Tips to be An Efficient Purchasing Agent

Purchasing agents are expected to buy products, supplies, materials and make procurement of services at the lowest possible price, simultaneously maintaining a high level of quality. Procuring agents must be skilled in evaluating current market conditions as they have direct relationship between supply and demand for services and products. 

Factors that are to be considered during the process include assessing reliability, quality, availability and most importantly price. 

·     Conduct research on the Internet to understand the industry

·    Understand the work procedure that requires to meet suppliers and negotiate price with best quality possible

·     Evaluate your skills and abilities to check whether you have aptitude as a purchasing agent

·     Should be able to analyze technical data and to perform financial analyses

·     Review your level of marketing and leadership skills and business proficiency 

The following are some helpful tips on how to become an efficient purchasing agent.

1.   Improve your vendor relationships 

2.   Develop a scorecard for keeping track of vendors’ quality, delivery, overall service and pricing

3.   Obtaining the right information to get  the right vendor costs

4.   Use technology to drive yourself ahead of your competition

5.   Design an incentive program which profits the individual and the company

Working Conditions

Most purchasing agents jobs offer to work in comfortable offices. In US they generally work more than the standard 40-hour week due to conferences, production deadlines and special sales.

Buyers and merchandise managers generally have to work under great pressure. Hence, they require high physical stamina to compete with the fast paced nature of work in retail and wholesale sector.

Purchasing jobs demands to travel at least several days a month. A purchaser of export companies may also have to travel oversees such as buyers of high fashion.

A purchase manager needs to be organized, good with numbers and detail oriented. You need to meticulously research every major purchasing decision. It is all about learning business through on the job training and your earlier qualifications and proficiencies. The goal of a purchasing agent is to find suppliers and to negotiate the best price without sacrificing quality for those goods and services required by their organization.

Difference between a Senior Accountant & Accounting Manager

Accounting Manager Jobs range across firms and tend to change based on the shifts in market and technology. This rapidly results in high differentiation in the types of accounting positions available within companies. It therefore makes it easy for accountants to find a particular niche.

Accounting Manager

An accounting manager inclines to work for a non-accounting business. This means a firm keeps an accountant in-house to manage company financial practices. The manager does not move around from client to client and focuses on the business and its continuous financial condition. An account manager job requires an in-depth knowledge of business needs and management of the accounting system that the business uses each day. This is a middle management position requiring expertise in supervisory, accounting and administrative functions.

Senior Accountant

A senior accountant specializes in offering accounting services to other companies. He rarely works for a single business. He moves between many different clients offering similar services. This senior position is attained after years of experience in this field and may also be accompanied by a partnership in the firm. He may have expertise in a specialty for instance a certain type of taxation or auditing regulations.

Direct Reports

The presence of direct reports is one of the key differences between the two positions. Unless some sort of training program is included, the senior manager doesn’t have to undertake task for supervision of other employees. So he rarely has direct reports. On the other hand for an account manager direct reports are usually recorded for management of the accounting department.

Scope

For senior accountants only the clients and the regulations change while the scope stays narrow, bound in the same types of financial data and financial concerns. Accounting manager enjoys a broad scope as his job contains not only financial practices but also software management, ethical considerations, accuracy of data and security.

In accounting field, focus of the job makes one position different from the other. However, while comparing a senior accountant and account manager positions both the scope and location of the job are of important considerations.

Medical Worker Jobs and other Careers that Help Give Back

If you feel that the only way you will be able to gain some job satisfaction is by opting for a career that helps make a difference in your immediate or indirect environment, there are a number of options waiting for you. Unlike conventional belief that jobs which give back are low paying or honorary, there are a surprisingly large number of lucrative option to choose from.

1. Careers that Demand Social Interactions

Medical worker jobs, social worker jobs and other such careers essentially focus on offering assistance and help to various segments within the society. You may choose to work as a medical social worker or a counselor in various settings such as rehabilitation centers, old age homes, schools, welfare offices and even career centers. Social workers are typically in charge of acting as advocates for victims facing life challenges. Counselors help individuals deal with difficult situations.

2. Working for the Environment

Besides working as a social or medical worker, careers involving the environment also offer some highly lucrative opportunities. Here, you can take up jobs that involve protecting our planet’s environmental resources for a sustainable future. Consider studying to become environmental engineers, conservationists, environmental scientists or environmental health specialists. Job opportunities exist with the government, park services and even in the private sector.

3. Getting Involved with the Community

Opting for a career that involves working with institutions serving your local community is also a great way to give back. Working as a member of the fire fighting force, police force, emergency dispatcher teams or emergency response teams enables you to functionally contribute to maintaining a safe and secure community. You may also work with a team that is responsible to respond to natural disasters. Other options in this segment include working with local charities and fund raising projects as event coordinator, PR expert, and recruiter.

Besides these, other satisfying and rewarding careers include volunteering to provide meal delivery and health services to senior citizens and the disabled; other medical careers; working for the public services to help communities by developing relevant laws and regulations and working as campaign managers and strategists to make an impact nationally.

Key Reasons to be a Medical Billing Specialist

A medical billing specialist is one who works with a healthcare business and is in charge of the company’s billing. They are vital members of the team and need to be accurate as they are likely to be in charge of entry, billing, collections and claims processing.

The insurance companies continually update their claims processing procedures to meet the increasing medical needs of aging baby boomers. This consequently fuels the job explosion for medical billing jobs. Moreover this occupation has numerous advantages for one to consider the field:

1. Start a Business with Low Overhead

Specialists can establish their businesses with lower overheads as they require only a reliable medical billing software program, a computer and a list of potential clients.

2. Providing Service to Health Providers

Medical billing and coding professionals ensure that health care providers are paid appropriately for their services. They also serve as patient advocates in settling accounts and helping them to decipher the complexities surrounding insurance claims. Thus they help both the patient and the professionals optimize the insurance benefit.

3. Be in Demand

The medical billing experts offer indispensable expertise recognized by the health care facilities. In this regard, those with skills in this area remain in demand in clinics, health insurance companies, medical offices and hospitals.

4. Explore Freelance Opportunities

Independent medical billing consultants also have the choice to take up freelance projects. For instance there might be working mothers who would want to cut back on work in the summer when their children are out of school. Freelancing therefore provides the flexibility to choose when to work and when to take a break.

5. Work from Home

Health care providers are increasingly choosing to outsource their medical coding workload. This trend provides the opportunity to build thriving, at-home businesses for fully trained specialists.

A medical billing specialist job is a high growth and demanding job. As per the American Medical Association, currently there are over 1.2 million Medical Specialists for billing in the United States.. For individuals knowledgeable in medical office operations, there is tremendous demand in the medical industry.

Skills Needed as a Budget Analyst

A budget analyst needs to work on complex processes and requires skills in analysis, software, economics and mathematics. Extensive knowledge regarding the creation and application of budgets is needed to succeed at this position.

One needs to understand policy and legislation that will affect the allocation of resources to the organization when working for the government or corporations. He has to display the ability to look at many parts of an organization as a whole. Additionally, he should be capable to help increase efficiency and productivity within the various parts so that the entire organization performs better.

Education

One should display strong and extensive skills in accounting, mathematics and business. A bachelor's degree in accounting, finance, or a related field will help in development of these skills. Few organizations prefer to have a master's degree for a budget analyst job. Courses in a bachelor's degree program focus on learning the skills needed to be technically proficient at analyzing budgets.

On-the-job Training

Apart from education, one can learn many of the skills through on-the-job training. This mainly involves using analysis software and gaining an understanding of the legislation which affects the organization that one is working for. One also gains knowledge about intricacies of a specific organization on-the-job. This basically includes understanding the organization of the departments, ways in which pay raises, how they affect the overall budget and the specific budgets of each department.

Cost Analysis Skill

It is important for a budgeting analyst to have skills in cost analysis as well. This is because they have to look at the budgets of each department within an organization to ensure that the resources are allocated accurately. One may have to substitute items to lower the overall budget of an organization without adversely affecting a department. Costs differ in every organization due to the services and products being offered. So this skill is generally learned on-the-job.

Critical thinking aids to come up with creative solutions to solving budget problems within an organization. Effective communication, critical thinking and problem solving are valued skills for a budget analyst.

Interview Questions for Director Jobs

Executive director is a term commonly applied to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) or Managing Director of an organization or a company. They may be involved with the Board of Directors.

Role of Executive Directors in a Corporation

This job involves planning, developing and executing strategies for the organization in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner. The person of this designation is also responsible for the day-to-day operation of the organization that includes employees and managing committees and developing business plans in collaboration with the board for a sustainable future. The person is accountable to the board on a regular basis.

The director jobs expect a person in a leadership role for an organization to also fulfill a motivational role in addition to accomplishing office-based work. Acting on the executive director jobs efficiently thus helps form a positive and productive organizational culture.

If you are looking to take up a directorial position in an organization, being prepared is winning half the battle Before you start interviewing, here are some key questions you need to be prepared for in advance:

·     Tell me about yourself.

·     What do you know about our firm?

·     Why do you want to work for us?

·     What is distinct that you can do for us and someone else can not?

Suggestion: Make sure you conduct some research and discuss with your interviewers all you can about the products or services, revenues, reputation, history, philosophy, goals and problems of the organizational. 

HR Questions

·     What attracts you about this position? What is the least attractive part?

·     In your current position, what features do you like and dislike the most?

Suggestion: Here, mention the negatives more like they are positive points

·     Why should we hire you?

·     Your resume suggests that you may be over-qualified or too experienced for this position.

     What's your opinion?

·     What is your management style?

Suggestion: Create your answer by thinking in terms of your proficiencies. 

Q. How much do you expect?

Suggestion: Salary is a delicate topic. It is advised that you defer binding yourself to a fixed figure. At a point you would know whether the company is genuinely interested in you is it likely to be flexible in salary negotiations.

You can bag the director’s position if your aim matches the goals of the organization. Through your interview you need to highlight how you can help make the optimum use of resources and elevate the organization's profitability.

How to become a Night Auditor

Night Auditor jobs involves working as front desk agents at motels, hotels, inns and varied types of lodges. Checking in guests during their late shift, checking out guests and taking reservations are their primary job tasks. They are also responsible for accounting duties and reconcile the daily ledger to accurately account for usage of rooms. Not necessarily a college degree, but applicants should have experience particularly in accounting or bookkeeping. Few helpful tips on how to become a night auditor:

Assess your Past Experience

You must possess strong mathematical skills. Further particular emphasis is laid on your ability to accurately balance accounts as you will be responsible for preparing and balancing a hotel's books for all the financial transactions that take place daily. Moreover this multitasking position all requires one to work under pressure. Additionally required aptitude includes strong customer service skills and enjoying working with the public.

A High School Diploma is required

Most of the hotels and lodging establishments provide on-the-job training. One can consider a Bachelor's Degree if their goal is to eventually move into job of Hotel Manager which requires more responsibility.

Gaining Work Experience through other types of Hotel Jobs

One may initially start working as a room attendant, bell hop or valet or manage the concierge desk. Those who prefer working in the night shift and find the duties of a night auditor appealing, they can work their way into this position as it becomes available.

Realize the Importance of Accounting Skills and Customer Service Experience    

           

If one has previous experience of working in accounts or into customer service then these skills from other fields are readily transferable to a position as a night auditor. 

Test and Procedures Before Finalizing

Many jobs require that the applicants take and pass a drug test as well as get a background criminal check done. One must consider this before officially completing any applications for a night auditor job . 

A night auditor is thus the initial point of contact for the hotel to answer inquiries, make reservations, and provide directions to your hotel and handle general front desk transactions including greeting incoming guests.