Over 200 Resumes for an Accounting Assistant position at my company, here's what happened (interviewed, degree)

[mclarlm]

If it weren't for the fact that the hiring manager seems to agree, I'd say OP is screening too aggressively. Back in mid-2008, we often had to bypass HR and review resumes ourselves because they would seek out buzzwords like "SAP", "Oracle" and "ERP". Well the software is easy enough to teach, and not one of our priorities.

The account assistant description sounds like a File Clerk + light Accounts Payable position. Have you tried temp agencies instead of permanent placement? It's not a position that I'd be worried about turnover cost. Took chances with MBAs/CPAs and it was mutually beneficial for a few months at a time. When they found something else, the rest of the staff would pick up the work for a while until a new person came in.

It's a okay job for a recent grad in accounting unable to land a 1st year staff accountant position. Eventually picked up a bright student and turned the position permanent. 10 months later, she moved from accounts payable into a staff accountant position at the company. The accounts payable position paid $17.5/hour in southern California.

[highlife2]

What I don't understand is how companies expect to offer low pay and then are paranoid about high turn over, if your going to offer low pay then you need to expect high turn over that's part of doing business. Businesses are trying to have their cake and eat it too and its going to bite them in the rear.

Instead of just taking their gains on an employers market they are becoming hogs and hogs get slaughtered.

[jasper12]

I think they are much like my last boss, hire someone who will work hard, but not too smart. They hate people smarter and more motivated then themselves.

[Currency Pair Crocodile]

Originally Posted by TexasGuy22

The OP and the OP's hiring manager are completely out of touch with reality. This is an ENTRY LEVEL position, of course you are going to get people with unrelated experience. The key is to figure out if they have important skills that will transfer.

Would have been nice if the scary tale in the OP were true

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler

Of the remaining 100 applicants, about 50 were recent college graduates in Accounting or Finance who had not found a job, and thought that working in the Accounting Assistant job would get them into the business. Considering the average College Graduate in Accounting should expect to be paid about $50K, we determined they were over qualified also.

This makes absolutely no sense; in fact, it's just mind boggling that this is the human resources thought process at your firm!

[MissShona]

Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler

Business is about relationships!

I think what people forget is that the success of many managers is their ability to interact well with their employees. I know for a fact that I, as a manager, do alot better in my job if I feel a sense of comfort and fit with the people I work with.

This is ridiculous! A 'rock-star' manager can deal with all types of people. Do not blame this on the candidates...this is a management problem!

[ReturningWest]

Anyone realize that the OP was from '09 by weekend traveler no less

[11thHour]

Originally Posted by ReturningWest

Anyone realize that the OP was from '09 by weekend traveler no less

Is there some story behind 'weekend traveler' that we are to know?

[ReturningWest]

Originally Posted by 11thHour

Is there some story behind 'weekend traveler' that we are to know?

Yes, WT was a troll who was banned several years ago.

[tripleh]

Originally Posted by jasper12

Interesting. My Mom has an MBA, and would have KILLED for that job. She is 60, was laid off 2 years ago, and is now working as an usher. So, in order for her to get an interview, she needs to dumb down her resume...okay, she could do that, rather than put her last position as Financial Operations Manager, she should just put...Accountant? Accounting clerk? I suppose she was one...it is sad...my Mom is smart, she developed accounting software, when computers used punch cards. She took classes on software development, forensic accounting, and she is motivated to work...and too depressed now to even bother. She is a perfectionist, and worked long hours...she loved working...and now she shows people where to sit at a concert....

I hear stories like this a lot. The names change, but the stories are pretty constant.

Your mom is smart. She developed on computers when there were punch cards. Great, she has history.

Has she kept her skills up to date? Odds are I'm going to say no.

Hear it so many times from friends that they can't find work. I ask, "So what have you done lately to update your skillset and make yourself more marketable"? The response is nothing--all they do is watch TV. I'm busy as hell in my job and when I'm off I study like all hell to learn even more, and now I'm even trying to learn another foreign language on the side. Apply yourself, not apply yourself to your TV.

No one cares that you were a WFWG pro, or a Novell pro, or a punchcard pro, or you knew all the shortcuts in WordStar 16, or whatever. Times change. Change with them or get left in the dust. There are plenty of resources on the Internet for this (like that college that recorded classes to post on the net years ago). Get skills that are in use today and are growing. Be prepared for things to change again in x # of years and you got to learn even more skills because no one uses Vmware anymore in 2020 (for instance).

I know to people that have only done 1 job for years and years (I keep thinking of the textile stuff, as I'm in the south) and having to learn a new skillset for a new job seems, I don't know what the word I'm looking for it.... crazy, to them? I'm sorry, its not 1950 anymore.