The majority (85%) of accountants have admitted that searching for a new job results in them feeling stressed, with dead-end searches, rejection and uncommunicative recruiters topping the list of things causing stress levels to rise
A recent survey from CV-Library has also found that 91.5% of accountants believe that job hunting stress is a real problem facing today’s workforce.
The study of 1,200 workers sought to discover the impact that job hunting has on accountants and what it is that they find most challenging. Participants were asked to share the aspects of looking for a job that cause them to feel most stressed.
Finding a role that matches individuals needs topped the list with 80% of accountants admitting that this elelment of job searching stresses them out. This was followed by rejection (51%), tailoring CV’s and cover letters for each application (46%), having to take time out for an interview (41%) and dealing with recruiters (18%).
Not hearing anything back from an application (30.4%), being turned down for a role they really want (24%) and not finding any suitable roles (23.9%) were the top reasons professionals in the industry were feeling discouraged during their search.
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, said: ‘Workplace stress is something we often hear about, but very rarely do we talk about the stress that can be caused as a result of job hunting. These feelings are very real, and it’s clear from the data that professionals in the accounting sector can become extremely disheartened when the job search becomes overwhelming. Looking for a new job is an exciting time, but the strain of the search is detracting from this experience.
‘If you’re looking for a new job, be sure to start your search with a positive and open mind. The road to your dream job can be a long one, but it’s worth putting the time in. Though there are times it can feel like a tedious process, putting in the effort early on to perfect your CV, cover letter etc. really can help to reduce job search stress further down the line.’
Nearly half of accountants (44%) believe that recruiters should always give feedback and a further 41% say that candidates should always be sent an acknowledgement email, even if an application is not successful.
Biggins said: ‘It’s clear from the data that job hunters in the accounting sector are becoming increasingly put out by not hearing back from their applications. If you haven’t had any feedback, don’t be afraid to send recruiters a follow up email, or better yet, give them a call. Asking for feedback is a great way to improve your techniques next time round.’
Report by Amy Austin
