Category: Professional Development

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What are Public Accounting Specializations?

When you are building a public accounting career, it may seem that the only two choices for technical specialization are tax or audit. However, there are many ways that you can add skills, gain certifications and advance your career. You may notice that other public accountants carry different credentials behind their names besides, or in

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Culture of Learning: Preparing for a Board Presentation

Among the top concerns of nonprofit boards is how to maintain resiliency through economic pressures. As an auditor, accounting or tax professional preparing a presentation for a nonprofit board, it is important to discuss financial narratives through the wider lens of resiliency. If the nonprofit is part of a highly regulated industry, this is another

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Ethics for Public Accounting Jobs: Protect Your Reputation

Public accountants play a crucial role in maintaining the integrity and trustworthiness of their clients’ financial reporting. However, they often face ethical dilemmas when confronted with conflicting interests or client requests that could compromise their professional integrity. Here are some ethical areas to bear in mind for your accounting career and why they are important

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Homeless person sleeping under bridge

Help the Homeless with Your Accounting Career

  When considering all the career options out there, accounting jobs can sometimes seem like they are all about managing money or helping the wealthy get wealthier. However, accounting is also about maintaining healthy balance sheets to support jobs as well as sustain funding for society’s most challenging social issues. In addition, proper accounting and

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These 4 Technology Trends are Shaping Future Accounting Jobs

The accounting industry is experiencing advancements in digital automation and AI tools. These technologies are applied to increase efficiency, support proactive advisory guidance and improve data security. As you explore your career in accounting or the next stage of your accounting management opportunities, these technologies are already redefining and adapting job descriptions. The future for

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Mental Health Check-In: Are You Okay?

It’s easy to get bogged down in your work and get stuck in a routine that does not include self-care and wellness. You may find yourself thinking about work when you’re not at work, leading to stress, bad eating habits or insomnia. External life pressures add to the mental burden. Can I afford the car

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5 Email Don’ts When Submitting Your Resume

You know it’s important to make a good impression through your resume and in the interview process, right? But did you know that you must also impress employers throughout your email correspondence? To develop your career, you need to master the art of correspondence. Here are email tips about professional etiquette and 5 things you

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Social Media Tips to Enhance Your Career

Social media is changing all the time, and using it well is important for your career. Why? Employers and clients will review social media channels to learn about you. This can happen before job interviews or an engagement. Your social profiles should be professional, but also interesting to a potential employer or a new client.

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Benefits of a Great Internship Experience

An internship is like trying before you buy. It is probably why many professions encourage students to take internships before they graduate. The realities of day-to-day work experiences may reinforce your career decision or cause you to change majors. With that in mind, how can you make your internship a great one? Look for these

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Excited woman saying she landed her dream job

How to Land Your Dream Job

We get it. Looking for a job is not easy, especially if you want to find something with a stable outlook. You also want to see yourself working there long-term. Wouldn’t it be great if you could find your dream job and achieve the self-actualization that comes with attaining a fulfilling career? Consider where you

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5 Ways to Get More Out of Your Career

There are plenty of opportunities for accounting career development here at LvHJ. When you’re in a rut or you feel like you’ve been doing the same thing for far too long, you can always make a change for the better. It all starts from within. Whether you are a seasoned professional or an intern just

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Business woman sitting down at her desk writing

What Do I Need for My Office Space?

Here in California, our style is all about comfort, soft neutrals, natural materials and bringing the outdoors inside. The same is true for cool office spaces. Whether you are a public accountant in California or working remotely in another state, you might be wondering how to change up your office space. Does your work area

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Smiling, young business professional woman sitting in front of her laptop

What to Wear to the Interview (Including Remote Options)

Experienced accounting professionals seeking a career opportunity in the San Francisco Bay area are wondering: in this era of hybrid interviews, what do I wear in-person vs. on camera? Should you dress differently when interviewing remotely?  Here are our tips for dressing professionally and excluding distractions when interviewing in-person and remotely to help land you

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Wondering what to include on your resume?

Your resume is your go or no-go qualifier for any job you apply for. Of course, there are others tests to pass once you submit your resume, but the first gate you will need to pass is the resume test. As a prospective candidate, you want to know what you should include on your resume

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Employees in a circle with hands in the middle

6 Ways Giving Back to the Community Can Enhance Your Life

There are many benefits to joining an association. When you work for LvHJ, you are also encouraged to become a member of any number of nonprofit associations to help grow your career which allows you to give back to the community at the same time. Since we are Professionals for Good, we are always looking

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Man doing a public speaking engagement

How Public Speaking Can Advance Your Accounting Career

Accountants have to present information all the time, and they need to do it with confidence to represent the firm well. This is best exemplified through public speaking as a means of delivering information concisely and informatively. This also shows authority in your delivery. You need good speaking skills to: Be credible in front of

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Choosing the Best CPA Firm for You

Knowing what you want in a CPA firm goes a long way toward helping you make the decision as to which firm you’d like to work for. And it’s a hard decision to make. You want to find a position that comes with job security, provides you a living wage and works with your schedule

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Internship Etiquette for Your Accounting Career

Congratulations, you have landed that all important career-starter: an internship at a CPA firm! Being selected over others means that the firm sees some potential in you. Now your task is to learn as much as you can in this real-time test of skills, attitude and fortitude. How can you make the most of this

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Don’t Skip the Soft Skills

Soft skills, sometimes referred to as interpersonal communications skills, relate to how well a person interacts with others. Up to now, the majority of your professional educational efforts have probably been razor-focused on hard skill, fact-based learning.  For certain, mad-fast calculator skills and the ability to craft the perfect pivot table are awesome technical feats.

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Graduate holding a diploma

Do You Need a Master’s in Taxation Degree?

Talk to people who have, or had, your desired position. An advanced degree may not, in fact, be required to get to where they are. After all, professional experience and connections matter as much or more than any degree.  That being said, many who have a master’s in taxation (MST) find that it accelerates their

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Close up of ropes on a yacht.

Want to Develop Your Skills? Find a Mentor!

“Learning the ropes” is an expression that goes back to the days of apprenticeship on a seafaring craft. While mastering the sails was probably not in your advanced accounting classes at college, neither were the countless practical nuances required to become a true professional in a CPA firm. However, whether you are just beginning your

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Man working from home participating in a Zoom call.

5 Ideas to Start Your Remote Job the Right Way

Between co-workers, managers, projects and a different culture from your previous workplace, the transition to a new job can be difficult—even in the best of times. For employees who start a new job remotely, it can be a daunting task to get up to speed on processes, expectations and collaboration. By communicating and proactively showing

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Overcome New Job Nerves

Starting a new job is a big life change! It’s an exciting time in your life, but it can leave you feeling nervous and uncertain about what’s to come. This feeling of nervousness is normal when starting a new job—we’ve all experienced it. It can feel challenging, or maybe even overwhelming to face a new

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Turn Stress into Productivity

As we go through life, stressful situations happen. Starting a new job is one of the most stressful situations we will face, but there are ways to turn that stress or anxiety into productivity. Use these tips to turn this or any stressful situation into a positive one.   Find Balance There is a lot

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Modern Workplace Etiquette

Modern Workplace Etiquette

Workplaces are becoming casual and employers are eager to showcase their relaxed culture with new or potential hires. Offices have ditched professional attire to allow employees to wear casual clothing all week long, not just on specific days of the week. Leadership teams are also becoming more accepting of varying work schedules, allowing employees to

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How to Use LinkedIn Effectively

When was the last time you updated your LinkedIn profile? It’s important to regularly update your profile and check-in with your followers, not just when you’re looking for a job. An up-to-date profile is a reflection of who you are and the organization you work for, and can also be used as an effective business

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Develop Your Career with Professional Communication

Whether you’re applying for a new job, just starting off in your career or are an established professional, the way you communicate matters. Written communication can become sloppy and unprofessional if we aren’t careful. Here are a few tips to ensure you’re communicating professionally within the work place or when applying for a new position.

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