Are you looking for a Job With Your Bookkeeping Skills? In this guide, you will find steps which many times candidates miss to address when they apply for job. No matter if you are a newbie or experienced these 6 steps can certainly add value to your probable list when finding job:
No one size fits all, Resume
Give A Professional Touch to Your LinkedIn Profile
Preparation and Confidence
Research the business before going for interview
Showcase Your Skills
Sharpen Your Skills
Let’s look at the 6 Steps in more detail:
1. No one size fits all, Resume:
One of the most common things that has been noticed, is candidates applying for jobs keep sending the standard resume that is prepared.
Irrespective of the job title that they are applying for whether it is Bookkeeper, Accounting Technician, Accounts Receivable or Senior Bookkeeper.
The message here is not to make changes in your qualification or experience but keywords that are used in the resume plays an important part.
- Example, if the job is for Bookkeeper and you are applying for a Construction based business, you want to connect your resume with that industry. You want to mention your skillset that matches the business like there is a possibility of advances from customers received, holdbacks in Construction based businesses.
- If you are applying for a product-based business, generally there will be Inventory and Cost of Goods Sold as mandatory requirements of a business.
2. Give A Professional Touch to Your LinkedIn Profile:
Almost every candidate will state, “Yes, I have a LinkedIn Profile”, but actually is the profile helping the employer to come get valuable information about the candidate.
Does it have details regarding:
- About Me section (with professional photo and background)
- A Stand Out Headline
- A Custom Profile URL
- Updated Education / Certification
- Experience
- Skills of Candidate
- Any recommendations
and more that can get the employer interested.
The profile should be updated on regular basis and also expand your network LinkedIn is a powerful tool for accounting and bookkeeping professionals looking to gain an edge in a competitive job market.
3. Preparation and Confidence:
Before, attending an interview you should prepare yourself with getting into the nitty-gritty of the business.
Read the requirements listed by the Employer.
- Have you covered them?
- Are you meeting those requirements, especially with skillset?
- You should be aware of your strengths and your weaknesses (if any). How will you answer the weaknesses in the interview?
Confidence comes from Preparation. If you are better prepared for an interview your confidence level will be on the higher side.
4. Research the business before going for interview:
Knowing the business / company in advance that you will be interviewed is always helpful.
Spend some time by understanding nature of their business, products or services they sell, how many employees they have, can help better prepare for interview.
- Example, if you know the business is selling products that would help understanding the type of Bookkeeping the business will have. The business will have cost of goods sold and inventory in their financials.
- In the same, if they are service based business in that case they generally will have a higher accounts receivables against other fixed assets.
5. Showcase Your Skills:
As an accountant/bookkeeper, it is important to present yourself in a positive and professional light in the interview and professional social media.
Your resume is your source of communication with your potential employer.
Add the experience and skills that you possess. List your achievements in your current job and previous.
- Example, cleared backlog of bookkeeping for 2 years within 30 days.
- Completed Sales Tax filing for each quarter and catch up of books.
- Did Payroll for 20 Employees on Weekly basis and filed remittances monthly.
6. Sharpen Your Skills:
Candidates who are looking for job must ensure they have skills which the Employers are looking for. Many a times candidates think, once they get hired the Employer are going to get them trained as per their Bookkeeping procedures in their business.
Employers are generally not looking for trainees, especially small businesses they want Candidate to get hands on right from the get go.
The expectations are take over the responsibilities of Bookkeeping, Payroll, Sales Tax and more….
If you are a Candidate you should look in your skills.
- Are there are any gaps in your knowledge that you need to fill?
- Is your Bookkeeping knowledge enough with understanding of basic and maybe advanced knowledge?
- Knowing a Accounting Software is good but Mastering one will definitely give the edge. Are you at that level?
- Are you well acquainted with Payroll Skills? Payroll is a very good skill to have, as any Employer who has employees will be looking for one.
- What about Sales Tax? Do you know how to file HST? The calculations, doing NET File, the Sales Tax form?
Conclusion:
The above listed steps are a guide for a Candidate who is looking for a job in Accounting and Bookkeeping field. There are Employers who have jobs for the right Candidates. A little bit extra research and working on their skillset can set a Candidate going in the right direction. We at FinTech provide our students specialized hands-on training which gives scenarios of live job experience in our Courses. Our Career Success Workshop helps our students in how to prepare a resume for Bookkeeping and enhancing your LinkedIn profile.
Check our link for more details https://www.fintechcollege.ca/ab-explore-pathway/