WebCPA - Tools and Resources for the Electronic Accountant

Advanced Search

• Home
• Newswire
• Current Issue
• Blogs
• Web Seminars
• Virtual Trade Show
• Events
• E-Newsletters
• Marketplace
• RSS
• Special Offers

An intergenerational mix of news and opinion.

Articles

• Next Generation Thinking

  October 13, 2009

  Just who is Rebecca Ryan? Among her staff at Next Generation Consulting, a market research firm in Madison, Wis. – which is dedicated to, you guessed it, the next generation -- she’s known as “evangelist-in-residence.” We caught up with the most recent member of The Advisory Board to pick her brain for intergenerational insights, including how to deal with those partners (young and old) who are reluctant to change.

• Grant Thornton Execs Talk Work/Life Balance

  October 5, 2009

  Stephen Chipman, incoming chief executive of Grant Thornton LLP and Ed Nusbaum, incoming chief executive of Grant Thornton International, talk to Accounting Today Editor-in-Chief Bill Carlino about why a recent college grad should choose their firm. We also learn that, yes, Nusbaum has his own iPod.

• Young CPAs Wanted!

  September 29, 2009

  I know, I know you’re used to being in demand. But if you’re a young CPA (let me clarify, if you’re under the age of 40, “young” is a state of mind for many, I was kindly reminded of recently) and have broken out of the traditional firm mentality, contact me for a story I’m working on.

• Why Ask Why?

  September 21, 2009

  I’m working on our annual women in accounting feature and one question keeps popping up: why, in 2009, are we still discussing the lack of high ranking women in the profession?

• Putting the buzz in biz dev

  September 14, 2009

  Adam Wolf is the type of guy you’d want to bring along to a networking event or have as a guest at a dinner party. He’s got a plethora of stories to tell, is a fast (and smooth) talker, and naturally knows how to bring people who would benefit from each other together. Not to mention, he likes wine. We recently caught up with the busy director of marketing and business development for CPA and business advisory form Grassi & Co. and he shared a few tricks he’s got up his sleeve.

• It's Delicious!

  September 8, 2009

  If you haven’t heard of the social bookmarking site, Delicious, you may be living in a cave.

• Clifton Gunderson Women’s Initiative Takes Off

  August 31, 2009

  What's it take to create a successful women's initiative? Gale Crosley, principal of Crosley + Company in Atlanta, talks to Rick Goldenson, partner and initiative co-chair at Clifton Gunderson, about their award-winning program.

• The Benefits of Community Service

  August 24, 2009

  The economy has left many people, and the nonprofit organizations they rely on, in crisis. As a result, community service is more critical than ever.

• Reflections From the Leadership Academy (Part III)

  August 17, 2009

  I recently read an article challenging the reader to sum up one’s leadership in six words. I decided to apply this same challenge in describing my experience at the AICPA Leadership Academy. My six words: Amazing professionals. Thought provoking. Life Changing.

• Reflections from the Leadership Academy (Part II)

  August 10, 2009

  All too often, professional leadership seminars fail to live up to their potential for lively, intellectually engaging discussions about current issues and those on the forefront. I recently returned from the AICPA’s Inaugural Leadership Academy in Chicago where 28 young CPAs discussed topics affecting accountants everywhere.

• Reflections from the Leadership Academy (Part I)

  August 4, 2009

  In Fall 2008, I read about AICPA Board Chair Ernie Almonte’s vision for the Leadership Academy with great interest. Fast forward eight months, where I had the opportunity to travel to Chicago and attend the Academy.

• Getting Started in the World of Social Media

  July 28, 2009

  As a new or young accountant there are a number of responsibilities and challenges on your plate.

• Just Say No to Shuffleboard

  July 20, 2009

  Seven in ten Americans ages 45-74 say they plan to work in retirement or never retire, according to AARP. In stark contradiction to the single paradigm of retirement as an end to work, older Americans are redesigning the whole notion of life and work.

• Program Gives Young African American Associates Career Skills

  July 13, 2009

  Malik, a first-year African-American associate assigned to a major accounting firm’s California office, frets that he has blown his one chance to make a good first impression. Why? Read a report from 'We're About Success,' a program dedicated to advance young African Americans in accounting.

• Everything is Beginning to Add Up

  July 6, 2009

  Meet Jennifer Estrella. She's a first-generation college graduate who is about to start working as an associate at Ernst & Young in the fall. Read about her journey and her love for numbers in today's story.

• Tiptoeing Into Twitter

  June 29, 2009

  I’m not a fan of Twitter. And, I have been secretly rebelling against it since we were told we needed to start tweeting.

• Owning Your Career from the Start

  June 22, 2009

  You made it. After the grueling pressure of finals, all-nighters, working several jobs, and extra-curricular activities, you have graduated from college and landed the job that made it all worthwhile.

• The Business Discipline of Practice Growth: Foundations of a Professional Web site

  June 15, 2009

  Don’t pretend that your practice’s Web site is a minor obligation to be thrown together and slapped up on the Internet never to be dealt with again. As the populous becomes increasingly internet savvy, so too does the accounting profession. Proper website design does not require a lot of money, but it does require smart construction.

• Top Five Reasons Why Now Could Be the Best Time to Consider a Sabbatical

  June 8, 2009

  As we continue to be immersed in an economic downturn, business leaders are struggling with concerns about talent recruitment and retention, motivating employees with dwindling resources, and bolstering productivity and innovation. But are granting sabbaticals a viable answer?

• Second Chance For Second Life

  June 1, 2009

  How virtual can accountants actually become?

• From the Mouths of Young CPAs

  May 26, 2009

  Think you know what young CPAs want from their firms? Think again. In November 2008, a group of 15 young staff from Chicago area firms got together for the Fourth Annual Rosenberg Associates Staff Forum to get candid about what it’s really like to be young and just starting out in an accounting firm.

• Making A Personal Commitment to Mentoring

  May 18, 2009

  What could be more gratifying than helping someone reach their personal best? Don't underestimate the power of mentoring a young professional and the effect a single conversation can have that person's life.

• Onboarding New Staff

  May 11, 2009

  Young ambassadors, buddies, social networks, Wii games, and iPods: The tools to attract and integrate new staffers are changing.

• The ROI of Social Networking

  May 4, 2009

  People are jumping on the social networking bandwagon left and right in hopes of drumming up more business. But is it working?

• The Tech Question in Recruitment

  April 27, 2009

  Aggressive use of technology, including social networks, in recruiting no longer begins and ends with a firm’s Web site. But it sure plays a major role.

• Profession, academia join in effort to boost ranks of Ph.Ds

  April 20, 2009

  Each year, approximately 140 students graduate with a Ph.D in accounting - not nearly enough to sustain the demand estimated at 500, according to research by David Leslie, chancellor professor of education at the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.

• Tomorrow's Look Today

  April 20, 2009

  Accounting Tomorrow needs you.

• A New Generation of Web Tools

  April 14, 2009

  Technology is supposed to make our lives easier – that is if we know what we’re using. With a variety of free tools on the market, it’s hard to decipher or find the time to investigate the best of the best. Nicholas Gaffney, a partner at Infinite Public Relations in San Francisco, offers a list of his firm’s top choices of collaboration and productivity tools for all generations.

• Follow Along With Texas Young CPAs

  April 8, 2009

  Texas Society of CPAs is gearing up for its second Young CPAs and Emerging Professionals Conference and even if you're not going, you can read all about the happenings - before and after - on a recently launched blog.

• Buddy Systems Created By Youth

  April 7, 2009

  Like many good ideas, Weiser's Buddy System started over drinks.

• Mark Your Calendars

  April 7, 2009

  Young CPAs in the Cincinnati area who haven't acquainted themselves with The Ohio State Society of CPAs could do so on May 7- especially if you're looking for a brush up on personal financial planning.

• Advising Younger Generations About Investing

  April 5, 2009

  Gen X and Y may reap some big benefits from the bear market, and advisors who target those generations could profit from helping them.

• Beware the Taxman (or Student)

  April 2, 2009

  Tax evaders beware. Pittsburg State University students are coming to get you.

• Young Adults "A Little Flabby" When it Comes to Financial Fitness

  April 1, 2009

  Did you know that two-thirds of young adults between the ages of 23 and 28 consider financial fitness more important than physical fitness? At least, according to a new survey released by Schwab.

• New Survey Says Firms Need to Step It Up

  April 1, 2009

  Think your firm is meeting the needs of your younger staff? In the words of rapper Ice Cube, you might want to "check yourself before you wreck yourself" with that assumption.

• Why I'm Not on Facebook (Personally)

  March 30, 2009

  My colleague and co-editor, Liz Gold, asked me why I'm one of the only Gen Xers in the world who doesn't have a personal Facebook page.

• Employee Energy Fuels Profession's "Green" Initiatives

  March 30, 2009

  "Going green" has evolved beyond a trendy catchphrase -- it has paid financial dividends and has often helped bridge the generational gap at CPA firms.

• Long Island's College Accounting Showdown

  March 26, 2009

  It was a nailbiter until the end at the C.W. Post campus of Long Island University during Margolin, Winer & Evens LLP's first annual College Accounting Challenge, but it's the students from the College at Old Westbury who will be bringing home a glass award to display in their accounting department.

• Why Young Staffers Leave

  March 26, 2009

  Reasons vary why professional Gen Y or new-to-the-firm Gen X staff might leave a firm, but that some reasons stand out, according to firms recently surveyed.

• Asian Accountancy Students Already Have Job Offers

  March 25, 2009

  Some Asian accountancy students are landing jobs way before they graduate, especially if they had been interns in the firm in their earlier undergraduate years and deemed good enough to be offered a permanent place, according to a Singapore publication.

• Is it OK to Fire Your Clients?

  March 24, 2009

  Is it OK for accountants to give their less profitable clients the boot and only keep the ones that make their firms the most money?

• Four Generations of CPAs in One Family

  March 22, 2009

  When Ashly Bower's mother graduated from Bowling Green State University in 1979, she was one of only a few accounting students at the Ohio school.

• Why Bother Becoming a CPA?

  March 20, 2009

  Our Facebook friend Jane Lee of the Ohio Society of CPAs shared a link touting the benefits of becoming a CPA.

• Women & Power Across the Generations

  March 18, 2009

  Many of us are cutting down our conference and travel budgets, however, ladies if you have some extra dough and a special interest in intergenerational relations within the female gender, you may just want to consider adding another to your list.

• Meet the Economommies

  March 17, 2009

  With the employment outlook turning bleaker by the day, many white collar moms who opted out of the workforce to focus on their kids are scrambling to get back in, according to a recent story in Time Magazine.

• The Top 14 Myths about Generation Y in the Workplace

  March 16, 2009

  The author of several books about managing Gen Y offers some common misconceptions about what the younger generation will and won't do in the workplace.

• Fear Across Generations

  March 15, 2009

  Each generation grew up fearing something different.

• Cool Blog Alert

  March 12, 2009

  Want to really know what an intern at a Big Four firm is thinking? Now you can, because one accounting elf is writing about it all online.

• Accounting Students to Square Off in Long Island

  March 11, 2009

  Senior accounting majors at four colleges in Long Island, New York are gearing up to show their skills at a quiz-show style event on March 25, knowing that whichever school wins will have bragging rights for the remainder of the year.

• Twitter: Here, There and Everywhere

  March 10, 2009

  Looking for some beginner advice on how to maximize your "tweet" potential and navigate around social networking's latest party? One novice Twitter user (from Dublin, Ireland) offers his advice to the mix.

• Holding onto Paper and Letting Go

  March 9, 2009

  How do you deal with the old guys? A Rutgers college journalism student posed that question to me when I visited my alma matter this semester to talk to a class about newsroom management.

• Dealing With Financial Stress

  March 8, 2009

  Multiple generations are handling the economic crisis in very different ways.

• Facebook Gets Older

  March 5, 2009

  If you think Facebook is kids' stuff, think again.

• Get With the Program, Buddy

  March 4, 2009

  Someone hasn't been reading Accounting Tomorrow. Baby Boomers are apparently the only generation who talk about intergenerational issues, at least, according to one director of a human resources professionals association in Canada. Let's hope the members of his association don't also think this way.

• HLB Gross Collins Offers Hope

  March 3, 2009

  Gen Yers like working for companies that participate in their community.

• Mentoring For All Generations

  March 2, 2009

  As a Boomer mentor, if you wonder why Xers and Yers don't seem to be willing to work past 5 p.m., or that some of your staff mysteriously quit without much explanation, then you're still adjusting to the attitudes of Generation X and Y.

• Talking 'Bout Their Generations

  March 1, 2009

  What should companies do when they have three generations of workers who just don't understand each other?

• Holding On to Paper and Letting Go

  March 1, 2009

  How do you deal with the old guys? A Rutgers college journalism student posed that question to me when I visited my alma matter this semester to talk to a class about newsroom management.

• AICPA: Looking for Young Leaders

  February 26, 2009

  Have your eye on a special young CPA superstar within your firm? Nominate that individual to take part in an inaugural Leadership Academy sponsored by the American Institute of CPAs.

• Drawing up the Intergenerational Dynamic

  February 25, 2009

  Familiar with Dilbert, that lovable cartoon character that gives corporate cubesters a chuckle every day?

• Retain This: Young People Bring the Benefits

  February 24, 2009

  When a firm has hired 40 to 45 new class graduates each year for the past four years, it makes sense that their employee population would get a lot younger. And what does a firm gain with a younger population? Energy, enthusiasm and well, insight. At least for one New England firm.

• The Interview Process--Both Sides of the Table

  February 23, 2009

  Sarah Krom went from being interviewed for an internship at Cowan Gunteski & Co. to interviewing new intern candidates in a handful of years. She shared her views from both sides of the table in today's story.

• Managing Gen Y in a Downturn

  February 20, 2009

  Just because some of the latest graduates to enter the workforce have had to resort to asking their parents for rent money doesn't mean they don't still have high standards for their employers.

• A Place Where Job Seekers Choose Their Own Adventure

  February 19, 2009

  Looking to beef up your portfolio of potential employees? Take a lesson from one savvy California firm.

• Gen Y's Reality Check

  February 18, 2009

  Proving generational clashes aren't only taking place in the states, we found an article in an Australian small business publication quoting a 24-year-old KPMG employee in Melbourne worried about her future for the first time after her two close friends lost their jobs.

• The Crimson Reasons for Intergenerational Conflict

  February 18, 2009

  Why do we misunderstand each other in the workplace? One Harvard Business Review columnist gives us her four reasons why - each centered around team activities.

• We're on Facebook---R U?

  February 17, 2009

  David Bergstein, Hamilton High School Class of '63 is an inspiration to Accounting Tomorrow. "I am a CPA of Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and until Infinity," Bergstein wrote on our Facebook wall. "I can listen to my iPod, text and hit the tenkey at the same time." (Yes, David, we do know what that is.)

• iPods Are Not The Enemy

  February 12, 2009

  Banning the use of iPods, Facebook, blogs and the Internet is a hostile work environment for anyone under the age of 35. At least that's what one marketing consultant told me.

• Technological Etiquette for Today's Job Seekers

  February 11, 2009

  It's bad enough that you've lost your job. It's even worse knowing you must compete with a glut of talented unemployed folks who've also hit the "recession jackpot." But if your first impulse upon getting the ax is to run home and email, text and "friend" every potential employer you can think of, slow down.

• Retiring: It's Not What's For Dinner

  February 10, 2009

  Retirement doesn't have to be just about bingo and shuffleboard.

• Accounting Tomorrow: The Emerging Leader

  February 9, 2009

  Are leaders born or are they made? Are you a firm owner still thinking like an employee? Your new, desired behavior starts with one simple word: change.

• What Recession?

  February 9, 2009

  Millennials still believe the future is bright. According to a survey of 2,000 people conducted by Pepsi as part of the company's Optimism Project, 94 percent of Gen Yers feel optimistic about the future.

• Texting Across Generations

  February 7, 2009

  Sitting around the dinner table with four generations of family members reminded me how important it is for individuals to communicate about their preferred method of communication.

• 70 Is the New 65

  February 6, 2009

  Many Americans are planning to delay retirement, postpone vacations and reconsider buying or selling their homes as the result of the economy, according to a new survey by the American Institute of CPAs.

• Commerce Students Told Not to Despair

  February 4, 2009

  Yes, it's true. Recession-proof jobs do still exist in the financial industry--at least according to one Canadian student newspaper.

• Keeping Those Millennials Happy and Productive

  February 3, 2009

  You've heard it before and you'll hear it again: the younger generation is key to boosting your bottom line.

• OMG, They're Texting!

  February 2, 2009

  "OMG! City teachers alarmed as IM speak sneaks into students' writing." The cover of amNew York, a local tabloid shouted at me and I couldn't help but pick it up to read more.

• What Millennials Want

  February 1, 2009

• Should Firms Stop Seeking More Work?

  January 29, 2009

  If a firm already has as much work as it can handle and has difficulty finding competent staff, isn't it irresponsible to be looking for even more work?

• Think Twice Before You Rip Off Your Name Tag

  January 28, 2009

  We all know name tags as those dorky stickers that we're made to wear during networking events. We reluctantly pen our name and then stick it to our chests in an effort to make ourselves more approachable. Well, what would happen if we intentionally left them on, even after the event was over?

• Got Talent? Are They Prepared for the Future?

  January 27, 2009

  There is no time like the present for firm leaders to take a very hard look at their current team--from entry-level to senior manager and even at newer partners and ask: Are they adequately equipped to market, sell and provide the kind of relationship-building environment to acquire and keep new clients (and new staff)?

• Cultivating an Intergenerational Financial Planning Model

  January 27, 2009

  Here's a smart idea for all you financial planners out there. Target the children of your Baby Boomer clients.

• Virginia Tech accounting student stabbed and killed

  January 26, 2009

  Accounting Tomorrow extends its deepest condolences to the family, friends and classmates of Xin Yang, 22, an accounting student at Virginia Tech who was decapitated on Jan. 21.

• Fun and Games

  January 22, 2009

  An increasing number of companies are promoting social responsibility in the form of volunteering in their local communities. One of the Big Four accounting firms is giving high school accounting students a chance to help the United Way with what they learned in class.

• Young people make it happen

  January 22, 2009

  Coming back from Washington D.C. for Barack Obama's historic inauguration validated what I already knew about this election: the youth most definitely rocked the vote.

• Recession-Proof Your Job Search

  January 21, 2009

  PricewaterhouseCoopers offers "10 Tips to Recession-Proof Your Job Search" on PwC.tv. The tips target recent college grads, but can really apply to anyone who is trying to get a fresh start on their career.

• Social networking @ work: What's your policy?

  January 20, 2009

  You've seen it happen. During a moment of "down time" an employee is clicking around on a social networking site of choice and there you are - a manager or supervisor having caught glimpse of this - unsure about what you should do about it.

• Interns Are People Too

  January 15, 2009

  One of the first rules in retaining younger employees? Give them a job description.

• Younger Bosses

  January 14, 2009

  At 27 years old, Rep. Aaron Schock of Illinois is the youngest member of Congress and the first to be born in the 1980s. Time conducted an interview with him last week, which made it abundantly clear that he is not fazed by his age.

• Name Mix-ups on Social Networking Sites

  January 14, 2009

  We know that some employers look to social networking sites to vet their potential new hires.

• Reducing Your Firm's Carbon Footprint

  January 12, 2009

  What are you doing to reduce your firm's carbon footprint?

• IFRS Goes to College

  January 9, 2009

  Colleges and students trying to understand International Financial Reporting Standards now have access to free course materials and case studies through Deloitte's IFRS University Consortium.

• Blogging in Academia

  January 9, 2009

  Who wouldn't want to peer into the minds of the people who hold enormous influence over the accounting profession's future?

• High-Schoolers Show Off Financial Prowess

  January 8, 2009

  Who says kids don't know anything about money?

• The Obama Effect

  January 6, 2009

  Inspired by the incoming administration, specialized accountants are listed among the most wanted new jobs, according to one career Web site.

• It's Not Your Mother's Facebook?

  January 6, 2009

  Think Facebook is just for the young folks? Think again. More and more Boomers are catching on to the popular social networking site and reaping the benefits.

• Don't Scare the Old People

  January 5, 2009

  As we usher in the New Year, it's only natural to get rid of clutter that has kicked around too long.

• Financial Statement Services make for Big Claims

  January 1, 2009

  Financial statement services, especially those involving audits, third-party creditors, and fraud, produce the largest claims in terms of total dollar amounts incurred (severity), according to a new report from insurer Camico.

• Blended Living

  January 1, 2009

  This new term "blended living" might come in handy when formulating work/life plans in your firm.

• Women's Leader Initiative and Strategies

  January 1, 2009

  "Women have been in the profession in equal numbers to men for more than 20 years, yet women represent just 19 percent of the U.S. public accounting shareholder/partner population," reads just one statistic in "The Attraction, Retention and Advancement of Women Leaders: Strategies for Organizational Sustainability, a report released in October by the AICPAs' Women's Initiatives Executive Committee.

• Inspiring Change and Making a Difference

  December 24, 2008

  Let's be real: women have always been trailblazers when it comes to their careers because they've had to be.

• The Grinch Who Stole Christmas

  December 23, 2008

  I've heard at least half a dozen people complain about their lack of a holiday party this year.

• What the Younger Accountant Learns from the Retiring

  December 19, 2008

  A young accountant spends a week at his new office with the retiring accountant he is replacing.

• From the Mouth of a Mentor

  December 18, 2008

  Are you trying to establish a mentoring program within your firm that sticks?

• Bringing Firm Leadership to the Next Level

  December 17, 2008

  It's one thing to be a leader within your firm, however, it's quite another to also be a leader within your community.

• Helping Employees Prepare for the CPA Exam

  December 15, 2008

  "Back when I took the exam, we had to take all four parts of the exam at once and it was on paper! These kids coming up have it easy." Sound familiar? I'm sure someone in your firm has uttered these words or something similar. My advice - stop! CPA candidates understand that the exam has changed, and which format is more difficult is irrelevant. The fact of the matter is that both formats are extremely difficult to pass.

• What Millennials Want

  December 12, 2008

  Did you know Millennials, or 20 something staffers, grew up with overprotective and involved parents who offered their opinions on everything?

• Weiser's Sandwich Guy Story Garnished with Fabrication

  December 12, 2008

  If you're any type of news junkie, most likely you've heard the story regarding the unemployed investment banker with the MIT degree who flanked himself in a sandwich board, parading on New York's Park Avenue this summer, bearing his credentials.

• No-Show Job Candidates

  December 11, 2008

  My editor, Bob Scott, called me from an Information Technology Alliance conference this week to report some seemingly unbelievable news: Several attendees were complaining about candidates who didn't show up for job interviews.

• Calling All Alumni

  December 10, 2008

  Has your firm recently lost accountants to retirement? Maybe it's time to tap into those firm alumni for extra help during busy season.

• Catching Up With Mark Koziel

  December 8, 2008

  If you are interested in how the accounting profession is evolving, you might want to keep Mark Koziel on speed dial.

• Study: Accounting Students Choose Employers for Career Opportunities

  December 5, 2008

  Career opportunities is the No. 1 criteria for today's accounting students when choosing an employer, according to a survey by KPMG.

• Innovation over Cocktails Nets the Young People

  December 4, 2008

  Looking to get younger accountants through your doors? Try hosting a speed-dating event along with cocktails.

• More Recruiting Woes

  December 3, 2008

  Thanks to the Uniform Accountancy Act, beginning in 2010 in New York and 2012 in Pennsylvania, undergraduate accounting students will be required to complete 150 hours of related course work before sitting for the CPA exam.

• Peter Sheahan Demystifies Gen Y

  December 1, 2008

  When Peter Sheahan took the stage at CCH's user conference this fall, he knew many of the Boomer accountants in the audience were going to flat-out hate him.

• Sweet Rewards

  November 26, 2008

  Young employees will take a marshmallow today vs. a package of marshmallows tomorrow.

• Wanted: Stellar Rookies in Accounting Marketing

  November 25, 2008

  Got a new marketing superstar in your firm you want to recognize?

• Aronson & Company Gets 'Extreme'

  November 25, 2008

  Reality TV addicts, here's an interesting nugget for you.

• It's Not Easy Being Green

  November 21, 2008

  Gen Xers grew up recycling in elementary school and I, at least, was told to scold my parents if they didn't recycle, too.

• Do Something!

  November 20, 2008

  Gen Xers on average will switch jobs seven times in their lifetime. Know how many jobs Gen Yers will have?

• Welcome to Tomorrow

  November 10, 2008

  Who says CPAs are boring? Conservative, maybe. But boring? That's disputable.