By Lois Liverman, Director, Employment & Business Centre
Earlier this year, Stats Canada published Canadian job creation figures reporting a slightly optimistic job market forecast. At that time, there seemed to be a glimmer of hope in the United States as well. If you have watched even 3 minutes of CNN in the past few months, you can’t miss posturing politicians who never miss the opportunity to deny that a significant rise in jobs has anything to do with Obama’s plan. Whether the improvements have to do with economics, job creation efforts or a rebounding market, it is safe to say we are better economically on both sides of the border than we were a couple of years ago.
Fast forward to spring 2012. The US employment news is not quite so optimistic. Hiring seems to be occurring in several sectors, including IT and engineering, but there is an average of 500 applicants for each job in the US! Most of the applicants being considered are young university graduates. Good news for graduates, terrible news for all those who lost their jobs.
There is no doubt that the Canadian job market is in better shape than the US. However, Canadian business is so closely linked to the United States that we are still facing an upward climb for those trying to find a decent job, while Canadian companies who conduct business in the US examine their bottom line.
We should be happy to be Canadian. Montrealers have healthy IT, health and social service, service industry and R and D sectors. There are jobs, and many more than there were 2 years ago.
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Obtaining a job in the accounting field uluasly requires an associate or bachelor degree in accounting or related field. One may have a better chance of meeting job qualifications with a CPA certificate. In order to acquire a job in the financial industry depends on the type of position. For example, if you are trying to gain employment as a financial advisor, you most likely will need some type of business degree and the firm that is hiring provides in-house training. However, if you are trying to become a financial analyst, a finance related education will likely be a requirement. As you move through your career, you may want to consider earning a master’s of accounting or master’s of finance to earn promotions or move to a better position. Certifications are also a great way to heighten your potential. These include, but are not limited to: Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Information Systems Auditor, Certified Internal Auditor, Certified Management Accountant, Certified Public Accountant, Enrolled Agent, Certified Government Financial Managers. Some entry to mid-level accounting jobs and salary include: Staff Accountant $36,297 (25th percentile)Staff Accountants prepare balance sheets, profit and loss statements, and other financial reports. Their responsibilities also include analyzing trends, costs, revenues, financial commitments, and obligations incurred to predict future revenues and expenses. They report on their organization’s finances to management, and offer suggestions about how to use resources, tax strategies, and help create budget forecasts.Tax Accountant $40,528 (25th percentile)Tax Accountants maintain tax records and prepare tax returns, related schedules, and related reports. They prepare paperwork for local, state, and federal level returns, and may deal with tax agencies on behalf of their clients.Mortgage Quality Assurance Auditor $42,627 (25th percentile)Mortgage QA Auditors ensure that mortgage loans procedures are being met according to their company’s guidelines and policies. They must be familiar with the standard concepts, practices, and procedures within the mortgage industry.Auditing Supervisor $46,405 (25th percentile)Auditing Supervisors oversee the auditing of accounting and financial data within the various departments in an organization. They Inspect and audit the operations and finances of the organization and report any evidence of fraud.Banking Commercial Loan Processing Manager $48,305 (25th percentile)Banking Commercial Loan Processing Managers manage all facets of commercial banking and business loan processing including loan origination, processing, and closing. They must be familiar with a variety of the standard concepts, practices, and procedures within the banking industry.Note: Salary data listed above includes the salaries in the 25th percentile, factored from throughout the United States, for a range of Accounting careers, according to figures available from salary.com.If you are able to earn a degree, you should not have too much of a problem finding a job as the demand for trained accountants is expected to keep growing over the coming years. Best of luck to you.