With Toru Hisatake - Accounting Specialist - The Advisory Services
Today we are speaking with an accounting specialist, who ten years ago started investigating the benefits of working as a contractor, for multiple firms. This, in effect, meant he becomes the CEO of his own, one person, company.
It was a smart move as his career has prospered and expanded. He has gained experience in multiple sectors including, Medical, Food, Luxury Goods, Asset Management, Entertainment, Advertising, Pet Food, Sport Brand Wear and Chemical. Job titles have been Interim Controller, Accounting Manager, Assistant Controller and Assistant Director.
The Advisory Group has an extensive list of client companies, for whom specialists are provided on short-term contracts. The assignments start after initial client meetings have been completed by Advisory Group, to validate the skills required.
Mr. Hisatake is able to choose assignments and his contract agency. In between these assignments he has found more time for leisure, travel, and he has been able to complete training courses that are of interest to him, including extensive training for English language proficiency. This together with a broadening work experience adds further to his skills and client work productivity.
"Businesses are starting to shed their full-time opportunities in favor of "gigs", distributed to freelancers and independent contractors. It`s creating an economic and professional landscape where the demands of a full-time worker are not only changing but disappearing entirely." - New York Times.
This style of working provides contracts within multiple companies. It quickly offers a broader work experience, with new contacts and a larger salary - a freelance portfolio career as a contractor.
Here is an example of a Portfolio Career that has allowed an increase in salary and Lifetime Employment.
Q1: Give us please a brief introduction as to what you were doing before contracting.
I was working as a full time employee, a qualified accountant, working for a sports apparel company. I moved to contract work as I wanted more variety and new project work. Since this time I have completed over 20 contracts. So I suppose I am a portfolio career specialist as well as an accounting specialist working on contracts.
To get hired again and again adds to my confidence and of course adds value to my skill sets and experience.
Q2: What would you say to someone in a permanent role who is considering contracting?
Generally speaking the working hours are shorter than for a permanent employee. We are paid per hour so the client company does not want us to work long hours. They want value for their money. If I do work extra hours I get paid for the extra hours. I never got paid overtime when I was a permanent employee.
Q3: When you started contracting did you have a worry that was not actually a problem?
Some staff express fears about contract work. I was worried if I could understand sufficiently quickly the requirements of a company. Each company has its own way for accounting but I have found this not to be a problem. Of course as my experience has grown so has my confidence and I have met more people and processes.