Indianapolis Accounting Jobs

The season for companies to hire interns is quickly approaching. Current hiring trends show more Indianapolis job openings are being filled with interns than ever before due to the current economy . In addition, not only are students looking for internship opportunities, many unemployed Central Indiana job seekers are also seeking these as they are making career changes or looking to gain new experience.

Unpaid administrative, accounting finance and HR internships in Indianapolis have been a great opportunity for students who get academic credit in lieu of a paycheck. In this current Central Indiana job market, with the unemployment rate hovering near 10%, job-search sites like CareerBuilder and Monster.com are reporting increases in the number of postings for internships. More and more college graduates and even middle-aged professionals are willing to work for free in hopes that it will help them land a paying Central Indiana job.

The caution for Central Indiana employers is this:  volunteering at for-profit companies is, legally, not allowed. The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) has spelled out several criteria with the goal of ensuring that internships not only provide real training but also can't be used by companies to displace regular employees.

"It can be very tempting if you're laying off employees to bring in free help and call it an internship, but most career-services operations are fairly sophisticated in weeding those out."

The DOL regularly does outreach with colleges to help protect the rights of students. Because of the influx of older interns, many of whom graduated years ago, this is also on the DOL’s radar screen because the legal requirements aren't any different.

Central Indiana employers need to make sure they are legally compliant before bringing bringing in unpaid interns!

Finally

• We provide immediate and honest communication
• We serve as a staffing partner, not just a vendor
• We provide strategic staffing solutions, not just order filling
• We make sure candidates fit the organizational culture
• We provide exceptional account management

• Collegiate Career Fair at the Convention Center on Thursday, February 18, 2010
• Butler University Networking Fair at Butler's Campus on Tuesday, March 23, 2010
• IUPUI 'Just in Time' Career Fair at IUPUI on April 1, 2010 

• Interview travel expenses - many companies are not willing to pay for travel expenses.  If you want to be perceived as a viable candidate, don't ask for help.  If they offer, then it's okay to take them up on it.
• House/apartment hunting trips - if you get to the offer stage, it's realistic to expect to have to make at least one trip to determine your living situation in your new city.
• Moving expenses - packing materials, movers, storage, etc.  It all adds up and can be expensive. 

It does not matter if you work for an Indianapolis Staffing company, are in Accounting & Finance, are an Executive Recruiter, in management positions in Indianapolis or in an Administrative job in Indianapolis - we have all had to deal with job stress over the past year. In this difficult economy, you may find it harder than ever to cope with challenges in central Indiana jobs. Both the stress we take with us when we go to work and the stress that awaits us on the job are on the rise – and employers, managers, and workers are all feeling the pressure. While some stress is a normal part of life, excessive stress interferes with your productivity and reduces your physical and emotional health, so it’s important to find ways to keep it under control. Fortunately, there many things that you can do to manage and reduce stress at work.

• Create a balanced schedule. Analyze your schedule, responsibilities and daily tasks. All work and no play is a recipe for burnout. Try to find a balance between work and family life, social activities, exercise, daily responsibilities and downtime.
• Don’t over-commit yourself. Avoid scheduling things back-to-back or trying to fit too much into one day. All too often, we underestimate how long things will take. If you've got too much on your plate, distinguish between the "911 situations" and the "to get to" projects. Drop tasks that aren't truly necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.
• Try to leave earlier in the morning. Even 10-15 minutes can make the difference between frantically rushing to your desk and having time to ease into your day. Don’t add to your stress level by running late. Coming in early allows you some “quiet time” to tackle tasks before they tackle you.
• Plan regular breaks. Make sure to take short breaks throughout the day to sit back and clear your mind. Also try to get away from your desk for lunch. Stepping away from work to briefly relax and recharge will help you be more, not less, productive.
• Prioritize tasks. Make a list of tasks you have to do, and tackle them in order of importance. Do the high-priority items first. If you have something particularly unpleasant to do, get it over with early. The rest of your day will be more pleasant as a result.
• Break projects into small steps. If a large project seems overwhelming, make a step-by-step plan. Focus on one manageable step at a time, rather than taking on everything at once.
• Most Importantly, HAVE FUN! The most healthy and productive work environments are the ones where there is teamwork, positive interaction and a sense of humor over the quirks and stresses that inevitably occur.

If you are in a culture that invariably drags you down, it may be time to think about looking at Indianapolis job openings.  Indianapolis Staffing companies and Executive Recruiters are  great ways to explore opportunities and help guide you to find the right fit!

It is, once again, that highly anticipated season of American Idol! Watching the auditions, it occurred to me how much these tryouts are like interviewing for Central Indiana jobs!  Your Indianapolis job search is in a very tight job market with many, many candidates vying for the same position.

Here are my observations and how it relates to your Indianapolis job search:

·         Those that portrayed a positive attitude had a far greater advantage. When a negative attitude is perceived, you are instantly eliminating yourself. Case in point:  Andrew Fenlon. The guy who was clearly annoyed he had to wait for his audition. This instantly put off the judges and eliminated any shot of him going to Hollywood.

·         Those that appear genuine like Maddy Curtis have a definite advantage from the start. Maddy came across truly appreciative for the opportunity to audition. She projected a positive and confident attitude and the judges (even Simon!) instantly liked her..

·         The way you project yourself is everything! Case in point: those that auditioned in crazy outfits, not focused or had a sense of entitlement negatively swayed the judges’ opinion before they even auditioned.

 

You may be lucky enough to interview with a Paula but in this intensely competitive central Indiana job market, you will more likely be interviewing with a Simon 

The moral to my watching 3 hours of Reality TV in one week:   No matter if you are looking for HR jobs in Indianapolis, Accounting jobs in Indianapolis, six figure jobs or administrative jobs in Indianapolis and no matter how discouraged you are in your job search or irritated you might be with a prospective employer, never let this come through. Always convey a confident (but not cocky!), professional and enthusiastic attitude. You could be the most qualified candidate on paper but Indianapolis staffing companies and executive recruiters are also looking for employees who will not only be able to use their skills but also contribute to a positive and productive environment.

Hopefully, this helps you get your "golden ticket"

I am fortunate to work for a great company.  Even though the economy has forced our firm to eliminate free Coca-Cola and company paid Treos, we still have weekly Pilates classes in our office and Fun Fridays. 

When sales prospects ask me about That's Good HR, the following is the typical dialog which follows:

Me:  I work for a company called That's Good HR.
Sales Prospect: What HR?
Me: I work for an Indianapolis based recruitment firm.
Sales Prospect: Ok.  So you are a headhunter?
Me: Well, I am am a headhunter but prefer to call myself an Indianapolis Executive Recruiter.  However, Our firm does more than just executive search.  We also do temp, temp-to-hire, direct hire (i.e. permanent placement) and government staffing. 

So it is kind of a mouthful to explain to sales prospects what we do.   While we are not industry focused, we are discipline focused in the areas of accounting, finance, administrative, operations and human resources.  Essentially, we are here to assist Indianapolis companies with staffing needs ranging from an hourly receptionist up to a Chief Financial Officer with a six figure job.  We pride ourselves on being the Indianapolis experts on hiring trends.   

Our business model is focused on being flexible for our clients.  While we engage in retained and contingency searches, we also offer a modified retainer options.  This enables our clients to engage us on an exclusive basis and split up the payments over a few months.  

So while our company's name might be a little confusing at first, we are very passionate about providing great customer service to our clients and candidates.  If you are reading this blog and are a sales prospect, we hope you will give us the opportunity to work with you for your next Indianapolis staffing need.   

 

Last year I became one of the many casualties of the economy. I was downsized from an Indianapolis Staffing company where I had spent the last 17 years. This was not only a blow to my ego but also stressful to be searching for HR jobs in Indianapolis in a very bleak economy.

After feeling sorry for myself and spending a short amount of time being the youngest snowbird on the Gulf Coast (this was actually a boost to my bruised ego!), I decided to practice what I had been preaching for the last 17 years in my staffing and HR roles:

1)  Do not solely rely on job boards to find your new career. While sites such as CareerBuilder and Monster are valuable, do not assume that only submitting your resume through these sites will land you your dream job.

2)  Network, Network, Network!

o     Reach out to any and all personal and professional contacts. Referrals are a very valuable tool in searching for positions. Your neighbor may know of a position opening up within his company or your former employer may be hiring. People who know you want to help.

o     Contact your college placement department.

o        Contact your former employer’s competitors. You have the industry experience and knowledge they are looking for and you can add new insight to their business.

o        Join professional organizations in your area. There are organizations for HR , Accounting and many other professionals in Indianapolis. There is also the Business Network International Organization (BNI) which is the largest business networking organization in the world and The Network of Women in Business. There are also website groups for Administrative professionals and "virtually" any other type of professional on websites such as LinkedIn, Facebook and MySpace.  These organizations enable you to network yourself directly to hiring officials.

o       Many churches in the Indianapolis area have networking groups which is another great way to market yourself.

o         Volunteer. This is a great way to not only network but to also turn the negative of finding yourself with too much time on your hands into making a positive impact in your community.

3)   Follow the news. Know what companies are coming to your area. While they may not have jobs posted yet, you can proactively market yourself ahead of the pack!

4)  Contact Indianapolis staffing companies. I know of a really GREAT staffing company, called That’s Good HR! Indianapolis Staffing companies work for you. Whether you are looking for Federal Government Contract jobs, Accounting jobs, Administrative jobs or Six Figure jobs in Indianapolis, Indianapolis staffing companies have many contacts within many companies. While you are networking yourself to one company at a time, Indianapolis staffing companies are networking you to many direct hiring sources.

5)  Above all else, stay positive and open-minded. What may appear to be a less than ideal job opportunity could end up being a better career fit for you.  For example, you may start at a more entry-level position than where you previously were.  This may enable you to learn about the company from the ground up. You may have employment offers that are “temporary to hire”. This is an opportunity for you to try out a new company or industry.

In this tight economy with many, many applicants competing for the same Indianapolis job openings, Indianapolis staffing companies need to be diligent in verifying the information provided by prospective job seekers is accurate. Individuals who present false credentials affect the honest job seekers’ chances of securing opportunities.

In my last blog, I talked about companies who provide fake references for employees. There are also companies, known as diploma mills, who create fake academic degrees. A diploma mill is an organization that creates degrees and diplomas, generally without academic study and without being issued by official educational accrediting bodies. The purchaser can then claim to hold an academic degree. These degrees are often awarded based on creatively constructed life experience.

These “degrees” range in cost and are usually anywhere from $475 for an “Associates Degree” up to $550 for a “Doctorate”. This is not only frustrating to Indianapolis staffing companies but to those job seekers who have worked hard to earn a legitimate degree.

The U.S. Department of Education has published a list of schools that are accredited by accrediting agencies recognized by the Secretary of Education. The list can be found at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation. The Department of Education offers plenty of information on how to identify and avoid diploma mills.

There are many companies that offer to make someone more employable from the fake resume, fake degree and even the fake drug screen  which is why it is so important not to take information provided at face value. Do your homework! Not doing so could result in Indianapolis job openings such as Management positions, HR jobs or Accounting Finance jobs in Indianapolis being filled with individuals that, if you knew their true indentity, you would not want performing those functions within your company.
 

As hiring trends focus more and more on effective screening and background checking, job seekers with questionable pasts are becoming more savvy. Oh, if those folks would only use their powers for good instead of evil!

For Indianapolis Staffing companies working to fill Government jobs, Administrative jobs, Accounting jobs and many other Indianapolis job openings, this is another step we need to take to ensure candidates are who they say they are.

If you Google "fake references", websites like fakeresume.com pull up citing the following”

o         How to fill the gaps in your employment history

o         The best way to get fake references

o         The main reason good liars get job offers and honest people don't!

o         How to get College transcripts from ANY University with any GPA you want!

o         How to rig your resume so it gets picked by the new automated Human Resources systems

ABC News reports on two companies that provide fake references:

CareerExcuse.com, a Web site that says it can fill in gaps on your resume by pledging to "act as your past employer" and provide job references, complete with working phone numbers and people on the other end of each line ready to answer questions posed by prospective employers. Schmidt, who started the Web site after being laid off from his job as a human resource manager in February, said he got the idea after perusing posts on the micro-blogging site Twitter. He was surprised, he said, by how many Twitter users were asking strangers for job references.  

ABC News also reports on AlibiHQ.com, another website which boasts: Assistance with obtaining employment, providing employment and personal references, providing verification of employment, providing verifiable cover's (alibis) for unexcused absences from work or home, Caller ID spoofing, mail forwarding, untraceable phone numbers, virtual phone numbers, novelty Dr. Notes, faxing services, fax Caller ID spoofing, virtual fax numbers, e-mail spoofing, e-mail services and covers, spoofed E-Ticket reservation, fake travel agency confirmations, virtual hotel services, virtual doctor's office, virtual business office, telephone alibi service (we pretend to be anybody you need us to be and place outgoing calls or receive incoming calls), personal assistant services, novelty document services, fake trade show invitations, fake confirmation services and much, much more.

What do Indianapolis Staffing Companies Need to Do?

o         Always check the company’s website to make sure they are a legitimate company

o         Use reverse lookup http://anywho.com/rl.html to verify the number you are calling

o         Request a copy of a candidate’s W-2 if to verify employment with a company and their salary.

Stay tuned for more information on the lengths job seekers with questionable pasts will go to!

As we approach flu season, the question looms large: "do I stay home" or "do I go in and get work done"?

Many Indianapolis Staffing companies and their employees are facing this question.

As this flu season is predicted to be bad, it is, first, important to take precautions to avoid sickness. These include frequent washing of your hands, wiping down your work area (including keyboard and phone) and any other frequently handled surfaces on a daily basis. This also includes coughing or sneezing into your elbow.

Secondly, if you do experience flu-like symptoms, please see your doctor immediately and notify your employer. To review specific information, go to http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/swineflu_you.htm

Indianapolis Companies should develop a plan to ensure sick employees stay home and that the workload is covered. Whether this is determining which employee covers specific tasks for a sick employee or whether a sick employee is set up to work from home.  


There are many types of Central Indiana Jobs that can generally be done from home such as some Management Positions, Executive Headhunters, HR jobs and Accounting Finance jobs while Administrative jobs usually need to be done at the company site.
It is important to determine the workload and employee roles before multiple employees are absent!  It may seem strange to dedicate time to plan for volume absences in the unknown future, but better safe than sorry.


 

This year That's Good HR became a member of the Diversity Roundtable of Central Indiana.  Earlier this week I had the opportunity to attend the DRTCI's monthly meeting where Dr. Melva Covington, Director of U.S. Health Outcomes for Endocrine and Women's Health, at Eli Lilly was the speaker and presented on "The Power of an Effective and Diverse Network."   

One of the most influential aspects of networking is self-promotion.  I think "self-promotion" sounds like a dirty word to most people.  After working in the staffing industry for five years (the past three of those years have been spent in as an Indianapolis Accounting and Finance Recruiter), I have realized that self-promotion is critical for success in almost any career.

The major misconception about self-promotion is that it is not related to how much you talk about yourself.  It's about establishing yourself as credible and understanding and playing up your strengths and accomplishments. 

Many of the Accounting and Finance professionals I meet who are engaged in an Indianapolis job search have a hard time understanding the difference.  I think many folks in more analytical and technical jobs have a more difficult time with self-promotion.  However, is it possible to land an six figure job without a little self-promotion along the way?

Recently, I have been spending a lot of my time with my candidates discussing and strategizing how to effectively communicate their strengths and accomplishments when looking for job opportunities Indianapolis.  The first steps in self-promotion to ensure a successful job search area:
 

• Make your resume as accomplishment focused as possible.  What have you made, saved, or achieved in your current and previous positions?
•  Be prepared to discuss these accomplishments once you get the interview and how they pertain to the specific position.

First, I’m am clearly not a marketing expert…I will leave marketing ‘je ne sais quoi’… up to my partners at Element Three. However, the commercials from Sundays Super Bowl have a direct effect on the employment market as well. First, for a while now I have been amused but still annoyed by the phenomenon of Super Bowl ads. In some way I think that the growing fixation on the ads is a direct result or catalyst of our current day economic status:

First…what is the point to all of the hoopla? Anything with enough hype will seem appealing…

Really can anyone point to significant direct ROI for a sustained period as a result of a $3 Million per minute commercial? Believe me, I truly hope that they can...however, I think I know of many more people who create games based on the commercials vs. the actual number of people that watch the football game itself. If a company can create a spot that draws millions of people to them to discuss them and create a buzz…good for them! However, I argue that the fact that they air on on only one day - Super Sunday…makes them a mini-series in themselves.  A quick and funny escape from the norm, but at the end of the day it doesn't matter how many ‘quirky’ commercials they air…none of these major companies will get the return they want...but they can't stop dumping the cash into the commercials because they cannot let go of the glory years of the consumer rich based American economy.

They will have to get back to basics to continue to grow and be a significant part of this economy’s rebirth.

TOUCHDOWN!!!!!

I have a skewed sense of humor maybe…but I think Careerbuilder’s ad last Sunday was a complete touchdown. Who hasn’t dreaded going to some job, felt disrespected by co-workers, wished they were somewhere else…had the urge to punch small animals?? Don’t deny it, we have all had the same thoughts and even if you haven't, that commercial was hilarious!!

HOWEVER…there is a perfect storm currently brewing and that ad will not help Careerbuilder in the long run.

There are far too many people out of work right now in Indianapolis. Far more people than Careerbuilder can help. In fact, they need to brand themselves to attract a select candidate. They need to cater right now to the highest level talent possible.  Rarely does quantity = quality in the talent acquisition space, and that equation is only magnified in our current economy. Sorry Careerbuilder.com you are in for a battle.  Many of our top clients who spend thousands of dollars per year on Job Board accounts are turning to us to not only analyze the resumes received by their accounts on Careerbuilder, but we are also adding our own passive candidates and managing the entire recruiting process due to the 'mess' of resumes on job boards.

Enjoy the commercial for it’s great attempt at a Will Ferrell skit (really I've watched it 7 times today)…but don’t rely on a single website to help you find your next position.

If you call me you are not only guaranteed great leads on new positions…but you are also guaranteed to expand your network by thousands of people with one meeting. We are your career advisers and, believe it or not, I will not only try to place you but I will also give you advice on other avenues to find your next rewarding position at the same time.  What a concept!!

You ever wanted a career consultant that works for you…for FREE??? Give me a call, what have you got to lose? 317-469-4141…there are people waiting on your call.