608 SE 6th Street, Suite 4, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301 (954) 468-3636

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Are In-Person Interviews Old School?



Preparing for a Video-Chat Interview

It's 2010, can you believe all that Y2K hoop-la was 10 years ago? Things are changing, including interviews. With tighter budgets, going green and more advanced media technologies interviews are not always being done face to face. Most businesses are familiar with video conferencing, and some use it for interviewing, but the latest tools being used include Skype and web-cam. With video-chat software becoming very inexpensive many people are also using it at home.
If you are called upon for a video-chat interview here are several important tips to keep in mind. These are good for both the interviewer and the interviewee.
• Lighting is crucial, whether you are doing it at home, in an office or in the library make certain there are no bright lights behind you, this includes not sitting in front of a window. Bright lights will darken your face, making it harder for the interviewer to read your facial expressions.
• Clean up the area behind you that will appear on camera. You want to present a clean, uncluttered picture on screen.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Keep pets and small children out of the room during your video-chat. Turn off cell phones, the radio and tv. Any distraction can pull focus away from what you are saying.
• Do not sit too close to the camera, a good rule of thumb is to have at least the first three buttons of your shirt showing. Also, do not lean in, this gives the viewer an exaggerated view of your nose, which may not be your best feature.
• Avoid wearing white. A viewer will notice white on a screen first and you want the interviewer to concentrate on your eyes and not get blinded by the white reflecting from your shirt. In addition, wearing busy patterns is highly discouraged.
• Dress professionally, as if you were meeting in person.
• This is web-cam, we all know each person is sitting in front of a camera, it is ok to look at the interviewers image when they are talking, but when you are talking look into the camera.
• Practice. Do a dry run with a friend to make certain you know how everything works.
• Do not move around a lot, try to stay seated and centered in the frame.
• Finally, relax, be natural and try to enjoy the experience.
For a video demonstration of the above go to www.time.com/skype_interview. If you have any additional questions please give Kunin Associates a call at 954-467-9575 and one of our Professional Recruiters would be happy to speak to you.

Monday, March 22, 2010

50 Worst of the Worst (and Most Common) Job Interview Mistakes




Article taken from Yahoo

Karen Burns, On Wednesday March 10, 2010, 11:56 am EST

You may have heard the horror stories--job hunters who take phone calls or text during an interview, or bring out a sandwich and start chomping, or brush their hair, or worse. You wouldn't do any of those things, would you? Of course not.


But there are tons of other job interview no-no's you may not have thought of. Or that you've forgotten. The job hunting trail is long and arduous, and a little refresher course can't hurt. So for your edification and enjoyment, here are 50 (yes, 50!) of the worst and most common job interview mistakes:

[See how to answer 10 tricky interview questions.]

1. Arriving late.

2. Arriving too early.

3. Lighting up a cigarette, or smelling like a cigarette.

4. Bad-mouthing your last boss.

5. Lying about your skills/experience/knowledge.

6. Wearing the wrong (for this workplace!) clothes.

7. Forgetting the name of the person you're interviewing with.

8. Wearing a ton of perfume or aftershave.

9. Wearing sunglasses.

10. Wearing a Bluetooth earpiece.

11. Failing to research the employer in advance.

12. Failing to demonstrate enthusiasm.

13. Inquiring about benefits too soon.

14. Talking about salary requirements too soon.

15. Being unable to explain how your strengths and abilities apply to the job in question.

16. Failing to make a strong case for why you are the best person for this job.

17. Forgetting to bring a copy of your resume and/or portfolio.

18. Failing to remember what you wrote on your own resume.

19. Asking too many questions.

20. Asking no questions at all.

21. Being unprepared to answer the standard questions.

22. Failing to listen carefully to what the interviewer is saying.

23. Talking more than half the time.

24. Interrupting your interviewer.

25. Neglecting to match the communication style of your interviewer.

26. Yawning.

27. Slouching.

28. Bringing along a friend, or your mother.

29. Chewing gum, tobacco, your pen, your hair.

30. Laughing, giggling, whistling, humming, lip-smacking.

31. Saying "you know," "like," "I guess," and "um."

32. Name-dropping or bragging or sounding like a know-it-all.

33. Asking to use the bathroom.

34. Being falsely or exaggeratedly modest.

35. Shaking hands too weakly, or too firmly.

36. Failing to make eye contact (or making continuous eye contact).

37. Taking a seat before your interviewer does.

38. Becoming angry or defensive.

39. Complaining that you were kept waiting.

40. Complaining about anything!

41. Speaking rudely to the receptionist.

42. Letting your nervousness show.

43. Overexplaining why you lost your last job.

44. Being too familiar and jokey.

45. Sounding desperate.

46. Checking the time.

47. Oversharing.

48. Sounding rehearsed.

49. Leaving your cell phone on.

50. Failing to ask for the job.

Kunin Associates will help you get prepared for the interview and get the right job for your background!
Visit us at www.kuninassociates.com

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Tax Manager, Estate and Trust

Tax Manager, Estate and Trust

Local South Florida CPA firm is looking for an Estate and Trust Manager. In this role you will be responsible for both preparation and review of estate and trust tax returns as well as interacting directly with the clients. The ideal candidate will have 5+ progressive years of experience with knowledge of 1040s, 1041s, 706s and 709s. Additional experience in compliance is very important. Professional environment in a well respected firm with opportunity for growth.

Salary Range: $100,000 to $115,000
Email Resume to: JFarrick@KuninAssociates.com

Monday, March 15, 2010

Sr. Tax Analyst

Excellent opportunity for a Sr. Tax Analyst with strong interpersonal communication skills. In this role you will be preparing and supervising United States federal and state income tax returns and reviewing IRS/state correspondence as well as assisting with Federal and state tax audits among other duties. The Ideal candidate will have 3-5 years of experience in preparing corporate tax returns and consolidating tax returns as well as FAS 109 in addition to Big 4 experience. Company has an excellent industry reputation with an outstanding working environment and professionalism.

Salary Range: $60,000 to $70,000
Email Resume to: JFarrick@KuninAssociates.com

Controller

Our Aventura based start-up client is looking to bring on a ‘hands-on’ controller who has experience in setting up all the processes needed for a new enterprise. The company has recently grown, and is looking for its first in-house accountant, as they continue to experience rapid growth. The ideal candidate will have start-up experience, a degree in accounting, be able to handle several streams of revenue, have a strong working knowledge of Quickbooks and ideally retail or online exposure. This is a young fast paced entrepreneurial environment, join it now and advance as the company grows.

Salary Range: $50,000 to $60,000, maybe flexible
Email Resume to: JFarrick@KuninAssociates.com

Monday, March 8, 2010

CFO

Professional Services office in Fort Lauderdale is in need of a CFO. In this role you will be responsible for overseeing all the accounting needs of the firm and eventually take over the administration side. The ideal candidate will have experience in a Professional Services environment with a strong accounting background. This position requires someone who is sharp, detailed and highly organized with a willingness to grow and take on added responsibilities. CPA preferred.

Salary Range: $80,000 to $100,000
Email Resume to: JFarrick@kuninassociates.com

Senior Accountant

Our client is a well established publicly traded company located in the West Palm Beach area and is looking to hire an Accountant. In this role you will be responsible for preparing monthly journal entries and related schedules, SOX compliance, variance analysis and timely reconciliation of assigned general ledger accounts. Qualifications for this role include: 3-5 years progressive accounting experience, Bachelors in Accounting and preferably a CPA and a Big 4 background. Good company, great benefits and opportunity for growth.

Salary range: $65,000 to $75,000 + bonus
Email Resume to: JFarrick@KuninAssociates.com

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Property Accountant



Our client is a Prestigious Fort Lauderdale company that has several real estate investments, among other interests, and is looking to hire an accountant to handle the monthly/yearly closings. The ideal candidate will have knowledge of Yardi and Quickbooks, have property management experience and be extremely organized. 40 hour work week with good benefits and a professional environment.

Salary Range: $48,000 to $52,000
Email Resume to: JFarrick@KuninAssociates.com

Director of Accounting

CPA with Big 4 or large public accounting experience handling large multi-division corporations needed for Miami public company. In this role you will be the go-to-person for all accounting and reporting needs. You must be analytical, organized, quick thinking and a proven leader. This is a great opportunity with lots of exposure, if you think you can handle the job, don’t hesitate and email your resume today.

Salary Range: $115,000 to $140,000
Email Resume to: JFarrick@KuninAssociates.com

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Assistant Controller

Excellent opportunity for an Assistant Controller at a top-notch company located in Downtown Miami. The ideal candidate will have 4+ years of experience managing a staff and a public accounting background. The candidate for this role must have Bachelors in Accounting, high level of accounting and financial analysis as well as business cost control analysis and vendor interaction. A CPA license is preferred. In this role you will support all accounting and financial functions, lead in the areas of budget preparation, general ledger and financial reporting and analysis, among other duties. This company is growing along with its employees and offers a fantastic benefits package. Company has an excellent industry reputation, and has a strong working environment with a focus on quality of life balance. If you are a detail oriented, enthusiastic and energetic accounting professional, this is a fantastic career move.

Salary Range: $75,000 to $95,000
Email Resume to: JFarrick@KuninAssociates.com

Monday, March 1, 2010

Being a Good Leader




Jess and Enrique are both Divisional managers for the same company. Jess's group is consistently productive and meets or exceeds goal every performance period, where as Enrique's does not. Enrique asks Jess "How come I'm not receiving your same output?"
Jess confesses she doesn't believe Enrique has the support of his staff and provides the following suggestions on how to be a better boss.

1) Clearly define what is expected of each employee. Review all job descriptions to make certain you and your employees are on the same path.
2) Treat employees with respect and dignity. Personal and sensitive issues should be discussed in private while praise should be given in front of others. Even better, praise your employees in front of your clients, it will make the clients know they are working with the stars of the organization.
3) Delegate responsibility and then trust your employees. They may end up doing something slightly different then the way you would do it, but may get just as good as an outcome. Be careful not to micro manage.
4) Employees will accept change if they are included in the decision making process. Share your thoughts and goals for the company with your employees and allow them to participate in the company's growth.
5) Deal with behavioral problems quickly and directly. If you are having a problem with an employee's behavior be kind and calm, but firm and clear in expressing how to correct the behavior and what will be expected in the future. Give the employee a chance to make amends and then move on.
6) When working in times with tight budgets, raises and bonuses may not be available for motivation, but praise and recognition can be used. Employees need to feel valued and appreciated, sometimes a kind word and encouragement is just as effective as a financial reward.
7) Be aware that part of the responsibilities of being a boss is being a 'people person'. You'll need to deal with divergent personalities in difficult situations. Do not make quick decisions, think through any proposed resolutions and be consistent in your rulings.
8) Lead by example. If you consistently put in 110%, try to do your best and have a positive attitude your employees will take note and emulate your behavior.
"Remember you can only be as strong as the support you get from your staff" Jess tells Enrique. Enrique appreciates the advice and vows he will work to make needed improvements. He is looking forward to giving Jess a run for her money at the next production review.


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