Welcome to the last of our “Five Tips of Employment” blog series. This blog series has been aimed at offering different tips on selling yourself to an employer and landing that dream job.

Tip #5: Be Prepared

The statement “Be prepared” is a well-known motto of the Boy Scouts and an important motto for your career. Every time you begin the interview process, you need to approach a potential employer and make sure it counts.

You have no idea how may resumes or applications that employer has received.  So, when you get the opportunity to present yourself, especially in person, you need to be prepared to talk about the person you know the best – YOU!

Review your personal inventory; remember that you have a great deal to talk about.  Also, do not forget to include why you are such a good fit for their business (reciting some of the information you have gleaned from their website).

Think about your strong points.  Why should this employer should hire you?  Be prepared to offer details and examples that demonstrate your strengths.

Be ready to handle tough questions.  There are a plethora of sample interview questions readily available on the Internet. Review these questions and make sure you have answers – this helps so you do not have to “think on your feet”, but rather have quick responses with examples.

Depending on what has happened in your life, the interviewer might observe:

1. Your many job changes in a short period of time,
2. Your large gaps between jobs,
3. That you are currently unemployed, or
4. An education change.

You do not want to sound rehearsed; but, present your answers in a way that the interviewer will consider you for the position.  Take the time to get your thoughts together and Be Prepared.

For more information about our careers, or to learn more about preparing for interviews, please visit our career pages, or contact Christine Dill, (231) 726-5835 or cdill@brickleydelong.com.

Author: Christine Dill

Author: Christine Dill

Welcome to the fourth of our “Five Tips of Employment” blog series. This blog series is aimed at offering different tips on selling yourself to an employer and landing that dream job.

Tip #5: Dress the Part

Wondering how to present yourself at a professional business interview? When you have the opportunity to meet with a company, it is important to understand that prospective employers are watching every move you make. Whether it is at a career fair, on-campus interview or office visit, employers are trying to determine if you are a viable candidate for their business.

More dressed up is better than less (unless you are told otherwise). Professional dress means a proper business suit. This shows that you are interested and ready to start work. We employers recognize that a proper suit can be expensive. So, try to have at least one “interview” suit. With accessories you can change the suit look, even if you have to meet with the same person twice. This is an investment in your future and should be a staple in your closet. If needed, try searching second hand stores. Many times, you are able to find gently used, yet still fashionable suits for a lower price.

Also, pay attention to your personal hygiene. Use minimum makeup, light cologne, and avoid perfumes. These items can distract the interviewer and turn away their focus from you, “the candidate”; and, it could cause them to start thinking about you and your personal habits.

You always want to Dress the Part to show that you are ready and eager to start your career.

Stay tuned for one more employment tips. For information about our careers or to learn more about professional wear, please visit our career pages, or contact Christine Dill at (231) 726-5835 or cdill@brickleydelong.com.

Michael Cohn, in a recent article published in Accounting Today, discusses how many taxpayers are unaware that they could be overpaying sales and use taxes. This is because many states and localities are collecting taxes from goods and services purchased online.

The decision from a 1992 Supreme Court case, Quill v. North Dakota, states that a physical presence in a state is required to be taxed, even when the actual presence is unclear.  Many states are testing the boundaries of this decision, as a way to bring in tax dollars.

The article references a study from McGadrey LLP, which found that many businesses are filing in jurisdictions where they should not be filing and others are not filing where they should be, which subjects them to interest and penalties.

The study also identifies 10 industries that frequently overpay sales and use taxes:

1. Manufacturing
2. Engineering/Research and Development
3. Biotechnology
4. Printing/Publishing
5. Technology
6. Telecommunications
7. Financial Services
8. Insurance
9. Health Care
10. Pharmaceuticals

With the increase use of the Internet, and online sales, businesses must be aware of their physical presence so they do not find themselves in a court decision.

For more information on paying sales and use taxes, please read the referenced articles, or contact Terry Maycroft at (231) 736-5825 or tmaycroft@brickleydelong.com.

Learn more about our bookkeeping, business consulting, manufacturing, healthcare, or professional firm services.

Author: Christine Dill

Welcome to the third of our “Five Tips of Employment” blog series. This blog series is aimed at offering different tips on selling yourself to an employer and landing that dream job.

Tip #3: Perfection is Key

Your first impression to a company is likely going to be when you submit your resume and cover letter. There is nothing that is more damaging to your credibility than a typo or the use of incorrect grammar on these documents. Still, human resource professionals continue to receive resumes with errors, and many professionals will not consider a candidate that has errors on his or her resume/cover letter.

How to catch mistakes

• For starters, it is important to utilize spell check and/or a thesaurus when reviewing these documents. However, even the best spell check does not catch all mistakes. For example, they are unable to review homonyms correctly.  Words like “dear” and “deer” may be spelled correctly, but clearly have different meanings.  Also, mistypes, such as “of” instead of “on”, typically are not caught by a spelling and grammar checker. Read carefully to make sure you catch any of these types of issues.
• Many people find it beneficial to print hard copies and read them out loud. It is typically easier to catch mistakes on paper than on a screen. And, by reading slowly out loud, you force yourself to read each word.
• Have a person your trust review your work. A second set of eyes is always helpful when catching errors or establishing clarity.

Another important thing to note is that customizing your resume and cover letter to a job position is important. This leads to many different versions of these documents. So, as you make changes, continue the review process to ensure perfection. Make sure you get the right name for your salutation along with the correct business. It is a real turn-off to an employer when they receive a resume and it is not their name or company on the cover letter. Pay attention to detail.

It is crucial to your future employment to review your work before you place that resume in the mail, hit submit, or send that e-mail. One mistake could turn an opportunity for employment into a rejection. Keep a log of where you send resumes. You can use this to double check if you have already sent a business your resume (possibly for another position), or as an opportunity to follow-up with a business you have not heard back from.

No one is perfect. However, in the resume building business…Perfection is Key.

Stay tuned for two more employment tips. For information about our careers or to learn more about the review processes for resumes and cover letters, please visit our career pages, or contact Christine Dill at (231) 726-5835 or cdill@brickleydelong.com.

Author: Christine Dill

Welcome to the second of our “Five Tips of Employment” blog series. This blog series is aimed at offering different tips on selling yourself to an employer and landing that dream job.

Tip #2: Know Your Audience

Not sure who in your area employs persons in your degreed area? The easiest way to start is by conducting a search. There is never a better place to start than utilizing popular search engines such as, Google, Bing, or Yahoo to search businesses, and then, review their website.   By reviewing a company’s website, you can find out their location(s), size, market(s) they serve, and typically the key employees/owners.

Do your homework. Review the website information to determine if the company is truly a target employer for you; and, if they are, take notes on the key information that you find and retain this information for use later on.

Ideally, when you are presented with an interview, you can then use the information you have gathered and share with them. This demonstrates to a hiring professional that you have done your homework and are a serious candidate.

In a competitive job market, you typically only get one first impression – make it a good one. Take the time to Know Your Audience.

Stay tuned for three more employment tips. For information about our careers or to learn more about researching companies, please visit our career pages, or contact Christine Dill at (231) 726-5835 or cdill@brickleydelong.com.

Author: Christine Dill

Welcome to the first of our “Five Tips of Employment” blog series. The next five weeks, we will be posting five different tips on selling yourself to an employer and landing that dream job.

Tip #1: Create Your Personal Inventory

In this day and age we are all different. We have different educations, different upbringings, and different backgrounds. When looking for a career, it is important to consider your Unique Selling Proposition. This is what makes YOU special, different, or set apart from the rest. Why should a prospective employer hire you?

Most CPA’s are not big self-promoters. We tend to forget all the things we have done, especially the positive things. We are not salesman (or sales women). To help you remember why you are worthy of hiring, you need to develop your Personal Inventory – a listing of what you have done, learned and accomplished in your life and career.

Your personal inventory will likely include:

• Education,
• Work experience,
• Community service,
• Sports,
• Academic activities, or
• Anything else you have done that makes you unique.

It is also beneficial to note the things you like to do, such as:

• Traveling,
• Reading,
• Volunteering, or
• Other hobbies/interests

This shows your ability to multi-task, passion for adventure, and experience with leadership. This different skillset shows another part of your uniqueness.

With your inventory in hand, you have completed the first few steps in preparing for an interview. Your personal inventory can also help you identify your true career interests.

So, start today by developing your inventory, so that you can be more effective in your career search.

Stay tuned for 4 more employment tips. For information about our careers or to learn more about creating your personal inventory, please visit our career pages, or contact Christine Dill at (231) 726-5835 or cdill@brickleydelong.com

As businesses grow, employees leave, or new positions are created, business owners are faced with the process of hiring personnel. This process of advertising job openings, analyzing resumes, choosing candidates, setting up interviews, and interviewing candidates can be long and time-consuming. And, as a business owner, it can be very difficult to capture the essence of a candidate’s skills and abilities, especially if you are filling a position that is not your area of expertise.

Being a CPA Firm, our hiring professionals have a high aptitude for employing those in the financial industry (i.e. accountants, bookkeepers, CFOs, payroll clerks, and others). In our 40-year history, we have developed a familiarity of skillsets that make stand-out employees.

Given this, our Firm, provides job placement services for businesses seeking employees in “financial” positions. We will write the advertisement, review resumes, conduct phone interviews and in-office interviews. Once we have three top candidates selected, we provide you with the resumes, and then schedule interviews for you to meet the candidates. This can happen at our offices or your location – your choice. It is our goal, through our services, that our client’s have the confidence of a highly qualified candidate, without the stress of the hiring process.

For more information on our job placement services, please contact your Brickley DeLong accountant or Christine Dill at (231) 726-5835 or cdill@brickleydelong.com.

In a recent new release, The Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency announced that beginning in the third quarter of 2015, Michigan employers will pay less in unemployment taxes. This is due to a reduction in the state’s Taxable Wage Base (from $9,500 to $9,000).

According to Governor Rick Snyder, this reduction will benefit employers, families, and the economy, because allowing businesses to save money will grant them the ability to retain jobs, expand opportunities, and hire more employees.

For more information on the Taxable Wage Base decrease, please visit the referenced article, visit the UIA website, or contact Terry Maycroft at (231) 726-5825 or tmaycroft@brickleydelong.com.

Author: Chris Dill

A career in public accounting is both challenging and rewarding. No matter what firm you work for, the track to reach partner is very similar. Jim Toto, Kristen Walters, and Philip Culotta, in an article published in Accounting Today, lay out the typical progression for those in public accounting. For starters, whether graduating from college or moving into the profession, you are more than likely to start off as a staff accountant. The rest of your path and some related responsibilities might look somewhat as follows:

• Staff Accountant: Introduction to  tax and audit work
• Staff to Senior: Starting to lead engagements, seeing an increased workload, mentoring staff-level team members
• Senior to Manager: Becoming aware of where you want to specialize, developing the ability to train others and delegate tasks, and significant increase in client service leadership.
• Manager to Partner: An ever-evolving role, perhaps the largest and most challenging step, you are ultimately responsible for the work and ensuring Firm success

This organization structure is very similar to that of our firm. At Brickley DeLong, it is our goal that if someone starts off as an intern or staff accountant, that they are able to progress through this sequence and eventually become a partner at the Firm. We believe in training, goal setting, mentorship, and challenging our employees to help them grow in their careers. With this, our unique structure trains employees in both tax and audit, so that employees ultimately progress on a path to which they are most attracted to. Our most recent “Next Generation” initiative has received high praise from employees as its goal is to bridge the communication gap among different generations, as well as train attendees in how to succeed in their careers.

If you have any questions or would like more information on employment paths and opportunities at Brickley DeLong, please visit the referenced article, view our accounting career pages, or contact Chris Dill at cdill@brickleydelong.com or (231) 726-5835.