Revving Up For a Job Search?

Here Are 5 Things You Should Do Before You Start

You dying to get that dream job? Everyone wants to find that perfect position that will give them the satisfaction both personally and on a professional level. You know what we’re talking about – it’s that job description you hope to find in the classifieds surrounded by an odd glow. And when you call to learn more you hear angels singing the hallelujah chorus in the background. But be honest with yourself. You probably won’t trade your current accounting or bookkeeping job in for something much better until you make a few changes. Wouldn’t you be willing to invest a little time and energy in yourself before starting the job search, especially if it could mean getting a better job with better salary? And it may not require as much as you think.

Search Your Soul
Cheesy, we know, but you should really ask yourself what you want to be doing with your life before you get another job that further anchors you to a profession. And if you’re not certain what your “life calling” is, take some self-assessments to determine your interests and personality traits and what occupations with which they best align. Perhaps you’re in the right profession but not the right position.  You’re doing payroll when you want to be an accounting manager.  We’re not saying that taking a test is the panacea to your career problems, but we are saying that taking the time to answer some questions about yourself may be what it takes to help you determine the direction you’d like to go.

Revise Your Resume
Of course you’ll have to update your resume. It’s always interesting to return to your resume after you’ve been employed for awhile; some may even wonder how they got hired with that resume in the first place. Research what makes a good resume and then make your resume a shining example. It’s generally in working on a resume that you recognize gaps: training and certification that you may lack or perhaps you haven’t adequately focused on the skills and experience you do have.

Remember it is the resume that will get you into the door. Find the right balance of being eye catching without being amateurish in presentation of your skills. Someone going through the interview process may only take 16 seconds or less on your resume, make sure you properly use the bulletpoints, the bolding, and the phraseology that will catch their eye and give them a reason to invest more time to digest your resume.

Research Companies and Organizations You May Want to Work for
Why let job openings dictate where you choose to apply? Be proactive and find organizations that appeal to you. You choose where you want to work and then, with diligence and persistence keep inquiring about your ideal position. What characteristics do they have? How will your employment there benefit your career? How may it work as a stepping stone to something even more spectacular?

Chart your own course; do the research that will help you find companies you would be happy to work for and then start your job campaign. The greater portion of positions in companies are filled by those who know someone, and never get into the “Help Wanted” ads in the newspaper. You may be surprised at what you find and how companies differ from one another in philosophy, benefits, salary, and other comparables. You may also be surprised at the advantage your research gives you come your job interview.

Cast Your Net
Now’s the time to look at your contacts and use networking to your advantage. If you haven’t put much time and energy into networking now’s the time to start. In fact, start yesterday! Look to associations you may be a part of, or chambers of commerce you joined, or the group you see at the gym. Networking is everywhere and you need to be looking for those opportunities to be able to make that crucial connection.

Recognize that just about every encounter is an opportunity to share what you do and possibly hand out your business card. Let close friends and family know that you’re thinking about a change and see what you might hear back. Perhaps in your networking you’ve met people who work for companies you’re interested in. See if you can find out more. Just be careful; if word gets back to your current employer that you’re unhappy and looking elsewhere, it will make a job transition difficult.

Enroll in a Training Program
You’d be surprised at how a few advanced courses, some specialized training, or a professional designation can bolster your resume and make you a very appealing applicant. Involvement in professional development shows that you’re serious about your profession and are ready and willing to run ahead of the competition. It also lets potential employers know that your skills have been proven in a rigorous educational environment.

UAC’s Professional Bookkeeper Program Can Help You Prepare
If you’re interested in a program that can get you more attention when you apply for jobs, Universal Accounting Center’s PB Program is for you. It will teach you the day-to-day accounting and bookkeeping needs of small business, enabling you to earn the Professional Bookkeeper Designation. This program will teach you the skills that enable you to skip over entry level positions and get right to those job opportunities that might take someone with traditional accounting training years to secure. And the professional designation looks nice on a resume. Take the time to get the job you really want. Enroll today!

Employees Can Expect Higher Raises, Says CareerJournal.com

PRINCETON, N.J — Workers in the U.S. can expect a 3.7 percent pay raise in 2005 — the second straight year of increased raises for employees after a three-year decline — according to a report on CareerJournal.com, The Wall Street Journal’s executive career site.

The 2005 expected increase is slightly higher than the 3.6 percent average raise in 2004, according to data compiled by Salary.com. Average salary increases bottomed out at a five-year low of 3.4 percent in 2003, after hitting a five-year high of 4.4 percent in 2001. A 3.7 percent pay raise would mean that an average worker earning $34,000 a year can expect to see an additional $24.19 per week. Those with a salary of $100,000 can expect an increase of $71.15 per week.

“We are in the early stages of an upswing,” says Tony Lee, publisher, CareerJournal.com. “The projected salary increases for this year are a ray of sunshine following several years of salary freezes and layoffs.”

CareerJournal.com offers these tips on how you can earn more as the job market improves:

• Keep track of your successes to present to your boss.
• Document your fair-market value by researching free salary data on sites such as CareerJournal.com.
• Learn the art of salary negotiation-the better you are at negotiating, the better your chances of being successful.
• Ask what needs to happen for you to earn a raise in the future, and try to get a commitment in writing.
• “Having another job offer also is a great tool in negotiating a raise with your current employer, but be prepared to leave if your employer doesn’t meet your terms,” Mr. Lee adds.

Focused Education Is Key to Getting the Best Raises

In the accounting and bookkeeping fields, you need a way to stand out from the crowd to move up to a better job. The training that is taught in the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) program gives you that edge over other applicants. The PB designation proves to employers that you have the real-world skills needed to get right to work with minimal training.

Learn More About the Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program

5 Tips on Ensuring You Enjoy Your Career

Enjoying your job shouldn’t be a perk but a requirement. If you’re not having fun doing your job, then something is wrong. In an article published by the Chicago Tribune, Julie Jansen, a career coach from Stamford, Conn. was quoted as saying, “It shouldn’t be a luxury to enjoy your work, it should be a given - regardless of the economic times.” But is that easier said than done?

Jansen, in her travels speaking to countless professionals, estimates that approximately 70 percent of employees are unhappy in their jobs. Jansen went on to explain, “It’s important to be in a job that makes you happy, because you spend so much time at work and it affects you emotionally, physically and professionally,” said Jansen, author of I Don’t Know What I Want, But I Know It’s Not This: A step by step guide to finding gratifying work.

But how do you infuse more passion and enjoyment into your career? Here are five tips that will help you get on the right track:

1. Determine what’s making you unhappy
There are lots of reasons employees don’t enjoy their jobs. Some don’t like the people they work with. Others find themselves in a monotonous position that isn’t challenging or fulfilling. While others still may feel they’ve picked the wrong career track. Before you start making any changes it’s important that you determine exactly what’s making your unhappy. You may not need to quit your job as much as your need to make some changes in the approach you’ve taken with your current employer. Would a promotion or department-change rectify the problem? Evaluate your current situation and determine exactly where you’re dissatisfied.

2. Determine what you enjoy
It’s important that you be passionate about your work. It’s also important that you feel challenged. When you’re not, you’ll find yourself unhappy and bored. What impassions and challenges you? When you can pinpoint those elements that enable you to feel satisfied in your career, then you better understand what steps are necessary to achieve that satisfaction.

3. Consider all your options
Don’t limit yourself by only considering the possibilities as they exist in your current position. Perhaps you should change occupations, change employers, or start your own business.

4. Trust your intuition
It’s important that you listen to that inner voice that informs you when you’re headed in the right direction. Often that requires you to ignore naysayers and follow your heart. Your intuition will often be the best guide and provide you with the necessary confidence to move forward and take those actions that will enable you to achieve career satisfaction.

5. Make it happen
If you decide that changes must be made you can’t wait around for the Universe to drop them into your lap. You must take action to advance your career goals, whether that be getting the training you need, expanding your expertise and skills, or learning how you might finance your own small business, you must be proactive in advancing your career.

You don’t have to settle for dissatisfaction and unhappiness in your current position. While it may take some effort, you can make changes that will find you more fulfilled and your family better off financially. Take the time to evaluate your career and determine what you must do to achieve true personal and professional success.

References
Kleiman, Carol. “The Fun Factor.” The Chicago Tribune.

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.

Ten Tips to Making Yourself Better Understood in the Work Place
(Part II)

Many entry-level to mid-level accountants struggle in the workplace, not because they lack accounting expertise, but because they lack communication skills. Previously we explored 5 ways to achieve effective communication:

1. Listen
2. Determine your audience
3. Identify your purpose
4. Determine your method of presentation
5. Use plain language

This week we will continue by exploring 5 more ways accountants can become better communicators.

6. Confirm Understanding

While you may feel your message was eloquent, concise, and focused, if your audience didn’t understand it, than your attempt to communicate failed. To avoid this last hurdle you must confirm understanding or negotiate a more appropriate approach. Consider using the following questions to confirm understanding (X represents message/purpose):

• I’m afraid I didn’t communicate clearly. What did you understand X to be?
• What does X look like to you?
• Do you have any questions about X?

If you ask the right questions you’ll be able to clarify where necessary and expound on ideas that may have needed more development. Often a message doesn’t require more than a follow-up email in order to verify receipt or confirm understanding.

7. Invite Feedback

Generally you can invite feedback while confirming understanding. Sometimes your audience understands the purpose, but feels it needs altering or clarification in order to be successful. In asking the right questions you communicate a genuine desire to get thoughtful feedback. Questions might include:

• Do you think X will work? Why or why not?
• What concerns do you have regarding X?
• What elements of X do you think would work well?
• How could we modify X so that it also facilitates your objectives?

8. Display Commitment

If you’re motivated by personal advancement alone, that attitude will ooze from you, repelling most of your colleagues. But if you display commitment to the organization, you win the trust of your coworkers and supervisors. This makes for a much more willing audience, regardless of your message.

9. “Do unto Others…”

The Golden Rule is also a good tip in communicating effectively. Ask yourself, would you be willing to sit through a coworker’s message if that coworker didn’t afford you the same courtesy? Give colleagues your undivided attention as they share their messages with you. This characterizes you as a team player who is willing to advance any initiative that will improve the business, even if the initiative isn’t your own.

10. Seek Improvement Opportunities

If your presentation skills need improvement, find a conference or workshop that teaches presentation skills. If you’re a little self-conscious about your writing abilities, take a class that teaches basic business writing. By all means look for opportunities to continue your education. Acknowledging your weaknesses only places you in a better position to turn them into strengths.

Learn more to speak the accounting language

A List of Do’s and Don’ts

Often a work environment can make or break a job opportunity. If you find that one difficult coworker is making your current position a nightmare, you may need a few tips to help you better deal with your work situation. In our last newsletter we gave you the following five do’s and don’ts in dealing with difficult coworkers:

1. Do examine yoursel.
2. Don’t avoid your feelings
3. Do confide in a friend or family membe.
4. Don’t gossip
5. Do consider your options

This week we’ll wrap up the series by sharing the final five:

6. Don’t avoid the problem
We promise that ignoring the problem will never make it disappear. As unfortunate as the situation may be, you will have to address it in order to resolve the problem. But that requires some forethought. First consider the following: Is the coworker approachable? Does your employer have a conflict resolution process in place? Is this issue less about the coworker and more about you standing up for yourself? Once you pinpoint the actual problem and potential approaches you’ll be better prepared to actually resolve it.

7. Do confront the coworker
You may be tempted to talk to your colleagues or even your supervisor about the difficult coworker. But the truth is it’s unfair to approach anyone else before approaching the person with whom you’re struggling. Make sure you’ve thought through your talking points before engaging with the difficult coworker. And what is the best environment for this discussion? Should you treat the coworker to lunch? Should you schedule a time in your conference room? Is it appropriate to meet in your office or cubicle? You don’t want the situation to escalate by approaching your coworker in a public environment that leaves him/her feeling vulnerable.

And be thoughtful as you prepare for this conversation. Remember that your response to this coworker is currently your problem; you don’t want to attack your coworker by pointing out his/her faults. Open the discussion by telling the coworker that you have a problem (not them, you). Then describe the problem using non-threatening terms. (For example, “In staff meeting, you often interrupt me when I’m sharing my thoughts or opinions.”) Then tell the coworker how you feel about their behavior. (For example, “When that happens I feel I cannot contribute to this organization as I should. I also feel as if you do not respect me.”) Explain that you want to have a good relationship with this coworker and hope they feel the same way. This opening may enable you to have a production discussion. If you find the conversation moving from bad to worse, excuse yourself and consider other alternatives.

8. Don’t take the low road
Regardless of what happens you will not improve the situation by speaking poorly of this coworker. Always take the high road and avoid name calling, belittling, backbiting, and gossiping.

9. Do involve others, if necessary
If you’ve approached this coworker with little effect and find that their behavior continues to impede your work, you may have to involve your supervisor. Again as difficult as it may be you must avoid emotion when discussing this coworker; also steer clear of derogatory descriptions of their troubling behavior. As much as possible, base your discussion on succinct, factual descriptions.

10. Don’t expect poor treatment
Regardless of what happens you should never come to expect poor treatment. If a coworker continues to abuse or mistreat you, there may come a time when you must file a complaint or quit your job; no position is worth enduring a negative work environment.

Your relationships with coworkers can make your job a joy, or it can make it miserable. When you find yourself struggling with a colleague it is important to address the situation immediately rather than waiting to see if it goes away. Using these 10 tips you should quickly come to an understanding of how to better deal with difficult coworkers.

A List of Do’s and Don’ts

A job is so much more enjoyable when you like the people you work with. Unfortunately, there’s usually a bad apple in every bunch, and sometimes that difficult coworker can make your job more difficult. From Chatty Cathy’s to White-Collar Bullies, there are lots of personality types that can cause conflict in the workplace. But there is something you can do about it. Here are 10 do’s and don’ts that will help you deal with difficult coworkers:

1. Do examine yourself
First and foremost, examine yourself. Do you often experience difficulty with coworkers? Are you struggling with individuals that no one else has taken issue with? If you find that you are constantly butting heads with colleagues then it’s a good idea to do some reflection and determine if you are the common denominator in these situations. If you are, it’s time to work through some personal issues that may be causing the conflict.

2. Don’t avoid your feelings
Whenever there’s conflict and tension in the workplace it can take a toll on you emotionally. Acknowledge your feelings so that they don’t sneak up on you later and reveal themselves in an emotional outburst at work. Recognize that what you’re experiencing is important and needs to be addressed.

3. Do confide in a friend or family member
This will help you process your feelings. Sometimes when we’re involved in a work-related conflict it can be difficult to maintain a realistic perspective as the tension begins to warp our view. Talking with an objective third party can help with that. Not to mention you may also get some good advice on dealing with the problematic coworker.

4. Don’t gossip
Avoid gossiping at all costs; complaining to your colleagues about the individual won’t make things any better. All it does is generate negative energy that will cause your bad feelings to build. And the last thing you want is for your nemesis to catch wind of your water cooler moments and then use them against you.

5. Do consider your options
There are lots of ways to deal with a difficult coworker; the important thing to remember is you must deal with it. You can confront the individual, standup to the individual when appropriate, publicly call them out on their behavior, or have a heart-to-heart with him/her. You have lots of options and should consider the pros and cons of each before you act.

It can be discouraging to work with an individual who is causing tension or discomfort for you in the workplace. But you must always remember that you can influence the course of your life, and that includes dealing with a difficult coworker. Come back next week when we’ll talk about the following:

6. Don’t avoid the problem
7. Do confront the coworker
8. Don’t take the low road
9. Do involve others, if necessary
10. Don’t expect poor treatment

10 Tips on Handling Bad, Bossy Behavior

Chances are you’re going to encounter a difficult boss at some point in your career. Struggles with your boss can seep into your personal life, causing you to stress about your job even when you’re not in the office. It’s important that you develop a few coping skills so that you can handle such situations with composure and ease. Here are 10 tips to better manage a difficult boss:

1. Evaluate your own performance.

Perhaps your boss has been critical of your work. Or maybe the struggles you’re experiencing have more to do with bad chemistry than a flawed supervisor. Step back and evaluate your own performance and behavior with a critical eye. Is there something you’re doing to contribute to the problem? Are some of your boss’s criticisms valid? If necessary, take ownership for your role in the poor relationship and take steps to improve what you can.

2. Do good work.

Don’t give a bad boss any ammunition. Do the best work you can. This includes fulfilling your assignments, working as a team player, and participating in good communication.

3. Consider what you want.

Is the situation bad enough for you to leave? Or do you expect that things will improve after some time has passed? Evaluate the situation and weigh it against all the pros and cons. It may be worth looking for work elsewhere.

4. Discuss rather than confront.

It may be necessary to talk with your boss about what you view to be unfair and, possibly, abusive behavior. When you do meet with him/her, ensure that you discuss rather than confront. Approaching the situation offensively will generally make it negative and combative. Have discussion points ready and back up statements with concrete examples.

5. Don’t get emotional.

And when you do talk with your boss, check your emotions at the door. Becoming emotional is unprofessional and will generally escalate the discussion into a heated debate where things become personal and, often, hurtful.

6. Have a backup plan.

If you plan to discuss the situation and the need for improvement, you need to have a hard and fast backup plan; it’s difficult to have leverage with your boss if you have no other options. If you’re serious about seeing changes in the workplace, you must be willing to leave if your boss shoots you down. Having a job offer from another organization is a great form of leverage.

7. Don’t engage in negative behavior.

Two wrongs don’t make a right. Just because your boss exhibits bad behavior doesn’t justify you following suit. Try to be as upbeat as possible, ignoring your boss’s bad behavior while complimenting good behavior.

8. Go through the proper chain of command.

You’re only a tattletale when you complain to upper management instead of first approaching your boss. While it’s not unreasonable to move up the chain of command once you’ve gotten no response from your boss, it’s unfair to everyone involved if you don’t at least attempt reconciliation with your supervisor first.

9. Rally the troops.

Perhaps you’re not the only one frustrated with your boss’s behavior. While it’s unprofessional to gang up on a boss, it is reasonable to point out a common frustration and suggest ways of improving it. And your boss might recognize the validity of a complaint voiced by more than one employee.

10. Document everything.

If you decide to stay, it’s not a bad idea to properly document your boss’s misbehavior in case the situation escalates to a showdown before upper management. If you’ve documented everything, you’ll be able to argue your side without getting emotional. A paper trail is much more professional than a public display of your frustrations.

It’s never fun to deal with a difficult boss, but if you take measures to temper the situation, chances are things will get better for everyone involved.

5 Ways to Ensure Your Resume Makes the Proper Impression

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:

1. Avoid long-winded prose
Some may believe that wordy text, especially written in first-person, will sound friendlier and more appealing than the sterile appearance of bulleted lists. The truth is, when potential employers are looking over your resume they want facts, not frill. They expect to experience your personality in the job interview not on your resume. The easier it is to find crucial information, the better. Bulleted lists enable potential employers to quickly scan resumes and find what they’re looking for.

2. Make sure your educational information is clear
While it’s important to make your resume as concise as possible, there is such a thing as over-abbreviating your educational information. Remember to include the school, city and state, and the time you attended. If you did not receive a degree, clarify how many credits you earned and in what area of focus. There’s also a rash of falsified-resumes going around; ensure that every detail you include on your resume is true and complete. Not doing so can cause you (and your employer) a lot of difficulty in the end.

3. Focus on accomplishments
Many resumes are duty-oriented rather than accomplishment-oriented. The truth is potential employers are more interested in what you have accomplishment than completed tasks. As you review your employment and educational history consider what you have accomplished and make a point to include those things on your resume.

4. Avoid overused resume templates
While you may think the resume template you’ve chosen is innovative and eye-catching, remember that potential employers see a lot more resumes than you do. Even if you choose a template you should change it up a little and make it your own.

5. Include key words
Remember that a resume is your opportunity to market yourself and your skills. The potential employer is your audience. Look at the job posting as you craft your resume and include key words they used to publicize the opening. As you use those key words to highlight your skills and abilities they will appreciate both your attention to their needs and the manner in which you showcase your employability. Not to mention, you will appear well-suited for the job.

Your resume is the first look many potential employers will get of you and your skills. You don’t want to eliminate yourself by making simple mistakes that have become fairly common. In attending to the five details above, you could get your resume the attention it deserves.