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Show Inside tips on how to find the TT J f right job. A by William J. Morin Chairman, Drake Beam Morin, Inc. (DBM) tmmt;L I I ' : ' jX ! f A 1 J". How to create a resume that gets results. in a series of tips drawn from Career Navigator DBM's revolu1 job tionary computer-poweresearch system. Career Navigator d gives you techniques, insider's tips and strategies for every part of your job search. It is available Recruiter Dana Ellis (left) with Georgia senior Jeff Anderson from DBM at a special introduc- Growing market: Your resume's goal is to get you an interview. So keep the following important points in mind: Include a relevant job objective wherever possible: the first thing employers want to know is what you want to do. to marketing to refining. an job in accounting, Getting entry-leve- l a field that the Department of Labor expects to grow steadily in the next nine years, is relatively easy. "Our accounting students typically have at least two or three job offers," says Peggy Dempsey, an adviser at Berkeley's Career Planning and Placement Center. Internships help. "An accounting internship will practically guarantee you multiple offers," says Bill Bufe, partner and personnel director for Plante & Moran, the largest public ac- tory price of $95. Emphasize your skills. Use your strengths to create excitement and interestgive the interviewer a reason to want to meet you. Talk about accomplishments, not duties. Duties are boring abstractions; accomplishments tell the other person about your ability to achieve concrete results. Omit irrelevant details (i.e. odd jobs, extensive personal data, etc.) If you're not why should No be? should be resume resume your more than two pages long. Unnecessary: photos, salary requirements or references at this early stage. Good ideas: If you're willing to travel or relocate, say so. Make sure the phone number on your resume is always answered. If you have to buy an answering machine, buy one. long-winde- Drake Beam Morin, Inc. is the world's largest career counseling firm. With 35 U.S. and 24 overseas offices, DBM has helped more people find jobs than any other company in America. Career Navigator consists of four disks (IBM-P- user-friendl- y or compatible), an invaluable job search workbook, and a word processor. It is endorsed by the College Placement Council, Inc. To order, call or for information, write to Drake Beam Morin, Inc., Dept. NOC, 100 Park Avenue, N.Y., N.Y. 10017. (212) 692-770- computers counting firm in Michigan. Students sometimes waver between the security and prestige at a Big Eight accounting firm and the responsibility and diversity at a smaller firm. "The Big Eight by definition works with larger entities," says Marvin Strait, executive partner of the Colorado Springs-basepublic accounting firm Strait, Kushinsky & Co. "People joining us in a much faster time would be able to get to the fun stuff." In Big Eight firms, beginning staff accountants may get frustrated working on highly specialized jobs. "The question is to remain patient" and try to get broader job responsibilities, says Smith of Penn State. "Depending on the firm, you can get into very interesting things after your third year." Few are starving: Even in the first year, accountants are relatively well paid. "There are few starving accountants in this economy," says Philip Chenok, president of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Beginning salaries range from $18,000 to $24,000 for new college graduates to as much as $40,000 for top M.B.A. graduates. This year industry accountants are typically starting at $18,500 to $21,000, government accountants at just under $21,000 and public accountants at $20,000 to $23,000 plus 10 to 20 percent more in overtime. (Recently Price Water- d house raised base salaries and eliminated overtime; other firms may follow suit.) It usually takes four to five years to become a manager, then three to four to become a principal and an additional four or five years to become a partner. Partners, who bring in new business, typically earn incomes. However lucrative, accounting jobs can be demanding. According to one recent surs of all accountants vey, nearly regularly work more than 46 hours a week, and at income-tatime, that load can double. Still, many practitioners say the job is never dull. Riva Dale Mirvis, 25, a senior auditor at Coopers & Lybrand who received the nation's top score on the 1984 CPA exam, says she works with at least 10 different clients a year and finds the work stimulating. "You're given a lot of responsibility at your first staff level," says Mirvis. Sara Finneren, 22, who graduated from Michigan State last year, enjoys her heavy travel schedule. "I spend most of my time out of the office," says Finneren. More and more outstanding accountants are now shooting all the way to the chairman's suite Roger Smith of General Motors, Joseph Flavin of Singer Co., Hays T. Watkins of CSX Corp. and former Nabisco chairman Robert Schaeberle to name a few. "You can become a top executive," says CPA John Meinert, chairman of the billion-dolla- r clothing manufacturer Hart-marwho advises ambitious accountants not to "get pigeonholed in one kind of job." The odds are that they will have an even greater array of jobs to choose from in the future. If nothing else, these number crunchers can always count on one continuing source of income. "Every time the government 'simplifies' the tax code," beams public accountant Chenok, "it creates more work for us." six-figu- re three-fourth- x x, Karen Springen OCTOBER 1987 |