The world is changing, your career path will change with it. by Rick Telberg If you’re just starting your CPA career and you’re not sure which specialty path to take, don’t fret. Many experienced CPAs are confounded by the same question. Based on CPA Trendlines research by Bay Street Group LLC, practitioners from all parts of the profession note that selecting a niche is among the more befuddling issues facing newly minted accountants. But making the right choice is not of paramount importance to success. A commitment to lifelong learning is.
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Robert Half releases “2008 Salary Guide” MENLO PARK, CA (Robert Half International) — Starting salaries for accounting and finance professionals are expected to increase an average of 4.3 percent in the coming year, according to the just-released 2008 Salary Guide from Robert Half International. Public accountants, financial analysts and internal auditors are projected to see the largest gains. RELATED: Accountants and Auditors – Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition Talent Shortage Beats Health Care as No. 1 Business Problem Take a Cue from Big League Coaches CPAs Find Friendlier Workplaces What CPAs Can Learn from Starbucks about Hiring (and Keeping) Gen Y Workers Winning Firms Know the Secrets of Keeping Good Accountants Best Career Moves for a CPA? Recession? What Recession? [...]
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Bob Jones and bike Bob Jones spent the past summer on a coast-to-coast sight-seeing trip. Nothing unusual about that, except for two things: He did it on a bicycle. And he’s 76 years old. Jones, the managing partner for Towson-based Jones Hall Advisors and a life member of the MACPA, spent 48 days and 3,300 miles on a bicycle as part of last summer’s Big Ride Across America, a fund-raising event to benefit the American Lung Association. Starting June 25 in Seattle, 44 riders averaged 83 miles per day as they made their way to Washington D.C., where they crossed the finish line on Aug. 11. Along the way, they saw, in Jones’ words, “some awesome scenery†and raised some [...]
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Report Highlights International Skills Shortage, Retention Concerns MENLO PARK, CA (Robert Half International) — Employers around the world are feeling the effects of a shortage of accounting and finance professionals, according to the Robert Half International Global Financial Employment Monitor. More than half of the finance and human resources managers surveyed — 56 percent — reported difficulty finding skilled job candidates, and 43 percent expressed concern about losing top performers to other job opportunities. The situation is most severe in Asia, where more than four out of five respondents from both Japan (83 percent) and Hong Kong (82 percent) reported finding skilled financial professionals was a challenge. The international study was developed by Robert Half International, the world’s first and [...]
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REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – California accounting and business students can enhance their career prospects thanks to free résumé postings at www.calcpa.org. The California Society of CPAs is providing the free service for CalCPA student members. “Top employers from throughout California rely on the CalCPA to find professional accounting staff,” said Loretta Doon, CalCPA CEO. “Now we are opening this service to help college students land their first accounting job.” To be eligible for the résumé service, accounting or business students must be CalCPA members. Student memberships cost $30 per year. Students can apply at www.calcpa.org/join. Any employer, including out-of-state employers, can access the CalCPA classified web page and search the site for free. To take advantage of the service, CalCPA [...]
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That’s the intriguing question that accountants in Canada are asking today. The new edition of CA magazine from the Canadian Institute of Charted Accountants reports “female CAs 34 and younger now outnumber their male counterparts. Of the nearly 14,000 CAs in this age group, 51% are women and 49% are men.” This is part of a trend among younger CAs, with the percentage of new members who are women continuing to rise. Fifty-three percent of new CAs admitted in the first six months of 2007 are women, up from 51% in 2006. More at the CICA…
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CPAs say you need more than just good technical skills. What’s your secret? Join the study; get the results. by Rick Telberg People skills are important in everything and in every business, but they have a special significance and separate meaning in the accounting profession. While people skills are a key element of success in any walk of life, it can be argued that CPAs have a professional obligation to take those skills beyond the level of mere communication to the point of empathizing with clients and being able to see things through their eyes. “Many staff members are self-absorbed and are not able or willing to put themselves in the clients’ shoes. Those who are able to be the [...]
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