Waiting for an Interview: Mind your Manners

It seems a shame that this even needs to be said, but here goes: If you’re interviewing for a job, be nice to the receptionist. 

In other words, you should be minding your manners.  And not just with those you perceive as having the power to hire you.  It is becoming a common practice for managers to ask about candidates’ behavior with everyone who meets them.  Interviews are looking for someone that they and other co-workers have to agree to spend at least eight hours a day, five days a week with.

If you are rude or condescending to people you think are “beneath” you, you need to get over your bad self.

According to Anne Fisher of Fortune magazine, you should follow these guidelines (gleaned from Annie Stevens and Greg Gostanian from executive coaching firm Clear Rock), when you are waiting for an interview:

• Introduce yourself.  Just be friendly in the same way you plan to once you get into the real interview.
• Don’t ask the receptionist to make copies of anything for you.  You should already have your copies.  You should already be prepared.  And you shouldn’t expect the receptionist to be your personal assistant.
• You can accept a beverage, if offered, but never request one.  Don’t ask for a million accoutrements either.  Think kindness, think simplicity.
• If you feel the need to make chitchat, be careful what you say.  Don’t offer opinions on things that could make you look bad – like the decor of the office, etc.
• Unbelievable that this has to be said as well, but don’t talk on your cell phone while you’re waiting for your interview.  You could sound annoying, or just look like a jerk.
• Say a cordial goodbye.

The Purpose of a Resume – for recent grads

A common misconception about resumes is that they are meant to describe what you did in your past jobs.  In actuality resumes are most effective when they are written from a FUTURE perspective.  In other words, your resume will work if you think about what a potential employer would want to know about how you will perform.  What experience do you have that will make you a contribution to their firm or organization?

Click here to see what will happen if you write your resume form the perspective of the FUTURE.

Turning a Temporary Gig Full-time

Work may be hard to come by these days, but here’s some good news:  those of you who are working temporary jobs have a greater chance of turning those gigs into a full-time position.  At least, according to Accountemps, a financial staffing firm based in Menio Park, Calif,

Click here to continue reading

SEK&Co Announces Addition of New Staff Members

The Members of Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLC are pleased to announce two new staff members have joined the firm’s Hanover office.  Brian M. Seiberling, CPA has joined the firm as a Manager and Amanda D. Ruhlman, CPA has joined the firm as Audit Supervisor.

Brian M. Seiberling, CPA earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Pennsylvania State University and joins SEK&Co with over 13 years of experience in public accounting and industry.  While providing accounting and tax services for numerous types of entities, including corporations, partnerships, and tax-exempt organizations, Brian’s experience also includes specializations in providing tax, consulting and auditing services to small businesses in a variety of fields, including the nonprofit, construction, manufacturing, service, and retail industries. 

Brian is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), as well as the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs (PICPA).  As an active participant in the local community, Brian is a member of the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Hanover Area Advisory Committee for the York County United Way.  Brian also serves as Treasurer for Rotary International of Hanover, and is the past Treasurer for Leadership Adams Hanover. 

Amanda D. Ruhlman, CPA earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in accounting from York College of Pennsylvania and joins SEK&Co with over 4 years of experience in public accounting.

Amanda specializes in providing audit and accounting services to businesses in the nonprofit, construction, manufacturing, and governmental industries, as well tax return preparation services for corporations, partnerships,  and individuals. Amanda is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), and the Kiwanis Club.

SEK&Co Welcomes Shelly Rager

Shelly Rager joined the Hanover office on Monday, February 1, 2010 as a Support Accountant.   We are very excited to welcome Shelly to SEK&Co.

How to get the real skinny on a company’s culture

It has happened to everyone at some point in his or her career:  You get that “perfect job” and a few weeks later, it starts to lose its luster.  You find out that employees are disgruntled, or that you don’t get the resources to do a good job.  How did you miss all the negatives during the interview?  While there are no perfect jobs out there, the key to knowing if you really will fit into a culture is making that final job interview productive.  Here’s how:

1. Look around.  Check out the general vibe in the workplace.  Are people laughing or sitting around glumly starting into their computers?
2. Ask around.  Don’t just talk to the person interviewing you.  Chat with the receptionist or people you meet in the hallways.  Ask them what they like about working there.  Find out about the boss.  Ask other workers how they like working with the boss or whether he or she is available when needed.
3. Ask about the career paths of other people who’ve held the job.  Find out why the previous person left and whether they were promoted.  If they left, ask why and where they went.

Benefiting from a Career Fair

During my time in college, I only attended the mandatory career fairs.  I found them unappealing.   I thought I wanted to teach after college but I was not 100% sure that was what I wanted to do after college.  So I thought to myself, why should I even attend the career fairs?

Now, as the Firm Recruiter for SEK&Co, I’ve seen career fairs up-close and personal, and my perspective has changed a bit.  I’ve decided that even if you have little interest in the positions companies are recruiting for, you can still benefit from attending the events. 

Networking

Many companies attend a university’s career fair looking to fill specific positions.  For instance, SEK&Co may go to the career fair looking for spring interns or entry level staff accountant.

The secret is that even if you are not interested in these particular positions, you can still talk to the recruiter! Who knows when an opportunity may spring up at that company in another area that you are interested in?  If you’re able to create a relationship with the recruiter and keep in contact via e-mail after the fair, you may be in the loop when a new job is posted in your area of interest!

Don’t discount networking with your peers. If you’re at the career fair, you all have pretty similar goals – to obtain some sort of internship or job- so use your resources.  As you stand in lines and prepare for your conversations with employers, chat with the other students to see what’s working for them and what’s not. Let them know the type of position you’re looking for, as they may have contacts or suggestions for you.

Practice

Career fairs provide you with an opportunity to practice presenting yourself in a professional manner.  If you are like me when I was a college student, you don’t have too many occasions to dress up in a suit and talk with business professionals about yourself, your accomplishments, and your ambitions.

For many people, this can be awkward at first.   But it is a necessary part of the job search.  Whether you’re applying for an accounting internship at SEK&Co or an editor position at a hometown ad agency, you will need to be comfortable conversing intelligently with others and articulating your value as a young professional.

Don’t be afraid to mess up a bit.  Get the nervousness out of your system, so you can be confident when it comes time to interview for a position you really want.   A career fair is an ideal way to practice being prepared, poised, and professional.

So my advice is the next time you’re thinking about skipping the career fair on your campus, consider the ways in which you can benefit from attending.

2010 Accounting Student Scholarship will Honor Three Students

AccountingWEB  is now accepting applications for the 2010 AccountingWEB Accounting Student Scholarship that is offered to undergraduate accounting majors throughout the country. Three scholarships will be awarded to students who are declared accounting majors based on the submission of an essay and the subsequent judging thereof.

Click here to read more about this scholarship

SEK&Co Welcomes…

Charles Hockensmith joined the Hanover office on January 22, 2010.  He will be working as a seasonal employee during tax season.  Charles recently retired from Osram Sylvania, Inc. where he was the controller for 36 years.

Scott Henry joined the Chambersburg office on Monday, January 18, 2010 as a tax intern.  Scott is currently a sophomore attending Shippensburg University.  He will graduate in May 2012 with his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting.  Scott is an active member of the Accounting Club, Shippensburg University Students in Free Enterprise, and the Youth Advisory Board for Orrstown Bank.

Laura Stover joined the Chambersburg office on Monday, January 18, 2010.  She will be working as a seasonal employee during tax season.

Benjamin Boyer joined the Carlisle office on Monday, January 18, 2010 as a tax intern.  He is currently a junior at Shippensburg University and will graduate in May 2011.  Ben is an active member of the Accounting Club, Christian Fellowship, and Intramural Athletics.  Ben was awarded the Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLC Scholarship at Shippensburg University.

Sara Rulle joined the Hagerstown office on Monday, January 18, 2010 as a tax intern.  Sara currently attends the University of Maryland University College.  She will graduate in May 2010 with her Bachelor’s degree in Accounting.

Derek S. McCarty joined the Hagerstown office on January 18, 2010 as a tax intern.  Derek is currently a junior at Shepherd University.  Derek will graduate in May 2011 with a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting and a minor in Computer Information Systems.

Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLC Announces Hanover Management Change

John R. Schnitzer, Managing Member of Smith Elliott Kearns & Company, LLC, is pleased to announce that Christopher J. Distefano, CPA was appointed to Member-In-Charge of the firm’s Hanover, Pennsylvania office, effective January 1, 2010. Distefano succeeds Schnitzer, who has held the leadership position since 1991 and was elected to serve as the firm’s Managing Member effective January 1, 2010.

Distefano has been with SEK&Co since 1989, and a Member of the Firm since January 2002. He specializes in providing tax, consulting, and auditing services to individuals, for-profit and nonprofit organizations.

Additionally, he oversees the firm’s Pennsylvania region employee benefit plan audit practice and participates in the firm’s peer review practice. He is a member of the Audit & Accounting Committee, Accounting and Tax Services Committee, GPS Committee, and Chair of the Human Resource Committee.

Distefano earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from Pennsylvania State University. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), as well as the Pennsylvania Institute of CPAs (PICPA). He previously was recognized as one of central Pennsylvania’s “Top Forty under 40” by the Central Penn Business Journal.

An active participant in the local community, Distefano has served in various leadership positions with the Hanover Area Chamber of Commerce, Hanover Kiwanis Club, Hanover Community Progress Council, and the Bulgarian Orphanage Medical Relief Fund.