Dear Abby

DEAR ABBY: I’m overwhelmed by the job search process and don’t know where to start. How do I stop overthinking and make progress?

Job seekers who suffer from OVER ANALYSIS PARALYSIS…. THIS one is for YOU! Whether you’ve been at your company for 10+ years and are mentally grasping the idea of making a transition OR you just overthink every decision and move in your life – below are a few scenarios that I’ve walked through multiple times to help you!!

Tips for Overcoming Job Search Paralysis

1. Trust the process, even if it feels “too easy”

Just because an interview process feels too smooth or easy, doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Human nature often feels that in order for something to be worth it, you need to work for it, that it needs to be hard. REMEMBER – you’ve done the hard! You’ve done the sleepless nights to meet a deadline, missed important events, taken the extra courses to prepare you for this role and to set you up for success! It is OK if a process is “easy”!

2. The first offer could be the right offer

You don’t always need to interview at 10+ places to be able to actually know it’s right (sometimes you will, but it isn’t a must)! I always say – if:

a) Comp is in line;

b) You like the people you will be working with;

c) You like the company and function of the position… Then you can’t go wrong!

There will always be other opportunities out there that you will be passing on whether you interview at 1 or 15 companies. Make sure it is a good fit and dive in!

3. Leaving doesn’t need to be a dramatic event

When looking to leave, it feels like a huge cataclysmic event needs to occur to push you over the edge to look – management finally ticked you off enough, you worked way too many late nights and can’t take it anymore, your team is the worst, you got overlooked for a promotion…again, company didn’t make payroll – fill in the blank!

This doesn’t always need to be the case. Two things can be true:

1. You can work for an amazing company AND
2. It still can be time for you to transition to your next opportunity.

You can be grateful for the time you had and for what you learned to set you up for your next opportunity to continue to grow your career and make the leap!

Take the Leap: Embrace Your Career Growth

Don’t allow your fear of leaving override your desire to grow. If you’ve outgrown where you are currently, release the warmth of the comfortable to allow you to seize the opportunity to flourish and grow!! Where have you gotten hung up in making a decision about a job offer??

Reach out to Prospex Recruiting to help you navigate your search and help with the occasionally overwhelming decision-making process of making a job transition!! Head to our website to learn more about Prospex Recruiting and the services we offer.

HIRING MANAGERS: You are the ultimate decider on if an offer is extended, but you don’t hold all the cards—especially in a quick-moving candidate market! You need to impress the candidate as much as they need to impress you.

*See the original LinkedIn post here.

Top Tips for Hiring Managers

💥 Ensure Good Communication Throughout the Process
Clear and consistent communication is key to keeping candidates engaged.

💥 Be Present in Interviews
Pay attention during interviews. Put your email away, put your phone down, and show respect for their time.

💥 Encourage Genuine Dialogue
Create space for a conversation that flows naturally while still guiding it to gather the insights you need.

💥 Address Delays Promptly
If there’s a delay in the process, let the candidates know. Communication (worth the double mention) is crucial to making candidates feel valued and engaged!

💥 Streamline the Interview Process
Don’t overdo it with too many interviews. Have just enough to feel confident about extending an offer, but remember that excessive interviews can make candidates lose interest.

Why the Interview Process Matters

Candidates view the interview process as a reflection of how they will be treated as employees. They are evaluating you just as much as you are evaluating them. Hiring managers should be intentional and put their best foot forward throughout the process.

Share Your Insights

🌞 What is your best hiring tip?
🌞 What have you appreciated during an interview process from a candidate perspective?

Need Help? Prospex Recruiting Can Guide You

Feel free to reach out to our Prospex Recruiting team to refine your interview process or navigate one you’re currently managing. Head to our website to learn more about Prospex Recruiting and the services we provide.

CANDIDATES: You’ve applied for multiple jobs and finally get an interview… NOW WHAT?!

PREPARE. (This deserves all-caps energy).

*See the original LinkedIn post here.

Goals of an Interview

🧐 The goal of an interview: to see if this company is a good fit for you and to see if you are a good fit for the company and opportunity. The role needs to mesh on both sides. In order to have the MOST EFFECTIVE interview to assess this – do an effective prep!

Do Your Homework

🍂 At a minimum – KNOW WHAT THE COMPANY DOES! If you are spending half of your interview time going over what a basic Google search could tell you – you’re wasting everyone’s time.

🍂 Make sure you have good questions to ask about BOTH the company as well as the position. You are interviewing them as much as they are you!

🍂 Know what you are looking for in a position. Be intentional with your search! “If you don’t know where you’re going, any road will take you there.”

Prepare with Intention

🍂 Do a quick LinkedIn search on who you are interviewing with. Knowing their background can help you ask certain questions AND if you are looking for a mentor, this can be a huge selling point!

🍂 I usually don’t recommend asking about PTO, work/life balance flexibility, etc., in the first round. Use your questions about the role, company, and culture to decide if the opportunity is right, and then make sure that the balance is in line. If it gets brought up too soon, Hiring Managers can get turned off.

Be Genuine

🍂 Be genuine! If you are going to be working with these people for 8+ hours a day, make sure that you can vibe with them!

Contact Prospex Recruiting Today!

I can go on and on about effective prep! If you are interviewing, reach out to anyone on our Prospex Recruiting team to help you have a productive interview process! Head to our website to learn more about Prospex Recruiting and the services we offer.

What do you do to prep before an interview??

DEAR ABBY: I’m getting ready to offer a candidate and I don’t feel like they have quite enough experience for what they’re asking, but I want to allow them to get to the comp they need quickly. What’s the best way to structure this?

I get this – especially at the low-to-mid level candidate that has a little experience but you want to make sure they can do what they say they can do before rolling out the red carpet. Prospex Recruiting is here to share our expert advice on this tricky question.

How to Structure a Conditional Offer

Do I always recommend coming in lower than candidate expectations and having a “prove yourself” period? No. But I get that there is a time and a place where this structure makes sense.

If you are going to structure an offer this way, I have found it to be the most successful when the conditions detailed in the offer letter are:

💫MEASURABLE, OBJECTIVE, and OBTAINABLE💫

When candidates know what is expected of them and feel confident they can perform, they are more willing to prove themselves in this type of arrangement.

The time frame also needs to be short enough for the candidate to justify removing themselves from consideration for other roles.

Example of a Conditional Offer Structure

Let’s say a candidate is looking for $100K, and you want to offer $95K with a 3-month review. The review would allow for a $5K increase if they:

1. Have three consecutive successful month-end closes within six days.
2. Assist in the completion of the billing software implementation.
3. Reduce AR Aging by 10%.

Navigating Risks and Rewards

Structuring it this way doesn’t always work. If it’s an in-demand role, even if candidates will accept initially and even if they are relatively happy, they could get recruited away very easily by someone that is willing to pay market value day 1. But can it work? Of course. Especially if the opportunity being offered hits other tangibles and intangibles that the candidate is looking for!

Partner with Prospex Recruiting

I always encourage candidates to go for the right overall opportunity and, if the path to get where they want to be is there, they’ll achieve their goals faster by going to the opportunities that they are most excited about.

Reach out to our Prospex Recruiting team if you are a hiring manager and want to walk through this OR if you are a candidate and want to walk through an offer to see if it is fair based on the market! Head to our website to learn more about Prospex Recruiting and the services we offer.

DEAR ABBY: When is the best time to exit public accounting (audit track)?? Prospex Recruiting is here to offer expert guidance to help you tackle this challenging question with confidence.

I get asked this almost on a weekly basis – when should I leave public accounting?? My answer to this – as it is to a lot is… It Depends.

The 3-6 Year Mark: Prime Opportunity for Career Growth

If you want to go the public accounting -> assistant controller -> controller route, the most opportune time is the 3-6 year mark. You’ve had enough time to see more than just Cash, had the chance to senior/manage some jobs, and have good exposure and technical foundation. Usually, you can maximize your base upon exit at this time.

Technical Accounting Route: A Longer Tenure Pays Off

If you want to go more the technical accounting route (revenue, technical accounting, financial reporting), you can still do the 3-6 mark, but more experience in public is beneficial to really have a strong technical foundation. The best time is more in the 6-9 year mark (give or take). This tenure can even exit to a Controller level too.

Exiting After 11+ Years: Alternative Paths Still Abound

If you’ve started on the partner track and after 11+ years decide that’s not right for you, there are still ample opportunities! I’ve placed many of these professionals in director roles, technical accounting roles, pre/post IPO roles, etc.

Share Your Experience

What have you seen as you’ve made your move?? I’d love to talk through any of these points more in-depth and would love to hear your experience!! Reach out to me or any of our Prospex Recruiting team!

Head to our website to learn more about Prospex Recruiting and the services we offer.