The accounting industry has always been tempting, with numerous job opportunities coming up each day. Since it is an ever-growing industry, being a part of it will give you better exposure to the outside world and help you grow professionally. Though there are unlimited benefits of accounting jobs, landing your first job may not be so easy for everyone. You may face some difficulties while searching for your first job in accounting. Your lack of experience and accounting skills may create obstacles in your job hunting.
To help you out, we have come up with some tips and tricks to make you stay ahead of your peers and grab your first job in accounting industry with ease. So let us look into it one by one.
Understand the job
You may feel excited after receiving your first interview call letter. But do you know the job role for which you will attend the interview? Most of the candidates fail in their interviews mainly because they lack awareness of their job profile. While posting a job requirement employer will give the job description, i.e. what all duties their employee has to do after getting the job.
You have to go through the details before applying for the job. Check whether they match your interests and requirements. Most of the time, we find candidates making demands just the opposite mentioned in the description. By doing so, they are wasting both their time and the interviewer’s. A basic understanding of the role will help you perform better in interviews.
Convert the job description to your achievements
After understanding the job role, try to relate it with your achievements in your previous careers and present it before the recruiter in an appropriate manner. Show your skills and abilities, which makes you a potential candidate before them.
Suppose the job you have applied for is entirely different from your current profile. You will have to convince your employer that you are a suitable choice for this post. You can present to them the managerial and problem-solving skills that helped you give more profit to the company. And if you have some of the qualities mentioned in the job description, present it before your interviewer with relevant examples and how you completed your tasks within the time frame.
Do your research
Before attending an interview, it would be a good idea to do complete research about the company. You can search the internet for the required information or visit their official website. If you succeed in showcasing your interest in the company during the interview, there is a high chance that you pass the interview with flying colours. If the employer finds that your interests and thoughts match the company’s ideologies, they will be highly impressed with you.
Don’t forget to get adequate information about the company from a recent news article published in its interests. It shows how serious you are about work and your willingness to work in their company. Your research will also help you to ask questions to the employers during the interview, which will undoubtedly add more value to your resume.
Ask questions
Remember that you can only learn by clearing your doubts. So don’t hesitate to ask questions while attending the interview. Your doubts validate your interest in the job and your thirst for knowledge. You will have ample time to clear all doubts from compensation to daily tasks here. You must prepare at least five questions before going to an interview. Some questions you can ask naturally during the part of your conversation. But some interviewers may give you a chance to ask them questions in return. So save one or two questions for them at the end.
Always remember to frame your questions according to the designation of your recruiter. If an HR person is interviewing you, you can ask them about the work culture and benefits, and if a technical person is interviewing you, you can ask technical questions.
Follow up later
Following up is the most crucial part of an interview. After winding up the discussion, don’t forget to send the recruiter a mail thanking them for their valuable time. Small gestures like this will help you stand out from the crowd and get noticed if you face tough competition during the interview.
Now that you have prepared mentally for your first job interview let us look into your qualifications. Employers are searching for candidates with practical knowledge of accountancy, i.e. your theoretical knowledge will not be of much help when it comes to job hunting. Having just a degree in accountancy or other related jobs will not help you achieve your dream jobs. You must have the accounting skills most employers are looking for nowadays. Many job-oriented accounting courses are available in the market to enhance your accounting skills. You can choose among them based on your interests and get certified.
In the past, accountants had a tough time doing their work manually. But now things have changed. Many accounting softwares have been introduced in the market to reduce the workload of accountants. Mastering these softwares will ease your journey of getting placed in big companies. After the implementation of GST, there has been a massive demand for GST practitioners all over the country. Employers are willing to give enormous salaries to professionals proficient in GST. These are areas where employers are facing a shortage of skilled professionals. Knowledge of income tax will also help you during your job search. Your practical knowledge of all these topics will take you to greater heights in your profession.
Many accounting courses are available to give you the desired accounting skills. And if you don’t have the time to attend the regular classes, you also have the option to do them online. Most training institutes are providing online accounting courses owing to their huge demand. You can now enhance your accounting skills within your comfort zone without sacrificing other requirements.
Final Words..
Accounting, in short, is a vast sea with unlimited job opportunities. Your right skills and technique will help you become part of this ever-growing industry. You can develop the required accounting skills through different accounting certification courses. Finprov learning is a good choice when it comes to accounting courses. Over the years, they have created successful accounting professionals worldwide. Check out their home page for further details.
