What does the credit crunch mean for auditors looking for a new job?
http://www.accountingfacts.net/articles/3027/1/What-does-the-credit-crunch-mean-for-auditors-looking-for-a-new-job/Page1.html
john mce
John Mce writes for Hilton-Baird who offer free independent advice and has helped over 2,000 UK businesses raise extra capital including the use of invoice finance By john mce
Published on 05/17/2009
If you're qualified, experienced and are able to communicate that to potential employees you'll be okay but it can be a bit more challenging than the recent past. With that in mind we've put together a few short tips to make find your next audit job a little easier.
What does the credit crunch mean for auditors looking for a new job?
You can barely turn on the television with watching a news feature about the credit crunch at the moment, thousands have lost their jobs, and many fear worse could still be around the corner.
But what does that mean for the average auditor? Well if you're looking for a job now you may find a completely different set of circumstances to what you might be used to...
If you're qualified, experienced and are able to communicate that to potential employees you'll be okay but it can be a bit more challenging than the recent past. With that in mind we've put together a few short tips to make find your next audit job a little easier.
Every detail matters - whereas in the past you might well have been able to scrape by with your poorly-formatted CV or rushed covering letter, now more than ever, those little details are being used to shortlist applicants. Imagine if you're recruiting and have to sort 5 strong candidates from over 100 applicants? Suddenly that typographical error can be the difference between making the list or not.
You've got to apply for more jobs - with any job hunt it's always a numbers game; the more you apply for the statistically more likely you are to get a job. That doesn't mean you need to carpet bomb every company with a vacancy remotely relevant, but it does mean you should no longer apply for one job at a time. If you do you might be waiting a long time to get that perfect audit role.
Consider contracting - to the experienced auditor contracting can be an interesting third way between employment or not. Many companies can really see the benefit of a flexible contractor at the moment that might mean you don't have the same rights as a traditional employee but it does mean you have the chance to charge more!
Work on your soft skills ' in many hundreds of cases, talented auditors have lost their jobs but often those made redundant have been those lacking in the softer skills like people management, communicating clearly and concisely. If you can demonstrate real competency in these areas you'll be likely to stand out amongst the talent pool.
It's not all bad news, there's still the perfect career opportunity out there for you. It's just become a little more difficult to track it down, so you may need to spend more time searching online. Interviews are becoming a little tougher, but if you're the right person for the job you'll still be able to get a firm offer. But with a positive attitude you'll be able to open yourself lots of doors.
But what does that mean for the average auditor? Well if you're looking for a job now you may find a completely different set of circumstances to what you might be used to...
If you're qualified, experienced and are able to communicate that to potential employees you'll be okay but it can be a bit more challenging than the recent past. With that in mind we've put together a few short tips to make find your next audit job a little easier.
Every detail matters - whereas in the past you might well have been able to scrape by with your poorly-formatted CV or rushed covering letter, now more than ever, those little details are being used to shortlist applicants. Imagine if you're recruiting and have to sort 5 strong candidates from over 100 applicants? Suddenly that typographical error can be the difference between making the list or not.
You've got to apply for more jobs - with any job hunt it's always a numbers game; the more you apply for the statistically more likely you are to get a job. That doesn't mean you need to carpet bomb every company with a vacancy remotely relevant, but it does mean you should no longer apply for one job at a time. If you do you might be waiting a long time to get that perfect audit role.
Consider contracting - to the experienced auditor contracting can be an interesting third way between employment or not. Many companies can really see the benefit of a flexible contractor at the moment that might mean you don't have the same rights as a traditional employee but it does mean you have the chance to charge more!
Work on your soft skills ' in many hundreds of cases, talented auditors have lost their jobs but often those made redundant have been those lacking in the softer skills like people management, communicating clearly and concisely. If you can demonstrate real competency in these areas you'll be likely to stand out amongst the talent pool.
It's not all bad news, there's still the perfect career opportunity out there for you. It's just become a little more difficult to track it down, so you may need to spend more time searching online. Interviews are becoming a little tougher, but if you're the right person for the job you'll still be able to get a firm offer. But with a positive attitude you'll be able to open yourself lots of doors.