Negotiating Numerous Job Offers: How to Select the Right One

In the following post, Lewis Daidone offers tips on how to choose from multiple accounting job offers.

Congratulations! You’ve got not one, but several job offers! But… now what? You can only accept one job, so how can you make sure that it’s the right one?

You’re in a fantastic position, and yet you should tread carefully. Here are a few tips for how you can strategically choose the best job.

Decide what you want most from your career.

While a great salary is obviously fantastic, the money shouldn’t be your only consideration. Which job will allow you to use your particular skills? Which job has the most promising career advancement opportunities? In the long run, having a mid-level position at a large firm might be a smarter move than having an advanced position at a small, unproven one. However, a small firm might have a great deal of potential for growth.

Assess the company culture.

Most employers do their best to determine whether new hires will be a good fit with the culture of the organization, but only you can determine whether or not you’ll feel at home. Hopefully, you will have chatted with the staff members during the interview process. Do they seem energized, pleasant, and happy to be a part of the company, or do they seem frustrated and distracted? What sort of environment do you thrive in? Do you like a relaxed, collegial environment, or do you operate better under a more formal structure?

Compare compensation packages.

Don’t necessarily allow yourself to be seduced by goodie bag-style compensation packages. (Gym memberships! Catered lunches! Massages!) Think about your lifestyle and which perks could really save you money, and then think about your career and consider which can help you advance – not only at this particular organization, but anywhere.

Lewis Daidone, CPA, works technology companies and financial services firms as a consultant. For similar updates, visit this blog.

Client Management Difficulties? Here are a Few Tips

In the following article, Lewis Daidone offers tips for talking to clients who are unfamiliar with accounting rules, concepts and terminology.

If you decide to enter the public accounting field, you’ll experience a diverse range of clients. Some will make your job easier; others… not so much. Here are a few things to keep in mind while working with clients with various degrees of accounting literacy and experience.

Use accessible language.

People tend to become brusque or annoyed with accountants because they find accounting concepts difficult to understand. If you can explain the issues in a matter of fact matter straight forward manner (examples are always helpful), you’ll be able to assuage a lot of client anxieties. Never talk down to your client.

Be systematic and specific.

You may find that some of your clients are panicked because they don’t fully understand the reasons for their financial difficulties. It’s your job to break down their problems into manageable components that they can understand. Once that is done, you can address each issue and point out what precisely is and isn’t working.

Listen carefully, and with compassion.

Some clients find it difficult to organize their thoughts. Be patient, and make sure the client is comfortable expressing their concerns and observations. Open and honest communication is necessary in order to effectively and efficiently service clients.

Keep clients informed.

Sometimes client expectations about goals and results and actual progress are two different things. It is very important to set expectations regarding timing and possible outcomes up front. Never make your client feel that they were blindsided or kept in the dark. If things change, inform the client immediately. Communication is key to maintaining good relationships and that, in turn, will result in happy clients.

Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to technology companies and financial services firms.

Should You Relocate? The Pros and Cons of Broadening Your Job Search

In the following post, Lewis Daidone addresses the Pros and Cons of job relocation.

If you’re a recent graduate just starting out in your accounting career, you’re probably open to working in almost any city that seems attractive. However, if you’re considering a mid-career transition, or if you have established roots in your community, the thought of starting again in a new town might seem a bit daunting. If you’re looking for new opportunities or just a change in scenery, here are a few factors that could influence your decision.

Pro: Exciting opportunities

Accountants who are willing to relocate have more options as it relates to career advancement; prospects who are willing to travel are more likely to find their dream job than those who remain in a city where demand for certain accounting specialties may be low.

Con: The stress of moving

The older and more established you are in a particular location, the more difficult it is to move. If you have a family, it might be a challenge to convince them to relocate (especially if you have adolescent children). Moving is very stressful and can put tremendous strain on even the healthiest of family relationships.

Pro: Personal and professional growth

Job relocation is a marvelous opportunity for personal enrichment. Adapting to a different city and expanding your area(s) of expertise will make you a more well-rounded, knowledgeable professional.

Con: It can be a costly gamble, both personally and financially

There is always the possibility that you’ll dislike the new company culture, and that your new position is a bad fit. Then what? You’ve uprooted your whole life for a job you like less than your old one. This is a significant risk, not to be taken lightly – particularly if you move your entire family.

Think carefully about the opportunities a job relocation presents. In my next post, I’ll discuss steps you can take that can not only help you make the best decision, but also ease the transition if you decide to take the job.

Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to technology companies and financial services firms.

Are You a Leader? Honing The Skills that You Need to Succeed in Accounting

Accountants aren’t generally thought of as natural leaders, but Lewis Daidone argues that strong leadership skills are essential to a successful accounting career.

What makes a great leader? Opinions differ—many believe charisma or charm is crucial to leadership; others think confidence and authenticity are the most important qualities. Whichever components ultimately form the building blocks of your particular leadership style, it is incredibly important to communicate, in words and actions, your ability to effectively lead, manage and take control whenever the situation demands it. Here are three ways you can convince your audience, interviewers, and team members that you have the skills to provide firm and valuable direction, even in the most difficult circumstances.

Look the Part

Whether it’s fair or not, humans are heavily influenced by perception. The way you carry yourself when you enter a room can convince an audience of your capabilities, even if you haven’t said a word. While having a clean and professional appearance is important, the way you walk, gesture, and make eye contact can positively or negatively influence those around you. If you aren’t confident in your ability to present yourself or command a room, it could be helpful to spend a session with a career coach.

Speak with Confidence

Have you heard yourself speak? If not, have a friend record you the next time you have a conversation so you can listen to the way you communicate. Is your voice tentative? Do you pepper your phrases with “like”, “ummm”, and “kind of”? These are little tics that diminish the authority of your message, and tell the listener that you aren’t entirely confident of the message that you are trying to convey.

Write with Style

When you communicate through email or text message, craft your words carefully. This is especially important for accountants when they have to communicate concepts that might be unfamiliar to clients or colleagues in different parts of the organization. Make sure your written communications are easily understood, concise, and to the point.

While leadership comes naturally to some people, with some practice and a little effort most people can improve their leadership skills and their opportunities for promotion and advancement.

Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to tech companies and financial services firms.

Afraid of Failure? Don’t Be.

In the following article, Lewis Daidone discusses the value of making (and learning from) the occasional mistake.

When we’re new to a job, we very often live in fear that we’ll mess up something important. It’s natural. Even though no one could reasonably expect a novice to handle everything with total ease and 100 % accuracy, we still expect ourselves to perform to absolute perfection. Here are a few things to remember if you’re wracked with anxiety over the possibility of making a mistake.

No risk, no reward.

It’s a cliché, but it’s nonetheless true. If you don’t challenge yourself and put yourself in a position to succeed, your career will never develop and blossom. Remember: the most successful people didn’t achieve success because they never experienced failure; they just didn’t let failure get in their way. They owned their mistake, learned from it and then never made that same mistake again.

Fix, don’t fixate.

Dwelling on a mistake only makes you reluctant to try again. Try to reframe your approach to dealing with failures. Don’t let the embarrassment become the primary focus, shift your energy towards what actually went wrong, and address it directly. Also, don’t forget that you’ve undoubtedly learned something new during the process, which will benefit you in the long run.

Take the high road.

As soon as you realize that you made a mistake immediately bring it up to your supervisor. Timing is everything and waiting and hoping that your error may go undetected is not a viable, or ethical, solution. Then own it. Resist the urge to absolve yourself of responsibility or make excuses. It not only inhibits your ability to learn from the process, it can diminish you in the eyes of your team members and supervisors. If you own up to your mistake and eagerly move forward, it proves that you are the kind of person who can be trusted.

Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to tech companies and financial services firms.

Working Remotely? Here’s How to Maximize Efficiency

In the following article, Lewis Daidone offers tips for increasing focus when working from home. Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to tech companies and financial services firms.

On the face of it, working from a home office seems like a luxury. You don’t have that horrible commute, you don’t have to adhere to a dress code, and you have more flexibility with your schedule. However, sometimes it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. When your home is your office, you can never seem to entirely get away from your job, and it can be difficult to work through some distractions (when a pipe suddenly bursts, you don’t just call maintenance—it’s a problem you are forced to deal with). If you struggle with staying focused while working in your living space, here are a few tips that might help you get back on track.

Have a separate space specifically for work.

Depending upon the size of your home, this might not be entirely possible, but having a space entirely dedicated to work matters is tremendously helpful in minimizing distractions. When you’re working in your space, make sure you insulate yourself from home-related matters as best you can. No television, food, or social media allowed. If you get a personal phone call, remove yourself totally from the work space until it is finished, and only then, return.

Be strict with your schedule.

Cultivate the discipline to start work at a certain time every day, and finish at a certain time every day. It could also be helpful to dress for work—even though you’re only reporting to yourself. As nice as it is to be able to work in sweatpants, if you just spend the day lounging around, your initiative could dwindle—along with your productivity.

Don’t become too isolated.

Try to get out of your house during your break times. Go for a walk, or have lunch in a nearby park. Knowing that you have a break time will help you compartmentalize your work obligations from your personal life more effectively. Spending your entire day cooped up in your own home can upset your work/life balance dramatically.

Working from home effectively takes a surprising amount of discipline, but setting parameters for yourself will help you to effectively meet your professional obligations.

New Grads: Dress For Success!

In the following post, Lewis Daidone discusses how looking your absolute best not only helps boost your confidence, it inspires confidence in others. Lewis Daidone is a Certified Public Accountant and a consultant to tech companies and financial services firms.

Although dress codes have become more relaxed, there are still many firms that will require you to observe certain—possibly fairly rigid—dress codes. Even if you have to wear business professional attire, you can still comply and look unique and stylish, too. When you look polished, well-groomed, and professional, you create an unmistakable aura of success. Here are a few basic tips for looking like a million bucks in the workplace.

Tailor your suits.

Few young people bother to have their suits professionally tailored; you can tell by the boxy, bunching, ill-fitting suit jackets they wear. Both men and women can benefit from employing the services of a tailor – your clothing will look well-made, and you will look slimmer and more comfortable, too.

Keep it conservative, but add a little color

While business attire is meant to communicate proficiency and seriousness, you’re probably not going to be at your professional best if you feel like you’re dressed as an imposter. If you’re concerned about masking your individuality by wearing conservative clothing, you can always add hints of your personal style in the form of one or two colorful accessories, like argyle socks, a brightly colored handkerchief or scarf, or a bold tie-clip.

Try unique accessories.

Having a few elements of tasteful whimsy in your wardrobe actually serves a professional purpose. While strict business professional attire can be intimidating to some (particularly if you’re working with clients), having a few items that showcase your fun side can let people know that you’re open and relatable. Cufflinks; suspenders; a nice, heavy watch; a tie pin—are all acceptable business attire, while simultaneously being great additions for wardrobe personalization.

It might seem obvious, but if you’re going to shine in the workplace, it is extremely important to shine on the outside, too. You will not only look the part, you will feel it, too.