Singletasking Can Improve Your Job SearchHere Are 3 Ways to Do It

Singletasking Can Improve Your Job SearchHere Are 3 Ways to Do ItSingletasking Can Improve Your Job Search- Here Are 3 Ways to Do It2As a job seeker, though, its important that at times you focus solely on the task at hand finding a new job.Entrepreneurwriter Greg Wellsexplains why multitasking can be so detrimental, and why singletasking might be the way to goIn a 2005 study conducted byDr. Glenn Wilsonhe found that workers who are distracted by phone calls, emails and text messages suffer a greater loss of IQ than a person smoking marijuana. His approach included80 clinical trials, each time monitoring workers IQ throughout the day. Wilsons work revealed that multitasking could temporarily decrease IQ by an average of 10 points (15 for men and 5 for women)- equivalent to missing a whole nights sleep.Eliminating your distractions is not just a good practice you should consider, its a necessity if you want to complete your tasks- like searching for a new job- to the best of your abil ity.Ready to become a singletasking pro?Here are three simple ways to do it1. Prioritize your tasks.Update your to-do list every evening for the following day, and take some time to prioritize the list. This way,youll know which one task you need to focus on when you first wake up the following morning.Having a plan can help you stay focused on whats most important to you.2. Respond to messages at designated times.When you get a new email from a potential employer asking for an interview, its nearly impossible not to get excited and respond immediately. However, while emails like these are important, they are not urgent.To keep yourself on task, dedicate two or three blocks of time throughout the dayto checking your messages and responding as needed. Keep your email tab closed, notifications off, and your phone on silent to help eliminate distractions and the itch to respond right away.3. Use a mindfulness technique to reel in the day-dreaming.If you ever find yourself staring absen tmindedly into space or realize that youve veered off task, there is a quick fix to redirect your attention.Mindfulness experts at The Power of Ideas use this strategy to rewire the brain to be more present and bring focus back when it strays out of reachFirst, recognize that your attention has shifted beyond where you want it to be.Bring yourself to focus on a single object, like a plant or painting in the room, on surrounding noises, or just on your own breathing.Take about 15 to 30 seconds to pay attention to this experience. Then, you can redirect your attention back to where it needs to be.Multitasking may make you feel busy and efficient, but the science doesnt agree. Work on eliminating your distractions and staying disciplined to prioritize your job search above anything else. Soon, youll realize your proficiency and efficiency has increased dramatically, which will pay off when job interview requests start rolling in.Start Your Job Search

Six Job Skills to Recruit for in New Hires

Six Job Skills to Recruit for in New HiresSix Job Skills to Recruit for in New HiresSix Job Skills to Recruit for in New Hires Radjou, Jaideep Prabhu and Simone Ahuja, co-authors of Jugaad neuerung Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth (Jossey-Bass, 2012).Definition of jugaad noun A Hindi word meaning an innovative fix an improvised solution born from ingenuity and resurcefulness.When recruiting new hires, HR managers typically scan candidates resumes for signs of smartness as evidenced by high GPA or the eloquence of their cover letter.Smartness is seen as vital to competing and winning in todays knowledge economy.Yet companies need mora than just textbook-smart workers to innovate and succeed today.They need to recruit new hires who are street-smart who can think on their feet and use their passion to improvise creative solutions for the many challenges of a hyper-competitive marketplace.In our book, Jugaad Innovation Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthro ugh Growth, we studied the most innovative and the fastest-growing enterprises in emerging markets such as India, China, Brazil, and Africa.We found that these enterprises employ street-smart workers who boast six specific job skills.We believe US companies must cultivate these critical competencies in their own workforce if they are to compete in todays fast-paced and volatile global economy.Here are the six job skills that HR managers in US firms should look for when recruitingfor job competencies1) Resilience Is the candidate able to seek opportunity in adversity? In an increasingly complex geschftliches miteinander environment that throws all kinds of challenges at companies, demonstrating resilience in the face of adversity and turning it to ones advantage is a competence that US firms must urgently develop.When recruiting, look for new hires with a proven ability to reframe the adversity they face leid as a debilitating challenge (or risk) but rather a unique opportunity to in novate and grow.2) Frugality Can the candidate do more with less? Frugal consumers and cost-effective competitors are rewriting the rules of engagement for companies pressing them to develop goods and services that are affordable and eco-friendly.To compete and win in this resource-scarce environment, firms need imaginative employees who can deliver more value using fewer resources.For instance, a candidate applying for the position of manufacturing manager must be able to find clever ways to reduce energy consumption in the factories he or she will be running.3) Flexibility Is the candidate able to think and act flexibly in response to unpredictable outcomes? To thrive in a highly-unpredictable environment, companies need employees who are masters of flexibility.HR managers must check the ability of new hires to challenge conventional thinking, who can think on their feetCome up with entirely new value propositionsExperiment with various ways to achieving their goalsQuickly respon d to changing circumstancesImprovise new solutions, and modify their plans as they goAnd your new hires should be able to execute these tasks without supervision.4) Simplicity Can the candidate keep things simple without losing sight of complexity? Tired of complexity, consumers are pressing companies to simplify their products and services to make them more accessible.As a result, firms must look to hire RD engineers who can design good enough but user-friendly products rather than over-engineered products that are too complex to use.Similarly, they need to hire marketing managers who are able to simplify their customer interactions to deliver a superior user experience.5) Empathy Does the candidate have the empathy to include marginal (and marginalized) customers? The American middle class has shrunk significantly, and lower income consumers in the US should not be ignored.Many companies try to convince these marginalized consumers to see the value of their existing products. But these customers have unique needs serving their needs requires whole new products, different marketing strategies and new business models.Companies must understand what value means to these marginalized groups or risk being overtaken by competitors who may not even be in your space.For example, Wal-Mart offers basic financial services like check cashing to the 60 million unbanked/under-banked Americans ignored by traditional banks. If you are hiring a sales or marketing manager, be sure that they know how to serve the needs of marginalized consumers.6) Passion Can the candidate follow the heart rather than just the mind? As Dan Pink argues in A Whole New Mind, the left-brains linear, analytical, computer-like thinking controlled by what we call our mind is insufficient to help us decipher, let alone navigate, our increasingly complex and ambiguous world.The world has become too complex for the mind alone to grasp To succeed in this ambiguous environment, companies should look to h ire gutsy employees who follow their hearts as much as their minds.These are empathetic candidates who have the courage and the willingness to take risks, trust their intuition, and are passionate about what they do, believing that they are pursuing a higher cause in the process.In our book Jugaad Innovation, we show how companies such as 3M, Facebook, GE, Google, PepsiCo, Procter Gamble, and Renault-Nissan have built innovative organizations that can thrive in todays volatile and complex economy.Their secret? They recruit street-smart employees who boast the six critical job skillsabove.Read an excerpt from the bookJugaad Innovation.Author Bios Co-authors of Jugaad Innovation Think Frugal, Be Flexible, Generate Breakthrough Growth (Jossey-Bass, 2012)Navi Radjou is an independent innovation and leadership consultant based in Palo Alto, CA, and a fellow at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.Jaideep Prabhu is Jawaharlal Nehru professor of Indian business and enterprise an d director of the Centre for India Global Business at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge.Simone Ahuja is the founder of Blood Orange, a marketing and strategy consultancy with content production capabilities headquartered in Minneapolis and Mumbai.

2019 Accounting Manager Salary Expectations

2019 Accounting Manager Salary Expectations2019 Accounting Manager Salary ExpectationsMaybe youre a staff accountant looking to advance your career. Or an experienced senior accountant interested in taking on a leadership role in your organizations accounting department. Regardless of where youre coming from, youll find a job as an accounting manager to be highly rewarding - and the accounting manager salary equally so.Accounting managers are on the 2019 Robert Half Salary Guide for Accounting and Finance Professionals list of hot positions, which points to their high demand and salary levels.Before we get into what it takes to become an accounting manager, in terms of duties, expectations, experience and skills, lets look at what you can earn in this role.Accounting manager salary benchmarksThe latest Salary Guide research shows the midpoint salary for an accounting manager is $92,000.Salaries listed in the Salary Guide reflect starting pay only and are based on actual placements t hroughout the United States, as well as an analysis of the demand for the role, the supply of talent and other market conditions. Bonuses and benefits are not taken into account.At the midpoint, candidates have average experience with the necessary skills to meet the job requirements, and the role may be in an industry where competition for talent is moderate.Use our Salary Calculator to find out what accounting manager salary you can expect in your city. Duties and expectationsAs an accounting manager, youll be responsible for a team of accountants, the number of which will depend on the size of your organization. Youll report to senior-level members, such as your companys CFO or controller. Duties includePreparing and/or reviewing appropriate ledger entries and reconciliationsMaintaining the general ledger systemPreparing monthly, quarterly and annual financial statements assisting with regulatory repor tingResearching accounting issues for compliance with GAAPCoordinating the budget processHiring, training and supervising accounting staffExperience and skillsAccounting managers are highly educated. While specific requirements will vary depending on the organization, you will need a bachelors degree in accounting, finance or business, and, in some cases, a masters degree. Employers will also ask for at least five years of experience, and many require finance and accounting certifications, such as the CPA, Certified Management Accountant (CMA) or Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA).You should be comfortable with common financial software such as Intuit QuickBooks, and you may need experience with accounting automation. For many companies, proficiency with Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems is also in demand.The best accounting managers have leadership abilities. Youll regularly be called on to motivate your team and encourage collaboration so that staff feel valued and realize they play an integral part of the organizations overall success.Aside from technical skills, hiring managers often have a list of soft skills accounting and finance candidates should have - including communication and analytical abilities. Communication skills are crucial because accounting managers often serve as a liaison between their staff and the CFO or controller. Because youll constantly be evaluating and refining your organizations accounting procedures, strong analytical skills are also vital.Trying to find the right full-time accounting manager for your open role? We can help with that REQUEST TALENT