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The right contract role can build your personal brand, enhance your skill set and increase the size of your network.
The wrong one can lead you down the path of frustration. If you’re thinking of taking a contract accounting or finance role, here are some tips for identifying great opportunities.
The Job Posting
The company’s job posting is very revealing. Scour it carefully to identify any areas of concern. Great contract opportunities include specific start and finish dates. They also list the hard and soft skills necessary for success and possibly the key deliverables for the role. A job posting that is well-crafted can show buy-in at different levels of the organization. Buy-in is critical to your success, because you’ll likely need cross-functional support to drive the kind of outcomes that are expected. So don’t just skim the job posting, critique it carefully.
The Interview
To ensure that you protect your personal brand and move your career forward ask the following questions during the interview:
- Has this project been approved?
- Are all the decision-makers on board?
- Will I have access to all the information I need?
- What are the projected challenges of the role?
- What are the deliverables for the 3 month mark?
While the first question is specific to a project-based contract, the rest are not. Your prospective employer’s answers will reveal if this is a quality contract worth your time.
Contract finance and accounting roles can be positive, lucrative experiences that can provide a number of great opportunities. Make sure the job posting contains the kind of detail that reveals buy-in. Ask questions during the interview to make sure you’ll be positioned for success. By doing so you can identify contracts that will build your personal brand, not mire you in frustration.