You Are Not Alone: Finding, Changing and Growing a Career

AUTHOR’S POST

Mandy Moody
ACFE Social Media Specialist

I still remember the questions that ran through my mind when I heard the president of my former company say, “Mandy, we are going to have to let you go” back in the spring of 2009. How will I make my car payments? What could I have done differently? Where is the nearest bar?

As a life-long perfectionist and overachiever, I was dumbfounded to discover that I was “one of those people,” a casualty of a dwindling economy and unpredictable layoffs. All of a sudden the future did not look as bright as the keynote speaker at my college graduation promised it would be.

However, after picking my ego up off of the floor, seeking out advice from experienced professionals and researching resume best practices, I was able to rebound quickly and find a job within three months. Granted, I know it is not that easy for everyone, but I was thankful for the expert advice I received from people just like those that will be on-hand, ready and willing, to help attendees at this year’s Career Connection at the ACFE Annual Fraud Conference & Exhibition, June 17-22 in Orlando.

Here are just a few of the highlights you can expect to see at the Career Connection:

• NEW! Career Fair: representatives from some of the nation’s top employers like Capital One, Walt Disney World and ING Direct will be on-hand at the Career Connection’s first-ever Career Fair in the Exhibit Hall, Monday evening, June 18 from 3:00-7:00 p.m.
• Career strategists will answer questions related to the anti-fraud profession. Schedule a private  session to discuss career decisions like phasing into a new career, transitioning from the public to the private sector, elevating your role within your current organization, establishing yourself within your new role and defining your professional goals ($50 for 50 minutes). There will also be two strategists on hand for quick walk-up appointments.
• Professional development-related presentations: 15-minute presentations focused on pitfalls to avoid in your career, negotiating a salary without leaving money on the table and more.
• Opportunity to win a free Comprehensive Résumé and Cover Letter Review ($75 value). Veteran hiring manager Donn LeVie Jr., who has helped thousands of job-seekers create attention-getting cover letters and résumés, will provide you with an annotated résumé and cover letter evaluation that includes detailed suggestions for improvement. Stop by the Career Connection booth to enter the drawing. 

 We look forward to seeing you in Orlando. Whether you are searching for a new job, a career change or just looking for some advice, be sure to stop by the Career Connection in the Exhibit Hall.

Collaborating on a Casebook: The View from the Grammar Police

GUEST BLOGGER

Laura Hymes, CFE
Managing Editor

When I began working at the ACFE 3½ years ago, I had almost no knowledge of common fraud schemes and the various methods that fraud examiners use to prevent and detect them. What I did have was a background in publishing and an interest in continuing to develop and edit books. Fast forward to today and not only have I had the opportunity to work on three of Dr. Joseph T. Wells’ casebooks (Internet Fraud Casebook, Financial Statement Fraud Casebook and the forthcoming Bribery and Corruption Casebook), but I’ve even earned my own Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) credential.

Reading firsthand accounts of investigating and uncovering fraud drove home the immediacy of white-collar crime in a way I had not experienced before. For me, it added that human element that can be lost so easily when I’m reading a textbook or manual. Suddenly I knew the people behind the investigations, had working relationships with them, and understood their senses of humor and writing styles. If I didn’t quite grasp one of the finer points in a case, I had direct access to the examiner writing it, and every author from whom I sought clarification was kind and generous in explaining the nuances that a novice might not appreciate.

My experiences working on the Bribery and Corruption Casebook: The View from Under the Table were no different. Dr. Wells and I usually begin the casebook process by brainstorming new ideas, and this time around we decided corruption was the way to go. After we chose the topic for this new collection, we sent a request to CFEs for case submissions. When we reviewed submissions we were looking for a good mix of private industry and public corruption cases. This step is always the most difficult; we receive so many excellent ideas — hundreds for this latest collection — but there simply isn’t room to include them all.

After the cases have been selected, the real fun begins. That’s when I get to start collaborating with practitioners in the field who investigate white-collar crime daily. We work in drafts, communicating and discussing ideas at each stage. I move commas around, add adjectives and flesh out descriptions, and ask annoying questions like, “Can you make the difference between that kickback and this illegal gratuity more apparent?” For their part, the writers take my grammar-police tendencies in good humor and respond to my questions thoughtfully and in ways that, I hope, add value to the cases for our readers.

John Wiley & Sons Publishing released the new Bribery and Corruption Casebook: The View from Under the Table in April. I hope you enjoy reading the stories and learn something from the experienced ACFE members who investigated and wrote the cases — I certainly did.

And Dr. Wells and I are already in the brainstorming phase for our next book, so stay tuned!

Fraud by the Numbers: The 2012 Report to the Nations

GUEST BLOGGER

John Warren, J.D., CFE
Vice President and General Counsel

As most readers are probably aware, every two years the ACFE publishes a new edition of the Report to the Nations, a global study on occupational fraud. This is one of our most important initiatives and one of the things we are most proud of as an organization. The Report provides information on the costs, methods, victims and perpetrators of occupational fraud – information that simply cannot be obtained anywhere else in the world.

We are now putting the finishing touches on the 2012 Report, which is scheduled to be released to the public May 8.  I have personally been involved in the production of every edition of the Report since 1996, and I can confidently say that the 2012 Report is the best and most complete study we have ever done. It contains a tremendous amount of information about how frauds are detected, the effectiveness of various controls, the characteristics of fraud offenders, the impact of fraud in various regions of the world, and more. The Report should be required reading for any anti-fraud professional and we hope it is something our members can use to educate their own clients and organizations about the risk they face from occupational fraud.

Our staff puts a tremendous amount of work into making sure the Report contains accurate, insightful information that will be useful in fighting fraud. The ACFE research department spends months reading every case we receive, organizing the data, analyzing it and compiling it into the final Report. And our graphic design team does a tremendous job taking the thousands of pieces of data we have assembled and organizing it so that key facts are accessible and easy to read. 

But the ACFE staff is not the only group responsible for the information you see in the Report to the Nations.  The data we compile and present to you is only available because of the wonderful contribution of Certified Fraud Examiners (CFEs) from around the world who took the time and effort to participate in our survey and provide information about specific fraud cases they had investigated.  In the 2012 study we received nearly 1,400 cases of occupational fraud, which gives us a tremendous data set with which to work and allows us to produce what is widely recognized as the world’s most comprehensive study on occupational fraud. It is a testament to the dedication of our members that they are willing to give their time and share this information not for any personal gain or notoriety, but simply to contribute to our growing understanding of occupational fraud and to support the anti-fraud community.

If you have been a member of the ACFE for any length of time, you have no doubt heard our founder and Chairman, Dr. Joseph T. Wells, CFE, CPA, and our President and CEO, James Ratley, CFE, talk about the ACFE’s focus on being the best association in the world. We work to achieve that goal through the outstanding efforts of our highly trained and dedicated staff and our leadership’s constant commitment to excellence. But the quality of our organization extends far beyond ACFE headquarters; we also have the best members in the world, and the Report to the Nations is evidence of that fact. As you read the 2012 Report in the coming weeks, I have no doubt you will find information that is informative and helps you in your career. Please keep in mind the contributions of all the committed CFEs who made this Report possible and who support the ACFE, their fellow anti-fraud professionals and the communities and organizations in which they work and live every day. 

The 2012 Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse is available in electronic form on ACFE.com.