The Thrifty Accountant Newsletter

--Two minutes of money saving strategies

Greetings fellow thrifty accountants!

The economic downturn has hit Houston, where we are located. It seems like a lot of people are looking for jobs.

Yet some people are still hiring--and they need to find good candidates to fill those positions. What is the best way to get good applicants?

The new way

• Cost--a Craigslist 30 day job ad costs $25 in most areas, except for Las Vegas, Detroit, New Jersey, and a few more areas that are free of charge.
• Ad size--There is no real limit on the Craigslist ad size. This means you can put in more details about the job, and detailed job requirements. You can even include photos.
• Change--Getting the wrong applicants? Change your ad as often as you need to in order to attract the best candidates.

The old way

Place an ad in your city newspaper. Why not?

• Cost--Spend $520 for a five line ad in the Houston Chronicle Sunday edition plus 30 days online at Yahoo Hot Jobs.
• Ad size--5 lines for print, unlimited for online.
• Change--Can't change the print ad, since it only runs once! Can change the online version of the print ad.

Needless to say, the Houston Chronicle job section has gotten very thin.

Inside scoop

My friend the accounting and tax professionals recruiter uses Craigslist ads to find many of her job candidates.

Another former accounting/tax headhunter found a new VP of marketing using Craigslist--and he said his new hire is one of the most qualified people he's ever hired.

My experience

I placed an ad on Craigslist for a medical assistant position at my dad's office a few weeks ago. We received over 250 resumes from mostly well-qualified applicants. Bonus: it's more convenient to filter through and file resumes received online, than to field phone calls.

October 2009 | Issue #017