....A-Counting Crower http://therisingend.posterous.com Most recent posts at ....A-Counting Crower posterous.com Tue, 05 Oct 2010 07:28:00 -0700 A little friendly help in trying to find a job in this tough economy... http://therisingend.posterous.com/29733442 http://therisingend.posterous.com/29733442

It's been a little while since the last post as I have been going through interviews, career fairs, and organizational meetings with accounting firms and organizations.  I find myself lucky to have been able to join and meet with each individual that I have come across, as just about everyone has been truly helpful in helping me get started on the career path to a CPA.  There are many great firms out there if you can't make the Big 4 or don't really want to. 

However with my current job helping my father get his Executive Recruiting business up and running, I have taken notice of the various things that help you or hinder you from getting hired by any employer.  While this is in no way a sure fire thing to get you hired in this kind of job market, it can help you get your name and your brand out there for employers to see.  Branding is really assessing yourself and seeing what strengths and weaknesses you have.  Do an honest assessment with yourself.  If you need help, KPMG has a fantastic website for the beginning college student.  Included on this site is a self assessment .pdf which I would take the time to fill out, even if you are an experienced professional.  

Finding a Job cartoons, Finding a Job cartoon, Finding a Job picture, Finding a Job pictures, Finding a Job image, Finding a Job images, Finding a Job illustration, Finding a Job illustrations

After you have done that, here are some additional things that help you on your way towards landing you that elusive job:

  • LinkedIn - It is really imperative that you join this site.  It is a professional networking site that enables you to connect with recruiters, employers, friends, professors, and anyone that you may have networked with.  This way you can keep track of anyone you have met at a networking event or while you were in school.  Keep in mind, especially if you are in graduate classes, that some of your classmates are probably already in the industry.  (Note: Please make sure to spell correctly on this site.  I have seen a lot of profiles that have misspelled words, and you don't want to come across looking uneducated or unprofessional.)
  • Join an organization in your field - Because I am trying to find a position in the Accounting Services industry, I have joined my school's local chapter of Beta Alpha Psi as well as the Georgia Society of CPA's.  Both of these programs have been invaluable in getting me face to face time with accounting professionals and recruiters.  From a personal perspective, I also got to meet two CPA's who both graduated from my same high school, which is very neat.  Always make sure to keep a smile on your face and know what you can bring to the table when speaking with the recruiter/professional.  Volunteering for groups or committees in these organizations can further help distinguish you from the crowd.
  • Career Fairs - These are great for getting face to face time with company recruiters and professionals as well.  While not as intimate as meeting them through your organization, you know that they are hiring or will be hiring in the near future.  Make sure to have a smile again, a resume, and possibly a business card if you have the money or time.  Do your research beforehand on the companies attending.  It's always great to show the recruiters and professionals that you know what industries they service, where they are located, what they do, and what career opportunities they have open.  After speaking with the recruiter/professional make sure to grab a business card.  This enables you to write a follow up letter the day of or the day after the career fair which is key for helping the company remember your name, and showing interest in joining said company.
  • Know your industry - By this I mean if you are in marketing and are applying for a job in IT, temper your expectations for finding a job in that field.  The amount of resumes we get when we post on a job board is staggering.  Probably 95% of them are not qualified for the job.  In these times, if you haven't worked in the specified industry, it is incredibly hard to break into the industry unless you are coming from college. Here's a list of people who have applied for high-level marketing jobs in the medical device field with one of our job posts and needless to say, did not even get remotely considered:
  •  
    • Professional Sports Players
    • College Sports Players
    • Stay at Home Moms
    • Radio Marketing Professionals
  • Utilize your Career Services Center - At Kennesaw State University, where I graduated, they have a fantastic career services center that will help you as much as you want in trying to land a job.  They offer such things as resume review, mock interviews, career fair listings, any available positions, networking events, and the list goes on.  They can be very valuable in helping you find something regardless if you're an alumni or a current student.  (Shout out to Lori Trahan who is fantastic working in KSU's Career Department!)
  • False information on your Resume - This is a no-no.  You may have been able to get by with this decades ago, but now it's a near impossibility with the information age.  Many HR professionals in companies talk to other HR professionals in the same industry.  One of the first searches we were doing the candidate had falsified information on his resume.  Needless to say the HR professional at the workplace found this out and said guy did not get the job.  Not only was he not considered for this job, he was now blacklisted from using our network of recruiters.  And believe me, you do not want to be on any blacklist because it is a very small world out there.

This should get you pointed in the right direction towards finding that elusive career.  A helpful hint: you may be nervous and some of these suggestions may get you outside of your shell of comfortability.  This is a GOOD thing.  After doing several of these you will get the hang of how to conduct yourself in a professional manner and present yourself in a positive light.  Many of these professionals and recruiters have been in your shoes and know how nervous it can be.  Just be yourself, and remember the information I posted above.  Again this list is by no means all-inclusive and if you have any other suggestions or ideas feel free to e-mail me or comment below.  You can also follow me with the link to twitter (@m_tolan) on the right hand side of this blog.  Best of luck in you finding your dream career.

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/697499/matt_n_rory.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4wuf4t1b0557 Matt Tolan therisingend Matt Tolan
Fri, 20 Aug 2010 14:58:00 -0700 Taxes hidden in the Health Reform Bill http://therisingend.posterous.com/taxes-hidden-in-the-health-reform-bill http://therisingend.posterous.com/taxes-hidden-in-the-health-reform-bill

As much as I have tried to stay out of politics because I view most of it as idiots bickering over which pork barrel project is going through, I decided to take a look at this infamous healthcare bill.  H.R.3962 "Affordable Health Care for America Act" is a rather long bill that you can actually view here in it's entirety which was passed almost two months ago.  As I'm currently enrolled in a tax course I wanted to take a look a the specific taxes that have been added that were buried in the bill, and how they may affect you and I.

Pork_barrel

I'll go with a list as I think it's much easier to read and get across points than a block of text.  For the people who don't understand taxes I'll try to make them more understandable.  For starters AGI, or adjusted gross income, is what you make in a year (from ALL income sources) subtracted by exclusions and deductions.  Exclusions are typically government tax breaks (think 401(k) and traditional IRA's - you don't have to pay tax on the money put in there), while deductions arise from certain expenses throughout the taxable year (think marketing expenses).  

We'll start with the first mention of actual tax numbers in the article, which begins on page 297 of the 1900 page article.

  1. Page 297 - Tax on individuals if you do not have insurance or insurance which is not good enough - 2.5% of AGI.  
  2. Page 310 - Tax on companies over 50 people who do not have insurance for all people - $100 each day of non-conformance, 30 day grace period for company to correct.
  3. Page 313 - Tax on same companies as #2.  This is an ADDITIONAL tax of 8% of each individual's wages that are not covered.
  4. Page 337 - Tax on individuals who have more than  $1 million AGI other than corporations - 5.4% flat rate.
  5. Page 339 - Tax on medical devices of 2.5% for the first sale.

 

Yes, there are limitations and exceptions to these rules of which one of the most interesting is that people who are recognized as part of a religious sect as determined by 1402(g), as long as your sect conscientiously opposes public or private insurance due to several reasons you can read here, are exempt from said tax.

Number four blew my mind as well - more taxes for people who make more money without causation.  Number five - I'll probably have my father blog about that one, as it could cause some problems for his field (check out his blog at shawntolan.com/blog).

Bottom line is if you do not have healthcare insurance, it is now required (and you will be taxed if you don't have it!) - so more money out of your pocket if you chose not to buy health insurance previously.  They will in effect tax you the exact same amount of money that the national average premium would be.  For the rest of the taxes, it may not seem like much to worry about from an individual perspective.  What you don't see behind the scenes though is that these taxes are added in to the costs of goods and then passed on to consumers, almost ALWAYS.

Hope this article shed some light on the hidden taxes input into our IRS tax code.

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/697499/matt_n_rory.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4wuf4t1b0557 Matt Tolan therisingend Matt Tolan
Wed, 18 Aug 2010 20:14:00 -0700 Graduate classes...first blog post! http://therisingend.posterous.com/graduate-classesfirst-blog-post http://therisingend.posterous.com/graduate-classesfirst-blog-post

I've been wanting to start a blog for some time now and after seeing Chris' blog it got me motivated to go ahead and make the plunge.  I must say that this website is very easy to navigate and use.  I haven't gone through all the features present but the layout is sleek.

I started my first graduate classes this past week.  It was pretty amazing when I found out after my first two classes that two research reports will be due by the end of the semester.  

Hey wait...this is for Accounting!  

One is on XBRL reporting and how it's changed or will change accounting practices, and  the other is regarding Federal income tax that is TBD.  In my other class dealing with Auditing, I was put into a group with three Asian women and we have to do two presentations and a project together.  While they may be good students, every single one of them is no master of the English language, so it's pretty much a slam dunk that I am going to be the one doing the presentations.  This could turn out to be an absolutely wonderful semester.

I get to go to my first class for my fourth and final class this semester, which will deal with issues in Managerial Accounting.   It's only on Thursday's but lasts until 10:45 at night.  It's a good bet I won't see my wife on Thursday's.

Time for this man to hit the sack and I hope Chris has fun in Mystic, CT with Meghan!

 

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http://files.posterous.com/user_profile_pics/697499/matt_n_rory.jpg http://posterous.com/users/4wuf4t1b0557 Matt Tolan therisingend Matt Tolan