Provisional Accounting Blog

Your team is about to start work on a big accounting project that will require all hands on deck. If successful, this venture can open new doors for your company, so it needs to go off without any major hitches.

No doubt about it, your team is incredibly talented. However, you’re a bit worried they might not be fully equipped to handle the additional workload. Luckily, there’s a very easy solution — take on a staffing partner.

Accounting employment agencies provide you with talented professionals on your terms. Find out what you have to gain by adding temporary workers to your project team.

Five Reasons to Use Contract Employees for Your Accounting Project

Get Specialized Talent

If there’s an element of the project that requires a skill your core team doesn’t have — or hasn’t perfected — a contractor can step in and complete the task. It’s a total win-win situation, as this will allow you to deliver a final product of the highest quality, without any obligation to keep the person onboard after their part has been completed.

Meet Deadlines

It’s not a good look to miss deadlines, but unexpected delays and a lack of manpower can make this inevitable. When the going gets rough, contractors can really get you out of a jam. An influx of extra assistance can allow you to seriously speed things up, without sacrificing quality, allowing you to keep — or even beat — client deadlines.

Cut Costs

Rushing to meet project deadlines often results in staffers having to work overtime. If you have non-exempt employees on the team, this will seriously increase your payroll expenses. Hiring temporary staffers can save a ton of money, because they’ll step in when the overtime clock starts running.

Increase Morale

Most employees don’t mind working extra hours sometimes, but it gets old fast. Burnout happens when people don’t get enough time outside the office to relax and recharge. If you add contractors into the mix, this is a non-issue, because more people on staff means everyone can enjoy a healthy workload.

Try Before You Buy

Hiring new employees is a very big decision. In most cases, you’ll meet someone once or twice in a job interview before extending an offer. Contract employees come with the unique ability to see them in action with your team, before making a hiring decision. Consequently, this can also be a great option even if you’re looking to fill positions on a permanent basis.

Want to find talented contract employees for your next accounting project? Join forces with Provisional Accounting. Get in touch today to connect with top professionals ready to get to work!

When looking for new accounting jobs in Seattle, salary isn’t your only consideration, but it’s definitely important. You want a fulfilling job that also allows you to live comfortably, so you need to have a solid idea of the average salaries associated with accounting industry positions.

Conducting this research prior to starting your job search is a wise move, so you know what to focus on. After all, it would be very disappointing to set your sites on a certain type of job, only to learn during the search process that you won’t be able to earn the salary needed to maintain your current standard of living.

Here’s a look at the average salaries of several common accounting jobs, according to May 2017 Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Financial Managers

Key company leaders, financial managers create financial reports, steer investment activities, and devise strategies to help the company meet its long-term financial goals. Some of the job titles associated with this line of work include controller, treasurer, financial officer, credit manager, cash manager, risk manager, and insurance manager. Financial managers earn an average of $125,080 per year, while operations specialties managers command an average annual salary of $115,700 (source).

Accountants and Auditors

Essential to every organization, accountants and auditors create and maintain financial records, such as tax documents and account books. They also help companies find ways to cut costs and boost profits. Job titles may include public accountant, management accountant, government accountant, internal auditor, external auditor, and information technology auditor. Financial specialists earn an average of $70,120 per year, while accountants and auditors receive an average annual salary of $69,350.

Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Clerks

The backbone of a company, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks prepare financial records. Job duties typically involve recording financial transactions, maintaining statements, and reviewing fiscal records. Professionals who perform this type of work typically have the job title of bookkeeping clerk or accounting clerk. The average salary for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks is $39,240 per year, while financial clerks earn an average annual salary of $36,520 (source).

Thinking about looking for a new accounting job in the Seattle area? Team up with Provisional Accounting to find the right temporary/contract, contract-to-hire, or direct-hire opportunity for your needs. Get in touch today to start your search!

Like most employers and accounting recruiting agencies, you require candidates to submit a resume and cover letter when applying for open positions at your company. When written properly, this is a fantastic way to learn more about the person and their fit for your team.

The only problem is, many people don’t get the cover letter right. Instead of providing new information that complements their resume, they simply restate it or offer up something generic. If you’re not exactly sure what constitutes a great cover letter, here are a few tips to help you spot one.

Four Key Elements to Look for in a Cover Letter

Personalized Address

A standard letter is always addressed to the recipient by name, so a cover letter shouldn’t be any different. This is easy if your name is listed on the job posting, but chances are, it isn’t. Give extra points to those who take the time to conduct a search to find the person behind the posting — i.e., you.

Emotional Connection

There’s a lot of accounting openings to choose from, but you want to hire someone with their sites set on this particular job at your company. Therefore, the cover letter should always include a couple sentences explaining what attracted them to the job and why they think they’re a great fit. Employees with a true passion for the work tend to stay on staff much longer than those just chasing a paycheck.

Action Items

You want to hire someone willing to roll their sleeves up and get to work. Prior to applying, the best candidates conduct plenty of research on your company to learn as much as possible about it. As naturally ambitious people, they want to make an impact, so they’ll highlight an issue or two currently faced by your business and explain how they could fix it. This is the kind of motivated professional who will truly make your team better.

Proven Results

Talk is cheap, so you need a candidate who can put their money where their mouth is. Accomplished people are more than willing to share their achievements, so look for numbers and statistics that back up these statements. This helps legitimize their skills and put them into context.

Finding the right person for the job isn’t easy, so allow Provisional Accounting to steer your search. Contact us today to connect with top accounting and finance talent eager to fill your temporary/contact, contract-to-hire, and direct-hire positions.

Navigating a job search is notoriously time-consuming, but it can also be expensive. The old saying ‘You have to spend money to make money’ often rings true when looking for work.

As one of the top Seattle accounting temp agencies, Provisional Accounting understands the strain a job search can place on your finances, but many people don’t realize the federal government offers relief. Even if you’re not hired, you might be able to deduct some of your job search expenses from your federal income tax return, as long as you meet a few requirements.

To qualify for a tax deduction, you need to be looking for work in your current field, must not have had a notable break since your last job, and cannot be a first-time job seeker. Expenses reimbursed by an employer or third party are also not eligible.

Three Tax Deductible Job Search Expenses

Assuming you meet the above criteria, job search expenses that fall into these three categories can be reported on Schedule A of your 1040 tax return as miscellaneous expenses. You’re able to claim the costs that total more than two percent of your adjusted gross income.

Resume Costs

The expenses associated with preparing your resume are tax deductible, which can come in handy if you have yours written by a professional. If any employers request a hard copy, you’re also able to write off the cost of mailing your resume.

Travel Expenses

Looking for a new job in a different city or state can add up fast, but thankfully, you’re able to deduct these costs. Expenditures like transportation, meals, and hotel accommodations fall into this category, if the main purpose of the trip is your job search. However, you might still be able to deduct some expenses even if your job hunt wasn’t the main reason for the trip.

Placement Agencies

In most cases, employers pay the fees for a staffing agency. However, if you decide to work with a firm that charges job seekers, you’ll be able to write this expense off.

Need a little help finding your dream job in Seattle? Provisional Accounting is here to assist. Contact us today to access temporary/contract, contract-to-hire, and direct-hire openings with some of the area’s top employers.