Chelsea Carpenter - Audit Senior

With all the technology and gadgets available to us these days, it is very easy to stay connected to our work 24/7. From the Internet to Blackberries, there is always a way to find yourself doing work related tasks when you’re outside of the office. Setting some boundaries in your life to keep this from happening may be difficult, but in order to maintain some work/life balance it is very necessary! Here are some excellent tips to help you separate your work and personal life.

Choose hobbies that engage you - engaging in hobbies that have clear objectives and challenge you is a great way to stay away from work. Participating in sports, painting, games, or even crossword puzzles are some great examples. These activities, unlike watching TV, will provide you with a sense of challenge that you will find in your work.

Set personal goals - Setting goals for your personal life, just as you would your professional life, will give more meaning to your activities other than just recreation or relaxation. This will motivate you more to meet the goals and stay away from work outside of the office.

Make plans with others - Making after work plans to meet a friend at the gym or go out to dinner together will not only involve the social interaction that every human needs, but it will be more likely that you’ll keep the plans. Solo plans are much easier to break or postpone, but when others are involved it is more likely you’ll put down the cell phone and turn off your laptop.

Create tech boundaries - Set up a separate email and instant messaging account, or even a completely new computer just for your personal use. This way you can avoid work related questions and discussions that can distract you the entire weekend.

Anne Lane - Audit Staff

Whether you’re playing a sport or working in an accounting firm, the ability of members to function as a group is essential to achieving goals and objectives. You must be able to collaborate well with different colleagues and clients in order to perform at your best. If you are performing at your best, then your organization will surely benefit. Here are some things to remember about teamwork.

Understanding the objective is key — Make sure that you and all your team members know what the group is trying to accomplish.

Keep an open mind — Not all your colleague’s will work the same as you; so if they have a different approach than you, try to adapt yours.

Be flexible — You may not always be able to assume the roles you wish on every project, but let your coworkers know you are willing to work outside your norm.

Share the glory — With everyone giving his or her best effort, success is sure to come. Help your colleagues complete tasks if they are having difficulty. If you put your group first it will ensure that objectives are reached.

Laura Snyder - Director of Marketing

At PKM we pride ourselves on standard-setting service with a personal touch. We have broken away from the industry stereotypes and created a work environment that is based on flexibility, communication, and fun! Having such an enjoyable work environment makes life much more enjoyable for our employees and clients.

On March 9, 2008 our efforts at creating such a unique culture were rewarded when PKM was presented with the American Psychological Association’s 2008 Psychologically Healthy Workplace Award. PKM was one of only five organizations from across North America to receive the award this year. The firm won in the for-profit category for businesses with fewer than 100 employees. PKM is the only Georgia company and the only public accounting firm in the history of the awards to be honored by the APA.

At PKM we promote employee involvement through programs that encourage ideas and innovation to flow in all directions. These programs also facilitate employee solutions to business issues through fun, game-like competitions that develop individual problem-solving and conflict-resolution skills. PKM also promotes work-life balance by recognizing our employee’s productivity rather than hours worked. We strive to maintain and improve tailored solutions, such as flexible scheduling, part-time employment, and work-from-home options.

The American Psychological Association is the largest scientific and professional organization representing psychology in the United States and is the world’s largest association of psychologists. The APA works to advance psychology as a science, as a profession and as a means of promoting health, education and human welfare. Their Psychologically Healthy Workplace Awards are designed to showcase the very best from among the award winners recognized by APA’s affiliated state, provincial and territorial psychological associations. Nominees for the awards are evaluated on their workplace practices in the areas of employee involvement, health and safety, employee growth and development, work-life balance and employee recognition.

If you are interested in learning more about creating a psychologically healthy workplace or applying for an award for your organization you can visit the PHWA Website at www.phwa.org.

Emily Sanders - Audit Staff

In a recent survey by Rick Telberg, editor of CPA Tredlines, respondents were asked to give tips to recent college graduates on how to succeed in accounting. The survey resulted in a variety of answers, but with 60 percent of it coming from professionals in the field for 10 to 30 years, they have credibility.

Here are the top four most popular tips:

1. When asked what the most important ingredients to a successful career are, communication and inter-personal skills were chosen by 86 percent of respondents.
2. Coming in a close second, was integrity and good character, which was stated by 79 percent of respondents.
3. Constant, lifelong learning, came in third with 71 percent of respondents. More than often students are taught to know, not to keep learning, but with any career continuous learning is crucial.
4. Coming in fourth, as indicated by 69 percent of respondents, is up-to-date technical knowledge and skills. But, with ever-changing technology, continuous learning plays a roll in this aspect of your career as well.

In the end Rick adds, “College has helped you scratch the surface of a deep and complex profession, and much of what you need to know, your professors never got around to telling you.”

To see other quotes from respondents, view the article here.

Randall Cabezas - IT Administrator

Networking is an essential part of building any career, whether it is in accounting or something else. Eighty to ninety percent of jobs available today are filled through networking and are never even advertised. This is why networking is so important when looking for a job. The more people you know the more potential prospects and opportunities will arise.

Though it may seem intimidating, it is nothing more than considering every person you meet, and currently know, as a contact. Keeping a list is the easiest way to keep track of all your contacts, whether it is in a Rolodex, on your laptop, or in your cell phone. To start your list, consider all the people you know, from friends, family, professors, doctors, lawyers, contractors, and so on. And, as you continue to meet new people be sure to add them to your list.

It is easy to make every opportunity a networking opportunity. Attending conferences, tradeshows, and work-related events are ideal for developing new contacts, but any person you talk to for any reason represents a potential contact!

Here are some more tips from the AICPA to enhance your network.

Cayci Moon - Audit Intern

In Promoting Your Talent: A Guidebook for Women and Their Firms, Nancy R. Baldiga, CPA interviewed over 50 women, human resource directors, and managing partners to see what their firms were doing to ensure the advancement of women CPAs and staff retention. In the book you can find observations, reflections, and recommendations on how women CPAs can promote their talents along with how firms can promote the talented staff they currently have.

You will also find tips on effective networking, positive mentoring, developing flexible work schedule strategies, advice for young women CPAs, and much more! This book is a must read for every firm and every woman who is looking to make everything she can out of her career in accounting.

To see more information on this book and other must reads, click here.

Julie Stevenson - Audit Manager

Good news! According to the 2008 Salary Guide from Robert Half International, starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals are expected to increase on an average of 4.3 percent in the coming year. Among those projected to see the largest gains are public and general accountants. Steady hiring is also expected to continue in public accounting firms as most are on the hunt to increase their staff due to the increase of service offerings.

Those with one to three years of experience are also greatly sought after as firms look to address “rising workloads and hire their next generation of leaders.” According to the guide, at small firms, professionals in this one to three year experience stage can expect an almost eight percent increase in average starting salaries. Remember, those with CPA credentials earned ten percent more on average as well!

Note: It’s important to remember such factors as location, experience, education level, professional designations, and the size of the firm are taken into account when determining salaries.

For actual salary ranges and more information on a career in accounting, visit The American Institute of Certified Public Accounts webpage.

Leslie Holley - Tax Manager

So, you’re getting ready for to take the CPA exam and have no clue where to start. I want to share with you some helpful tips I found on Monster’s Career Advice website. We all know the CPA exam is hard and more people fail than pass each of the exam’s four parts. Pay attention to these tips carefully and get studying!

Be Careful in Choosing your Accounting Program - William Parrott, associate professor of accounting at the University of South Florida suggests that before you enroll in a college accounting program, find out what percentage of its graduates pass the CPA exam.

Match your Prep Method to your Learning Style - If you learn best by reading, buy review texts or DVDs. If it’s motivation you’re looking for, in-person classes may be the route you should take. If you would like a mixture of both, try an online course.

Shop Around for the Best Deal - Compare costs of different materials and ask about passing rates. Also, ask how the program has adjusted for the new four-part exam format. You may want to ask about money-back guarantees and return policies as well.

Study, Study, Study - Plan to spend anywhere from 450 to 500 hours studying. That equals to about 30 hours a week for a period over 15 or 16 weeks. You will have 18 months to pass all four sections after you pass the first. If you don’t meet the deadline, you will have to start completely over!

Practice Makes Perfect- Use all the materials you have, whether it is an online course or your college textbooks. There is a large amount of information in each section, don’t cram it all into two days and make sure to go over the material multiple times.

Simulate the Exam - The CPA exam is computerized, so practice with a computerized sample test. This way the multiple-choice and simulation questions will look similar on exam day.

For more resources, visit the site.