With competition for good jobs at an all-time high, candidates who conduct their job search as a sales campaign consistently win out over those who don't. When job seekers practice the skills of sales experts they learn to apply the strategies of a sales presentation to their job interviews. To get to the top of the candidate list, you'll need these three essential sales skills: Pre-interview preparation Finding and using the interviewer's "Hot Buttons" Closing on the next step of the interview process 1.

Could your future boss be perusing your profile? Twenty-two percent of hiring managers said they use social networking sites to research job candidates, up from 11 percent in 2006, according to a nationwide survey of more than 3,100 employers from CareerBuilder.com. An additional 9 percent said they don't currently use social networking sites to screen potential employees, but plan to start.Of those hiring managers who have screened job candidates via social networking profiles, one-third (34 percent) reported they found content that caused them to dismiss the candidate from consideration.

Hiring in accounting and finance is expected to increase in the final months of 2008, according to executives interviewed for the most recent Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index. Ten percent of chief financial officers (CFOs) surveyed said they plan to expand the size of their teams in the fourth quarter, while 5 percent anticipate personnel reductions. The net 5 percent increase is up five points from the third-quarter projection.The Robert Half International Financial Hiring Index is based on telephone interviews with more than 1,400 CFOs across the United States.

In recent years several acronyms - SOX, XBRL, IFRS - have served to make the work lives of accountants more complicated, but what happens when the economy becomes the key driver of complexity?

With the current shortage of accounting graduates, successful recruiting may require a new combination of benefits. The cream of the crop has grown accustomed to offers of a healthy starting salary, retirement plan and signing bonus. But more and more, today’s young people want to hitch their wagons to employers who are good corporate citizens. That's why some firms are expanding their benefit packages to include volunteer programs. According to the U.S. Labor Department, 60 million Americans volunteer each year.

Job candidates accustomed to preparing for one-on-one interviews with staff and managers may soon find themselves confronted with the "panel interview," especially when the hiring firm is looking for people who work well in a group setting. The group interview is the ultimate stress test and some prospects get no warning before they have to interview with several individuals at the same time, The Wall Street Journal reports, so job seekers should get ready for this type of interview as part of their search preparation.

*** Please find the audio file at the bottom of this article ***If your last job search occurred prior to 2001, you may be in for a rude awakening. You might be surprised to find that your old resume, which worked well for you before, is no longer attracting employers, headhunters and corporate recruiters. If you wondered, “What am I doing wrong?” it might not be you—it’s probably your resume.There are three reasons your old resume may not be working for you:

Today's accounting and finance professionals are used to having a lot on their plates, but a new survey shows that growing to-do lists could be taking their toll. More than one in three (35 percent) chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed cited heavy workloads as the number-one workplace concern for their financial teams.

Standing out at work is important. But add a struggling economy with everyone spending more and getting less and suddenly standing out at your workplace becomes essential. Are you just another face at the office or someone who is likely to be tapped for the next promotion? Do you have an accurate picture of how you are regarded?AccountingWEB has researched ways to shine so you can spotlight your talents and polish your presence in the office. In no particular order, here are our top five recommendations:Be Your Own Advocate.