如何提高你的找工技巧

How to Improve Your Job Search Skill?

作者：周末山, CMA, MBA

Getting a professional job is not easy in Canada and the first professional job is mostly depended on your fortune. This is due to not Canadian work experience, English as second language, and etc. We have all qualifications to meet the position requirements, how can we enlarge our chances to get the job? Here are some suggestions.

1. Employer Background Research to identify the specific job requirement that does not show on the job posting.

All job workshop would introduce how to do the employer background search and you have to use your knowledge / experience to digest the useful information for enlarge your opportunity for getting the job. As we know, employer bases on the work experience, skill set, and potential skill to select and hire the applicant. You can improve all these 3 categories by properly research employer’s business, the nature of accounting / business transactions, the special treatments within the industrial sectors, and the special skills that is most valuable for employer. Here is an example:

There are two job posting required an AP position that will be responsible for full cycle AP tasks. After you look at the employer, you find one is for manufacturing and another one for distributor. All the job requirements and skills are the same, but if you understand the transactions and nature of the business, you will find a very special skills for them: problem solving skills / interpersonal skill for manufacturing, accuracy skills / timing skills for distributor. So now you know the special skill requirements behind the job posting, you can prepare your cover letter, resume accordingly and you will have more chance to get this job because you have experience – better understanding the job requirements, skill set – you know how to do the accounting / business transactions, potential skill – you know how this business operating.

2.Prepare your cover letter to lead the recruiter into your resume.

The cover letter should include:
--Greeting
--Indicate the position
--Highlight related work experience or qualifications
--Special skills
--Personality, passion or desire for the job

The purpose of cover letter is to lead the recruiter into your resume within 10 – 30 seconds. You should clearly indicate the position that you are applying for, use one or two sentences to highlight your related work experience or other qualification – not just repeat your resume. The most important thing would be the special skills that you found during the employer background research. The body of cover letter should not exceed half page, too short that can not properly describe yourself, too long that no one is willing to spend time on it.
After you draft the cover letter, please edit carefully to avoid the following common errors:

--Typing and Spelling
--The balance between easy to read and professional writing
--Be special cover letter, one job one cover letter
--Only address the job related requirements and qualifications

3.Prepare your resume to detail your related work experience, job tasks, and achievements.

The accounting resume prefer to use the following format as the sample:

Objective: indicate the position or the type of position that you are looking for.

Highlight qualifications: all qualifications start with experience, accounting application skill, analysis and reporting writing application, general application, personality, and communication skill.

Work histories: detail most recently related work experience, including detail duties and responsibilities, applied skills, and achievements; summarize other work experiences - your contribution, involvement, and achievements.

Education: academic achievements, professional training, certificate, and etc.

The resume is more detail to show your qualifications, experiences, ability, and passion for the position. The employer would base on the detail information to determine the match points for the selections of interviewing. Once you have the chance for interviewing that means your qualifications could meet the requirements of the position as at employer’s view and your cover letter and resume are well present the requirements of the job.

4.Interview is verified and confirmed your resume only.

Interview is only verified and confirmed your qualifications. Normally start from simple questions, like how did you get here? Is it difficult to find the company? Where do you live? Could you please introduce yourself? The purpose of these questions are to setup relaxed environment and most important to test your communication skills. There are two typical types of interviewers:

Only ask what they need to know: the interviewers ask questions and wait for your answer one by one. They change the topics or items every time and ask a lot of questions and do not expect that you can answer all questions correctly. They use the wide rang questions to verify and test your qualifications. And then compare with preset up requirements to determine the best applicants. This normally happens when the interview is not one of the accounting professional, or company policies request.

Ask one question and according to your answer ask another related question, until you cannot reply or reply wrong answer. The interviewer base on your answer to judge your qualifications. This approach will be becoming more popular due to easy for interviewer and hard for preparation of applicants. That is why when you feel fail the interview but finally you get the offer.
As an accounting professional, please remember to avoid the following questions:

--Special vendors sources
--Customers details
---Gross margin or profit
--Average gross pay
--Cash situation
--Profitability
--Company planning

（更多信息请致电维多利亚教育集团，电话：416-665-1888或上网：www.viccollege.ca）