My Blog - Page 33 of 37

Job Interview Blues? What to Do When the Interviews Don’t Go Well

You’ve brushed up your resume, practiced your interview answering skills, and put on your best power suit. The big day of your job interview is finally here and you are pumped up and ready to impress. But then, something doesn’t feel right, you start to falter, and gradually the interview starts to go very wrong. You walk out almost in tears, wondering what just happened and how you can redeem yourself in the eyes of the hiring manager.

It’s happened to just about everyone who’s ever interviewed for a job. Interviews don’t always go as planned because they are about people. And people are prone to making mistakes, saying the wrong things, and yes, sometimes looking ridiculous. Before you beat yourself up too much, turn things around.

Think about what happened from both sides.

Were you late to the interview or got lost trying to find the office? Did you stumble to come up with an answer to a tough interview question? Try to see things from both sides. It may not be as bad as you think. The hiring manager may have mentioned that the office is hard to find, and they may know that the interview question always stumps people. In other words, the whole scenario may not be as bad as you think.

Be prepared.

Are you ready to give examples demonstrating your accomplishments? Can you give examples of various situations in your previous work experience, show examples of how you responded to these situations with the actions involved and what the results were that you were able to accomplish? Remember SAR: Situation, Action and Results when talking about your accomplishments.

Take the pressure off trying to be perfect.

You are a human being and this means you are not perfect, not even close. You can do your best to look perfect, behave perfect, and show off your perfect resume, but it’s not going to land you that dream job right away. Instead, you need to be a genuine person and let your personality shine so that others can see your value. The next time around, just be yourself.

The recruiter may have been challenging you on purpose.

You may not have had a stellar interview, but then not many people do. In fact, a trick that recruiters will use to make you think you are not a good fit for the organization is to act like they aren’t interested in you at all. They may appear emotionless in an interview. They may even cut you off while you speak. They may challenge you. This is an attempt to see if you will fight for the opportunity or walk out.

Find a support and job networking group.

If you are having the blues after a poor interview, be kind to yourself and reach out to others for support. Don’t go it alone. A job search is a long and frustrating process, so find a support network as you go through this experience. Share your story and listen to others talk about their bad interviews. Learn from it and move on to the next one!

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is a dedicated team of professionals that provides superior value. Contact our great team of recruiters today to help you in your career search for finance careers in Chicago.

Six Keys to Being Happy

According to the Topgrading Professionals, the keys to being happy have been summarized below after asking executives: “How would you live your life or manage your career differently, if you could start over?” This question answers the question, “What might you have done differently in order to become a happier person?

They have heard similar responses over and over again, so here is a summary of the six keys to becoming a success in your career and life, a truly HAPPY “A” Player.

1. Fix broken pieces in your life now, or they will get worse.

Life components include the following: Relationship with Spouse/Significant Other, Relationships with My Children, Wellness, Career Success, Financial Well Being, Giving Back, Being Creative, Fun Hobbies, and Spiritual Satisfaction. Look at any that you would rate Fair or Poor since these items are detracting from your happiness and fix them!

2. Invest time, energy, and love in your family.

You can’t go back in time. Spend the time with your family and loved ones now.

3. Pay attention to wellness.

Half the people, particularly during their 30s and 40s, said their exercise, eating, sleeping and stress-relief habits could be improved.

4. Live within your means.

If you are financially living out of your means, then poor choices happen especially when considering job changes. Save and invest, so you have the money you need during the down times.

5. Plan your career early.

85% of the high achievers were self-made, so get mentors early who can help you think long term for your career plans. Get needed training early on in your career.

6. Topgrade.

“A” players work 50 rather than 70 hours, and get a lot more done in the process. Having these additional hours each week give them time to devote to family, exercise, or anything else that is important to them. High achievers achieve balance through Topgrading.

For additional information www.topgrading.com/

Employee Retention: Best Practices to Keep Your Employees Engaged

Employee retention is a big talking point at companies in every industry, with HR managers and other department heads trying to find new ways to keep employees – especially their most talented ones – from jumping ship. Part of employee retention is keeping employees engaged in what they are doing. If you are perplexed by poor employee retention and grumbling unhappy workers, your organization could be in trouble without prompt action.

Here, we will discuss the best practices to keep your employees engaged so they stick with your company and stay productive.

Commit to Open Communication

Let employees know what their jobs require and why their jobs are important to the success of the company. Make sure employees know that collaboration is welcome, especially when it comes to completing projects. Your company’s leaders must also encourage employee feedback and listen to it. Treat your temporary employees the same way and respect their ideas and contribution to the company goals.

Take Advantage of Social Media

Your company can create a safe place for employees to discuss issues within the industry with their co-workers by taking part in debates and other discussions. You could also create a Facebook page for new additions to your company where they can interact with each other prior to their first day on the job. They can also use the group to discuss how their first couple of months have gone at the company.

Create a Culture That’s Intentional

Creating an intentional culture is actually a good way to make sure that employees know how they are expected to act at the office and how the company wants them to fit in with others when it comes to their values. There is no reason to hide the corporate culture from employees. Hang posters, send newsletters, discuss it in meetings and write emails that explain the culture and the company’s values.

Support Employee Career Development

Employees want to know that they can climb the corporate ladder without having to switch employers multiple times. They do not want to get stuck in a dead-end job. If you want to keep your employees engaged, and in-house, make sure they have a defined career development path. Create learning opportunities and have a mentoring system in place for skills transfer.

Take one or two of the tips outlined above and put them to work for your company so you can keep employees engaged. The effort will be well worth it because of higher productivity and employees who will be more loyal to your company.

Casey Accounting & Finance Resources is a trusted staffing firm that provides innovative and creative solutions. Contact us today and see how we will exceed your expectations as one of the top finance recruiters in Chicago.

Learn About Financial Technology to Make Yourself an Attractive Job Candidate

Keeping up with technology should be the top priority of all those in the workforce today, especially those who work in the financial industry. By keeping up with the times and learning technology as it continues to change, you will turn yourself into a desirable candidate for plenty of financial companies looking to hire the right person. Here’s how to boost your ability to land a great finance job in Chicago by using financial technology.

Understand that Technology Relies on People

Believe it or not, technology relies on the people who use it. For this reason, it is important for companies to find candidates who excel in financial technology if they want to succeed within the industry. If employees are hired, but they are not efficient in the technology being used by the company, then the company will suffer in the end. Develop your “people skills” and your financial technology skills in tandem.

Companies Need Employees Efficient in ERP Systems

When financial companies look to hire new employees, they want candidates who are efficient in enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. They automate a lot of the financial processes these days, but the employees working on them must be proficient in order to help the company succeed. Employees must be able to mine business data and turn that data into guidance. Even though data is incredibly powerful today, companies need to have employees on their payroll who know how to harness that data.

Examples of ERP Systems

There are a number of options for companies using ERP systems. Some of the examples include:

Each of those systems features different benefits and characteristics. Taking time to evaluate the ERP systems and see how they match the goals of your company will lead to selecting the best fit for your organization.

Become an Attractive Financial Candidate

To become an attractive financial candidate in today’s highly competitive job market, you must not only learn technology being used, but also do each of the following things:

Determine what areas of your career need to be developed better. Talk with your manager about any training programs available to you from external providers.
Show curiosity for the technology that affects the financial industry and the company for which you work.
Jump aboard projects at work where new technology is being implemented, even if you have never used the technology. By volunteering yourself and your time, you show the company how dedicated you are to learning new things.

Turning yourself into an attractive job candidate in the financial world these days can be difficult, but it can be done if you learn the technology being used by companies today. Casey Accounting & Finance Resources can support your goals of landing a job in the finance sector. Contact our great team of financial recruiters today!

Prevent Hiring Mistakes by Recognizing these Resume Red Flags

The resume is the first thing you will see when a candidate submits a job application to your company. Because of this, you can use the resume as a way to determine if the candidate should even be contacted for an interview. Some glaring problems on any resume can jump right off the page. On the other hand, some mistakes might not be as obvious, leading you to look a little harder to uncover them.

Here, we will discuss five red flags to look for, in order to prevent hiring mistakes.

Large Gaps in Employment

A large gap in employment is any period beyond two years. Candidates try to hide this by listing jobs using just years – rather than months and years – hoping they will get the resume in front of the recruiters and hiring managers. There could be a reasonable explanation for the large gaps. Take a deeper look at the candidate if the rest of the resume is impressive.

Using an Unprofessional Email

Email addresses are more important than people realize, because they say a lot about the person using them. Unprofessional email addresses might get a resume tossed in the trash before it is even read in full by the hiring manager. Unprofessional email addresses, such as ones that mention nicknames or sports teams, destroy the candidate’s credibility as a legitimate option for the company.

Resume Does Not Match the Job

Hiring managers do not have time to interpret what is written in a candidate’s resume. They also do not have time to figure out if the candidate meant to write one thing, but wrote another instead. Because of this, any resume that does not match the job for which it was submitted, will be put to the side. This means that the candidate does not have experience matching the job or did not take the time to tailor the resume to that specific job.

Failure to Use Keywords

Keywords help a resume stand out for any specific job, and also show hiring managers the skills required to work the job. When keywords are missing from a resume, hiring managers can deduce that the candidate did not take the time to properly write the resume. Often resumes are electronically searched based on keywords for the position.

Spelling Errors and Other Typos

Since avoiding spelling errors and other typos seem like they are common sense, we can’t totally ignore them. A resume with even the slightest mistake has grounds for being eliminated for consideration. It gives the impression that the candidate could not take the time to proofread their document before hitting the send button.
As a hiring manager or recruiter, it can be difficult to whittle down a pile of resumes. Do so by looking for the mistakes outlined above. Work with a recruiter at Casey Accounting and Finance Resources to provide you with pre-screened resumes that weed out problematic candidates before you invest time in interviewing.

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!

Diversity and Inclusion Will Help Curb Employee Turnover

Employee turnover is a problem that all companies face, some more than others, but it is also something that can be corrected. Depending on the turnover issues at your company, the fix can range from easy to incredibly difficult. Companies looking to curb employee turnover should fix the diversity and inclusion issues that plague their organizations.

Read on as we discuss how these two items, once improved, will help reduce employee turnover at your company.

Lack of Attention Causing Turnover

According to the results of a 2015 survey conducted by Korn Ferry, companies blame employee turnover on the lack of attention to inclusion and diversity within the workplace. Of the close to 700 companies that responded to the online survey from January 27 to February 2, 84 percent of them said that, “lack of attention to these two items are causing employee turnover issues at their organizations.” Some 70 percent of the survey’s respondents noted that they, “have inclusion and diversity programs in place and active for employees.” Close to 72 percent of respondents said that there is, “a conscious effort in place at their companies to create a diverse culture of inclusion.”

Do Programs Enhance Employee Retention?

The same survey found something very interesting when it asked participants if their programs actually enhance employee retention. Of the close to 700 respondents, only 56 percent of them believe that the programs they have in place actually enhance employee retention. To go even further into the responses of the participants, the survey found that 42 percent of companies feel that there is an unconscious bias present within their employee ranks when it comes to diverse backgrounds regarding sexual orientation, religion, gender and race.

Does Your Company Have Diversity and Inclusion Issues?

It is a good idea to find out what diversity and inclusion issues might be present. Ask yourself the question “Does Your Company Have Diversity and Inclusion Issues?” to to begin a very important discussion among leadership. Even though the survey period is complete, you could still take the survey to determine what your company’s answers would be as this would help you evaluate the situation at hand.

The Bottom Line

The bottom line here is that diversity and inclusion both play a major factor in the employee turnover rate at your company, no matter the industry in which it operates. High employee turnover means that your company is spending extra resources to find, interview, hire and onboard new employees only for them to leave after a short period. The more your company promotes a diverse workplace and is inclusive to all employees, the better your employee turnover rate will be, with it bordering on very low.
To improve your recruitment for diversity and inclusion, partner with a great finance staffing agency in Chicago like Casey Accounting & Finance Resources. We have candidates from all types of backgrounds ready to go to work for you, and improve your retention rates.

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.

Rethink Your Recruitment and Retention Strategies

According to The ASA Workforce Monitor^TM , six out of 10 employed adults will not be looking for a new job opportunity this year. So what do you do to keep your employees and find new employees?

The survey showed that work-life balance and schedule flexibility were more important than pay for many employees. As far as recruiting new employees, pay and benefits are the most important considerations when a person is deciding to change jobs.

“The ASA Workforce Monitor results underscore the fact that employers need to rethink their recruitment and retention strategies,” said Richard Wahlquist, ASA President and Chief Executive Oofficer. “Quality of life matters in retaining current employees. Compensation matters most in recruiting employees to change jobs.”

For the complete article: https://americanstaffing.net/posts/2015/06/30/few-adults-on-the-job-hunt/

Home