Are You Getting Noticed? How to Stand Out in Your Job Search

Landing a job interview requires more than just a top-notch cover letter and resume. Your skills, experience, and qualifications likely align with other in-demand candidates.

This is why you need to add something that makes you stand out to hiring managers. They want to see how your contributions and results differ from other candidates’ contributions and results. Showing the unique value, you can offer a company increases your odds of being contacted for an interview.

Implement these tips to help secure your next accounting and finance interview.

Include a Pain Point Letter with Your Resume

Rather than a cover letter, submit with your resume a letter discussing a company pain point you noticed. Include a challenge the organization is facing and how you would solve it if you were hired. This shows you understand the company and are able to add value to it. Hiring managers appreciate candidates who are proactive problem-solvers.

Share Your Professional Portfolio

Create an online portfolio of your professional qualifications and work examples to submit with your resume. This may include a copy of your resume, transcripts, reference letters, or copies of your licenses or certifications. You also may want to add financial statements, variance reports, or financial analyses you created. Make sure your work examples tie in with the highlighted items from previous job postings you applied to. Change the numbers to avoid sharing confidential information.

Consider using information specific to the company you’re interviewing with to create financial documents. For instance, if the business is publicly traded, analyze the online financial statements to create different financial ratios and analyses. Then, use the information to prepare recommendations for the company. This may include paying down debt, reducing inventory, or increasing collection efforts. This shows proactive investment in the company’s success.

Secure an Employee Referral

Find out whether you know an employee at the company you want to work for. If you do, talk with them about referring you to the hiring manager. Include how your skills, experience, and qualifications make you well-suited for the role. Provide your resume as well. You’re more likely to land an interview with a referral than without one.

Partner with a Recruiter

Listing your skills, experience, and qualifications in your cover letter and resume likely isn’t enough to land an interview. You need to show how you stand out from the other candidates and can provide unique value to the organization. Submitting a pain point letter with your resume, sharing your online portfolio, or securing an employee referral can help.

You also can partner with a recruiter from Casey Accounting & Finance Resources to increase your odds of landing an interview. Contact a recruiter or submit your resume today.

Why Having a Referral for an Accounting Job is so Important

You may not realize just how important it is to have a referral for an accounting job until you get passed over for a position by someone who has an inside contact at your dream company. If you enter a job search without having a referral, you could be putting yourself at a major disadvantage. Why is having a referral so critical to your success?

  • It gives you a chance to breeze through the application process faster than other candidates.
  • A referral can get your resume in the right hands of a hiring manager sooner than just waiting around for a response.
  • Direct referrals can give you added insight into what to expect in the hiring and interviewing process, so you have an advantage of correct interview preparation.

When searching for a new job, you should do everything possible to put yourself ahead of the pack, but make sure what you do is positive and does not negatively impact your search. We will discuss the importance of using a referral in an accounting job search here.

Using an Internal Referral

One of the most effective types of referrals for accounting jobs is that of the internal referral. This means that you will need to know someone working at the company where you want to apply for a job. Many companies today are using their employees to find their new hires because it can be less costly than traditional recruitment methods. This means that they rely strongly on their employees and trust their judgment when it comes to referring potential candidates. When you begin the search for an accounting job, think about all your friends and family members and where they work. One of them could turn out to be an internal referral for you.

Get Referred by a Staffing Agency

When you are registered with a staffing agency that has a relationship with multiple companies that hire accounting and finance professionals, you have a major advantage. Your resume goes to the top of the pile in most cases, the recruiter calls the hiring manager directly to promote you, or you may just be placed into an assignment right away. Once you prove yourself in a temporary accounting assignment, often this can lead to regular full-time employment at the client.

Referrals Push you to Top of the List

As with any type of job, having a referral in the accounting industry can push your resume to the top of the candidate list. Why does this happen? You would not refer someone for a job who might be shaky or might not have the experience needed for the job because it will reflect poorly on you. The same can be said for someone referring you for an accounting job. If you can acquire a referral, you will more than likely be called for an interview because you instantly have credibility in the search by the company for a new hire.

Personal Attention from the Employer

If you have a referral for an accounting job, it is likely that you will receive personal attention from the hiring manager or human resource executive. This happens because the person who referred you to the company probably handed your resume directly to the person who is hiring for the open position. This instantly increases your chances of being interviewed and offered the job. When you receive personal attention from the hiring manager, you are already ahead of the game.

Send a Referral Letter

Another important tip to consider is sending a referral letter to the potential employer. This will only help your cause in finding an accounting job. After your referral says he or she talked to the hiring manager about you, submit the letter to that person. Make sure you explain how you know the common connection and even offer a little bit about your background and experience in the letter.

Using a referral to find an accounting job can put your resume atop the list of candidates. Make sure you take advantage of this job search secret the next time you apply for a new job.