Bean counters hot to trot

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TAKING ACCOUNT

Accountants are the new "hotties'' of the hiring world.
Recruitment and HR firm Hudson surveyed 1774 bosses around Australia about hiring intentions and found 34.4 per cent planned larger accounting and finance teams by the end of the financial year.

According to Hudson, increased demand for accounting and finance staff coupled with a shortage of candidates meant 67 per cent of those surveyed were using contractors to cope with increased workloads.

Scott Stacey of Hudson said demand for accounting and finance staff had been strong since the lead-up to the ``Y2K bug'' of 2000.

Finance trends driving hiring since then have included the need for companies to comply with the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation and new International Financial Reporting Standards.

A greater focus on corporate governance in the wake of a number of corporate collapses, including Enron, have further driven demand.

"However, current hiring plans are being driven by strong business performance . . . 63.6 per cent of managers said business growth was the key reason for hiring more finance staff,'' Stacey said.

Need was strongest for chartered accountants or CPA qualified management and financial accountants with three to five years experience.

He predicted demand for finance professionals would only continue and urged companies to look at a wider talent pool, including top-notch candidates after flexible work options, such as women trying to balance work and family commitments.

Mature-aged candidates looking for part-time work were also another good option, he said.

ADD EXPERIENCE
Aspiring accountants can find work experience and holiday jobs while still studying.
The Institute of Chartered Accountants has designed its youth website www.flyhigher.com to connect employers with students. Career nights and events are also listed on the site. A cadetship night will be held on June 15.

By Kate Southam, Editor of careerone.com.au

For more useful tips read the other stories in the Job hunting advice section as well as Ask Kate Archives , Kate's Blog and Kate's Resource Library.