Q TIPS:
Quick and Quintessential Tips to Guide Your Job Search and Work Life
Job-hunting tips from the November 16, 2009, issue of
QuintZine.
In recognition of Job Action Day 2009, we offer a Q TIP for each of our focus areas:
Having a winning personality has always helped in making friends or getting a date, but a recent
survey confirms it also opens doors in the job search. When presented with accounting or finance candidates
who possess similar qualifications, 31 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said applicants'
people skills would tip the balance over such attributes as software proficiency and advanced certifications.
This number is up significantly from five years ago when interpersonal skills were cited by only 1 percent
of respondents.
CFOs were asked, "If two candidates interviewing for an accounting or finance position had similar skills,
which one of the following additional qualifications would you find most valuable?" Other qualifications in the
survey included software/technology knowledge, industry-specific experience, certification or
advanced degree, multilingual skills, and international experience.
The survey was developed by Accountemps, a specialized staffing service for temporary accounting,
finance and bookkeeping professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm. It was based on
telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs across the United States.
Find full results here.
Contradicting conventional wisdom that hiring decision-makers skim resumes in no more than about
20 seconds, a new survey by OfficeTeam found that executives spend more than six minutes, on average,
screening each resume received. (Perhaps the 20-second figure applies to screeners at lower levels
than the executive. By the time the stack gets to the executive level, the candidate field has
likely been winnowed down considerably, allowing the executive a luxurious six minutes per
resume.) Considering these documents are usually only one or two pages in length,
this finding suggests many are being examined with a fine-toothed comb.
Executives were asked, "Approximately how much time, in minutes, do you spend screening
each resume when reviewing job applicants for an advertised position?"
The average response was 6.4 minutes.
The survey was developed by OfficeTeam, a staffing service specializing in placing highly
skilled administrative professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm
and includes responses from 150 senior executives at the nation's 1,000 largest
companies. Full results here.
A recent University of Washington study reveals something about job-seekers: it's better to flatter
than to brag. The study looked at job-seekers and the recruiters who interviewed them. People who
flattered the interviewer received higher ratings than those who expounded on their merits.
They received those ratings because interviewers believed they shared their beliefs and attitudes,
indicating a potentially good fit at the company.
Ingratiating yourself to employers through appropriate levels of flattery (nothing obvious
or obnoxious, of course) may help you more than your own impressive credentials.
-- Adapted from the Echo newsletter from Communispond
Having a winning personality has always helped in making friends or getting a date, but a recent
survey confirms it also opens doors in the job search. When presented with accounting or finance candidates
who possess similar qualifications, 31 percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said applicants'
people skills would tip the balance over such attributes as software proficiency and advanced certifications.
This number is up significantly from five years ago when interpersonal skills were cited by only 1 percent
of respondents.
