EMPLOYMENT

RECOMMENDATION
REPORT

Recommendation Report for

Accounting Jobs

Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson
Employement Recommendation
Report for Chelsea Roehl

Prepared for English 320

By Tiffany Schulstad-Peterson

Distributed
October 15, 2010
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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Table of Figures……………………………………………………………………………………………………………..iii

Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………………...1

Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...2

Company Background……………………………………………………………………………………………………..3

Barnes and Noble…………………………………………………………………………………………………3

Job Requirements……………………………………………………………………………………...3

Cargill…………………………………………………………………………………………………………....3 & 4

Job Requirements……………………………………………………………………………………...4

J. Crew…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………4

Job Requirements……………………………………………………………………………………...4

Quick View Comparison……………………………………………………………………………..4

Location…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Barnes and Noble & J.Crew…………………………………………………………………………………...5

Cargill………………………………………………………………………………...………………………………..6

Benefits and Salaries……………………………………………………………………………………………………….7

Barnes and Noble…………………………………………………………………………………………………7

Cargill……………………………………………………………………………………………………...…………..7

J. Crew…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

Conclusion and Recommendation…………………………………………………………………………………...8

Work Cited……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..9

TABLE OF FIGURES
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Figure 1: Important Criteria Quick View………………………………………………………2

Figure 2: Map of Crime Rates in New York City……………………………………………5

Figure 3: Crime Statistics in Fargo……………………………………………………………….6

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Executive Summary
Throughout this report I evaluated each job carefully so I could give you the best
information and recommendation. First I researched the background of each company to
help further my investigation and backup my recommendation. I evaluated the population
and crime rates of each city where the job is located. I also found the benefits and salaries
for each of the company.

Company Background:
Barnes and Noble
 Founded in the 1960’s
 Expanded quickly
 Now has nearly 800 stores nationwide

Cargill

 Founded in 1865
 Survived the Great Depression
 Expanded worldwide

J. Crew

 Founded in 1983 as a catalog

 Had first store in 1989 located in New York
 Today, many outlet and retail stores nationwide

City and Population Size:

Barnes and Noble and J. Crew

-New York City: 8,391,881
Cargill
-Fargo: 99,200

Benefits and Salary:

 Barnes and Noble offers medical, dental, continuing education, and paid time off.
o Salary: $37,000-50,000
 Cargill offers medical, dental, disability, life, and retirement benefits.
o Salary: $35,500-51,500
 J. Crew offers health insurance and discounts on products.
o Salary: $37,000-50,000

My final recommendation is that you accept the Cargill job offer because it fits your
needs and what is important to you. Cargill has been around for over 140 years and they
have survived the Great Depression. The job offer is also in a smaller and safer city than
either Barnes and Noble or J. Crew. Finally, Cargill offers many more benefits than either
company.
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Introduction
It is not any easy decision to choose a business that you may work with for 3-30

years. Even though it may be time consuming and tedious work, it is crucial to research all

aspects of the company. I have taken the time to research some key points that were

important to you for the three businesses that offered you jobs.

After learning more about you through the questionnaire and during our interview,

I researched the population size and safety of the job locations, the benefits each job offer,

salaries for the job titles you applied for, and the size of the companies. You mentioned

that you would like to live in a smaller area with lower crime rates. Also, you want a

business that offers benefits and is well known, but still is a small-medium size company.

Throughout this report I will provide detailed information about each company.

Then, I will cover what is important to you, and finally I will recommend the company I

think suits your interests best.

I inserted a chart that will provide a quick view of a few things that are important to you.

Location/
Job Benefits/Salary Business Size Job Title
Population

New York City Yes

Barnes and Noble Large Staff Accountant
8,391,881 (2009) $37-50K
Fargo Yes
Cargill Medium Accountant
99,200 (2010) $35.5-51.5K

New York City Yes

J. Crew Large Staff Accountant
8,391,881 (2009) $37-50K
Figure 1
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Company Background

It is important to know the background of a company before you decide to work for

them. They could have a very smooth and successful history, or they may have had a very

rocky and unstable period that may make you feel a little hesitant about the company.

Barnes and Noble

According to Barnes and Noble’s company webpage, Barnes and Noble was founded

by Leonardo Riggio in the 1960s. He began while in college, providing an easier, more

efficient way for college students to exchange books and find the books they need. By the

late 1970’s, Mr. Riggio’s bookstore became “The World’s Largest Bookstore”. In the 1980’s,

Barnes and noble expanded into a nationwide company with nearly 800 stores across the

country. Now, Barnes and Noble sells books, eBooks, magazines, music, and DVDs in stores

and online (Barnes and Noble History).

Job Requirements

 Bachelor’s degree in Accounting

 One year accounting experience

 Familiar with Excel and Word

 Experience with auditing is a plus

Cargill

As stated on the company webpage for Cargill, William Wallace Cargill began the

first American grain storage building in 1865. Cargill survived the Great Depression and

expanded into Canada, Argentina, and Holland shortly after. As the company approached

its 100th year, they expanded into Spain and provided the first formal stockholder report. It
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reported sales to be nearly two billion dollars! During the 1990’s, Cargill had expanded

into 57 different countries operating in meat, grains, feed, fibers, international metals, steel

making, and much more. Cargill continues developing and expanding their company all

around the world (Cargill History).

Job Requirements

 Accounting or Finance degree

 GPA of 3.0 or above preferred

J. Crew

J. Crew’s company webpage states that J. Crew began in 1983 with a catalog. Six

years later they opened their first store in New York. They have many name brands within

the company and work with the “finest” fabric mills and craftsmen. Today J. Crew has

outlet and retail stores across the nation (About J. Crew).

Job Requirements

 Accounting degree

 2-3 years accounting experience

 Knowledge of Excel and Word

 Familiar with General Ledger systems

 CPA preferred

Quick View Comparison-Each company provides different products.

 Barnes and Noble-Book retailer

 Cargill-Grains, metals, citrus and meats provider

 J. Crew-Clothing retailer
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Location

I researched the size and crime rates of each city that offered you jobs. You had said

that you wanted a nice size place that would give you plenty of career options now and for

the future, but that New York City may be too large and crowded with so many people.

Here is more detailed information so you know how I came to my conclusion and so you

can also feel confident about your final decision.

Barnes and Noble & J. Crew-New York City

The population size of New York City is 8,391,881 with many large suburb cities

surrounding it. According to nymag.com, crime rates are down, but after taking a closer

look at the graph, there are still plenty of murders, burglaries, and rapes since it is a large

city.

Figure 2
(click on the ‘view a PDF’ to see a more detailed map)
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(New York News and Features)

Cargill-Fargo

Fargo’s population size is 99, 200 which is more than 80 times smaller than New

York City. Cities that surround Fargo have populations ranging from about 1,000-35,000

people. Crime rates are much lower than New York City. All crimes are much lower than

the national average except for rape, which is only slightly above. The numbers are based

off the entire population of the city.

Murder: 0
Forcible Rape: 41
Robbery: 11
Aggravated Assault: 25
Burglary: 335
Larceny or Theft: 1,759
Car Theft: 189
Arson: 11
Data Source:
2003 FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement

Fargo Violent Crime Rate per Capita:

Murder Forcible Rape Robbery Aggravated Assault All Violent Crime
National Local National Local National Local National Local National Local

Is 0.00 times the Is 1.24 times the Is 0.06 times the Is 0.08 times the Is 0.14 times the
National Average National Average National Average National Average National Average

Fargo Property Crime Rate per Capita:

Burglary Larceny or Theft Car Theft Arson All Property Crime
National Local National Local National Local National Local National Local

Is 0.43 times the Is 0.65 times the Is 0.35 times the Is 0.41 times the Is 0.57 times the
National Average National Average National Average National Average National Average

Figure 3
(Crime Statistics)
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Benefits and Salaries

You mentioned that having good benefits in your career are important to you, so I

made sure I researched the criteria benefits for each company for you. All three jobs have

some benefits, but I noticed one to have better benefit opportunities than the other jobs. I

also included a rough salary estimate for each job title you had been offered.

Barnes and Noble-Staff Accountant

 Medical Plan-eye exams, physicals, prescription drugs

 Dental Plan-100% coverage for preventative visits

 Paid time off

 Continuing Education

 Salary- $37,000-50,000 (Entry level salary will be around $40K) (“Our Benefits”).

Cargill-Accountant

 Medical

 Dental

 Life

 Disability

 Retirement

 Salary-$35,500-51,500 (Entry level salary will be $38K-40K) (“Our Benefits”).

J. Crew-Staff Accountant

 Health Insurance

 Discounts on products

 Salary- $37,000-50,000 (Entry level salary will be around $40K) (J. Crew Keyholder).
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Conclusion and Recommendation

After researching and reviewing many areas of each company I have decided to

recommend Cargill for you. A few reasons helped me make this decision. The first reason I

would recommend Cargill is based on the background of the company. They have been

around for over140 years, and in that time they have expanded in products, production,

size, and locations around the world. They are a very stable company, and if they can

survive the Great Depression, they will be able to survive just about anything.

Another reason for recommending this company is based on the location and safety

of where the job offer is located. Since you already live in Fargo, you are familiar with the

area so your commutes will be fairly easy and you should also know which areas of the city

are the most safe to live for your family.

Finally, I recommend Cargill because they offer so many great benefits from medical

to retirement options. The starting salary is a little lower than Barnes and Noble and J.

Crew, but you can possibly make more at Cargill after so many years.

I hope you have found the information I provided to be useful in making your final

career decision.
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Works Cited

2003 FBI Report of Offenses Known to Law Enforcement. “Crime Statistics”.

CityRating.com. N.p. 2002. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

“Fargo’s Population in 2010”. True Knowledge. N.p. 2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

J. Crew Keyholder (employer). “J. Crew Reviews-the real J. Crew”. glassdoor.com. N.p. 20 Apr.
2010 Web. 11 Oct. 2010.

Mathis-Lilley, Ben. “What a Safer City Really Looks Like”. New York News and Features. N.p. 8
Jan. 2008. Web. 9 Oct. 2010.

“New York City Department of City Planning.” nyc.gov. N.p. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010.

“Our Benefits”. Barnes and Noble. N.p. 2010. Web. 11 Oct. 2010

“Our Benefits”. Cargill. N.p. 11 Feb. 2009. Web. 29 Sept. 2010.

“Salary Snapshot for Staff Accountant Job”. Payscale. N.p. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010.

“Salary Snapshot for Accountant Job. Payscale. N.p. 2010. Web. 29 Sept. 2010.