How To Get A Job In Accounting In Canada?
The job hunting world has changed drastically in recent years. Gone are the days of checking newspaper classifieds and going door to door looking for work, thanks to the evolution of online job search platforms, groups, blogs, and other resources Fortunately, this offers a great advantage to job-seeking professionals such as accountants, who never really found their work via a “help wanted” in a shop window.
By nature, accountants are methodical and organized people who rely on systems and processes. This is all the more convenient to job-hunting professional accountants, given the many organized online platforms for finding work. It’s also beneficial that the job-hunting process has been globalized to some extent. It’s become much easier to find career opportunities in other towns, cities, and provinces, and this opens many doors for people who are willing to communicate or relocate. The job market is often greatly differing by location, and this certainly holds true for accounting in Canada. While the prospects might be fantastic in British Columbia:
Sourced from http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/LMI_report_bynoc.do?&noc=1111&reportOption=outlook
They may be much less so in Alberta:
Sourced from http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/LMI_report_bynoc.do?&noc=1111&reportOption=outlook
If you are a highly qualified and intelligent Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) in Canada, finding a job is simply a matter of tapping into the resources that accounting employers use. By being proactive, it is now easier than ever to get your CV in front of the eyes of folks who hire accountants. But first, you should have the CV and qualifications to secure the job.
Your CV is ever important
While it’s easier than ever to find firms and companies who are hiring, you are now typically competing with a larger playing field. Also, your cover letter and curriculum vitae are more important than ever, as they are your first impression to hiring professionals. If you’re taking the route of finding employment opportunities online — and odds are you are — you can no longer coast by on your charm, personality, or good looks (as accountants are known to do, right?).
Be sure that you have the right experience and qualifications for the jobs that you are applying for, and make absolutely sure that you include everything that shows who you are as a working professional. If you’re a designated CPA, be sure to include all of the experience that lead to your certification and the activities used to maintain your CPD hours.
While it’s hard to shell out any money when you’re hunting for a job, it’s definitely worth looking at hiring a professional writer to handle your CV.
Sourced from http://theundercoverrecruiter.com/the-top-resume-mistakes-that-could-cost-you-the-job/
A few small mistakes on your CV can cost you every job that you send it out to. Whereas, a professional and optimized CV can get you a foot in the door.
Network
As versatile as the online job-search platform is, networking is still the best way to find a job.
People are known to trust personal recommendations over anything they read online, so it’s no surprise that most jobs are filled via referral. That said, online networking platforms like LinkedIn and Twitter have greatly expanded your reach and opportunities to network.
Try to find a good balance of real life, face-to-face networking as well as building and maintaining relationships online. You can use Twitter to follow up with people whom you meet in person, and, likewise, you can use LinkedIn and CPA Source to seek out face-to-face networking opportunities like the Accounting Networking Society in Toronto.
The most important aspect of networking, online or in person, is to show an accurate and professional representation of yourself. Share relevant accounting articles on Twitter and make your qualifications clear in your profile, and you will build a targeted and specific network.
Use online job search platforms
For years now, online job search platforms have been on the rise, and they show no sign of going anywhere. The internet has become a massive database of opportunities, and leveraging it correctly can be the fastest path to finding employment.
There are countless job search platforms, and sorting through all of them can be terribly time consuming and, at times, frustrating. But if you use all of the efficiency resources that these sites offer, you can essentially automate your job hunt.
Sites like Monster and Indeed, while saturated with hopeful hirees, often have thousands of accounting job listings available in many different locations.
Sourced from http://ca.indeed.com/jobs?q=CPA&l=
Weeding through these many listings is a nightmare, but by targeting your search by location, field, and salary you can find the exact job you’re looking for. Automated notifications and streamlined application processes allow you to shoot out a CV on the fly without wasting your time filtering through thousands of jobs.
Also, by leveraging accounting-specific job sites, you reach a much wider range of prospective opportunities and cut out a great deal of the saturation and competition in applying for these jobs. Sites like AccountingJobs.ca are Canadian CPA specific and full of opportunities.
By using all of the automation services that these sites offer, you’re able to spread out your job search among many thousands of opportunities without sacrificing hardly any of your precious time. This diversification in your quest for employment is your best strategy, especially when seeking a gig online.
Get Creative — Find Accounting Groups
One of the best employment targeting resources that the internet has afforded job-seekers is the grouping of organizations who fall within one field or category. By finding these groups of firms and accountants, you’re able to put together a massive list of potential employers. You can use this list to reach out by email and enquire about any opportunities or availabilities.
For example, CPA Canada offers a list of CA training offices all across Canada. Each of these firms is a potential employer, and by using this group you can introduce yourself and get your CV into their files. While they may not be hiring at the moment, many will appreciate having the CV on file should they need to expand. Don’t overlook Facebook groups and pages, either. Even the CPA Canada has a Facebook page, which can be an invaluable resource for finding groups of accounting firms, and every industry has Facebook groups for job seekers, accountants included.
When hunting for an accounting job, the key is to be as diverse in your efforts as possible and to automate as many of the processes as you are able to. The more you can automate and streamline, the further you will be able to branch out and find the job that is a perfect fit.