I’m blessed to be writing this newsletter from the Baltic town of Miedzyzdroje. I’m spending about a month in Germany and Poland visiting family and friends. The great thing about my job is that you can do it from just about anywhere. I am a big advocate for pursuing the career and lifestyle you want.
Back in Colorado, summer is in full swing and we’re just coming out of the post busy season lull. It’s funny, even though industry tax professionals don’t have a “busy season”, per se, they still tend to slide into a more laid back mood during the late spring and summer months. Hiring is steady in industry and definitely starting to pick up in public accounting. Although we’ve seen some movement at the tops level (Director and VP) the bulk of activity still seems to be happening at the 1 to 5 year level. The average time to fill a position has increased due to vacations and other normal seasonal factors.
I’ve read a lot of articles about interviewing and job hunting. The article I’m highlighting this month does a good job of simplifying some of the key attributes a candidate needs to show during the interview process. A few of these attributes (flexibility and coachability) are especially important for more mature candidates.
5 Qualities You Need to Show in the Job Search
Like yourself, your competition for the job of your dreams has the same goal: to be seen as the most valuable addition to the team. But with so many people shooting for the same end goal and boasting identical skills and qualifications to get there, coming out on top is no easy feat.
So, how do you show employers your MVP potential on a court full of all-star talent?
Here are five qualities that make an MVP employee and how to portray them to employers during the hiring process:
1. Integrity
Integrity is a necessary quality for long-term success both inside and outside of the workplace. Where work is concerned, it means being able to take accountability for the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Mistakes happen, and the sooner you own up to them, the sooner you can learn from them.
Show you have what it takes: Don’t be afraid to discuss a past defeat during the job interview. In fact,look for opportunities to discuss it with potential employers. After all, employers aren’t looking for perfection, they’re looking for someone they can trust to get the job done and who wants grow with the company.
There’s a reason the interview question “Tell me about a time when you failed” is so popular with hiring managers. The key here is to frame it in a way that focuses on the solution, not the problem. Use it as an opportunity to show both integrity and your successful problem-solving skills.
CLICK HERE to read the full article
If you didn’t get a chance to see last months newsletter about compensation for tax professionals, here is a link. As always, please feel free to reach out with questions about tax compensation, the employment market, factors to consider when making a change and of course help finding tax opportunities.