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How to Land Your Dream Job in Industry
In our podcasts and webinars, we often talk about Mike Manalac and his journey from the Big 4 to Tech. So we were excited when we saw this article in Big 4 Transparency where Mike describes the process to make the switch.
So if you're thinking about leaving public accounting for industry, Mike Manalac, CPA (aka Mike From Accounting) has this to say.
Know What you want
You probably have 3 things in mind:
1. A pay bump
2. Work-life balance
3. Exciting work
Most people settle for two out of three. If you want all three, you're approaching dream job territory where the competition is stiff. These tips will help you get an edge on landing that role.
Define the Competition
The toughest competition will be CPA’s that have a combo of Big 4 on the public accounting side and Fortune 500 on the industry side.
Level set your expectations and bring your best. If you’re playing the long game, you can keep this in mind in planning your career path and making yourself the most attractive candidate.
Find your competitive advantage
If you want to work for an unconventional company, you must be an unconventional accountant.
To get an edge, break the stereotype.
There are tons of accountants who lack creativity, are socially awkward, and are boring introverts etc. Those are not the ones landing the dream jobs.
Whichever stereotypical traits DO NOT describe you, lean in. That's your competitive advantage.
During my interviews with Nike, the interviewer touched on needing a self-starter and someone who likes to learn new skills. I mentioned how I taught myself how to play guitar, piano and drums and we spent the rest of the interview talking about music.
They booked me a ticket to Portland for an on-site later that day.
Get Noticed
Spruce up your LinkedIn profile and send personalized connection requests to finance recruiters working at ALL the companies you want to work for.
Sharpen your one-page resume with one-liner impact statements. Make sure your impact is quantified, and each line starts with a verb.
Be different. Instead of my resume saying I was an expert in excel like everyone else, I simply had a bullet that said “Excel =IfError(Index(Match,Vlookup,SumIfs),0)/Pivot”. I had interviewers at Facebook, Salesforce and Amazon mention that bullet specifically.
Be Unforgettable
When the recruiter accepts your LinkedIn connection, message them to express your interest in an open role. If you do it right, they'll ask for a resume and then a phone screen.
When you chat, answer the “Tell me about yourself” question with the goal of being not only impressive, but unique. Notice the emphasis on the need to stand out?
In the last few minutes, hit them with your sizzle reel. A well-prepared run down of your career’s greatest hits, leave them wanting more.
Don’t end with “hope to hear from you”, tell them you can’t wait to continue the conversation next time. Send the message that this conversation is not over.
If you play your cards right, you'll then be scheduled to meet with the decision makers, a milestone that few applicants reach.
Put your game face on, bring your best self and go land your dream job. You got this!
A huge thank you to Dominic from Big 4 Transparency and Mike from Accounting for generously allowing us to republish this article.
Giles Pearson | After 18 years as a partner with a large public accounting firm, Giles founded Accountests to help those recruiting accountants make better hiring decision
