Courtney Stillwagon- Audit Staff

We all know that when the time to interview arrives, everything suddenly becomes really chaotic as you try to prepare for the interview and continue doing everything else in your life. Especially if you are a college student preparing to interview for the first time, there are so many things to remember to “check-off the list” before the interview date arrives; but, while you are busy going over your strengths and weaknesses in your head, don’t forget to address the little things that will most definitely make a big difference.

o Have your appropriate interview attire ready. Don’t wait until the day before. When was the last time you wore your suit and does it need to be dry-cleaned?

o Have extra copies of your resume printed and ready to take with you. Be prepared to talk about your resume and specific examples of things you have learned and/or accomplished.

o Don’t have gum anywhere near what you’re taking to the interview to avoid accidentally chewing it as you walk into the interview.

o Be sure to get a good night of sleep the night before. Make a point to schedule an early bedtime.

o Plan to arrive early and leave your cell phone in the car.

o Consciously think about making good eye-contact during your interview to express your interest in what the interviewer is saying to you, but don’t enter into an eye-staring contest with your interviewer.

o Avoid controversial topics and talking badly about past employers, colleagues, peers, professors, etc. The interview is about you and your strengths!

For more helpful tips to help you be prepared for an interview, visit: http://www.quintcareers.com/jobinterviewchecklist.html

Mike Morris - Systems Principal

The interview process is changing - the days of mailing your resume a few dozen places, waiting for the call for an interview, then impressing someone enough to obtain a job offer are over. Employers are now adding additional elements to the interview process. The shrinking workforce to choose from and the high cost of recruiting are causing employers to take measures to make sure their potential new hires will stick around.

An increasing number of companies are using behavior, personality and skill assessments in their hiring process to help secure employees that will fit with the company. The cost of replacing an employee is much more than the cost of assessing potential hires. This is attractive to companies because they can use the assessments to hire employees that will fit with the company and decrease turnover.

If you find yourself interviewing for a job and they want you to take an assessment of some sort, here are some tips to help you through the process.

• Plan accordingly - find out ahead of time how long the assessment is expected to take and know where you’ll be taking it.
• Take it seriously - your attitude and cooperation will tell a lot about you. Show up on time and dress professionally.
• Prepare ahead of time - familiarize yourself with some of the more common assessments, some of which allow you to take practice tests.

For more on this topic, read the article “Beyond the Job Interview: Personality and Skills Assessments” from ResumeEdge.com.

Chris Bowler - Systems Manager

The easiest question you’ll be asked in an interview with a potential employer will be, “Do you have any questions for me?” Always say yes! This will show them that you are interested in the job and allow you the chance to show how knowledgeable you are about the position and the industry.

Choose your questions carefully depending on who is doing the interviewing. A question that is appropriate for a future coworker may be inappropriate to ask an executive. An article by Erin Hovanec on Yahoo! HotJobs shares questions suitable for every type of interviewer you will encounter.

The Recruiter - The “Big Picture” person

• How would you describe the company culture?
• What types of employees tend to excel at this company?
• Can you tell me more about the interview process?

The Hiring Manager - Your future boss

• What are the most important skills for the job?
• How would you describe your ideal candidate?
• What’s a common career path at the company for someone in this role?

The Executive - The industry expert

• How do you think this industry will change in the next five years?
• What do you think gives this company an edge over its competitors?
• What’s the company’s biggest challenge? How is it planning to meet that challenge?

The Coworker - The “Straight-Talker”

• What’s a typical day like in the department?
• How would you describe the work environment at the company?
• What’s the most enjoyable part of your job? What’s the most challenging part?

There is however some questions you should never ask too early on in the interview process - no matter whom you are meeting with. Don’t ask about salary, 401(k), vacation or anything else that may make you seem that you are more interested in the compensation than the company.

Read the entire article, “It’s Your Turn: What to Ask an Interviewer.”

Dorian Bafas - Audit Staff

You may be at the point in your life where you’re either finishing college and starting the job hunt, or well into your career and looking for a change - either way persistence pays off when you’re looking to land that job!

Following up with every potential employer is crucial when you are looking to be hired. Some may be fearful that being to persistent could cost you the job, but in at least two recent instances cited by career experts, those who did not persist would be the ones with the lost opportunity.

Vicky Oliver, author of 301 Smart Answers To Tough Interview Questions states, “I actually think it’s a good thing if one or two people complain that you’re too tenacious, because it actually shows you’re doing a good job of searching for a job.” Oliver suggests that you use the phone, not just e-mail. She also suggests recording the time of day you make the call. This way if you have trouble reaching them at a certain time you will know to try another time of day.

For more tips, view the article When Following Up, Persistence Pays.

Nick Head - Audit Staff

The time has come, you’ve sent out the resumes and calls for interviews are coming in. The interviewing process for a job can be pretty intimidating, especially for recent graduates with little to no experience with an interview setting. Finding a way to set yourself apart from other candidates is essential in your future success.

There will always be others with more experience, better grades, better references — you name it. The key part of the interview is to show the employer what sets you apart from the others and a great way to do this is through passion and attitude.

You may be asking, “How can you convey passion in the interview?” This can be shown through your enthusiasm for the job. Giving examples of how past behaviors of how your passion has had positive impacts in your work and life are excellent as well.

Your attitude is something else that recruiters will remember after all the interviews they have had. So many companies these days have their full share of “multitalented superstars” who typically care about no one but themselves. Showing a positive and “can do” attitude is very attractive to employers because they are looking for employees that will not only work hard, but will have the best interests of the company in mind as well.

At PKM these two qualities are valued very highly, especially in our teamwork setting. Someone who is willing to put forth the effort to succeed will shine in any interview setting! For more interview tips visit CollegeGrad.com’s Competitive Interview Prep website.

Laura Snyder - Director of Marketing

Most experts agree that more than 90% of communications is non-verbal. While WHAT you say is obviously very important, HOW you say it is much more powerful. Misunderstandings often occur as a result of inappropriate and/or misinterpreted non-verbal cues. It is vital to understand the role non-verbal communication plays, both in knowing what others are really thinking, and what your own cues tell them about you. Non-verbal signals tell you what others think and feel. If you do not take into account non-verbal language, then you ignore over 90% of what they are saying.

Things to keep in mind: - Facial expression: the face can tell you whether someone is happy, surprised, sad, angry, afraid or disgusted. While they may try to hide these emotions with words, they are “leaked” through the face.

• Eye contact: the eyes communicate intimacy, interest and threat. To show someone you are interested in what they are telling you, be sure to maintain eye contact.

• Gesture: involuntary gestures such as touching the face, scratching, gripping the hands together, or putting the hands near the mouth often indicate intense emotions such as depression, elation or anxiety.

• Posture: posture conveys emotion, social relationship and social status.

• Touch: touch can be a valuable means of reassurance and of demonstrating understanding.

• Proximity: humans are highly territorial and have four spatial proximity zones: intimate, personal, social and public.

If you keep these things in mind, you will better understand others and be sure that you aren’t sending the wrong signals, particularly durning the interview process.

Debbie Sessions - Chief Operating Officer

If you are a graduating college senior or master’s degree student, you’ve likely participated in several job interviews in preparation for the launch of your new career in public accounting. You took the time to prepare. You looked and acted professionally during your interviews. But, now that the interviews are over, what one simple thing can you do to increase your chances that the job offers come rolling in? Follow-up!

In the article “The Art of Following up with Hiring Managers” on accountingnet.com, it says that 82% of employers surveyed expect job candidates to follow up. Following up with your prospective employer after the job interview will give you an edge over the competition and could make the difference in a tight race. This process, while quick and easy, speaks volumes. An email or phone message shows your excitement and enthusiasm and demonstrates to your future employer the fact that you know how to take initiative and can get the job done.

Sonny MacArthur - Audit Principal

Fall is here and with it comes the anticipation of career fairs and job interviews. To help you prepare for these important events, I thought I’d pass along some obvious, yet often ignored, resume and interview advice.

The Resume Don’t just spell check your resume, audit it! Look at it, or better yet, have someone else look at it to prevent costly errors. There is nothing worse than reading the resume of a qualified candidate and finding a typo or grammatical error. Yes, everyone makes mistakes, but on a resume is not the time or place, particularly if you are applying for a job where a numerical typo can have a financial impact!

The Interview There are many ways to mess up an interview, but keeping a few things in mind can make a big difference. First, DO NOT BE LATE! Getting caught in traffic is not an excuse. Traffic accidents are a fact of life in big cities, so plan for them. Plan to arrive early and utilize any extra time to review company information, prepare questions you plan to ask and rehearse your interview responses.

Second, know a little bit about the company and the position you are seeking. Even if you know everything there is to know about the company, be prepared to ask questions. While you might think that knowing a lot about the company might appear to be a thorough knowledge, the prospective employer might perceive it as a lack of interest if you don’t ask a question or two.

Third, keep the attitude in check. While confidence is good, arrogance is not! There is a fine line between being knowledgeable and confident and being disrespectful and arrogant. Show your confidence with strong eye contact and a strong handshake.

Finally, it is often said that you should dress for the job you want, not the job you have. This is a very true statement. In the field of public accounting, it is important to wear a nice suit, conservative shirt, tie and shoes, even if your prospective employer’s office is dressed business casual.

For more information on how to prepare for a job interview visit The Wall Street Journal Executive Career Site and review its list of interview questions.