It is no secret that mental health is essential to our overall well-being. Taking care of ourselves both physically and mentally is vital, especially in the workplace where mental health can easily take a back seat to work demands. However, taking the time to care for...
The Balancing Act
Weinstein Spira Blog
Weinstein Spira’s blog, The Balancing Act, provides helpful information on technical accounting and CPA firm culture.
Top Categories: Culture Tax Audit Our Team Employee Benefit Plan Audits
Posts in the category of
Culture
All Things Social Unites Hybrid Colleagues
Did you join a company during the pandemic when everyone was working from home? Are you still finding it hard to meet all your colleagues due to different hybrid work schedules? With some people only coming into the office twice a week, it’s possible you may not see...
The Great Tax Sunset: How To Prepare
In December 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) was passed by Congress and signed by former President Donald Trump. This legislation reduced personal, corporate and estate taxes. Although many corporate tax changes were made permanent, most individual changes will...
International Women’s Day: Balancing Life as a Mom in the Workforce
Flexibility and adaptability to change is key when you’re a mom. I will share a bit about my experience and some tips that have helped me navigate working a full-time job in public accounting and being a parent. I’ve stopped trying to be a “super mom.” That is an...
Importance of Competency Models in Public Accounting
Weinstein Spira’s Culture of Ownership Committee was created with the primary goal of accelerating and supporting our people’s growth and potential. The Committee was recently tasked with establishing a competency roadmap for each department (audit, tax and...
7 Re-Studying Tips After Failing the CPA Exam
Are you facing another round of CPA exams? Don’t know where to begin? Having personally gone through the process multiple times, I know it can seem like an uphill battle, and feel as if you are alone on the field. But there are strategies, resources and other people...
The Importance of a Holiday Shutdown
A holiday shutdown is when a business closes shop during a holiday and for a specified period—employees do not work, and business operations cease. Holiday closures during the last week of the year, a time where many businesses close for Thanksgiving, Christmas and...
How to Navigate a Blended Work Environment as a New Hire
Traditionally, starting a new job has never been an easy undertaking. After COVID-19, many companies have transitioned to a hybrid working schedule, where employees are working both remotely and in-person. This change in dynamics makes it more difficult for new...
4 Time Management Tips to Help you Study for the CPA Exam
Studying for the CPA exam at any point in your career is not an easy task to accomplish. Whether you just graduated college or have been working in the corporate world for years, it can be tough to manage and find the time to effectively prepare for the exam. As a mom...
Want Advancement? Work on Your Writing.
Accountants primary focus is often numbers, of course, but strong writing skills are critical to your advancement. Here’s why: 1. Basic communication calls for clear writing Most accountants dedicate a significant amount of time to writing emails and other...
My Transition from a Big 4 Firm to a Mid-Tier Accounting Firm
Since I joined Weinstein Spira in November 2020, I have had several colleagues ask how my work at our firm compares to my experience at a Big 4 public accounting firm. In this blog, I will share what I believe are the seven primary differences between working in audit...
Owning Your Communication Style
You have heard it a thousand times— “communication is important.” But communication styles, like pant styles, vary among generations, genders, and level of authority. Most people think they are expressing their thoughts in a way that everyone understands,...
Top Three Reasons to Pass the CPA Exam
Almost every accounting professional has considered taking the CPA exam, but the time, energy and stress that comes with passing all four sections can make it easy to push aside. Studying for the exam is a challenge but it’s also a marker of your competence, work...
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...
Making Powerful Connections
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,...
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...