Week-End: Formula for Success

Everyone wants personal success and to learn the keys to success. Everyone wants to have a happy, healthy life, do meaningful work, and achieve financial independence. Everyone wants to make a difference in the world, to be significant, to have a positive impact on those around him or her. Everyone wants to do something wonderful with his or her life.

The great keys to success to change your life have always been the same. Here are the four keys to success.

-       Decide exactly what you want and where you want to go.

-       Set a deadline and make a plan to get there. (Remember, a goal is just a dream with a deadline.)

-       Take action on your plan; do something everyday to move toward your goal.

-       Resolve in advance that you will persist until you succeed, that you will never, ever give up.

This formula is your key to success and has worked for almost everyone who has ever tried it.  It will require the very most you can give and the best qualities you can develop. In developing and following these keys to personal success, you will evolve and grow to become an extraordinary person.

Reference: 

http://www.briantracy.com/blog/personal-success/personal-success-keys-to-success-change-your-life/

Week-End: Interview tips. Video by PWC

Amp up your interview!

Express yourself with the power of storytelling. Be authentic and memorable!

Here is a practical application of some of the top Interview tips from PWC US recruiter.

Week-end: Work-Life Balance

Work life balance is a concept including proper prioritizing between work (career and ambition) and lifestyle (health, pleasure, leisure, family and spiritual development/meditation). It is a concept that supports the efforts of employees to split their time and energy between work and the other important aspects of their lives. It is a daily effort to make time for family, friends, community participation, spirituality, personal growth, self-care, and other personal activities in addition to the demands of workplace. Effective work-life balance encourages employees to work harder and discourage them from quitting their jobs. Work life balance means something different to every individual, but health and career experts share some tips to help you find the balance that’s right for you. The key to avoid burning is to let go of perfectionism, says executive coach Marilyn Puder-York PhD, who wrote the official Survival Guide. As life gets more expanded its very hard both neurologically and psychologically to bring perfection. She recommend dedicating a few chunks of time each week to self -care, whether its exercise, yoga or meditation. First identify what is most important in your life and then draw firm boundaries’ so you can devote quality time to these high priority people and activities.

Puder-York concluded the work life balance by saying that “When I talk about balance, it does not mean completion and achievement of every task, but it mean that you will get a time for self care, so that your body, mind and soul are being refreshed.”

Sources: 

http://www.forbes.com/sites/deborahlee/2014/10/20/6-tips-for-better-work-life-balance/

Week-End: Accounting Jokes

Jokes that only accountants and auditors will love J

• What do you call a trial balance that doesn't balance? A late night.
• What do you call an accountant with an opinion? An auditor.
• A fine is a tax for doing wrong. A tax is a fine for doing well.
• Why did the accountant cross the road? Because she looked in the files and did what they did last year.
• It's accrual world.
• How can you tell when the chief accountant is getting soft? When he actually listens to marketing before saying no.
• An accountant is someone who solves a problem you didn't know you had in a way you don’t understand.

 See more at: http://www.businessinsider.com/jokes-for-accountants-2014-5

Week-End: Work-Life Balance

Achieving an optimal work life balance is something every professional look up to and auditors are no different. It is important for improving productivity, building and maintaining strong relationships and stress management for a lasting life.

Here are few tips from some of the busy executives about achieving work life balance. Enjoy these tips for a better work life balance.

Week-End: Accountant Stress Relief

Do you want to de-stress an Accountant? Does that CPA need soothing? Is the Financial Controller flustered?

Here are 20 financial words and phrases that will have accountants smiling at their spreadsheets and comforted by calculators:

• Favorable variance
• Authorized
• Fully Reconciled
• Checklists
• Profit
• Immaterial
• Clean audit report
• Fully compliant
• Segregation of duties
• Strong internal controls
• Peace and Quiet
• Fully supported journals
• Chart of Accounts
• Prudent
• Cross-referenced
• Within budget
• No surprises
• Audit Trail
• Matched Purchase Order
• Balanced

 See more at: http://www.workileaks.com/accountant-stress-relief.html

Week-End: The Importance of Networking

Know that most things in life come from other people.

Every interaction you have is an opportunity to create a new friend.

Find out more about people’s interest and concerns.

Aim to keep in touch as the relationship will fade if you don’t.

Be willing to invest time talking with people.

Learn to enjoy it – people are endlessly fascinating.

Aim to leave people in better emotional shape than you found them.

The practice of networking (online and offline) will become even more important in the future. And think how important Facebook, LinkedIn, Branchout etc. are now! You’ll also find that income opportunities will arise due to the people you meet. Business is built on relationships. And seeking a high quality network may open the doorways that will surprise you. Remember, that the networks you are a part of can contact any person on the planet in only 6 steps. Whether president or pop star. Somebody knows somebody who knows somebody etc.

From the Book: LIFE: you can't stop the waves but you can learn how to surf!
By: Martin Shervington, John Seymour

Week-End: The Rope for Young Elephants

As a man was passing by the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at any time, break away from their bonds but for some reason, they did not.

He saw a trainer nearby and asked why these animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away. “Well,” trainer said, “when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it’s enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free.”

The man was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn’t, they were stuck right where they were. Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before?

For all the aspiring accountancy career students; “Failure is part of learning; we should never give up the struggle in life.”

Week-End: Right Decisions Matter!

I would like to present you a good story about the auditor and making right decisions in life:

"The accounting department dean had worked for the prestigious firm of Arthur Anderson for a number of years. He had been one of their rising stars until he had a tiff with upper management concerning how to report certain transactions for a client. Arthur Anderson management wanted the transactions recorded in a manner which would make the client look good. The Dean however insisted on full disclosure with the transactions being reported clearly and informatively. That wouldn't have been favourable for the client. So rather than compromise his integrity, he resigned from Arthur Anderson and found the job of dean of the accounting department at St. Martins College."  

From the Book: Odyssey of the Auditor Interns

Author: Thomas McGoldrick

Week End: Work-Life Balance

How many times our colleagues and bosses told us that we, auditors need to maintain work-life balance? Looks like it become the buzz word meaning not much. But now I know what is the secret! My friendly colleague noticed that I am going to leave late in the evening last Friday supplied me with masterpiece guidance which I am going to share with you. Please take a look at this funny picture :)

Week-end: Dialogue with manager

I found a funny video on Youtube. May be it is not very attractive in terms of special effects but dialogue does reflect the communication patterns with audit managers in some cases J

Recommended for all audit firm new joiners J

Week-end: My Fuhrer, the client sent us new PBCs

This is audit theme of dubbing & subtitling of classic German film “Downfall”* (original “Der Untergang”). I find it very funny, I think such moments happened with every audit manager or partner who received  unpleasant surprise just before deadline J

*https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Downfall_(2004_film)

**PBC –  is abbreviation for “Prepared By Client”.  It is the evidence provided by client to support figures and other financial information presented/disclosed in financial statements

Week-end: Monty Python

Here is a video from old good Monty Python on audit! I liked this joke, sounds all old good British and rather funny J

I wonder what was the audit firm's materiality basis on that engagement with such profit??? J

Week-end: Big4 Audit Career Commercials

How would you assess the creativity of accounting firms? This question is especially relevant in the field of attracting young specialists as new hires.In this post I've decided to pick up career commercials addressed to graduates and potential junior employees made by industry leaders, Big4.

Why Deloitte? I think Deloitte's ad was rather dynamic, with good music, but a bit of trivial.



Why EY? EY has actually disappointed me, I found nothing creative which would look like this remarkable video. Finally, I picked up this video with interview of a nice girl with interesting accent J



Why KPMG? I decided to take KPMG Singapore's ad. The background music really touched me, it's style differs from music which other accounting firms place in their ads. Meanwhile, image could have been more clear.



Why PwC? In my opinion, there was not anything interesting among new PwC's commercials. So I end up selecting relatively old commercial: it might be viewed as pompous and pretentious one, but sometimes I find such kind of creativity rather appealing. I do not know why, but it has reminded me Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged".



What commercials related with graduates hiring do you find interesting? Are there any appealing ones or real masterpieces? Please share information in comments.

Week-End: Accountant in Sketches by Monty Python

     There are several funny sketches about accountants performed by Monty Python, the British surreal comedy group.

     The accountant at AGM:

    The chartered accountant looking for new job:

    Have a great week end!

Week-end: Audit Commercials

My favourite TV/video commercial in audit area was made by Ernst & Young. Yes, I know it is old :) But I can't give up the idea to display it in my blog.

If you know any other TV ads on YouTube related with audit and as cute as the one above, then please share with me information in comments. Have a nice week-end!

Week-end: Comrade's Blog - Audit is Fun!

I would like to try new type of week-end column/rubric in my blog. I want it to be more relaxed and casual than other week-day posts. So this one you read, would be the first week-end column.

I have found in internet one more enthusiast-auditor, s.wardrop. At least, there are not  to many people out there writing and popularizing audit and accounting with love and passion ;) That is why it always pleasure to meet comrades :)е, приятно встретить товарищей. 
Link to his blog, pls click.
I liked his post: Audit is fun:

   I can hear the cries of derision from here - how sad, must be nuts. But listen up folks, audit is not what it used to be - just columns of endless figures, ticking and bashing, checking invoices; I am sure many out there have already twigged to this, but how often do we say it?

    And maybe I am letting the best kept secret of the profession out of the bag - but as I see it, audit is about business, which is about people - customers, suppliers, staff, managers, directors, shareholders, stakeholders, charitable beneficiaries. For those who have a smidgeon of latin, you only have to think about the term "audit" and you know that talking to people and listening to them is as important as sticking your head in a room full of invoices and never coming out.

   In what other profession do you have total access to ask whatever questions you like, to learn about how business operates, fails or suceeds, to learn about management, about people.... and about life. And I dont know about you, but I enjoy it!

   And since I am here - I am tired of listening to the media and others, including some fairly close to home, bashing auditors and saying how little value we add, and how we are to blame for.... well, just about anything. We are not all "big" firms, we dont all audit BT or Shell or (heaven forbid) banks (not that I am decrying what they do, I wouldn't want the job), but a lot of us work year in and year out auditing smaller clients, charities, family companies and adding value to what they do. Over the past 4 years, we have helped our clients to over £100,000 in actual cash in bank savings - now tell me that audit doesnt add value!

Photo is taken from here: http://www.goodbyecobber.com/?page_id=38
Text from blog: http://www.accountingweb.co.uk/blogs/swardrop/audit-fun-and-it-works-no-really/audit-fun