Is it better for your career to work for a local company or a firm with locations nationwide? Job seekers debate this question endlessly, with no right or wrong answer. It depends on the individual employee. Mary Garant worked for a U.S. computer software firm with offices in several states, employed as a bookkeeper in one of their accounting offices. Mary came to the office one morning to find out her job had been eliminated in a corporate restructuring move. The next morning Mary was online looking for a new job.
As every business requires some level of bookkeeping, Mary was confident in her ability to find new employment. After setting her career aside to raise a family, Mary had 10 years of solid references since re-entering the workforce. Still changing jobs is usually a stressful time in anyone’s life.
Fortunately, Mary’s job search led her to an advertisement from a local employer looking for the skills that she possessed. Mary responded to Lasco Ford’s online job post for the position of Automotive Accounting Clerk. A good fit for her background, Mary joined the Lasco office team eager to put her experience to work.
Automotive accounting may be one of the more challenging office careers, even for an experienced bookkeeper. Most businesses account for inventory as a total financial investment with individual items being numbered for the purpose of maintaining stocking levels. In the retail car business, each inventory item (car or truck for sale) is a separate unit with expenses posted to the unit’s stock number for costing purposes. Items like reconditioning costs and vehicle repairs are billed to the individual unit. Even expenses like detailing and prep for delivery are charged per car and not to the overall inventory as a whole.
A dealerships service department sells time instead of a physical piece of merchandise. Only the parts department operates in the conventional inventory accounting manner with parts sold over the counter. But, parts sold to company-owned vehicles revert to the per car accounting structure. So, Mary’s experience with conventional debit/credit accounting required a shift in thinking.
Now, two years into her career at Lasco Ford, how does Mary like it? “I love my job. It took a little while to adapt to the manner in which dealership bookkeeping works. But, I feel like I am so much more well rounded in proper accounting principles. The responsibility of making sure charges are assessed in the correct manner to the proper unit makes each day a new and fun challenge. It’s like putting together a puzzle and the satisfaction of seeing the picture complete when all the pieces fit together.”
Career Opportunities in the Retail Automobile Profession
Are you a career professional stuck in a dead end job? Do you feel like your just another employee, a small cog turning a big wheel? Would you like a change of work environment to a more challenging and rewarding career? Working in the retail automotive industry offers a wide range of positions for individuals with a strong work ethic and marketable skills. Ask Mary what it’s like working for Lasco Ford. “I like working with and for people who care. The dedication of the management and ownership at Lasco Ford makes you feel like a part of a family.”
Lasco Ford and Grand Blanc Mitsubishi are looking for individuals with a variety of abilities. Make an appointment to speak with Kelsey Riley, Lasco’s Human Resources Manager. Call 810-593-1249 or email kriley@lascoford.com. Interested applicants can also apply online at LascoFord.com/employment.
