Job Search Tips Archives - Page 8 of 9

What Does It Mean When They Say “We’ll Keep Your Resume on File?”

When an employer says they will “keep your resume on file,” what does this mean to you as a candidate? This is a common recruitment practice that can leave job seekers feeling dismissed and rejected. Understand what this means and that it’s not necessarily a bad thing as we will explain.

First off, it’s generally understood that hiring managers are bombarded with hundreds of resumes from candidates who vary from not qualified to overqualified. They must review all these resumes, and then choose a small handful of candidates who meet the job criteria, and then decide how to proceed from there. It doesn’t matter if your resume was the first or the last to be received, all candidates must be treated equally. However, if you have sent your resume once they have stopped accepting resumes for the position, it may not even be considered since the top candidates may have already been selected.

At this point, you may have received a letter or email thanking you for applying, but announcing that they have decided to move forward with other candidates at this time. Your resume will be securely stored in a file with the other candidates, and will be grouped by area of skills for future consideration. Very often, hiring managers will refer back to these resumes as new positions are opened, so you could get called back in a few weeks or months.

If you are one of the lucky few who are called for an initial phone or in-person interview, congratulations – you have made the first big cut! This means you have met the general requirements of the job you have applied for on the company’s website or online. Your resume and qualifications are likely to have been reviewed more closely and even by a few people on the hiring team. Your resume is now in a much smaller group of candidates, and you are being considered for the job.

Once you have a phone interview, or have been asked to come in for an interview, you are in an even better position. This is your chance to impress the hiring manager and convince the company how your contribution can help their company succeed. If you have this interview and you then get a rejection letter, your resume will end up being stored with the job type and skills, and may even be passed around the company (in a secure file) to see if any other managers or teams may be interested in you. Sometimes, the candidate they did offer the job to initially is unable to accept the position, and the interview process starts all over from the beginning.

Remember, getting told that your resume will be kept on file is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s a required human resource practice to hold the resumes and applications of qualified candidates on file for at least six months for EEOC guidelines (equal opportunity). Feel free to reapply for work as you see positions come open you are qualified for, and send in your resume at least once every six months, or as asked.

As a nationally accredited, best-in-class recruitment firm, our staff is well networked in the accounting and finance community, tenured and industry certified. Contact Casey Accounting & Finance Resources today, and we will help you find finance careers in Chicago!

2015 Mid-Year Salary Survey

With 2015 more than half over, Casey Accounting & Finance Resources has acquired updated salary data in finance and accounting. The compensation trends change throughout the year and with the fluctuating economy, you need to be on top of your game when negotiating salary numbers.

Looking to learn more about what salary expectations should be? Casey Accounting & Finance Resources can help! We have compiled our salary survey list with updated facts and figures including job descriptions for finance and accounting positions for the Chicago metropolitan area.

Contact us today and we will be happy to share this with you. In the “YOUR MESSAGE” section, please enter “2015 Finance Salary Survey”. Enjoy the rest of 2015!

Salary Trends: Going Up!

According to multiple sources, the outlook for salaries is good for the remaining part of 2015 and into next year. The Society for Human Resource Management predicted around a 3 percent increase for wages this year, and other economics experts stated that wages would approach or exceed the estimated 15-year highs that last year’s wage increases experienced.

Around the Chicago area, wages are also on the upswing, based on data from the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics. The Illinois unemployment rate has dropped from 6.2 percent in Dec 2014 to 6 percent in May 2015, which is good news for the thousands of workers who call this state home. Earnings are up for several industries, including construction, transportation, professional services, education and health services, hospitality, and government-related businesses. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, some of the biggest job gainers were in the following industries: Healthcare, Retail, Leisure & Hospitality, Finance & Insurance firms and Transportation & Warehousing.

The National Compensation Survey released their data in June 2015, which indicates that wages are steadily increasing in Illinois and other developed states across the U.S. Based on DOL data, “Employer costs for employee compensation averaged $33.49 per hour worked in March 2015.” Additionally, Illinois is one of many states to raise the minimum wage in 2015, with additional increases scheduled until 2019. Currently, the state minimum wage sits at $9 per hour.

As we move into a candidate driven market, being aware of compensation trends helps with creating the best pay policies for recruiting top talent. Earlier this year, Casey Resources provided a salary survey that showed salary trends along for job descriptions for positions in the Chicago area. Click here for more information or to receive the content.

If you are looking for new work opportunities, especially those that offer great growth opportunities and benefits, your first stop should be with Casey Accounting & Finance Resources in Chicago. There are many full-time, contract and temp-to-hirepositions paying excellent starting wages.

You are also welcome to get in touch with our caring team of recruiters who can match your skills to a job that offers high salary and growth potential in your industry for the best careers in Chicago.

Top Candidates – July 2015 Newsletter

Casey Resources July 2015 Newsletter

Accounts Payable Manager: This dynamic professional is seeking a new opportunity with an organization that is growing and provides a challenge, so she is able to utilize her professional experience, educational background and interpersonal skills. She processes accounts payable for two corporate divisions (domestic and international). She is proficient in three way match, credit applications, sales and use tax returns, and assisted in a major system conversion. She is well versed with AS400, J.D. Edwards, Movex, Kronos and QuickBooks.

Accounts Receivable Manager/Credit Manager: This energetic professional is seeing a new opportunity for a company that is seeking someone with strong leadership and process management skills. She is an effective problem solver at both the corporate and customer level. She directly oversees all cash application, billing and collection processes. She has handled portfolios ranging from $3.5MM to $107MM. She is proficient with the following systems: Great Plains, SAP, CARMS, Lawson and Radar.

Accounting Manager/Controller: This multifaceted Fortune 500 Accounting Manager and Controller possess extensive experience in a variety of areas including: Supply Chain, Sales and Margin, Corporate, Inventory Control, International and Integration/Transition. He possesses complete knowledge and understanding of P&Ls and balance sheet. He is a proven leader who effectively communicates with all levels, and provides and implements sensible solutions to complex issues and transactions. He was designated “Accounting Expert” in a consulting role for Fortune 500 SAP conversion. He streamlined the monthly financial close process from 6 days to 4 days through continuous process improvement. He assisted twice in relocating and transitioning the Accounting Department for Fortune 500 organizations including team building and training new accounting team on all policies and procedures.

Contact Casey Resources today to get connected with these great job candidates!

Be YOUR Recruiter’s Top Candidate! Dos and Don’ts of Working with a Recruiter

It’s very common for professionals to seek out the support of a recruitment professional for career growth. There are a number of benefits of doing this, including faster access to careers and the companies that offer them, as well as higher earnings potential. If you have decided it’s time to work with a recruiter to find your next job, then you need to know how you can turn yourself into the recruiter’s top candidate. You want to be at the top of their list, because they will place you first for jobs that become available that match your experience and needs.

Here, we will discuss the dos and don’ts of working with a recruiter, so you can make the most of the situation.

The Dos of Working with a Recruiter

We will begin today with what you should do when working with a recruiter. They include being patient, having an open line of communication, being transparent, asking questions, doing your homework, talking about your past, and discussing what you want in your next job.

Recruiters are not able to place every person they meet in a new job. You need to be patient because the job might not come right off the bat. An average job search lasts anywhere from three to six months, but a recruiter can accelerate the process. Even with a recruiter, placement will not come instantly.

A recruiter works for job seekers and employers. You need to be open and honest with recruiters in order to obtain a job. Be as transparent as possible when discussing what it is you want to do in your career.

Do not work with just any recruiter. Try to find someone whose niche is in your industry. This can be discovered by doing your homework and asking questions of each recruiter you meet. A recruiter will have an easier time placing you if you talk about your past jobs, skills, responsibilities and more. Check into the local staffing associations, such as the Illinois Search and Staffing Association, www.issaworks.com, to obtain a list of reputable and ethical staffing companies that you can contact to help you with your job search.

The Don’ts of Working with a Recruiter

Now we can move onto what you shouldn’t do when working with a recruiter. They include expecting the recruiter to perform all of the work, failing to talk about the small things, forgetting that time is money, hiding concerns about the job and demanding an increase in salary that is unreasonable.

Do not expect the recruiter to do all of the work for you. Even though they will walk you through the interview process and help you solidify your resume, you still need to do your part. This includes researching companies and learning about the jobs out there that interest you.

Listen to the recruiter when they help to prepare you for the interview. Often, the recruiter will have a good working relationship with the client, so the information they share with you will help you to be more successful during the interview process.

The small things matter in a job search, especially when small things are found on your background check. Even if it is a small issue, disclose it early so no issues about your character or integrity come up when it is too late.

Time is money, and because of this, you need to drop out of an interview process prior to wasting everyone’s time if you know the job will not be a fit for you.

Be honest with the recruiter when it comes to job opportunities they present you. They will be able to form a better idea of what you are looking for by talking openly about jobs.

A typical increase when changing jobs is 10 percent. Be realistic on your expectations for compensation.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is a trusted staffing firm that strives to exceed our clients’ expectations to help achieve their talent management goals and objectives. Contact our team of recruiters today to get started on meeting your employment needs.

Behavioral Interview – Are You Ready?

Do you have a behavioral interview scheduled with a company that might hire you for an available position? If so, there is no reason to stress about the interview, or downright fear it either.

Many people worry about behavioral interviews, because they don’t know what to expect. Companies and recruiters are using behavioral interviews more often to determine which candidate might be the best for the available position. Why? Because past behavior could lead to future behavior.

Here’s some expert insight into behavioral interviews, so you can confidently handle them if and when they come up in your job search process.

What Happens During a Behavioral Interview?

You might be wondering what happens during a behavioral interview. First off, the interviewer will ask you to describe a situation in which you had to deal with a difficult co-worker who was not pulling their weight on a project or ask about another situation at a previous job. The interviewer will want you to explain the situation and how you handled it without generalizations or theorizing the issue. The interviewer will likely take notes, and you might not be able to discuss any stories you might have prepared.

How to Prepare for a Behavioral Interview

The next step here is to prepare for a behavioral interview as much as possible, in order to succeed the next time you have a job interview scheduled. The following steps are how you should prepare for a behavioral interview:

Think about past experiences that show leadership, teamwork, planning, education, customer service and more from your career.
Prepare to describe the situation, the action you took and how the situation came to a conclusion. An easy way to remember this is with the STAR acronym – situation, task, action and results.
Have short descriptions of each situation prepared, and have details ready in the event that the interviewer asks for them.
Make sure the outcome of the situation reflects positively on you, even if the overall outcome was negative.
Never generalize about these events. Be as specific as possible.
Never leave out any details, or embellish true ones, because the interviewer will be able to find out what is true and what is false.

Avoid Short Answers

Do your best to avoid giving interviewers short answers when taking part in a behavioral interview. Short answers give the impression that either you are not prepared, or you do not have any experience with the type of situation the interviewer is asking you about in your career. Both of these could lead the interviewer to remove you from consideration for the job, especially if the position requires you to handle tough situations with co-workers or subordinates. The more you offer in the answer, the better the interviewer can understand what type of worker and problem solver you have been in the past.

There is absolutely no reason to fear the behavioral interview, especially if you have had to deal with tough situations in the past. Just follow the tips above and you will shine in any interview.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources, a winner of Inavero’s Best of Staffing® Client Award for the second consecutive year, can help your company meet all of its financial staffing needs. Contact our award-winning team today to get started!

The Power of Networking!

Career advancement is not only about what you do, but even more importantly, who you know. Having a strong network and nurturing it will help you take the next steps necessary to have a career that is challenging and gives you the opportunities for advanced roles in your career.

Networking is an art. Dictionary.com’s definition of networking is: “To cultivate people who can be helpful to one professionally, especially in finding employment or moving to a higher position”. Wherever you are, talk to people who surround you and have a defined plan in place.

According to “Becoming a Master Networker” webinar by Amy Bingham, Bingham Consulting, follow this roadmap:

Prepare – Conduct research on where like-minded people congregate, select ideal groups (in-person business meetings and social networking sites such as LinkedIn Groups). Understand what is important to these groups, so you will be able to make contributions that are helpful to each group.
Engage – Have a few good conversations with people and take good notes verses just collecting business cards. Make sure people can understand in simple terms what you do when you introduce yourself and how they can help you.
Position Value – Be able to articulate what makes you different and why people enjoy working with you and/or your company. People need to understand how they will benefit.
Assist – Networking is a two way street, so let the people you network with know you are looking for referral partners. Find out what they do and how you might be able to assist them. Be sincere and a good listener!
Follow Up – Within 48 hours, follow up with the person’s referral as well as with the person who had helped you with your network and gave you the referral.
Nurture – Stay in touch and share information that might be helpful to your network. Examples would be hiring tips and thought leadership articles on their industry. Use Google Alerts to obtain articles weekly and keep up to date on current trends.

Get started today in becoming a power networker! The easiest way to begin is to make a list of all the people who can help you achieve the success you are looking for: friends, co-workers, and groups you can join both online and in-person. Make sure you know why each person and group is important to you. Every opportunity that you meet a new person or even someone you have known for awhile, can turn into a powerful referral. Think about your last job or the last item you purchased, was it through a referral?

How to Get Your Accounting and Finance Credentials Noticed on LinkedIn

It’s true that working in the financial industry takes a lot of hard work, a strong education, and outstanding finance credentials. But all of this doesn’t matter if your LinkedIn profile is not getting noticed by the right recruiters. Why? Because 90 percent of all hiring companies are checking out finance and accounting candidates on LinkedIn and other social media platforms before calling them in for interviews.

As a serious contender, you might have an excellent LinkedIn profile that may be updated all the time, but it could still be hard to get it noticed. Here, we will discuss how to get your finance credentials noticed on LinkedIn so you can secure a solid job within the industry.

Tell Recruiters Who You Are

Right off the bat, make sure you tell recruiters who you are so they do not have to guess what you do for a living. Use keywords related to your financial profession in your headline so it is picked up by search engines. The headline is the first part of your LinkedIn profile that recruiters notice, so make sure it counts. Make sure you include your e-maill address, so it is easy for recruiters to reach out to you.

Validate All Claims Made on LinkedIn

If you make any claims about your financial background on your LinkedIn profile, be sure to validate all of them with strong recommendations. The recommendations should come from trusted sources, such as former employers, mentors, professors and co-workers who know you well and know your body of work. If you work independently in finance, you can acquire recommendations from clients.

Use LinkedIn’s Publishing Platform

LinkedIn offers a publishing platform that you should take advantage of if you want recruiters to notice your financial credentials. By writing articles and publishing them through LinkedIn’s publishing platform, you will be able to develop thought leadership within your industry. Make sure you write articles about your profession so recruiters who are looking for financial candidates can find your expertise on LinkedIn and then browse your profile.

Write a Top-Notch Summary

As with your headline, your summary on LinkedIn must include keywords related to the financial industry. If possible, write the summary in first person because it comes across better to recruiters. The summary should be no shorter, and no longer, than two sentences. After the two sentences, make sure the summary has a “proficient in” list that talks about your strongest skills.

Provide Examples

When writing a financial LinkedIn profile, make sure you provide examples of all claims made on your profile. For example, if you said you helped an employer save money, make sure the amount is mentioned in your profile. This helps recruiters understand what it is you accomplished at your job and how it helped the company. Also, write down how you saved the money in as descriptive a way as possible.

It is imperative that your LinkedIn profile is as strong as possible when searching for a financial job because it will help in the long run. Recruiters use LinkedIn more and more these days to find the best candidates, so be sure you follow the tips above to get noticed and invited to an interview.

Temporary and Contract Work Booming! 6 Reasons to Consider Temporary Employment

As the job market continues to recover from previous unemployment rates, it appears that temporary and contract work is booming. Why is this? Employers are more willing to take on temporary employees as a way to find great employees and quickly fill staffing requirements while still maintaining employee skill sets. Temporary work is also an excellent option for those who are in between jobs or looking to gain career experience in a new organization.

Here, we will discuss the reasons why you should consider temporary employment and how you can benefit from this arrangement.

Learn New Skills

A temporary job is an excellent way for you to learn a new skill, especially if you need that new skill for a full-time job for which you wish to apply down the road. The new skill could be technical, physical or in the leadership field. Simply watching others around you in all of the temporary jobs you work will help you pick up on some new things you can leverage when applying for jobs elsewhere.

Flexibility of Scheduling

Flexibility is a key benefit of working temporary employment. Those who work in temporary jobs will find it very easy to arrange their schedule. This means that when you need to take time off, you can take a break in your career. As a temporary worker, you do not have to file a request with your employer for time off. Instead, you simply do not schedule another job to start until after your schedule is open again.

Make a Life Transition Easier

Life transitions, such as moving to a new state, are very difficult for some people to make successfully. Working temporary jobs can make a life transition easier for some. A temporary job will help a newly relocated person learn the culture of the area, learn what the job environment is like and much more. This will make it easier to accept a full-time job down the road because you will know what to expect on the job.

Temporary Often Leads to Regular Full-Time Position

It is quite possible that a temporary job could turn into a regular full-time position one without you even knowing it. Some companies hire temporary workers with the goal of keeping them on full-time if you are a good culture fit with the organization. The thing is, the company does not always know an opening will come up, so the employee will not know that this is a possibility. This is why you must put your best foot forward as a temporary worker.

Increase Your Network

Why not meet some new career contacts while earning a paycheck? If you love to network, temporary employment is an excellent way to do it. By working at a new company every couple of months, you will be able to add countless new people to your network. This will help improve your chances of landing a regular full-time job.

Earn Respect Within the Industry

An excellent way to earn respect within the industry is by working temporary jobs. You not only meet scores of new people, but you also build a reputation within the industry as a hardworking temporary employee. For all you know, a former temporary employer might contact you in the future for a full-time job.

There are plenty of reasons why you should work temporary jobs these days and we only touched the surface of them above. Find out more by connecting with the accounting recruitment specialists at Casey Resources.

The Importance of Proofreading Your Resume (and Other Crucial Adjustments)

When applying for a new job, candidates must do a handful of things to ensure that they make a positive first impression on potential employers. One of those things is sending in an outstanding resume. One critical step that must take place is proofreading the resume, to avoid any mistakes, grammatical errors, or other snafus that can cost a job.

As a job seeker, submitting just any old resume for a job could cause you to never hear back from the company. When you take the time to carefully proofread your resume, you vastly improve your chances of receiving a call for an interview. Remember, the main purpose of a resume is to get you that first interview opportunity! Let’s dig deeper into why it’s important to proof your resume and make any other crucial adjustments now.

How to Proofread Your Resume

The best way to proofread your resume is to read it aloud. When you read a document aloud, you are more prone to find any mistakes made in your grammar and punctuation. Have someone you trust proofread your resume as well in an effort to find any other issues that you might have missed. Once you proofread your resume, make sure you fix all of the mistakes found immediately. Another tip is to review your resume backwards to help catch misspellings on it.

Checking the Resume for Attractiveness

You might not think this is important, but it is vital to your success at finding a job. The resume must flow well and should not have any mismatched font types or font colors. Your resume needs to have a format that is very easy to read because employers do not have time to search the resume for your most important information. Typically, an employer wants to see a chronological resume listing your last position first.

Using Keywords Related to the Job Search

Your resume should use keywords that are related to your job search in order to get the attention of potential employers. Many companies use automated programs to sift through resumes submitted for open jobs, which is why keywords are just as important on a resume as they are when writing content for the Web. Do not over-stuff your resume with keywords because this will just be viewed as spamming. Make sure you include relevant skills that your new employer would be looking for in an employee. Does your resume match the job description of the position you are applying for to attack the interest of the hiring manager?

Focus on Clear Accomplishments

To secure a job interview and then an offer of employment, focus on your top accomplishments and don’t be afraid to brag about yourself. You can do this by editing your job descriptions from passive wording to active wording. This will help you explain the accomplishments you enjoyed at previous jobs in your career. Quantify your successes and achievements either in money or time saved for the company or income brought into the organization.

Using the Most Relevant Job Info

Including your entire career story will not help on a resume, and you should select information that’s relevant to that job posting. You do not need to include jobs from right out of college if you have been in the working world for more than 10 years. Instead of worrying about how long your resume is, you should be focused on the relevance of your resume when proofreading it.

Proofreading your resume is an important part of the job search process. If you submit a resume that is full of mistakes, there’s a strong likelihood that you will never hear from an employer again.

Casey Resources provides a number of services for clients and candidates to be successful in their job search. Contact a leading staffing firm in Chicago to learn more today.