Throughout my career in public accounting, I have been a big fan of networking and it paid off enormously in both my professional and personal life with a long list of business connections and friends. But recently, I found it more challenging to make new connections,...
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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Culture
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...
The Importance of Being Involved in a Professional Organization
As current international president of the Association for Accounting Marketing (AAM) (2021-2022), I speak from direct experience, having worked my way up through the ranks of this niche organization. I can honestly say, no matter what level your participation,...
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...
How to Find the Right Mentor in College
Having a meaningful mentor when starting college will help smooth your path to becoming the accountant you want to be. But this does not mean finding a mentor just to be able to say you have one, or to tick off an item on your to-do list. It’s about finding the...
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...
3 Ways to Prevent Remote Work Burnout
Prior to the pandemic, Weinstein Spira allowed everyone to work from home once a week as part of the firm’s work-life balance philosophy. Now that we are working from home every day, there are some ways to avoid “remote work burnout.” Since I moved during the...
Insider Tips on Passing the CPA Exam
Taking the CPA exam at any time is a huge challenge, as those who have been through the process will attest. It can be a challenge trying to work full-time while studying, so most people want to take the exams as quickly as possible upon graduation. In light of the...
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:...
What Has Working Remotely Taught Us About Communication?
After working from home for so many months, a big reveal for me and countless others has been the importance of communication—both casual communication and deliberate conversations that drive business excellence. That includes problem-solving, feedback sessions,...
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...
6 Ways to Find Success When Working from Home
If you have never worked from home for an extended period of time, this pandemic-induced new schedule may be a shock to you and your family. Have you settled into your “new normal”? How is your family adjusting? As a Weinstein Spira virtual team member, I spend most...
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....
Best Practices on Managing Remote Employees
There are various forms of working remotely, a popular work style that is catching on more and more as companies try to help employees achieve work-life balance. For example, at Weinstein Spira one of the perks is to be able to work from home one day a week after one...
What Does Workplace Culture Mean to You?
A Home Away from Home Accountants are notorious for spending long hours at work, so much so that it can become like a home away from home, where certain creature comforts are sought. A paradigm shift from previous generations, the concept of workplace culture is now...
Mobile Workforce: Considerations When Choosing a Video Conferencing System
Following the Mobile Trend Today’s workforce is conducting business on the go more than ever before, thanks to mobile devices and growing emphasis on work/life balance. Collaboration from anywhere at any time is also key to building relationships with colleagues and...
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...