second interviews? If not, when could you anticipate finding out whether or not they will be hiring you.Note: If salary has not already been discussed, this is not the time to ask how much they pay; at this stage, when you focus on compensation it looks as if that’s your primary concern.While job interviews can be stressful, you can prepare for the most common questions. Going in with positive, thoughtful, and genuine responses will give this potential employer a good impression of you and your abilities.
Now That You’ve Got Your Feet WetRecently we discussed what you needed to do to get yourself started in the right direction and moving your career path to where you want it to end up. You’ve put in the time and researched what you needed to, which type of a position within the accounting field most interests you. How much that person in that position stands to make and you have even looked up what type of experience you are going to need to be even eligible for your desired position.You’ve identified what you have right now in terms of skill sets and experience already under your belt. And what work experience is just at-your-fingertips if you were to stretch yourself and step up to grasp ahold of it. You’ve started looking for those ways to network… find other like minded individuals who are in the profession that may have a different accounting responsibilities. You never know when you are going to make at least a lateral step from one company to the next. Always good to keep your options open for you.We’ve also chatted about the training you can get to further your career. We’ve talked many times before about the pros and cons of going to a four year university, verses other forms of education. This fact is something that Universal Accounting took into serious consideration. What benefits do you receive with a four year university that makes you a better accountant? After several months of research the conclusion was found that if you were looking to be a big corporate accountant, then the four year option was for you. That’s only what they prepare you for, and teach you to do, in those accounting majors in the higher education institutions.So What Benefit Can I Realize With Universal’s Training?Very good question. It first all rests on the conclusion we came to when we started offering this training program. We saw that for most in the profession, accountants and bookkeepers were finding a greater opportunity for higher pay and advancement in those companies that were classified as small business operations. These opportunities have only grown over the years, from 85% of all businesses being in that small business category to approaching 91% of all business transacted are with companies with 100 employees or less.Secondly, we found the then existing training available nationwide did little or nothing to prepare those who were in those businesses. A great need for the right accounting training was there for us to service. With Universal’s Professional Bookkeeper Program you are able to get hands-on instruction so that you can portray your accounts within a company the way they need to be for effective tracking and record keeping. In the training we teach what is the single best indicator of a company’s financial health.Tested and proven techniques that will make your job easier and prove to your boss your expertise in helping the company to stay sound, financial viable and best yet, profitable! We’ve been down in the trenches, tested these strategies and methods in real time and have done the trial and error for you. Within 60-90 days you two can know, and put into practice what it took us years and years to perfect. Click Here to find out more about the training itself.The “So What…” Factor”So what does this mean for me?” you may be asking. What does the right and immediately applicable accounting and bookkeeping training going to do for your career? Frankly, it gives you more. The training affords you the ability to have the confidence in whatever may come your way in a company’s accounting needs that you know or can get the answer to it readily. This training allows you the opportunity to be able to apply what you’ve been trained in ANYWHERE to any company you come in contact with.Most importantly, the Professional Bookkeeper Training Program gives you the luxury to be able to dictate what you can get paid, which position you will be able to occupy, and which type of lifestyle you can create for yourself and those around you.The right training opens the many doors of accounting opportunities, and you choose for yourself which option to take!Don’t Hesitate Another DayProcrastination for your tomorrow is doing you no good. Take control of where your career is heading, don’t allow it to be dictated by someone else! Click Here to enroll today in what will be the difference in your earning potential, your job satisfaction and the type of things you will have access in doing throughout your life with your greater earnings. Enrolling in the Professional Bookkeeper Program gives you what you need tomorrow… today!Want Another “Door” to Open to You?UAC’s Professional Tax Preparer Certification May Be the Key. Check out Universal’s tax training is not only a great way to boost your resume, but it can also offer an added income stream come tax time. You’ll acquire expertise that most employers will appreciate, and you’ll be able to make money in your spare time as a tax preparer. You’ll also be able to earn a professional designation which is always a good selling point in any job interview. Don’t wait to make those career changes that you’ve been thinking about. Consider the PTP Certification your exit to success.
It’s pointless to put an ounce of energy into worrying about this. First, just who are the “they” you’re worried about? You could end up talking to most anyone in a job hunt – from former associates and vice presidents in your industry to neighbors and relatives. It’s impossible to pinpoint everyone you might have contact with.And it’s impossible to predict what each person will say or how your goal will look to him or her. Some will think you’re over-the-hill or crazy. Others wouldn’t blink an eye. Your situation will look different to everyone.Besides, who cares what they think? If you want to go into a particular field at your age or back to doing something you did five years ago, that’s your business.Base your future on what you want, not what others might think. The only two questions to ask are: How do you want it to look? And what do you want them to say?Here’s what I mean. Let’s say you’re a 55-year-old marketing professional. How do you want that to look to others? You want there to be no question that you’re quite the catch.You want to be seen as a vibrant, knowledgeable, innovative, results-oriented marketer. You want to convey the impression that you are a mature leader with hands-on experience and a phenomenal track record in introducing new products or services to the market, a skilled professional who can propel a company into the global marketplace or turn around a low-performing product line.And you’re going to give them plenty of evidence to prove it. Like the time you developed and implemented a marketing strategy for a new product at your last company that led to first year sales of $8 million, 75 percent over the projected goal.What do you want them to say? When they’re through talking to you, you want them to be so wowed they say, “Now that’s someone I’d like to hire. She’s got the energy, skills, expertise, experience and mindset we need.” Or, “I need to tell so-and-so about her.”I’m not suggesting you don’t anticipate objections. For instance, you may be worried someone will say, “But you’ve been away from this field for five years.” You do want to have a reply ready, or bring it up before they do.But this is not the first thing to focus on nor the reason you don’t follow through on what you want. It’s just comes with the territory. So get over it and get on to what matters most: How you want to be seen and what you’re going to tell them so they do.Career consultant Andrea Kay is the author of “Greener Pastures: How To Find a Job In Another Place,” “Interview Strategies That Will Get You the Job You Want,” and “Resumes That Will Get You the Job You Want.” Send questions to her at No. 133, 2692 Madison Rd., Cincinnati, OH 45208; www.andreakay.com. She can be e-mailed at: andrea(AT)andreakay.com.
On a recent rainy morning, Andrea Giangrande joined three other women at a career workshop, each with the hope of making their work lives more rewarding and less frustrating.An interior designer by training, Giangrande, 32, of Somers, N.Y., recently began looking for work again after returning to the area from Boston, where she became disillusioned with her career.Despite the image it may conjure in people’s minds, Giangrande tells the group that furnishing people’s homes and businesses is not glamorous work.”It’s not ‘Will & Grace,’ ” she says, referring to the TV show that features an interior designer as one of its lead characters.Moreover, she doesn’t buy into the argument that work is work and that nobody likes their job. “I don’t necessarily agree with that philosophy,” Giangrande says. “You should enjoy it at least a little bit.”She hopes the half-day workshop by a career-coaching firm, will prod her to a more satisfying career.Giangrande is typical of the clients counseled by Nicole Aliev and Kathy Kriskey, the seminar’s organizers and veterans of the corporate “rat race,” as they call it, which has chipped away at many workers’ enthusiasm toward their work lives.Having achieved great success as corporate coaches, Kriskey and Aliev became disenchanted with their own careers. That led them in July to start Rat Race Be Gone, a career coaching and consulting business based in Aliev’s Mamaroneck, N.Y., home.Career coaching makes sense for everyone, Kriskey says, adding that it needn’t be a long-term commitment. “Sometimes it’s just a few sessions and you totally change your perspective.”Workers today are feeling less appreciated. Still, that doesn’t mean the workers she coaches necessarily want to leave their jobs. Rather, “it’s about changing how they view their jobs,” Aliev says.At the core of the women’s philosophy is getting their clients to create an action plan that helps them visualize what their lives will be like a year from now, after they make changes.Through its seminars, Rat Race Be Gone allows its clients to be vulnerable about their career choices and goals, allowing them to access advice from other members of the group who have an impartial view. By teaming them with other group members at the workshops, participants not only get free advice on how to handle their careers but also a new network of contacts, Aliev says.In a world where workers are taught to spout bravado about the choices they’ve made in their careers, taking a glaring look at the missteps or the unhappy moments can be quite difficult, both women say.Career coaching helps frustrated workers look at their situations from a fresh perspective.”Recognition is a big issue,” Aliev says. “It’s acknowledging that employees go farther if they’re satisfied in their jobs.”Many workers have stayed in unsatisfying jobs because of fear. “There was so much unknown,” Aliev says, referring to the recent economic recession and national security concerns.But she and Kriskey have found that with the economy starting to rebound people are saying, “enough is enough.” Workers are no longer willing to stay in boring, miserable jobs any longer in the name of job security.As for Giangrande, she came away from her four-hour workshop with a positive outlook in the knowledge that she is not alone in her discontent.”It was therapeutic to be there,” she says.
How to Get Help and Supercharge YOUR Career
Recruiters spend less than 20 seconds looking at your resume.For every position open, only 10 percent of resumes get a second viewing after that initial scan, according to Monster.com. About 3 percent of resumes lead to interviews. And one person gets hired.The odds are against you – big time.”They’re looking for reasons to reject you,” says Irv Orenstein, president of Orenstein Advertising in Huntingdon Valley, Pa., who has provided job-hunting guidance for more than 30 years. “They can only consider a few. If you give them the right reason to dump yours, they will.”So you’re thinking this is advice for the novice — a job-seeker who has never typed up a resume.It is. But it’s for the workplace veteran, too. You would be surprised what the recruiters are saying about professionals with real jobs.”Even when written by professionals, most resumes read like obituaries, and that’s why they get buried,” says Orenstein.No one seems to be immune to a pathetic resume.”We still get the resumes of people that put their pictures in with their height and weight,” says Janet Hambrock, a recruiting manager with ExactTarget, an Indianapolis software company specializing in e-mail marketing. “Don’t do that.”Hambrock hires everyone from software engineers to salespeople. Among her biggest pet peeves: resumes written in third person. She also warns against listing personal information or hobbies.”For the most part, that seems pretty harmless,” she says. “But the more they know about your personal life, the more they can discriminate.”One way that can happen is with an e-mail address. If you have a personal e-mail like Partyer11@aol. com or HotMama@yahoo.com, that could be a problem. Opt to create another e-mail address to list on the resume, using your first and last name or initials.Orenstein has his own list of common errors, mistakes that even the professionals make.Most resumes are too long. The standard rule is to write one page for every 10 years of experience, says Orenstein. He suggests that all prospective job hunters offer a resume that is just one page.Orenstein says another mistake is listing your salary requirement. The hiring team doesn’t know you or know how valuable you are, so it can only seem too high to them.Don’t be me-oriented. Write the resume to please the reader. Let him or her know why hiring you will be good for the company.Use a chronology. Orenstein suggests showing the progress you have made — starting with your first job and ending with the most current. It’s human nature to follow things in chronological order, he says.Many resumes aren’t convincing. If=you say you doubled sales in a short amount of time, be specific so they know it’s the truth.Which sounds better? “Worked diligently to surpass sales quota on an ongoing basis” or “exceeded $1 million quarterly sales quota by at least 25 percent for six consecutive quarters”?Numbers are good, according to Monster.com, which provided the above example.And, above all, forget the stiff, formal language. Write the way you talk. It’s more approachable. Less uppity.