It's no secret that accounting and finance employees love numbers. Ironically, workers in this industry are experiencing some of the best numbers when it comes to current hiring trends.
Fourteen percent of chief financial officers surveyed in the business services sector anticipate hiring financial professionals through the second quarter of 2008, according to the Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index. Twelve percent of both retail, and financial, insurance and real estate sectors foresee hiring growth, with an additional 10 percent of hiring occurring in construction. Transportation expects an 8 percent increase in hiring, while manufacturing and professional services predicts a 7 percent boost."Demand remains strong for highly skilled accounting and finance professionals, particularly those whose functional expertise is complemented by excellent communication and technology skills," says Max Messmer, chairman and CEO of Robert Half International.Two-in-five (41 percent) hiring executives in the survey credited the headcount demand to business growth, while rising workloads was cited as the reason by 34 percent of respondents. "Businesses seek financial professionals for general accounting, internal controls and compliance initiatives, among others," Messmer says. "Sustained hiring in accounting and finance over the past several years has resulted in an increasingly shallow talent pool, and many employers continue to struggle to find professionals with the requisite skills."Think you have the skills for a career in accounting? Here are 10 jobs positioned for greatness (and demand) in the next following years, according to RHI.1. Internal auditorsare responsible for compliance-related activities, like verifying a company's internal controls and checking for fraud, waste or mismanagement. They also perform operational auditsSalary: $47,000 - $59,750*2. Staff/senior accountantsperform core accounting tasks, such as maintaining the general company ledger system, analyzing and preparing financial statements.Salary: $49,250 - $63,000*3. Hedge fund accountants manage and process total asset-value calculations for hedge fund investors.Salary: $46,250 - $64,500*, for those with three to seven years of experience in fund administration or investment management.4. Financial analysts assess a company's economic performance, helping with budgeting, forecasting, financial modeling and monitoring cash flow as companies expand and generate more revenue.Salary: $43,500 - $55,7505. Public accountants perform general accounting, auditing, tax and consulting activities for their clients, which vary from corporations or governments to nonprofit organizations or individuals.Salary: $57,020**6. Controllers oversee accounting operations and preparation of income statements, balance sheets and analyses of future earnings or expenses; evaluate and enhance company control systems and assist with strategic growth initiatives.Salary: $88,500 - $117,000***7. Tax specialists are public or private accountants who specialize in specific tax services and advise companies about the tax advantages and disadvantages of business decisions.Salary: $42,250 - $52,500*8. Accounts payable accounts receivable clerks process invoices, check requests and expense reports. They are in high demand as companies work to improve and better manage business growth.Salary: $28,500 -$36,500*9. Credit/collections specialists work with clients to settle delinquent accounts and are in demand as businesses focus on improving cash flow and profitability.Salary: $28,500 -$35,750*10. Payroll clerks screen timecards and time-management systems for calculating or coding errors, as well as subtract Federal and State taxes and contribution to retirement, insurance and saving plans from gross earnings. As companies increase hiring, more specialists are needed to track increased compensations.Salary: $29,000 -$36,750**Salaries based on work at a midsize company ($25 million to $250 million in sales), with one to three years' experience, according to the 2008 Salary Guide from RHI.
** Salaries based on data from the BLS.*** Salaries based on work at a company $100 to $250 volume in millions, according to the 2008 Salary Guide from RHI.Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.*Salaries based on work at a midsize company ($25 million to $250 million in sales), with one to three years' experience, according to the 2008 Salary Guide from RHI.
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