Third-Quarter Hiring Forecast: Plenty of Unfilled Staff Positions for Accountants

According to the Brilliant Q3 2014 Hiring Forecast, businesses in accounting, finance and information technology (IT) have a significant increase in unfilled staff positions. The document states that companies are poised to hire, but are "adopting a more conservative approach toward recovery planning due to recent economic instability and slow pace of gains."

Sixty-five percent of respondents reported that they have unfilled accounting, finance and IT positions, up 7 percent from the second quarter and 14 percent from Q3 2013. The forecast factored in responses from 181 human resources professionals and hiring managers int he accounting, finance and IT professions in a variety of industries.

"Companies in industry are actively hiring for accounting professionals, but they are being more selective because they believe supply outweighs demand," Brilliant founder and CEO Jim Wong said. "The large public accounting firms, however, are fully aware that this assumption is inaccurate for accounting and finance professionals."

What Are the Best and Worst Words to Use in a Résumé?

In an economic climate slanted toward employers, many hiring managers spend as little as 30 seconds reviewing résumés. So how can a prospective employee ensure his or her package gets a second look?

Word choice is a big part of it. Harris Poll surveyed 2,201 hiring managers and human resource professionals on behalf of CareerBuilder in late 2013 and compiled the best and worst words to use on your résumé.

“Hiring managers prefer strong action words that define specific experience, skills and accomplishments,” CareerBuilder Vice President of Human Resources Rosemary Haefnersaid. “Subjective terms and clichés are seen as negative because they don’t convey real information. For instance, don’t say you are ‘results-driven’ — show the employer your actual results.”

 

Here are the 15 best and worst résumé words:

 

 

How to Sit Less at Work

It’s no surprise that the sedentary office lifestyle is bad for your health. While the “economy class blood clot” for long flights appears to be a myth (despite what your mother told you), the simple act of getting up and walking around is good for you.

Fast Company has a useful list of 10 ways to ensure you get off your rear end and walk around. So use some of these tips. It’s for your own good.

1. Get a step counter like a Fitbit or Jawbone Up.
2. Set an alarm to get up and walk around.
3. Stay hydrated — it’s healthy on its own, and you’ll have to go to the bathroom more. Win-win!
4. Eat somewhere other than your desk — and walk there!
5. Take a walking meeting instead of sitting at a table.
6. Alternately, schedule a standing meeting. It’s not exercise, but at least you’re not sitting down.
7. Pace while you’re on the phone, unless you need to sit to take notes. (Some of us do this naturally anyway.)
8. Get a standing desk (or, better, a treadmill desk, although they’re not cheap).
9. Visit your colleagues face-to-face instead of firing off an email. This can help lower the risk of misinterpretation, too.
10. Use that office gym, if you’ve got one! Even just a 30-minute walk on the treadmill can burn calories without getting you too sweaty.

Do you have any other tips? Leave them in the comments!

What Type of Procrastinator Are You?

Lifehacker has a useful flowchart from Dr. Joseph Ferrari of DePaul University, who has identified some basic types of procrastinators and identified solutions for each type.

Ferrari lists three procrastination archetypes:

• Thrill Seekers, who say they do their best work under pressure and are "probably fooling themselves"
• Solution: Complete a task ahead of time and "experience the thrill of finishing early"
• Avoiders, who seek to avoid blame and potential judgment on their strengths and weaknesses
• Solution: Keep a daily journal to help you challenge your thoughts
• Indecisives, who are paralyzed by the potential consequences of decisions, both positive and negative
• Solution: Keep the big picture in mind and move on once you've achieved your main goal.

It's a useful piece, and you'll likely recognize some of your own traits. (Your humble blogger, for example, is a classic Avoider.) Here's the infographic: