Off the Ledger
Your days as a college student are almost numbered. The working world is calling. As you get ready to embark on your career, you have to be thinking, “What am I going to do when I graduate?” “Is a job in public accounting right for me?”
Where do you want to go?
You have so many options. Big firm or small? How do you decide? Where can you go to get the real, honest look at a career in public accounting? What is it REALLY like to be an intern? What will my life be like as a staff accountant?
See your future...
At Porter Keadle Moore, LLP (PKM) we’re here to help. We’ve created this blog site just for you! To help you find answers to these and other questions about working in a public accounting firm. Real interns and brand new staff accountants chronicle their experiences with our firm. Read what they have to say. Ask questions, share your opinions and we’ll respond.
How To Separate Work and Play
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.
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