5Â Ways to Improve Your Hireability

5Ways to Improve Your Hireability5Ways to Improve Your HireabilityCompetition among job seekershas remained strong in the last few years, with much of the recruitment efforts now taking place online. If youre a candidate in an increasingly noisy job search market, what can you do to increase your odds of getting selected for a sttte?Here arefivestrategies you can leverage dureif the job application process to improve your hireability among employers and recruiters1.Customize every resumeand cover letter you send out.In a misguided effort to save time, some job seekers make the mistake of sending a nearly identical resume and cover letter to every employer.Always be sure to craft thoughtful, tailored, well-researched materials for every position to which you apply. This definitely takes more of a time commitment on the front end. But the hours invested can quickly pay off when a hiring manager notices that you have a much better understanding of the role and requirements than the aver age applicant.2. Clean up your online profiles.Research from Jobvite found that nearly all recruiters (93%) pay attention to job candidatessocial media footprint. That means any online postings that appear unprofessional could greatly decrease your desirability to the hiring team. As a site professionally tailored for professionals, LinkedIn is a no-brainer for cleanup, but dont neglect tidying your presence on other sites that you may think of as more private. Ensure that youve removed any comments, postings, or photos that might be considered controversial, political, or unprofessional.3. Only apply to jobs you truly want.When you like the sound of a role, are well-qualified for it, and are genuinely interested in landing the job, youll be a more desirable candidate who managers want to hire. While you may think that youre fooling people by throwing your hat in the ring for a position that you know you wont enjoy, youre really only fooling yourself, since your feelings will likely come through in your responses and body language during your job search. Think quality or quantity.4. Let your positive attitude shine through.A national survey from Millennial Branding and Beyond.com revealed that apositive attitudeis the number one attribute that employers are looking for in potential new hires, with 84% of companies valuing this trait. With that statistic in mind, it makes sense to ensure that your enthusiasm is evident when it comes to the position and company.In all application materials that you submit, including your cover letter and any email communications you may have with the hiring team, make sure to emphasize your strong and specific interest in the job. During an in-person or video interview, you can communicate a positive attitude through your body language simply by maintaining direct eye contact, leaning slightly forward toward your interviewer, and avoiding fidgeting. During phone interviews, which arecommon with remote jobs, smile while you speak - youll sound happy and engaged.5. Look into professional development opportunities.Hiring managers and recruiters will likely be tickled to see professional development on your resume. This can come in the gestalt of classes, certificates, degrees, or even volunteer gigs. Continuing your education in your chosen career field can signify to a potential boss that you keep your skills sharp and that youre interested and invested in your career. A hiring manager may be more apt to hire your if you have current knowledge and expertise in your job.Start Your Job SearchRachel Jay contributed to this post.

Day in the Life of an Executive With CFO Responsibilities

Day in the Life of an Executive With CFO ResponsibilitiesDay in the Life of an Executive With CFO ResponsibilitiesWhat does a day in the life of a chief financial officer look like at a midsize company? We followed one who was placed two years ago by Robert Half Finance Accounting at a midsize distributor-manufacturer in Raleigh, N.C. We got the inside scoop on this top executives CFO responsibilities and how he keeps the financial wheels turning.Early rise and shine Before the CFO responsibilities kick in, morning starts early, sometime between 5 and 530 a.m., depending on whether hes able to squeeze in a workout. Then comes a quick shave, shower and breakfast.By the time Im dressed, Ive already checked and replied to a handful of emails, the financial executive says. Before I go into the office, I like to clean up my email as well as I can. If youre actively managing emails or calls throughout the day, its easy to get caught up in that and not get all that you wanted to get done. 830 a.m. Less-than-a-mile commute Before relocating to North Carolina in 2014, he had an hour-and-a-half commute by bus to New York City. The hustle and bustle of the city meant being at the bus stop by 7 a.m. It was crowded, loud and bumpy, but he did it for more than four years.Now his commute is less than a mile, which helps with work-life balance. I still wake up around the same time, but its much more relaxing now.The CFO parks in his companys attached parking garage and takes the elevator up three floors.I can always count on the controller or CEO coming to binnensee me in the first half hour Im in the office - sometimes in the first 10 minutes, he said. They see it all, and it helps me to do my job, so touching base first thing is good for all of us.Projects leading up to lunchtimeBecause the company is owned by a private equity firm, he spends a dedicated amount of time each week preparing financials for a meeting every Friday. Hes also in charge of the month-end close, so depending on which calendar day it is, hes busy preparing monthly financials and doing bank reconciliations.The executive is also responsible for audits, finance contracts and running point on all activity involving human resources and information technology.But he does take time for lunch, choosing from a handful of lunch spots within a two-mile speiche of his office. On most days, you can find one or multiple team members at the same restaurant, sometimes together for geschftsleben meetings and sometimes separate.Afternoon Key initiatives Back in the office, new cubicles line the walls in preparation for anticipated new hires and growth. Last year, the company reached $58 million in revenue, and this year it is projected to earn $70 million.I remember when I first started, we were working out of a table at Panera Bread, and it was just us (he and the CEO), he said. We just hired a quality manager, so there are now 13 of us. Weve come a long way.Another major focus for the business is building its own packaging facility - the first in the companys history. Right now, the officers rely on outsourced production centers, which is a costly model that can often lead to delayed shipments or a compromise in process and procedure. Just last month, they had a machine breakdown at one of the centers they use, and last year they had another center lose its organic classification, which meant the loss and rerouting of their products.This is the business we bought, and our job is to transform it into a better model, the CFO said. So a big focus of mine is our new location. On my desk right now is a financing contract thats been red-lined by our lawyers. My job is to go back through and respond to the advice were being given.After 5 The last one to leave Though the New York City skyline is in the rearview of this financial executives career, he still likes the late nights at his North Carolina office. The work carries him into the early evening.Managing cash thats whats keeping the wheels going here, he said. Theres a lot on the borrowing and spending and managing receipts and disbursements. Its a balancing act with our cash flow.He catches up on the emails and voicemails he tries not to get tied up in during the day. Then its a two-minute drive up the road and around the corner to his home.He usually gets home around 7 p.m. - in time for dinner with his wife. After that, you can find him watching the latest Netflix series he just finished his favorite show, Mad Men. He plays some golf, although by his own admission not very well. And on the weekends he and his wife enjoy going out and exploring their new hometown.This CFO has done a lot since he earned his bachelors degree in 1986, followed by his masters of business administration. His CFO career path includes more than 20 years as a controller, finance manager and financial planning/reporting manager. The experience that fills his toolbox ranges from general accounting and cost accounting to bu dgeting and planning, management reporting, and IT application management.Whats one thing he misses about his big city job in New York? Well, its not much, but there is one thing Giants season tickets and tailgating before the games.And his role as chief financial officer? What does he like most about hisaccounting career choiceandhis life as a CFO?I like the diversity of the functions and tasks and the responsibilities, he says. You get to get your hands in a lot of different things, from the tax perspective to financial analysis, ledger review and analysis - a lot of different aspects. Subscribe to our newsletterWhen you subscribe to the Robert Half newsletter, youll get articles and resources to help you build a successful career in accounting and finance - all sent directly to your inbox. Click the button below to sign up todaySUBSCRIBE NOW

How to Make the Move Into UX Design

How to Make the Move Into UX DesignHow to Make the Move Into UX DesignConsidering a move from graphic design to UX design? It might not be as difficult as you think. Here is some expert advice on making the transition.The importance of the UX designer role has become mora apparent in recent years, as weve all grown increasingly attached to and invested in ur various digital devices. But making an app or website functional isnt the same as making it enjoyable to use.If youre a graphic designer who thinks youd be good at developing an experience thats appealing and fun for users, UX design may be for you. And this career shift may come naturally to those who already possess strong design skills.UX sits at the crossroads of a lot of fields, says Chris Hass, senior vice president of experience design at Mad*Pow and a past president of UXPA. Generally speaking, specific degrees or certifications arent necessarily required, just experience with related endeavors. As a result, people who wo rk solidly in one area, such as graphic design, or whose work spans multiple categories can be valuable.And UX designers are highly sought after today. According to The Creative Group Salary Guide, the average salary for UX designers with one to three years of experience ranges from $49,000 to $75,000. Those with three to five years of experience can expect to make $71,250 to $97,250. With five years or more of experience, the average UX designer starting salary range rises to $87,750 to $128,000. Use our handy Salary Calculator to adjust these salaries for your city.Given the demand, leaving graphic design for UX design could be a move worth making. But how do you start the transition? Consider these tipsReflect on yourselfStart by asking yourself why you want to make this career change. UX design includes many aspects beyond visual design, such as psychology, computer science and storytelling. The UX designer role requires stellar communication and collaboration skills. As such, i ntroverts who prefer headphones to conversations and who desire hours of uninterrupted pixel play should, perhaps, continue to wield their power for feats of graphic greatness.But if youre intrigued by UX design, youve done your homework and youre still confident that you could excel in a UX position, go for it.Start thinking (and practicing) like a UX design frJoy Liu, a senior user experience designer with Samsungs Product Innovation Team, says graphic designers can help themselves by getting into the habit of soliciting more feedback on their work. UX design is a process. It requires exploration and dialogue to understand each users unique point of view and motivation of using a product, says Liu, instructor of CreativeLives Become a UX Designer class. (Check out this clip from the CreativeLive course.)It is easy to assume what people want, but it may not be the most suitable for them, Liu adds. Dont be afraid of showing your work to others and let people test your thinking. You learn a lot from knowing what worked and didnt work. Self-study, practice and experimentation are also important. When envisioning and building my very first websites, I found that studying the combination of information architecture, taxonomy, self-publishing, visual design and coding pushed me to learn new things in all of those fields, Hass says. Bolstering multi-disciplinary skills while putting them into use led me from creeks to rivers to oceans of information and opened a lot of doors.Network and learnUX design requires excellent people skills, and networking will help you hone your social dexterity. Liu advises getting involved with your local UX community and finding the nearest UXPA and IxDA chapters. Join the UX Community on Slack and also subscribe to the UX Thought of the Day for a nice daily konservenbchse of UX tips, she says.Hass agrees that forging connections within the UX community is key. He initially broke into the field by finding ways to get to know those who understood more about UX than he did.While designing by day I started attending professional membership organizations at night, Hass says. Monthly UXPA - then called UPA - meetings were free, provided snacks, and most of all professional guidance and networking. I could talk shop with professionals engaged in UX pursuits. This inspired me to seek and win a job as a professional usability researcher.In addition to UXPA, Hass says there are other professional groups to check out, including CHI, Girl Develop It and Code for America.As you network, keep your eyes peeled for potential mentors who could help direct you in your educational choices, guide you toward the appropriate UX specialty and introduce you to valuable contacts. Hass recommends asking yourself these questions when you meet UX experts you want to learn from How can I get close to them professionally? and How can I use my current skills to untersttzung them?Focus on building a UX design portfolioCareer-switchers often face the same dilemma as recent graduates looking for their first jobs To get hired for a UX design job you need UX experience. But how can you get that experience?Again, dont overlook the value of professional organizations and volunteer projects, Hass says. UX organizations bring passionate people together in a volunteer capacity to flex their skills for the common good. Theyre fantastic opportunities for your nascent skills to bloom in a largely consequence-free arena. You can learn from others while providing real-world challenges and outcomes that you can point to as positive contributions to society.Pursuing pro-bono work on your own by finding a local nonprofit that could benefit from your help is another option. Volunteer projects enable you to try new things and demonstrate proficiency despite what your current resume says, Hass says. Theyre a great vehicle for fake it till you make it as well as a safety net in the event that you find yourself looking for a new job. And th ey are funYou also might ask to observe UX designers at your company or even sign up to pitch in on one of their projects.Making the move to UX design may be an appealing choice for graphic designers who have a keen interest in product development and design implementation. Career-changers willing to follow this advice can look forward to a bright career in a field with great growth potential. Does the idea of a career in UX design interest you? Search our available UX designer jobs now