Recruiting on college campuses is one of the best ways a firm can discover potential interns and staff early in their careers, as well as help provide a path for young professionals to follow. Meeting students on different campuses offers recruiters an opportunity to...
The Balancing Act
Weinstein Spira Blog
Weinstein Spira’s blog, The Balancing Act, provides helpful information on technical accounting and CPA firm culture.
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Career
The Benefits of a Summer Accounting Internship
In the accounting world, spring internships are typically what you hear about the most. However, I did my internship in the summer of my junior year of college and found it to be very advantageous for several reasons. In this blog post, I will share that less-traveled...
A Day in the Life of an Accountant
What is the typical day like for a staff accountant at Weinstein Spira? I am glad you asked! As a staff accountant who rotates between tax and audit, I can speak about my typical day, noting that things vary depending on the season and whether I am working from home...
Work Perks You Can Expect at a Public Accounting Firm
What work perks can you expect when choosing a career in public accounting? When evaluating a potential employer (and career path), it helps to know what to expect. This will depend on the size of the firm; however, there are some universal perks that apply to working...
Why I Chose a Career in Public Accounting
Background The process of choosing a career path in the field of public accounting can be daunting. Sometimes it is a conscious decision and other times it may be something you fall into by chance. For me, I had little understanding of how my degree would materialize...
Accounting Internship Etiquette: How to Leave on a High Note
The way you finish an internship really matters. You create a lasting impression. If you can leave on a high note, that’s what people tend to remember the most. Regardless of how your time went along the way, you can go out with a bang if you focus on the following...
8 Ways to Become a Powerful Networker
Networking is an important aspect of doing business in the accounting world, where personal, authentic relationships really do count. It does not have to be formal networking, per se, as connections can be made anywhere, anytime you are around other people (virtually...
How to be a Successful Mentor to NextGen Accountants
What is a NextGen Mentor? In this context, a NextGen mentor is someone who coaches an employee in the accounting profession, where the person coached has less than five years of experience. Whether you are mentoring Generation X, Y, or Z…being an early career coach is...
Landing Your First Job: Six Best Questions to Ask an Interviewer
During pandemic or non-pandemic times, it can be daunting to land that first entry-level job right out of college. Likewise, an early career move from one company to another comes with a certain amount of interview anxiety. At any given point in time, there are many...
Virtual Job Hunting: How to Put your Best Foot Forward
Even outside of COVID-19 times, applying and interviewing for a new or first-time position can be challenging. As a result of the pandemic, job hunting is different. To add to it, there are an increased number of people going after the same spot. You may be thinking:...
Tips for Success in Accounting Internships During COVID-19
My experience with Weinstein Spira as an intern has been nothing short of amazing, even during COVID-19. Was it different than I expected? Yes. Was it worth my time? Absolutely. In this post, I am sharing what my internship looked like in the summer of 2020. Securing...
6 Ways to Ace Video Interviews
Video job interviews are becoming more common in the hiring process due to the COVID-19 pandemic. With stay-at-home orders in place for many areas, video interviews prove to be the best way to continue the hiring process without causing major delays. These...
Why Public Accounting Was the Right Choice for Me
Now that I am a staff auditor for a public accounting firm, I find myself reflecting on the choices I made that led me to this role—a perfect decision for me, as it turns out. In this blog post, I will describe my journey and offer some pros and cons for those who are...
How to Get the Most Out of Career Fairs
Are Career Fairs Worth Your Time? From my experience on both sides of the equation—as a student seeking my first accounting position and as a recruiter screening new grads to work at Weinstein Spira—I can honestly say that career fairs are a great opportunity that you...
Accounting Internship Etiquette: How to Start on the Right Foot
Having worked with a lot of accounting interns over the years has given me insight into the do’s and don’ts that can determine a successful internship. In this article, I will share some tips to keep in mind as you embark on your internship journey. Before You Begin...
Double Your Fun: Advantages of an Accounting Rotation Program
Fresh out of college with an accounting degree, armed with an internship and having landed an entry-level job just months ago (both with Weinstein Spira), I am hitting the ground running as a tax accountant—in large part due to my participation in a rotation program....
Day in the Life of a Tax Accountant
Working at Weinstein Spira as a tax accountant since September 2018, I can honestly say there’s always a lot happening on any given day, whether it’s the busy season or not. Driving to Work My day begins with driving 30 miles into Houston from Brookshire (west of...
Day in the Life of an Audit Senior
There is really no “typical” day to speak of in my experience as an audit senior. I find that every day is different based on the season. My busy season spans from January to the end of May for corporate clients, during which I am hyper-focused. Then, I have a bit of...
Top 5 Qualities to Highlight When Interviewing for Public Accounting
As HR manager, I talk to every candidate who comes through the door with the hope of landing a position at Weinstein Spira. With respect to public accountants, in particular, we look for people who have certain qualities that will be a good fit for our firm and our...
Optimizing Your 2019 Resume
Resumes are living, breathing documents that need to be kept up-to-date with your latest accomplishments while still fresh in your mind. With online profiles, like LinkedIn, it is ever more important to make changes in real time, so that recruiting search engines are...
10 Ways to Improve Your Telephone Etiquette
From working as a corporate receptionist for the last several years, I’ve learned so much about telephone etiquette that I can now share my expertise for the benefit of others. Regardless of your position, answering the phone is a part of everyone’s daily repertoire...
What I Wish I Knew About Accounting in College
One of my favorite work responsibilities is visiting college campuses, like Texas A&M, to recruit new grads to work at Weinstein Spira. I often present a slide show to students that depicts things to know when charting a career path in accounting. These are the...
Tips for First-Year Tax Accountants to be Successful
You’ve chosen a great career that, from everything we can see, will always be around. Regardless of technology advances, clients want someone to talk to, to ask questions, to help plan ahead and so on. With over 25 years as a tax accountant, I’ve seen it all. As I now...
Audit vs Tax: The Accounting Major’s Major Decision
It’s a cliché; I admit that. “I was in your spot just a couple years ago.” Yes, I was a college student who had determined that accounting was a solid major, a stable choice, and a sound decision. And accordingly, I began following through with all the steps. I looked...