Accounting, Finance Will Be Hot In '08

Jan. 7, 2008 (Investor's Business Daily delivered by Newstex) --
JOBS I

Skilled accountants and finance experts will be among 2008's most sought-after professionals.
Research by staffer Robert Half International says companies are especially interested in accountants and auditors who have excellent communication and tech skills.
Robert Half says the most in-demand positions for 2008 include:
Internal auditors. Those with certified internal auditor designations to help meet compliance rules like the Sarbanes-Oxley Act are particularly in demand. National average starting salaries for internal audit managers at companies with more than $250 million in sales are expected to climb 6.7% next year to $81,500 to $109,500 annually.
Senior accountants. Those with public accounting smarts and at least three years of experience will be needed to perform core accounting tasks. The greatest gains in starting compensation for senior accountants are expected at midsize firms. Average starting salaries are expected to rise 5.4% over 2007 to $49,250 to $63,000 annually.
Financial analysts. Companies need them to help with budgeting, forecasting and financial modeling. Demand is especially acute at the management and senior levels. Base pay is forecast to jump 5.8% for managers with large firms, to $74,750 to $99,000.
JOBS II
Temp Demand May Slip In Q1
Shifting economic conditions are expected to cause adjusted demand for temporary workers in the U.S. to fall by 2.3% from a year earlier in the first quarter of 2008.
The survey by staffing consultant G. Palmer & Associates also says adjusted demand for temps in the fourth quarter of 2007 likely fell less than 2% below the same period in 2006. This is because the unemployment rate was lower than expected in the final three months of 2007, resulting in higher than expected demand for temporary workers.
STRATEGIES
Organizing Is Key To Business Success
An Office Depot (NYSE:ODP) survey says that 39% of business professionals believe that getting organized will be their key to success in 2008.
The office products retailer found that almost a third want to raise their efficiency in order to have more time for other activities. An additional 24% hope to get rid of the paper piles on their desks.
Respondents told Office Depot ODP that chaos in the workplace is costly. Sixty-five percent believe that lost time is the biggest drawback to disorder. And 54% say chaotic work habits cause them to forget deadlines and appointments.
Thirteen percent believe that jumbled work habits cost them business opportunities.
Improving the tilt between work and personal life is viewed as a key to boosting productivity. Fifty-three percent of professionals say improving their work-life balance is their leading goal for 2008.