Doug Schade – Principal Consultant, New York Accounting and Finance Permanent Division

Strong demand exists for accounting and finance talent.  Real demand means that it is time for those with advanced credentials (CPA or MBA) or key posts to reevaluate and negotiate the terms of their employment.  Reevaluating and potentially negotiating your employment means determining what you have now and where you want to go in the future.

The first step is for potential jobseekers is to map-out the next 10 years of their career and ask what type of position best sets them up for the future. Specifically, what skills will give you a competitive advantage well into the future? Next, determine whether your current employer can get you where you want to be.

Employees should do their homework on the competitiveness of their current position. The easiest way to do this is to speak with a recruiter you trust, as we are in a good position to compare your company to the broader market. Next, define what it is, if anything, you are seeking to change. Is it higher compensation, title, the type of work or more time off? If you can change it internally, be prepared to show your boss the tangible results of your work product and why what you are seeking is justified.

After this evaluation period, potential job candidates need to determine whether to negotiate with their present employer or seek an accounting and finance job elsewhere.  Any negotiations with an employee’s current company should always be done prior to looking outside. While some may seek to use a job offer as leverage, this is not the preferred approach for a variety of reasons:

• Time and Effort: There is real time and expense that goes into a job hunt. Why waste one’s vacation days and positive standing with their current employer if they can get what they want just by asking? • Real Change: Consider what happens if you accept a counter-offer. Does this change what you sought as a job seeker?  Can the company and your position actually change? If so, does that make a difference? • Future Focused: What does one’s future look like with that organization? Will they have to force their employer’s hand the next time they seek additional benefits? What happens next time an employer has to make tough decisions about layoffs; are they at a higher risk? Even the little things tend to change. For example, is a routine request for a day off challenged with increased suspicion?

Job seekers who wish to test the open market should be selective in their searches and realistic about their demands. Long-term goals shouldn’t be compromised for short-term gains. Use your map-out of the next 10 years to identify this type of position that will give you a competitive advantage in the future.

Doug Schade is a Principal Consultant in Winter Wyman’s New York Accounting and Finance Permanent Jobs division. Doug blogs to provide strategic job search advice for candidates as they make their next career move. To learn more about Doug and the permanent finance and accounting jobs he is working on visit www.winterwyman.com. Winter, Wyman is one of the largest and most recognized staffing firms in the Northeast, currently serving clients in the New England and metropolitan New York job markets with additional technology contracting capabilities nationwide.