Balancing Parenthood and Work as an Accountant

Posted on September 20, 2011 by Sarah Friesen

The past year in a new career as an accountant has been full of transitions for me. And there’s one transition I truly welcome: that of my work-life balance.

Now, I know there are some of you who want to scream at me for saying this. “Work-life balance in accounting?! What are you talking about?” I know many of you put in grueling workweeks during tax season and barely see your family or friends during that time.

But I don’t say this to gloat. I’ve been in my own version of the trenches, too. When I was a journalist, the unpredictable nature of the news cycle played havoc with my need to have a predictable parenting schedule. As an editor in a busy newsroom, I used to panic when news broke late in the day, because all I could think was, “I don’t have time for this! Day care is closing in 45 minutes!” How to balance the sense of duty to my job while knowing that my son needed to be picked up no later than 6:15? I either felt like a disloyal journalist or a bad mother. I can’t tell you how many times I cut the end-of-the-workday timing so close that my racing heart threatened to explode out of my chest as I fought through rush-hour traffic to the day-care center.

All of that played a role, among others, in my decision to leave journalism and retrain for a new career. And to my relief, I’m finding much more balance as an accountant in private industry. Of course, there are busy days and deadlines to meet, times when I wish there were 40 hours in the day so I could get more done. But the tasks and projects in my current role are relatively predictable and thus easier to manage and organize. There is no breaking news. I also like knowing that if I don’t get everything done on a given workday that I set out to accomplish, I can leave work when it’s time to pick up my son from preschool, then later after he’s gone to bed, I can finish my work at home. It’s a wonderful escape valve that helps me meet the goals of both work and parenthood.

Plus, having my own sense of accomplishment from work makes me a happier mother. Although that may sound clichéd, it’s true.

That’s not to say I never experience working-mother guilt, or feel that tug at my heart when there’s a field trip scheduled for my son’s class and I know I’m not able to leave work in order to tag along. And I know as my son gets older and moves up through school, our schedules will have to keep evolving and become ever more flexible. But all in all, I’m happy with the balance I’ve struck.

Filed under: Private Industry, Tax Season, Work/Life Balance | Tagged: , | Leave a Comment »

OSCPA’s Coaching Program is Action Packed!

Posted on September 12, 2011 by Heather Zeitzwolfe

When I went back to school to study accounting, the professional world of CPAs was a shrouded mystery. As I frequently do, I turned to my vast DVD collection for answers. Surely, there must be a great film about accountants. I scoured dramas, documentaries, thrillers and even comedies. The result was slim and depressing. Hollywood has offered us a bountiful selection of tenacious lawyers, dedicated doctors and passionate entrepreneurs. However, in the movies, the occasional accountant character predictably turns out to be a criminal. I realized embezzlement creates a more exciting story than watching someone fill out tax returns for 90 minutes, but I persisted in my search of a role model regardless of how lackluster the plot.

All my life, movies have served as my barometer, so I felt quite lost without my cinematic guidepost. How was I supposed to navigate solo through this whirlpool of alphabet soup (FASB, IFRS, GAAP, SEC, AICPA, APB, CAP, FASAC, EITF, PCAOB, etc) without drowning in its vortex? I felt as if I were alone on the high seas. What I needed was a captain, someone I could depend on to guide my ship in the right direction when the darkness came or the fog rolled in.

After maneuvering through the choppy waves, I hoisted my sails and set forth in search of a safe retreat, eventually anchoring my vessel at the OSCPA website. There located between the Home page and the Members Section, I found my buried treasure – OSCPA’s Coaching Program! Ahoy, Matey! After navigating through the enrollment process, I was eventually assigned a captain (a.k.a. coach). He was a very wise man, with years of experience manning the treacherous seas of tax codes and law. I bombarded him with questions ranging from the ridiculous to the mundane, but he never made me walk the plank. Although I was like a mere cabin boy, he made me feel important and treated me with the respect deserving of a coxswain. My confidence grew and soon my vessel had reached the arc of visibility.

Although my adventures were not exactly straight out of Master & Commander and my coach did not speak with a British accent like Russell Crowe, nevertheless it gave me pause. I realized I had been searching in the wrong genre for my celluloid role model. I had completely overlooked action! I quickly scanned the titles within that section of my personal DVD library. There it was in all its glory, Brian De Palma’s film, The Untouchables. Yes, of course, in this classic piece of action cinema the unsung hero is the accountant (Wallace), who in real life (Frank J. Wilson) was victorious in bringing down Al Capone for tax evasion! I knew accounting was exciting and here was my proof!

Whether you are an accounting professional or student, you too can get in on the action, by signing up for OSCPA’s Coaching Program.

I would like to extend a special thanks to Jason Orme from Talbot, Korvola & Warwick, LLP for being my coach.

Editors Note: We also recently sat down with Doug Lacher, Fellner & Kuhn PC in Portland, who talked about his experiences as a student and now as a mentor in the OSCPA Coaching Program. Watch the video below. 

Filed under: Accounting Degree, Public Accounting | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Volunteering – Help Others and Help Yourself

Posted on September 6, 2011 by Kris McDowell

by Diane Thiercof

Take a second and imagine the world without volunteers. How would it be when a natural disaster occurs and there are no volunteers to deliver aid and rebuild communities? How would schools volunteer without the participation of parents and others who volunteer their time?

Luckily, this isn’t our reality. Volunteerism is a large part of our culture. It has a positive, meaningful impact on our community, but what is even more interesting is that volunteering has many benefits for volunteers as well! Volunteering gives us a sense of belonging, achievement and can even
improve our careers.

Belonging

As we go through the hustle and bustle of our days it may be
easy to forget about the community where we live. People depend on one another in communities and volunteering is one way to give back and show that you care about the wellbeing of those in your community. I recently participated in a Habitat for Humanity event where I worked closely with those in my community to build a home. People who lived in the area as well as the family who will live in the home came out to help make a dream a reality. Have you ever considered volunteering for Habitat for Humanity? If so, click here to find out more information about projects currently going on in the community. This is a great opportunity for groups as well so talk to your employer or friends and see if you can find others who want to join you.

Achievement

We volunteer because we are enthusiastic about helping others and are happy to give of our time freely. While doing this, we will also benefit from a sense of accomplishment. We also have the opportunity to learn a new skill or develop a new hobby. Sometimes when we do get caught up in the everyday happenings of life it is nice to find an escape to the routine.  Many people do this with hobbies. Volunteering could be a way to expand your
interests and allow you to explore other opportunities.

Volunteering can also boost your career.

Did you know…

  • 73% of employers would recruit a candidate with volunteering experience over one without
  • 94% of employers believe that volunteering can add to skills
  • 94% of employees who volunteered to learn new skills benefited either by getting their first job, improving salary or being promoted

(From a survey by Timebank through Reed Executive)

I know I have truly benefited in my career from being a volunteer for the Oregon Society of CPAs. You may be surprised at the opportunities available to you. I encourage you to look here to see what types of teams you can join. Volunteering with the Career Development team was a talking point in my last interview and helped me to land my current job. You never know what these opportunities will led to, but most importantly they can really be a benefit to YOU!

Filed under: Job Search | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

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