With that in mind, here is a list of some items to consider:

• What projects could you reorganize to save time and improve efficiency?
• What times are your employees most productive and how do you use that specific time?
• What do you need to do to get your business in the best shape possible?
• How could you better organize your office?
• Does your marketing calendar and budget make sense for 2012?
• Are you utilizing your case studies and accomplishments to best represent your business?

We’ve all heard the saying that those who fail to plan, plan to fail, which is why it is so vital to use this last week of 2011 to adequately prepare for 2012. We hope that this short checklist will help make your 2012 planning easier.

From all your friends at Career Foundations, Happy New Year and best of luck in 2012!

• How will this company utilize my experience and skills?
• Will I be able to grow beyond my position’s responsibilities?
• Is the work environment conducive to my work style?
• Can I envision myself working with this company for years to come?
• Do I understand the requirements and expectations that come with this position?
• Will I feel professionally satisfied in this position?
• Will the company provide me with the necessary tools to be successful?
• What potential problems can I foresee in accepting this job, if any?
• Are there clear, projected benchmarks for me to succeed?

When offered a position, make sure you appropriately review your offer by asking the questions above. Use this evaluation to picture how this position can work for you; it will help you make an informed decision.

• Be prepared to answer “typical” interview questions. No matter the industry you should expect to be faced with generic interview questions such as: “tell me why you want to work with this company”, “where do you see yourself in the next five years”, and “why do you feel you would be a good fit for this position”. If armed with the properly prepared answers, you will have a good foundation for your interview.
• Be ready to be thrown a curve ball or two. It is our job as recruiters to find out as much as we can about our prospective candidates, which means we will dig deep into your professional history. We are going to ask you probing questions about your previous work experience and how you dealt with past difficult situations.
• Prepare yourself.  As with any interview, a phone interview shouldn’t be one sided. If you’ve done the proper research on the company you are interviewing with and the position you are interviewing for, then you will have plenty of questions for your interviewer.
• Speak slowly and articulate. Don’t give long-winded answers and do not interrupt the interviewer. Simply provide enough information that answers the question and don’t over-explain. A little bit of brevity can go a long way.

Phone interviews can be tricky, especially since you cannot read your interviewer’s facial expressions and body language. If you follow these tips, you will greatly increase your chances of being selected to come in for a face-to-face interview and a chance to show that you’re the right candidate for the job!

If you are a recruiter, this is a question that you’ve been asked a hundred times or so. With the current state of the job market, job seekers are looking to all outlets for the opportunity to find job openings for résumé submissions. Along that same wavelength, due to the high volume of candidates applying to open positions, hiring firms are looking to recruiting firms to find them the most suitable candidates.

There is no set schedule for the average financial recruiter. We would love to tell you we work from nine to five daily and get weekends off. In reality, there are plenty of times that we have to call potential candidates after hours because of their schedule and availability. A perk of working as a financial recruiter is the pure versatility of the job itself. Since we work with new candidates weekly, we never know what obstacles our job is going to throw at us. In the end, the most satisfying aspect of working in the financial recruiting industry is being able to provide quality candidates to clients that result in positive placements.

If you are a candidate who feels they have the right education and experience in the financial industry— and happen to be in search of an open position in our field of expertise—contact our financial recruiters today. We also look forward to lending a helping hand to any hiring firms that are looking to quickly and efficiently fill open positions. We look forward to hearing from you!

When searching for candidates to fill mid-level or senior-level positions, we look for individuals with between two and five years of experience. In addition to experience, references are a must. In the accounting and finance industry references will be looked at to provide verification and reassurance that your skill sets can meet the expectations of your future employer. Outside of contacting references, recruiters will look to extended résumés like your LinkedIn profile. For this reason, it’s important to keep your professional profile updated; this includes your most recent professional accomplishments and recommendations from current or previous coworkers.

No matter your level of experience—from mid-level to senior-level—if you are a finance or an accounting professional looking for a position, our experts can help. Contact us today to learn more about our current job listings. To learn more about captivating the attention of recruiters, stay tuned into our blog.

One of the first places to begin such renovations is by adding new employees. Adding new, executive-level employees will play a serious role in your company’s makeover. Choosing this option as a form of renovation is serious project to take on, which is why utilizing the right recruiting firm makes all the difference.

Essentially, a great recruiting firm does all the work for you. At Career Foundations, we comb through our network of industry contacts, review résumés, conduct interviews and more. Our end goal is to present you with a small list of the best candidates; all you will have to do is choose which qualified candidate to hire.

Your company may not have the time to engage in the full-time act of searching for executives, but we do. We commit to understanding your company, its needs and the qualities needed in a new hire to fulfill a positions responsibilities. We will look at everything from values to personality to goals when searching for your new executive-level hire candidates. Contact us today to learn more about what we can do for your company.

• Older workers have established preferences and skills; younger workers are flexible and can be placed more easily into an assortment of positions.
• Older workers tend to have more experience, which means they are more valuable but also cost more to employ.
• Younger workers have grown up with the newest technology.

Although some of these statements may or may not apply to you personally, employers have generally seen trends depicting them to be true in a general sense. However, there are multiple reasons that hiring an older worker could be beneficial for your company. These reasons may include:

• Because of their experience, older workers tend to do much better than younger workers in moments of crisis.
• Dedicated workers produce higher quality work, which can result in savings for you.
• Older workers make great employees because they’re easier to train; older employees tend to be great listeners and typically have to be told what to do once.
• Older workers make excellent mentors and role models, which is beneficial to have when training other employees.

Older workers’ skills, values and ability to save your company time and money make the matter of hiring them more desirable when you consider their lower turnover rate. The next time your company needs to make a hiring decision, consider older workers having them on staff. If you could use help filling your executive-level, positions visit our website at www.careerfoundations.com.

• Follow and understand instructions. Management has enough worries without the added stress of employees complaining about assigned tasks. People who have the ability to absorb and understand the tasks that are assigned them, without complaining, are much more appreciated and valued in the workplace.
• Be flexible. A versatile worker is a seen as an asset to managers and partners. A good worker is always flexible and can take on new tasks and challenges. The more flexible, the more you will understand and grow in your position.
• Take advantage of training. No one knows everything and there are always places we could expand our knowledge when it comes to our job. If your job offers training in various areas that may contribute to your job performance, take advantage of it.
• Don’t waste company time. It’s easy to get caught up in a conversation with coworkers or lose yourself in a good article online. Remember that the company is paying you to be working for them. An employee who wastes time is worth far less to the company than one who is dedicated to conquering their responsibilities.

The more valuable you make yourself to your employer, the more likely you will be awarded that raise or promotion when the time arrives.

To help you make a great first impression, this accounting recruiting firm suggests these guidelines once you land your job:

Don’t Leave Early. Having good attendance is a must in any position you take. After you’ve worked at your new job for an extended period of time, you will get a feel for the work environment and begin to develop an understanding of what’s acceptable, e.g. breaks during the day and business hours.

Be positive.  A positive attitude goes a long way when establishing working relationships.  Be open to the overall attitudes and atmosphere at your new workplace.

Establish trust. Listen to coworkers and supervisors when discussing clients and job requirements. While listening, avoid commenting until you have a full understanding of the details.

Be proactive. During the first few weeks, take the time to introduce yourself to co-workers and offer to help with any outstanding projects that may fall within your spectrum of expertise. If your company sponsors events—or has established committees for community involvement—jump right in to assist in building stronger workplace relationships.

After you begin that new job, remember that you were hired because you brought the skills and knowledge to the position that helps the organization achieve its goals. Making a good first impression will help demonstrate your talents, establish a positive reputation and be a productive member of the team.

Wherever this idea originated, it has seemingly been ingrained into the minds of job seekers. Many remain convinced they should not apply to open positions until after the holiday season. We have several reasons why you should continue your job search through the end of the year and why it could be helpful to your career search.

• Companies usually have to use their budget before the end of the year is up because it doesn’t carry over. This is why many companies choose to hire people towards the end of the year. Budgets tend to be a use it or lose it so many companies use it to hire people.
• Holidays are often a time of job transition. Some business professionals give notice upon their departure for a new job during this time and thus need to be replaced. This presents a great opportunity for companies to bring on new hires.
• Many companies conduct interviews during this time period, allowing them to bring on new hires early in the new calendar year.
• Since a good number of job seekers tend to believe the myth that no one hired during the holidays, this may just be the best time to apply for open positions due to a lack of competition.
• Even if you cannot get an interview during the month of December, you can at least be at the head of the line come January.

Whether or not you choose to believe the myth that no companies hire during the last quarter, the notion couldn’t be further from the truth as many in our industry are making new hires. Contact us today to learn hear more about the open positions we have for you.