Acting in the Workplace

So you have landed an accounting job, so what do you do next? Membership in accounting requires being socially interactive with the work environment and obtaining a positive attitude throughout a member’s career. Lisa Van De Geyn , a CPA, discusses in “Workplace 101” that being energetic and enthusiastic about work will impress the boss and build a better relationship in the firm. She goes on to explain that new employees should stay current with literature on leadership, management styles, and dealing with personality types (29). A good start would be to reading up on the Journal of Corporate Accounting and Finance and introduce the new material to superiors with new approaches of corporate finance. This shows that you are interested in your job and could even make you stand out if your job could be at risk!

Accountants know to be independent from business investments, but they also must have the appearance of independence. Sarah Ference, CPA and risk control consulting director at CNA, explains in “Independence is in the Eye of the Beholder” that to achieve independence in appearance, a discourse member must avoid circumstances that would cause a third party with knowledge of relevant information to conclude that the integrity, objectivity, or professional skepticism of the discourse member has been compromised (1).  An example of this would be if a CPA gets too close to a client, compromising his professional duties because of their personal relationship. Employers or other employees of that discourse will see that the CPA cannot perform duties without a biased trait. Its ok to be friendly and polite but make sure all conversations are BUSINESS related!

These are only a few of the tips to act within a work place but there are many others to be discovered. Just remember to be enthusiastic, energetic, dedicated and to avoid personal attachment with clients! Follow these tips starting out and you will be promoted in no time!