In Search of a Payroll Manager

Accountable for the accurate and timely processing of over $11 M in pay transactions. Responsible for accurate reporting and transmitting of deductions and other payments to state & federal agencies and third party vendors. Responsible for managing the payroll system that will ensure payroll to be accurate, on time, and documented. Responsible for ensuring that all payroll reporting complies with federal, state and company regulations/policies. Responsible for scheduling and managing the year-end tax process and the interface with Benefits, Compensation, HRIS and Finance. The issuance of W-2’s and filing the federal and state reports that are associated with employer’s payroll taxes are also the responsibility of the Payroll Manager. Responsible for coordinating with the Payroll Accountant on Payroll and Benefit account reconciliations.

Requirements: strong experience with PeopleSoft HRMS payroll system. Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration or a closely related field. Certified Payroll Professional (CCP) preferred. Five (5) years professional work experience in the following areas: payroll accounting, automated ERP payroll processing, payroll and payroll deduction reporting and payroll account analysis, required. (PeopleSoft HRM-preferred)

Be Yourself On Interviews

Interviews are stressful and scary. Will they like you? Will you wear the right thing, say the right thing, or just get the whole thing right?

When I speak to my clients about why they did not get a job they wanted, they tell me they were nervous. They could do the job and do it well, but the interviewer didn't see it. Or, them. If this is happening to you, and companies aren't seeing the real you, it's because you are not showing it to them.

It's important to be yourself on interviews. If you pretend to be someone else, or employers do not see the real you, you may (or may not) get the job, but it won't be too long before you are looking for another one.

So, How Can You Be Yourself? Follow These 4 Steps Below.


1.Let Go of Fear
If you are more concerned with getting it right, then you will end up getting it wrong. Interviews are a two way street. Employers see if they like you and you see if you like them. If you just want to be "selected" for the job, then you don't get to shine. Let go of what could happen wrong and focus on what on could go right. You are perfect for the job. You know it in your gut. So go in there and show them what you got. It's OK to be afraid; you just don't want that fear to get in the way.


2.Prepare, Over-Prepare, and Then Let It Go
It's important to prepare for an interview. You want to know about the company, what they do, and what you can do to help them reach their goals. But at some point, preparation stops and you take over. Think about a time you had a challenging situation at work. You thought about the solution and came up with a way to tackle the problem. But at some point, you had to let that all go, and "you" took over. That's when you were the most effective. You can't plan for everything, so don't. Trust that you will do great on your interview, and you will be able to handle whatever unexpected challenge comes your way. Your reward for trusting yourself, and being yourself, is a successful interviewing experience.


3.Be Helpful
Everyone wants to be seen as someone who can do a job well. But if the interview is only about you, and you are only concerned about you, the interviewer will be wondering about them. Take the focus off yourself and instead put your energies on the person you are talking to. Find out about them; what they want and what's important to them. Sometimes when I debrief a client after an interview, I ask what the interviewer struggled with the most. Most don't know. When you go into helpful mode, you forget about yourself, and your concentration shifts to the other person. This is when the real you comes out.


4.Ask Questions
Interviews are a give and take. You are asked questions and then you ask questions in return. Answers to your questions help you feel better. And, they take the edge off. Most people are afraid of the unknown. Although you may want the job on paper, the company, its policies, and the people who work there are unknown to you. Questions help you get answers that put you at ease. And when you are calmer, the real you can come out.

So, what do you say? You only have one life to live, so it might as well be a life you love!

- Deborah Brown-Volkman

From www.net-temps.com

Looking for a challenge?

Have a heads down, get the work done attitude? This family oriented organization is seeking a qualified billing specialist to assist with their ever growing department. Must be very detailed oriented as position will require you to manipulate through a multi step process. Must be able to juggle multiple tasks, be extremely deadline driven, and have a keen sense for working with numbers. In this role, you will input work orders, calculate usage, process bills, print and mail statements.

#1 Problem with All Resumes, Job Searches, and Interviews

Imagine sitting in a lobby waiting for an interview. You look around and all those waiting are as professional and qualified as you…

- Graduates from top schools.

- Possess years of experience in your field.

- Have achieved impressive triumphs in their careers.

In other words, they are ALL highly QUALIFIED. Again, highly QUALIFIED!! What will you say during this interview that is special and more compelling in order to outdistance others? What is your USP (unique selling point) and what does that translate to so it’s a benefit for your new employer?

Standout from the Crowd of Experts

The number 1 strategy job seekers neglect is the selling of their UVP (unique value proposition) over other qualified candidates. Your competition is not the under-performer with an unpolished resume and poor communication skills! (Wouldn’t that be easy?)

Your competitor is smart, hired a professional resume writer, is articulate, and accomplished. So, you, must introspect, dig deep, and develop a enthralling marketing plan that persuades from resume, to online brand, to interview, and through follow-up by seducing your employer with the promise of success through a differentiating value you, and only you, can offer.

You must examine your career performance, find those special ways in which you deliver results–own them and promote them! Because to win in this challenged job market, you must sell a unique value proposition/a brand/a differentiating value.

Deep-dive Analysis

So how do you go about this? Take out your pen and paper or better yet, open your MS Word program and answer the following questions:

1. Why would an employer hire me over others who are qualified?

You are not allowed to answer this question with education, years of experience, or industry knowledge. Sorry! Yes. These are important and you must leverage them but these are qualifiers. Remember, your competition is qualified—we are looking to nudge your employer over the fence by dangling a gem.

2. What is my unique value and how will this impact my future employer?

When others speak of you, what do they say? What have you been consistently recognized for? How have you delivered in areas that no one else could?

3. What guarantee can I make to my future employer?

It is not enough you have discovered your brand or USP/UVP—you must market it and convince the employer to switch/buy what you are selling.


4. What in my past can I use to substantiate my personal brand or unique value proposition?

Convincing is done with examples, stories, and references. You must prove it.

5. Is this message delivered consistently and persuasively across all my self-marketing efforts?

These materials include your resume, cover letter, interview performance, online social profiles, and self publishing content. The more consistent you are in the promotion of your image across all materials/communications—the more believable you will be—the more trust you will gain—the more you will convince.

The game has gotten tougher folks! The same way in which you make purchasing decisions (you want to get the best for the money)—employers want to hire the best for the salary and they desire to not make a mistake in hiring you.

Present and position yourself over the competition, dominate, close the deal by reassuring you are unique and not only are you qualified, but you will deliver above the rest!

-Rosa Elizabeth Vargas
From www.careerealism.com

Bilingual Inspections Coordinator-Temp to Hire

Large International Oil and Gas Firm located on the West side of Houston is looking to add staff to their Technical Services Department.

Job Summary: Analysis and audit of placed purchase orders in terms of quality assurance. This includes the review of the purchase order requirements such as technical standards, quote requirements, manufacturer and company standards. Coordinate field technical inspection of purchased equipment. Approve invoices submitted for field inspection services. Coordinate and negotiate resolution of technical claims with client and vendors.

Candidate should have 3 plus years inspection or quality assurance experience. Engineering degree or experience preferred.

How to Avoid Laundry List Resumes

The process of writing a resume can be very tedious. There are often so many jobs and responsibilities to include that many people find themselves wanting to create the simplest one possible just to avoid the grunt work.

But while creating a resume that resembles a laundry list of previous jobs and duties can be tempting, it is strongly discouraged. This is because it only offers prospective employers a vague sense of what you’ve accomplished and how you can benefit their company. So how can you avoid creating this type of resume? Here are a few ideas …

Refrain from Using Duty-Oriented Phrases

One practice that commonly leads people toward creating the laundry list resume is the use of duty-oriented phrases. Some of these phrases might include "responsible for" or "duties included." In your resume it is important that you give the prospective employer an understanding of what you’ve accomplished in the past, but by using duty-oriented phrases you only offer what you should/could have accomplished.

To avoid this issue, you can use more descriptive action words like assisted, collaborated, designed, launched, marketed, guided, edited, researched, and composed. Using these words helps to illustrate an accurate picture of your accomplishments; something the prospective employer needs to see in order to determine how qualified you are for the job.

Go Into More Depth – Focus on Your Achievements

Another great way to sidestep the laundry list resume is by taking time to focus more specifically on your achievements at previous jobs. This means not just mentioning that you were "responsible for organizing several marketing campaigns." This type of description doesn’t tell the employer anything specific about your accomplishments. So instead, try going into more depth about those campaigns.

For example, you can say that you "developed and executed three marketing campaigns that included branding pharmaceutical products, creating ads, and coordinating a 15-member staff to participate in corporate trade shows over a 12-month period." This description offers specific details about your achievement and helps the prospective employer understand exactly how you can be an asset to their company.

Remember That You’re Marketing Yourself

It’s always a good idea to remember that your resume has a purpose, which is to market your skills in an effort to acquire a specific job. So if you had to put yourself in the shoes of the prospective employer, what would you want them to know about you? What might appeal to their interests and make them want to learn more?

You want to let this employer know that you are not just eager to acquire the job, but that you would truly be an asset to the company. Set aside some time to think about how you are qualified for the job. Then carefully illustrate them with your words so that your passion for the position is clearly recognized.

By veering away from the laundry list resume and digging deeper to focus on specific accomplishments, you can better market your skills and abilities. So take your time, think about how you can benefit the company you want to work for, and write a resume that will help you land the job of your dreams.

- Heather Eagar

From www.net-temps.com

Logistics Freight Payment Coordinator-Contract

Coordinator position: This position will manage our reconciliation process with logistics carriers, 3rd party freight pay provider, and field locations. Responsibilities include:
-Arranging and attending bi-weekly calls with top 25 carriers and freight pay provider,
-Obtaining carrier statements with comments and ensuring freight pay provider updates with the reject codes (managing spreadsheets)
-Coordinating with the field locations to obtain corrections causing non-payment
-Assigning and recording action items on calls, ensuring actions are taken
- Tracking progress and effectiveness of calls
- Notifying financial approvers of pending actions via weekly spreadsheets
- Prepare weekly updates to discuss progress with Logistics Freight Pay Manager

Specific Skills Requirements: Accounts payable supervisory skills required. Logistics background is a plus, but not required. Excel spreadsheet proficiency (v-look ups, etc). Strong organization and communication skills.