This is the third interview in a series designed to bring professionals of all backgrounds current, specific info on how to get a job in their field. Today’s focus is on accounting and finance pros. Our guest expert is Morgan Nichols of Torrey and Gray.
Kristi Daeda: Welcome to Career Adventure, Morgan. And thanks for sharing your expertise today. For background for our readers, tell us a bit about your experience with recruiting. What areas do you specialize in? How long have you been working in this area?
Morgan Nichols: I specialize in placing accounting and finance professionals. Positions include, CFO, Controller, Payroll Managers, Senior Accountants, Treasury, etc. I work with all types of industries in both services and manufacturing. I am in my tenth year in the industry and love it.
KD: What is the biggest difference that you see in trying to recruit for positions currently than what might have been true in the past? What do job seekers need to be prepared for?
MN: Job seekers need to be prepared with not only the technical skills, but what I call “subjective skills” as well. These are things like communication, personality, motivation, etc. In the current economic climate, hiring companies are being more cautious than ever with their personnel decisions. If a person can do the job, but interviews poorly, the candidate will likely not get the position. Honing your interviewing skills and knowing as much as possible about the hiring managers and the company is crucial.
KD: What skills are in the highest demand right now?
MN: In my field, those with financial systems expertise are still highly sought after. Not just any systems though, it must be the one(s) in use or soon to be in use by the hiring company. Companies feel less inclined to train new hires on their systems. I believe this is a mistake. In any company, it is critical that everyone use the systems in the same way. If you have not trained your staff to use your systems the way you want them to be used, then there will be little consistency in the reporting that is generated.
KD: That’s an interesting commentary on what successful job seekers might be up against when they land a new position. One question I get often is what kinds of education are in demand. If someone had the opportunity to pursue education, certifications or other credentials, what types of things should they consider? What will help them distinguish themselves?
MN: I believe industry certifications outweigh general education. For example, not all accounting degrees are the same, but if you have attained your CPA (Certified Public Accountant) designation, there is little doubt you know your accounting. Someone recently asked whether she should study for their CPA or go get an MBA and I counseled her to get her CPA (which requires 150 credit hours and this person already had the required hours).
KD: If there was one thing that candidates could do to make it easier to present them to your clients and ultimately place them in jobs, what would that be?
MN: Be memorable, in a positive way. Companies are more willing to interview a greater number of people to try to find that “perfect” person. You need to interview well, and also find a way to weave you unique story into the interview. You need to give the interviewer some things mentally for them to hold on to and remember you by.
KD: Do you have any other thoughts to share with job seekers currently?
MN: Many candidates think they should give up looking over the holidays. I do not recommend slowing down you search. Some hiring managers risk losing approval to refill open positions if they don’t have them filled by the end of the year. Also, fewer candidates apply to positions, so if you are actively looking, you should be competing with fewer people for the same position.
Morgan Nichols is a Managing Partner at Torrey & Gray, a staffing and recruiting firm in Chicago that specializes in placing accounting and finance professionals. He has been in the industry for 10 years and has interviewed over 2000 candidates. He may be contacted at mn@torreygray.com.
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