Accounts Payable Clerk Job Description

Accounts payable clerk is the person who has the responsibility to maintain records of payments due to creditors. These records need the approval of Accounts payable manager before making the payments. An accounts payable clerk has to reconcile the expenses which have been approved before paying them off and it is his job to ensure that all payments are made in time. He has to perform all informational, record-keeping and secretarial duties assigned to him by the Payables manager.

Accounts Payable Clerk Responsibility:

  • Providing administrative to facilitate efficient office operations.
  • Maintaining a proper filing system to store the financial records of the company.
  • Processing all accounts payables, bank transactions, and wire transfers.
  • Thorough understanding of company billing procedures.
  • Reviewing and verifying the authenticity of all the bills and invoices submitted.
  • Reconciling purchase orders by coordinating with vendors and other service providers.
  • Getting approvals from the manager or supervisor before making payments.
  • Processing various forms related to taxation.
  • Performing follow-ups for payable invoices that are pending approval.
  • Making data entries to record all payment invoices.
  • Maintaining the general ledger.
  • Updating account payable lists and supplier files.
  • Ensuring timely payment to all the company employees.
  • Calculations of wages and salaries after verifying deductions, logging in the paychecks.
  • Maintaining files of the casual employees of the company.
  • Ensuring the confidentiality of all employee details and financial information of the company.
  • Perform all other duties associated with the Accounting and Finance department of the company.

Accounts Payable Clerk Skills and Qualification:

Education/Training:

  • A diploma from high School or GED is required for this job.
  • An associate degree in finance or accounting is beneficial.
  • Some experience in general accounting procedures and accounts payable operations.
  • Knowledge of computerized accounting software and basic computer operations is a must.

Skills:

  • The job of an accounts payable clerk requires good organizational and communication skills.
  • Maintaining a professional relationship with everybody is necessary as the work involves close coordination with the other departments of the company.
  • The person should have a cooperative attitude and team spirit.
  • Problem-solving skills and ability to attend to details is a plus.

Career Growth:

  • With an increase in trade and business globally, the need for persons specializing in accountancy in also experiencing an upsurge.
  • An accounts payable clerk can earn between $50,000 and $60,000 in a private firm. The expected salary in a non-profit organization is $45,000 to $55,000.A foundation or trust can offer $40,000 to $60,000.
  • The BLS puts the average annual salary for this field at $42,000.
  • The salaries vary according to the location of the company, its size, the candidate’s education level, and work experience.

Accounting Clerk Job Description

An accounting clerk is a person who manages different types of financial operations. Accounting clerk duties start from backroom calculations to customer services. Check the accounting clerk job description below to know more about what accounting clerk should learn. An accounting clerk’s job is well versed with the principles of accounting, procedures, and practices.

Accounting Clerk Responsibilites

The accounting clerk should perform different types of duties and tasks such as keeping a record of the transactions that happen daily:

  • Take care of the invoices, verify them and ensure they match the work orders and prepare for payment of bills.
  • Responsible for bookkeeping activity in order to maintain payrolls, balancing of the ledgers and making reports and sending them to the management in time in the prescribed format without fail.
  • Make sure that the payments and receipts records are maintained as per the rules.
  • Accomplish administrative activities and maintain entry-level bookkeeping. Required to reconcile bank statements, preparing and filling the checks and invoices, forecasting the budget and ascertaining the need for purchase.
  • Required to find errors in the records if they are not matching and realize the fact that all the entries made should be accurate and correct.
  • Should maintain the presence of mind and have sound IQ and analytical skills. They should also be aware of the working of Microsoft word and excel.

Accounting Clerk Skills and Qualifications

In order to get the job of an accounting clerk, there is no requirement of experience since it is an entry-level job. The essential thing to consider is education. The person should at least be a high school graduate to get the job. Since this is the beginning of a career, the person should keep his mind open and be willing to learn new practices and procedures.

As the person gains experience it opens new doors for career growth. The person must train himself under the guidance of a senior employee who has a good amount of experience and knowledge. With experience, the person can apply for a higher post in the accounting field. The person should have strong analytical skills and be able to do correct calculations at a fast pace. Verbal and written communication skills should also be strong so that he can perform his duties in an efficient manner.

Career Growth:

Every firm works for making as much money as they possibly can. There is nothing wrong in saying that money is the backbone of any company. So the role of an accounting clerk job description is very important. The future scope is very wide for these people as every company needs to maintain a record of the money.

After gaining two to three years of experience as an accounting clerk person can opt for higher education in order to apply for a higher post like a professional accountant or the auditor of the society. He may choose to remain in the same position and wait for the opportunity when he gets promoted to a higher post.

Salary:

Salary varies as per the experience and education level a person holds. More experience and education means more salary and vice versa. In United States the average salary of a clerk is $ 46,000 per annul. Those accounting clerks who have around ten years of experience can earn up to $ 62,000 per annul.

Account representative job description

Accountant representative is a person who deals with the company accounts. They take care of the company’s finance, like how much money is spend on what item, and how much money will be given to the client’s of the company and money taken from client, the accountant representative will handle all this stuff. The information given by the Accountant representative helps the company a lot to handle their projects .They also keep up the records of the daily transactions of the company. They keep and store the information of money taken by someone from the company or the money paid back to the company and at the end of the day and they compile their work and hand it over to their senior officials.

Account representative Qualification

Qualification:

Accountant representative should posses a bachelor’s degree in accounts. In addition to this qualification Accountant representative need to have certification in accounts courses. They can also go for computer training course and this will help them in this field.

Licensure Requirements:

  • They should be certified and acquire license in accounts field.

Account representative Skills

Skills required by these Accountant representatives:

  • General Skills Required
  • Excellent knowledge of accounts
  • Good communication skills
  • Need to handle the pressure.
  • Possess skills to handle the client’s property.
  • Ability to work as a team leader and should be a good team player.
  • They need to handle accounts of the company.
  • Able to work on time and sending reports to the higher officials on time.
  • Professional Growth

Career Growth:

Account representative is hired by almost every company because every company needs to have someone who looks for their accounts. So if someone has an interest in this field they can join the field as there are countless job opportunities in this field along with a good salary package.

Accounting Assistant Job Description

Accounting Assistants is a part of a larger team engaged in maintaining and updating accounts in an organization. The basic accounting assistant job description is to extend the necessary help and support to senior accountants in the team an accounting assistant normally has to perform the following set of activities as part of their job:

Accounting Assistant Responsibilities:

  • To verify & check the daily transactions
  • Sorting the vouchers  department-wise
  • Post daily vouchers in the journals/ledger or enter in the computer system, if in use.
  • Prepare checks and vouchers as instructed by the supervisors
  • Prepare the necessary daily accounts statements
  • Tallying the cash with the account balances
  • Filing the vouchers & documents

Accounting Assistant Qualifications:

Qualifications – An accounting assistant must possess a graduation degree with commerce/accounting & finance or diploma in Accounting/finance from a technical institute with some practical experience. Those who have done internship/ training as a part of their studies are definitely preferred by reputed establishments.

Licensure Requirements – There are no laid down licensure requirements for the job of a waiter.
However, it vastly improves the future prospects if one obtains the certification as a Certified Public Accountants (CPA) after gaining some work experience in the field. For this, one must have a degree and has to pass the exams conducted by the Board of accountancy.

Accounting Assistant Skills:

Skills required for being an Accounting Assistant:
Only people having a flair for numbers and capacity for the repetitive type of work involved in accounts -keeping should enter this line of occupation.
To become an accounting assistant, the following skills/abilities are required:

  • Good communication & analytical skills
  • Flair with numbers and arithmetical abilities
  • Good knowledge of book-keeping and accounting practices
  • Knowledge of working on computers especially the spreadsheets & word processing software packages
  • Good interpersonal skills to successfully function as a member of the team in a team
  • Meticulous approach

Career Growth:

Accounting assistants get a good starting salary in the range of US $ 50,000 per annum. However, those with good qualifications & experience can easily get a job at an annual salary up to $ 80,000. One can secure a quantum jump in position and salary by acquiring additional professional qualifications in accounting and finance.

There is ample scope for speedy raises and promotions for efficient accounting assistants in any organization as there is a shortage of proficient accounting professionals in the market. With an increase in business & industrial establishments, the demand for experienced accounting professionals is growing.

Account Manager Job Description

Every firm has an accounting department to manage the accounts and to keep a record of money matters involved internally or externally in the organization. The accounting sector finds its use in almost all kinds of industries, organizations, banks or public offices. Needs to handle financial issues like salaries of employees, various payments made during the sale and purchase of materials in the firm, profit made by the company and other details are controlled by the accounting department. 

The accounting department is run by a group of eligible people known as account executives who deal with all the financial matters of the firm. These account executives are supervised by an accounts manager which looks up in the task of every individual working under him and is fully responsible for it.  This is a very challenging task to perform as the details of the company finances lie in the hands of the accounting department, headed by the account manager.

The accounting managers can be of different types like relational account managers, sales account managers, regional account managers, public relational account managers, etc. and they have different tasks to perform in a firm. For example, a relational account manager has the duty to form relations to feed to the firm’s treasures and to maintain old relations for sustaining the benefits been obtained from the customers.

The sales account manager finds his/her duty in the sale and purchase of products done by his/her company and manages finances. An advertising account manager handles the budget and the money spent on the promotion or advertisement of the company. The account manager maintains the client-firm relationship and adds to the benefits of the firm. The customer’s trust in the firm depends on the accounting department of the firm because it is related to the money matters, which are given importance by the people and the firm. The account managers play an important role in building the firm’s reputation in the corporate world. The account management done by these account managers is not an easy task and needs good qualifications or skills. 

Account Manager Qualification

Those seeking a career in the accounting department of any firm and want to become an account manager must have a degree in accounts, advertisement, media or banking services. The bachelor degree in commerce would work or master degree in commerce would be great to get the job. It takes time to get to the roots of the accounting job and therefore experienced people are preferred for this job. The fresher might get this job, but at a junior position as an account executive. As they get the full scenario of the field, they get promotions very easily and become an account manager.

Other than qualifications, some additional skills are required for this job, which an individual must possess in order to perform efficiently.

Skills required:

  • Management skills- An individual must posses account managing talent while working as an account manager in a firm. He or she has to manage the company financial records and budget details for which he or she should have some management skills.
  • Leadership qualities- An account manager has to lead a team of  at least 50 or 60 executives for this they must have leadership qualities
  • Good communication skills- The account manager working in the public relational department have to deal with customers for which they have to communicate well with the customers in order to please them
  • Good presence of mind- To handle treasures of a firm is not an easy task and involves taking great responsibility. So, the account managers must have a great presence of mind as accuracy is essential in this field.
  • Good numeric aptitude: He or she should be good at mathematics in order to do faster calculations accurately
  • Innovative ideology: He or she must be able to generate new and efficient ideas which can help in the promotion of their firm
  • Honesty- As dealing with money matters of a firm an account manager must be honest and must not indulge in any kind of fraud or cheating activities.
  • Analytical skills- There are times when an account manager has to take important decisions as quickly as possible. For this, he or she must have good analytical skills
  • Other training in the field of business management, accounting services or banking services would definitely add to the chances of becoming an account manager.

Career Growth

There are different types of accounting jobs and opportunities, varying with the type of the company and depending upon the nature of the company. Accounting managers are hired by the government sectors for account handling and financial management purposes. There are several vacancies in this field, as the position needs full care and responsibility.

More often the accounting managers are hired by the private sector companies like ad agencies, software, media-based and sales-related firms. The salaries of the account managers are usually very good, but it varies for a fresher and experienced person.

A fresher may get a lesser salary at the start as he or she gets a junior position, but salary gets better with time and he is at a good position of an account manager in no time.

Academic Advisor Job Description

The academic advisor gives information to the students about their careers. They tell them about the programs they can take based on the candidate’s academic qualifications. They help students with their career goals and help them in choosing a field that is good for them and aids them in building a bright career. They also interact with the parents of the students and share information with them about the career opportunities for their child. The academic advisor also provides information regarding the recruitment procedure and prepares guides which will help the student in choosing their field.

Academic Advisor Skills

  • General Skills Required
  • Excellent communication skills
  • Should be able to handle a large amount of crowd
  • The academic advisor needs to provide relevant information to the students and parents.
  • They must be capable to work in any environment.
  • They need to handle critical situations by offering an excellent solution.
  • Possess good Ability to work for hours constantly.
  • Should be Hardworking and honest.
  • Punctuality is required, so that work gets done on time.
  • Possess human resource skills to conduct tests and interview students.
  • Good in public relations.
  • Knowledge about different career options, so that they can guide students for their future.

Academic Advisor Qualification

Qualification:

An academic advisor requires bachelor’s degree in the field of counseling or they can have master’s degree in business and administration. They can also opt for diploma courses in counseling.

Licensure requirement:

  • They don’t require any license for their work.

Career Growth

Academic advisors plays very important role in student’s life ,they council them and help them in choosing good career .They can get jobs in schools and universities in the counseling department and they also  get a job in different companies who deals in counseling students.

Administrator Job Description

This article will provide vital information on the administrator job description. An Administrator is a person responsible for the smooth operation of day-to-day accounting, financial, human resources and administrative activities of any organization. His duties cover a wide range and encompass all areas of the organization. The smooth operation and success of an organization depend upon the expertise of the administrator. He is the one who upholds the vision and mission of the organization and ensures that the set goals and objectives are achieved.

Administrator Responsibilities:

  • Ensuring efficient and full utilization of all the resources of the organization.
  • Planning, organizing and controlling all sorts of activities taking place within or outside an organization.
  • Supervising the daily activities of the employees.
  • Maintaining a healthy working environment that aids increased productivity.
  • Ensuring acceptable quantity and quality of production.
  • Recruitment, selection, and training of fresh employees according to the company guidelines.
  • Communicating the company’s procedures and policies to the employees in very clear terms so that they understand their responsibilities and work in line with the expectations of the company.
  • Managing salaries distribution efficiently to have a satisfied workforce.
  • Continuous and regular evaluation of performance; giving rewards for excellence and pulling up in case of inefficiencies.
  • Collecting feedback from all the departments on a regular basis and welcome suggestions for improvement.
  • Ensuring the timely availability of all office supplies so that there are no stoppages or delays in work.
  • Making sure that proper records and data are maintained regarding the company’s activities, whether they are related to HR, finance, production or sales.
  • Managing and maintaining a healthy flow of communication throughout the organization.

Administrator Skills and Qualification:

Education/Training:

  • To handle the job of an administrator, the incumbent should be well educated.
  • Ideally, a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration is required.
  • Knowledge of financial statements’ preparation, office administration, and computers is very essential.
  • A long period of work experience in the fields of management and finance is needed before a person gets this important job.

Skills:

  • The job of an administrator calls for exceptional management, IT and budgeting skills.
  • His position involves long working hours so he should be in top-notch mental and physical health.
  • He must be a mature, sensitive, compassionate, flexible and ethical human being.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential.
  • He should have supervisory, decision making, team building, time and stress management abilities.

Career Growth:

  • Globally business and trade have achieved phenomenal heights on both geographic and monetary scales. To effectively manage these organizations, the services of Administrators are vital. So, job prospects for this field are very good.
  • A wide variety of fields are available to an administrator. You can become an Office Administrator, System administrator, Education Administrator, Medical Administrator or Network Administrator.
  • It is a position of great authority and responsibility and fetches handsome salaries.

Accountant Job Description

An Accountant is an individual who performs tasks related to accounting. These tasks may be handling financial records, taxes as well as creating financial reports for an individual or company with which he or she is associated. The exact work to be performed depends upon the specialization of an accountant as well as the size of the company. There work may include handling of payroll information, accounts receivable as well as payable along with maintaining information regarding the investment made by the company. Overall accountants are responsible for evaluating the financial health of a company.

In big organizations auditing is done by accountants. Generally, companies hire accounting firms from outside to perform their internal audits. Accountants have to study the tracking of income as well as assets by the organization over time. Apart from auditing, there are accountants who focus on the tax issues of firms. Such accountants are known as Tax Accountants. They have to perform all the activities that are related to the filing of tax returns along with planning for future tax obligations. In some organizations, accountants are also responsible for performing bookkeeping tasks also.

Accountant Responsibilities:

  • He have to prepare profit and loss statements, monthly closing as well as cost accounting reports.
  • In order to prepare entries into accounts, like general ledger accounts or even document business transactions, they have to compile and analyze financial information.
  • He has to deal with establishing, coordinating as well as maintaining the implementation of accounting and its control procedures.
  • He also has to review and analyze the expenditures and budget for local, state, federal or even private funding, contracts as well as grants.
  • Reviewing and monitoring of accounting as well as related system reports for accuracy and completeness is also done by accountants.
  • Prepare and review budget, revenue, payroll entries, expense, invoices, and other accounts related documents.
  • Analyze expenditure and revenue trends along with suggesting appropriate budget levels in order to ensure expenditure control.
  • Explanation of accounting policies and billing invoices to clients, vendors and staff is done by accountants.
  • Accounting incongruity is resolved by accountants.
  • Recommend as well as maintain computer software systems, monetary databases, and manual filing systems.
  • The company’s automated financial systems they have to supervise the input and handling of financial data.
  • In order to complete audits, he has to work together with internal as well as external auditors.

Accountant Qualification and Skills:

Qualification – Minimum qualification required to become an accountant is bachelor’s degree. Candidates are required to be from commerce background. Preference is given to candidates having master’s degree. Many companies’ offer internship program that provides on the job training to college graduates. This will help students to make a good start in there career as an accountant.

Licensure Requirements – Every state has a State Board of Accountancy which conducts a CPA exam. It is an exam to become Certified Public Accountant. Before sitting for this exam certain courses are required to be completed.

Skills required by these Accountants:

General Skills Required – Accountants are required to have good numerical competence. In order to interact with clients at all levels of business, they need to have good interpersonal skills. Often accountants have to work in a team so they need to be a team player. They also should have good reporting skills in order to prepare written as well as statistical reports. Problem-solving skills are very important in this career which will help in determining the best possible way to encounter various challenges. An accountant may be working on many projects simultaneously. In such cases, time management skills play a great role.

Career Growth:

There are many job prospects in the field of accounting. There are chances that you may not be offered high amount of salary in the beginning of your career. As soon as you start gaining experience there will be rapid increase in your salary. This career is very rewarding for those having the required talent. Generally management level accountants gradually shift to internal auditing for there career growth. With good experience in this field you can also become Chief Financial Officer of your company who is responsible to drive the business.

Public Accountant Job Description

The work of an accountant is mainly preparing and analyzing financial reports. They charge certain fees for this work they provide to the public. They usually work in the company which provides their work to the public for a certain amount of money. Accounting firms may be contacted by anyone who needs help with their tax returns or by corporations that need help setting up accounts. Some public accounting firms are usually based on and maintained by one or more partners. Others are large companies with offices in many cities. Some public accountants are self-employed. They too can be connected by the general public or by companies alike.

Public Accountant Job Description

The main responsibilities of a Certified Public Accountant are maintaining and auditing a company’s financial records. Bookkeeping, taxes, government audits, and financial planning are also a part of their jobs. It is the CPA who oversees budgets and financial management, and makes sure that the financial records and checks of the company are accurate and if all investments, expenditures, and revenues are noted without discrepancies.

CPAs provide general financial management assistance to businesses. They research and analyze the company’s financial reports. They also financially plan various methods to reduce the cost of the firm. CPAs have an ethical code and they provide ethical financial advice to their client so that the client could be benefitted from the advice.

Public Accountant Responsibilities:

According to the BLS, the job of a CPA may vary. Certified public accountants who specialize in tax services prepare taxes for companies and individuals and serve as consultants for businesses regarding decisions relating to tax benefits. Some advise companies about employee compensation and benefits packages.

Public Accountant Qualifications / Skills:

A person must have an accounting degree if he or she wants to become a public accountant. Those Interested in going in for this job must have advanced math courses in their high school courses and college courses. In college, they should follow an organized program of courses related to accounting. A master’s degree is not necessary but it is preferred by the accounting firms. It gives a person a chance to develop a special area of interest, such as law or tax accounting.

Account Executive Job Description

Every firm has an accounting department to manage the heavy accounts and to keep a record of money matters involved internally or externally in the organization. The account sector finds its use in almost all kinds of industries, organizations, banks or public offices. Huge financial issues like salaries of employees, various payments made during sale and purchase of materials in the firm, profit made by the company and other details are controlled by the accounting department.  The accounting department is run by a group of eligible people known as account executives which deals with all the money matters of the firm. This is very challenging task to perform as the details of the company finances lies in the hands of the accounting executives.

Accounting Executive Job Description

The accounting executives can be of different types like relational account executives, sales account executives, regional account executives, public relational account executive etc. and they have different tasks to perform in a firm. They all group together to form an account department. For example, a relational account executive has the duty to form relations to feed to the firm’s treasures and to maintain old relations for sustaining the benefits been obtained from the customers.

Sales account executive finds its duty in sale and purchase of products done by his/her company and manages finances. An advertising account executive handles the budget and the money spent in the promotion or advertisement of the company. Account executive maintains the client-firm relationship and adds to the benefits of the firm.

The customer’s trust in the firm depends on the accounting department of the firm because it is related to the money matters, which are taken very seriously by the people and by the firm. The account executives play an important role in building the firm’s reputation in the corporate world. The account management done by these account executives is not an easy task and needs good qualifications or skills which are discussed below. Account executive job description will provide you further information on skills, qualification and career growth in this profession.

Qualifications and Expertise Required

Qualifications Required:

Those seeking career in the account department of some firm and want to become an account executive must have a degree in accounts, psychology, advertisement, media or banking services. The bachelor degree in commerce would work or master degree in commerce would be great to get the job. It takes time to get to the roots of the accounting job and therefore experienced people are preferred for this job. The fresher might get this job but at a junior position but as they get the full scenario of the field, they get promotion very easily.

Other than qualifications some skills are required for this job which an individual must possess in order to perform efficiently

Skills Required:

  • Management skills: An individual must posses account managing talent while working as an account executive in a firm. He or she has to manage the company financial records and budget details for which he or she should have some management skills.
  • Good communication skills: The account executives working in the public relational department have to deal with customers for which they have to communicate well with the customers in order to please them
  • Good presence of mind: To handle treasures of a firm is not an easy task and involves taking great responsibility. So, the account executives must have a great presence of mind as accuracy is essential in this field.
  • Good numeric aptitude: He or she should be good at mathematics in order to do faster calculations accurately
  • Innovative ideology: He or she must be able to generate new and efficient ideas which can help in promotion of their firm
  • Honesty: As dealing with money matters of a firm an account executive must be honest and must not indulge in any kind of frauds or cheating activities.
  • Analytical skills: There are times when an account executive has to take important decisions as quickly as possible. For this he or she must have good analytical skills
  • Other trainings in the field of business management, accounting services or banking services would definitely add to the chances of becoming an account executive.

Career growth

There are different types of accounting jobs and opportunities varying with the type of the company and depending upon the nature of the company. The accounting executives are hired by the government sectors for account handling and financial management purposes. There are several vacancies in this field as the position needs full care and responsibility. More often the accounting executives are hired by the private sector companies like ad agencies, media-based firms or sales related firms.

The salaries of the account executives are usually very good, but it varies for a fresher and experienced person. A fresher may get a lesser salary at the start as he or she gets a junior position, but the salary gets better with time and he is at a good position in no time.

Account Coordinator Job Description

An account coordinator is a professional found in the advertising and marketing industries. Working as part of a larger team the coordinator does both administrative and creative support work for the project manager and makes sure the campaign is executed in a perfect manner. This account coordinator job description would help you to understand the requirements for getting into there field of work.

Account coordinators perform tasks including composing client memos, audiovisual presentations and maintaining contact databases.
They manage one or more accounts, an account coordinator is required to participate in its creative success by demonstrating problem-solving abilities.

Account Coordinator Qualifications and Skills

Required Education:

Bachelor’s degree and 6-12 experience, internship or relevant experience is required for Account coordinator designation.

Other qualifications:

  • Knowledge of current affairs;
  • Excellent written and oral skills;
  • Capability to reach deadlines, work independently as well as a team
  • Computer knowledge
  • Promote positive social change.

Required Skills:

  • Good communication skills
  • Interpersonal skills
  • Organizational skills
  • Time management skills.
  • Creative skills
  • Computer skills.
  • Good problem solving skills.
  •  Presentation skills.
  • Handle pressure.

How Much Does an Account Coordinator Make?

The salary is nearly $63,120. That is more than 50% of Account Coordinators earn in $46,579 and $82,091.More experience fetches them more salaries and reputation

Free Infographic Resume Template Download

How to Search for a Job? A Complete Job Search Guide

Here’s a secret for you: job hunting is hard and it can create a lot of stress even when you are doing it the “right” way.  Yes, there is such a thing as going about job searching the “wrong” way, so use this guide to help you achieve all of the targets you’re aiming for.  You may even find that it wins you your dream profession and you can find it with half the stress that you would have had by searching on your own.

A guide to job searching

            Here are the most important details to know about jog hunting, resume writing, interviewing and beyond to help you earn that dream job you’ve been waiting for.

  • Update all of your social media platforms: Before you start applying or even looking, take the time to properly update your social media platforms, especially those that you are looking to include in your professional applications.  Make sure all of your information is up to date and you’ve taken the time to clean up your profiles.
  • Build a resume: The next step is to carefully create a resume — in the format that best works for you — and make sure it’s ready to go when you start applying.  You can do it yourself manually, but the best way to make use of your time and energy is to use a resume builder such as ResumeKraft.com.  This designed to be a “plug and play” option that will help you get that professional aesthetic that you’re looking for in your resume, with none of the stress of having to build it yourself.

Create your professional resume for free using our resume builder!

  • Learn how to write a killer cover letter: Once your resume is done, you’ll want to focus your attention on creating a killer cover letter.  These cover letters should be focused on the application itself, so don’t be surprised if you have to create a new one from scratch each and every time.  This is not a bad thing.  In fact, it’s a good thing and the recruiter will notice it (in a good way).
  • Put together a portfolio of work (if applicable): If you are applying for jobs that are focused on portfolios and samples, you’ll want to pull together the right pieces to create the strongest possible portfolio you can.  These samples can be switched out for new ones as needed.  The portfolio should also be put online, even if it’s just privately, so that recruiters can easily access it with a link. 
  • Have references at the ready: While resumes don’t traditionally include references any more, you should make sure that you’ve got a diverse list of people available and willing to be references should you be asked for it later in the job application process.  Make sure all contact information is current.
  • Get browsing online: Now you’re officially ready to start job hunting.  While looking in the papers and in-store windows is still practical, you will want to sign up for online job boards and make sure that you are getting all listings near you that are within your industry or field of experience.

The job application process

            Here are some tips and details to keep in mind when it comes to the job application process itself to help make it as fruitful as possible, no matter where you’re applying.

  • Submit per the application specifications: If an ad asks you to apply through an online job application, don’t bring in a package in person.  Likewise, if they ask to you to apply via email, don’t show up in person.  Or vice versa.  If they ask for a section on job skills, make sure you include it.  If they ask specifically for no cover letter, don’t include one. Follow the specifications in method of application as well as sending any and all requested documents.  It seems obvious, but you’d be surprised how many people still ignore this.
  • Take the interview(s) seriously: Whether it’s a phone-based interview, a video interview or an in-person interview, all of them should be taken seriously.  Dress the part, do your research and make sure that you have a copy of your application, resume and portfolio with you so that you can communicate with them about your application itself if they have questions or concerns.
  • Send a follow-up email: After any and all interviews (regardless of how you feel they went), make sure to send a follow-up email thanking the recruiter for their time and consideration.  Ir goes a long way to distinguishing yourself as a professional and it can be a huge plus when they are considering several neck-to-neck applicants.

The hiring process

            There are also a few details you’ll want to consider when you are in the hiring process and you are looking at the potential in front of you. 

  • Know your worth: When you are in the negotiation process, make sure you understand what you’re worth.  You can use salary calculators online to help you use your data (experience, education, level of expertise, location, etc) to give you an idea of what your annual salary is and then use that as a bargaining chip if the recruiters are low-balling you.
  • Consider your options: If you’ve got a couple of companies that are trying to hire you, don’t go with the one that offers you the most perks or the best salary.  Take a moment to consider all of your options so that you can make a true, informed decision on what job is going to be the most satisfying long-term.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is in the Job Search Guide?

The Job Search Guide includes information on how to conduct a job search, including how to use job search engines and job boards, how to network, how to write resumes and cover letters, and how to prepare for interviews.

2. What are the different sections of the Job Search Guide?

The Job Search Guide is divided into four sections:
1) How to Conduct a Job Search
2) How to Use Job Search Engines and Job Boards
3) How to Network
4) How to Write Resumes and Cover Letters

3. What are some tips for using the Job Search Guide?

Here are some tips for using the Job Search Guide:
1) Use the search engines and job boards section to learn how to use these tools effectively.
2) Use the networking section to learn how to connect with people who can help you find a job.
3) Use the resumes and cover letters section to learn how to create documents that will help you get the attention of employers.
4) Use the interviews section to learn how to prepare for and ace your interviews.

4. How can the Job Search Guide help me find a job?

The Job Search Guide can help you find a job by providing you with information on how to conduct a job search, how to use job search engines and job boards, how to network, how to write resumes and cover letters, and how to prepare for interviews.

5. What are some common mistakes people make when using the Job Search Guide?

Some common mistakes people make when using the Job Search Guide include not using the search engines and job boards effectively, not networking, not creating strong resumes and cover letters, and not preparing for interviews.

6. How can I make the most of the Job Search Guide?

To make the most of the Job Search Guide, use the search engines and job boards section to learn how to use these tools effectively, use the networking section to learn how to connect with people who can help you find a job, use the resumes and cover letters section to learn how to create documents that will help you get the attention of employers, and use the interviews section to learn how to prepare for and ace your interviews.

7. How often is the Job Search Guide updated?

The Job Search Guide is updated quarterly.

8. Why is the Job Search Guide useful?

The Job Search Guide is useful because it provides information on how to conduct a job search, how to use job search engines and job boards, how to network, how to write resumes and cover letters, and how to prepare for interviews.

9. Why should I use the Job Search Guide?

You should use the Job Search Guide because it can help you find a job by providing you with information on how to conduct a job search, how to use job search engines and job boards, how to network, how to write resumes and cover letters, and how to prepare for interviews.

Conclusion

            The process of job hunting, applying for, interviewing at and securing the position itself can take a lot of work and time, but when you have the right guide to help you, it doesn’t need to feel like a totally insurmountable task.  There are many people in the same boat as you that are all looking for work.  Use these tips and tools to help you climb ahead of the competition and win yourself the job that you deserve the right way.