Communicating Your Value to Potential Employers

Whether you just completed a four-year accounting program or you are an experienced accountant, employee value has a lot to do with whether you will land your dream job. Because so many accounting applicants meet the basic requirements for open positions, employers can afford to be a bit pickier when reviewing resumes and cover letters. Use these tips to convince any potential employer that you will be a valuable member of the accounting department.

Demonstrating your employee worth is challenging for recent grads because you may not have much accounting experience beyond the summer internship you completed to get your degree. You can show employers that you would make a valuable employee in other ways, however. Volunteering to do basic bookkeeping for a local civic organization or small business can help you put your accounting knowledge to the test, and it can also show employers that you are committed to a career in the accounting field. Taking courses in mathematics or information technology may also give you an edge over other applicants with accounting degrees. Investing time and money in these courses is another way to demonstrate your accounting values to potential employers.

Older workers also have challenges when it comes to changing jobs. These workers may be seen as less energetic than their younger counterparts. Some hiring managers also assume that older workers may not have as much technology experience as younger applicants. The fact that older workers usually have enough experience to command higher salaries is another potential obstacle to finding an employer willing to hire someone over the age of 50. AARP recommends overcoming these obstacles by scheduling the interview to your advantage. When communicating your employee value to an accounting firm, you must be able to show the interviewer that you have the same energy and vitality as the younger applicants. If you know that you are most alert early in the morning, do your best to schedule the interview as early as possible. Maintain a high energy level during this interview so that the interviewer can see your potential employee value.

Accepting a temporary accounting assignment is another way to prove your employee value to the managers of an accounting firm. This type of assignment gives you the opportunity to demonstrate your skills and value as an employee, improving your chances of landing a full-time position with the company once the temporary assignment ends. Doing temporary work also gives you the opportunity to develop your own set of accounting values and determine the best way to explain those values to potential employers.

Finding a new accounting job is especially challenging when employers decide to maintain their current staffing levels. Michael Cohn of "Accounting Today" reported the results of a Sageworks poll of accounting professionals who work closely with private businesses. More than 50 percent of the accounting professionals surveyed said their clients plan to keep their staffing levels relatively even for the next 12 months. Only 20 percent of those surveyed said that their clients plan to increase staffing levels. This makes proving your employee value even more important when searching for a job in the accounting industry.

As employers increase the minimum requirements for entry-level jobs and look for more experienced applicants to handle advanced tasks, proving your employee value will be one of the most important tasks associated with the application and interview process. Investing in additional education and training can help you demonstrate your employee value to potential employers in the accounting industry.

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