Report Highlights International Skills Shortage, Retention Concerns MENLO PARK, CA (Robert Half International) — Employers around the world are feeling the effects of a shortage of accounting and finance professionals, according to the Robert Half International Global Financial Employment Monitor. More than half of the finance and human resources managers surveyed — 56 percent — reported difficulty finding skilled job candidates, and 43 percent expressed concern about losing top performers to other job opportunities. The situation is most severe in Asia, where more than four out of five respondents from both Japan (83 percent) and Hong Kong (82 percent) reported finding skilled financial professionals was a challenge. The international study was developed by Robert Half International, the world’s first and [...]
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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – California accounting and business students can enhance their career prospects thanks to free résumé postings at www.calcpa.org. The California Society of CPAs is providing the free service for CalCPA student members. “Top employers from throughout California rely on the CalCPA to find professional accounting staff,” said Loretta Doon, CalCPA CEO. “Now we are opening this service to help college students land their first accounting job.” To be eligible for the résumé service, accounting or business students must be CalCPA members. Student memberships cost $30 per year. Students can apply at www.calcpa.org/join. Any employer, including out-of-state employers, can access the CalCPA classified web page and search the site for free. To take advantage of the service, CalCPA [...]
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That’s the intriguing question that accountants in Canada are asking today. The new edition of CA magazine from the Canadian Institute of Charted Accountants reports “female CAs 34 and younger now outnumber their male counterparts. Of the nearly 14,000 CAs in this age group, 51% are women and 49% are men.” This is part of a trend among younger CAs, with the percentage of new members who are women continuing to rise. Fifty-three percent of new CAs admitted in the first six months of 2007 are women, up from 51% in 2006. More at the CICA…
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CPAs say you need more than just good technical skills. What’s your secret? Join the study; get the results. by Rick Telberg People skills are important in everything and in every business, but they have a special significance and separate meaning in the accounting profession. While people skills are a key element of success in any walk of life, it can be argued that CPAs have a professional obligation to take those skills beyond the level of mere communication to the point of empathizing with clients and being able to see things through their eyes. “Many staff members are self-absorbed and are not able or willing to put themselves in the clients’ shoes. Those who are able to be the [...]
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Hint: It’s not all ticking and footing. What’s your success secret? Join the survey; see the results. by Rick Telberg “Passion†is not a word that pops up in a lot of business studies. But ask accountants and finance managers for the secret formula to a successful CPA career and “passion†is mentioned many times and in many ways. “There are so many different career paths one can take and are available; finding the career path that you are passionate about is key and it takes time,†said James Hoffman, an assistant controller in Englewood, Colo. Joanne Newfield of Cherry Hill, N.J., a comptroller who also runs her own public practice and teaches accounting, advises new accountants: “Don’t give up. [...]
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What’s the best piece of advice you could offer to a young CPA just starting out in the profession? • Never take training for granted. Get the most out of it. Get your CPA early and go after your masters in tax or business. Treat your clients as you would want to be treated. Learn from your mistakes. • Pay attention to the details, understand the big picture, and have a strategy. • If you became a CPA because you love working with numbers, you’re off to the right start. Now, for the hard part, find the field of accounting that fits your personality and peruse it. Don’t chase the dollar; it’ll find you. Just find a niche you enjoy [...]
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What’s the single most important factor affecting career paths in the profession today? • CPAs are more than just accountants – they’re finance people and business and individuals planners. Image is the most important factor affecting the profession. If we are respected and held important to business & individual financial success more young folks will join us and more folks will use us. If, however, CPAs are not viewed as essential to the business & individual community the profession will shrink. Personally, I believe the public sees the value of the CPA but the profession must keep pushing its importance to the public. • Fast changing technical and compliance requirements. • Keep your options open. I’m not promoting job hopping, [...]
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Is there anything else we should be asking about finding success in today’s profession? • What one character trait do you feel makes you best suited for a career as a CPA? • What is your priority (purpose) – money or ethical work product? • How do you know whether you will be happier in public or private accounting? What are the pros and cons of each career path, and what amount of earnings can be realistically expected from each? • How important is money in your happiness radar? • What are the unexpected paths that your CPA license may lead you? For instance, I never expected to be working as an educational administrator, but I love it. • Are [...]
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9 keys to successful recruiting Bruce Marcus, the author of 15 books and a consultant and strategic planner for accounting and other professional firms, and The Bay Street Group, LLC offer their recommendations for making a firm appealing to recruits and for enhancing the recruiting process. Listen to the audio stream…
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How to succeed in accounting. by Rick Telberg On Careers Everybody’s got advice for the new grad, and accountants, it turns out, are no different. We’re getting excellent results from our new survey searching for career advice. Though it shows a lot of variety, the advice is not contradictory. It’s good advice, with 60 percent of it coming from professionals in the field for 10 to 30 years. We think it’s worth sharing. Join the survey. Get the answers.
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