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Posts Tagged ‘new york’

The Countdown

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , on April 9, 2012 | 1 Comment »

Post by Lauryn Hanrahan

 

As I looked at my calendar this morning, I realized there are only a few more workdays left in tax season. Lately, I’ve been feeling a lot like an elementary-schooler, wanting to make a paper chain countdown until April 17th. I would have to say that before this past week, I hadn’t really felt the pangs of busy season. However, something must have changed over the last seven days because now I’m exhausted, either slightly grumpy or in giggle fits from lack of sleep, and I believe I have forgotten what my house actually looks like in the daylight.

 

Despite the drawbacks, there are benefits to our situation. Yes, we may practically miss our families for three months, but I think we get something in exchange. At dinner the other night, I looked around the table at all of the people I have come to know, talking and laughing and sharing stories, and realized that I had gained a second family. I thought that, if we’re all pretty much living at the office, at least we get to be here with fantastic people.

 

Over my short 22 (almost 23!) years of life, I have learned that people come into our lives for a reason, and that we need to take advantage of that reason. Through busy season, I have realized that there is so much to be gained from the people around us. Whether it’s tax return advice or life advice, I’m finding that the people I work with have some pretty great suggestions. As long as I’m at Withum, I will continue to soak up as much knowledge as I can. It would be silly of me not to take advantage of the wealth of information around me.

 

As busy season draws to a close and spring blooms, I look forward to spending my evenings and Saturdays outside of the office and spending some much-needed time with friends and family. I’m also looking forward to seeing the sun again. Although I certainly don’t want to continue with busy season hours, I’m going to miss weekly dinners with my “work family.” I suppose we’ll have to get together somewhere outside of the office…with no tax returns, good food, regular clothes, and maybe even wine. Yes, definitely with wine.

 

Lauryn

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Springtime Itch

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on April 4, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Post by Dan Asbaty:

 

This week marks the start of spring, which means as accountants, we are absolutely in the thick of things.  Thus far, the weather has been unseasonably warm and that “Springtime itch” to get outside has been acting up far too much as of late.  Over the past few days, the most trying task has not been a workpaper, tax return, depreciation schedule, or client deadline… it has been fighting the urge to forget about all of our responsibilities and enjoy the unbelievable weather that we’re experiencing. 

 

Typically this time of year is filled with the excitement of March Madness, milder temperatures, and more hours of sunlight.  However, I am finding that all of these things make a first-year accountant’s life and job that much more challenging.  Everywhere I look people have been enjoying and celebrating the end of winter and beginning of spring.  Whether via Facebook posts, text, Twitter feeds, or even an old fashioned phone call, I have been constantly reminded of just how great it feels to enjoy the outdoors in early spring.  With all of that in mind I began to get a little restless and turned to my co-workers for advice. 

 

 

In speaking with a few individuals I began to realize that they all felt the exact same way.  Each and every person, most of whom have been through busy season numerous times, could relate to how I felt and really shared my yearning to get outside and capitalize on the gorgeous conditions.  In speaking with my office mates, who have quickly become my very close friends, I took solace in knowing that I was not the only one “missing out”-  Of course, we all wanted to blow off our burdensome schedules and bask in the delight of a beautiful spring day, but instead, we stayed… committed to our work, our profession, our clients, and each other.  Somehow, that conversation left a smile on my face.  In just a short discussion I had gone from looking outside with an insatiable desire, to feeling happy working at the office with my friends, knowing that deep down we all felt the same way.   

 

Dan

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A Rollercoaster Ride

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , on February 29, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Post by Dan Asbaty

 

Picture this:  You are strapped into the seat of a rollercoaster that is making its ascent to the top of a vertical drop that frankly, scares the life out of most people.  There is no way out, no room for baggage, just you and your thoughts, and of course the other 25 or so people on the ride going through a similar balancing act of feelings… both panic and excitement.  I have always enjoyed the shot of adrenaline that pumps through your body upon the first drop of a rollercoaster.  That feeling of letting go and accepting that you have no control, just letting the ride take you wherever it is going.  It’s a blissful feeling full of excitement and despair – that leaves you awakened, yet terrified, illuminating synapses that are not often sparked.  While all of this is well and good, typically that feeling is left at the amusement park and rarely finds its way into our lives any other way.

For me, that familiar feeling of anticipation and anguish somehow crept into my mind in the third week of my first busy season.  I awoke early Monday morning from a terrible dream that I had overslept and rushed to work without any shoes on… strange, but telling.  I went through my morning routine and headed to a client’s office.  On my way I felt a growing anxiety, much like the one you get while waiting in line before boarding a coaster, as I thought of the laundry list of open items left to complete in my previous client’s work papers as well as the client before that.  The thought made me nearly lose my breakfast (thankfully I eat light in the mornings).  How was I going to handle all of this on my plate… Three clients with things to “wrap up” and a brand new client, complete with its own task list? 

 

I arrived at the client shortly after and took those vaulting steps from my car to the clients conference room, just like strapping yourself into a rollercoaster as the ride attendants voice echoes, “We’re all set. Enjoy.”  During my walk I drilled through the list of assignments left to be completed for all of the clients I had worked on thus far, informally prioritizing them and making mental notes of just how much had to be done for each task. 

 

Whether I liked it or not, I was scheduled on this audit and five others just like it in the coming weeks.  The jobs were going to move forward with or without me constantly worrying about them.  At that moment I decided that being apprehensive was not the best approach because after climbing to the top of the coaster’s tracks, it doesn’t make sense to panic.  Rather, you would be best served to throw your arms up, take it all in, and simply enjoy the ride! (And leave the worrying to the managers).

 

Dan Asbaty

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A Winning Team

Posted in Uncategorized, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on February 22, 2012 | Leave a Comment »

Post by Dan Asbaty

 

A team is defined as a number of persons associated as part of a joint action, cause or goal.  While the New York Giants and New England Patriots were paramount examples of what a “team” truly embodies, the same can be said for an audit or tax team.  We are, in every sense of the word, a team.  We are associated and placed together to achieve one common goal.  Whether you are conducting an audit, or figuring out the best way to save a corporation money on their 1120, there is a goal or joint action in mind. 

 

Being part of a team can mean many things.  It can mean that we are simply trying to band together to work towards an end, or it can represent something more.  For myself and the other members of the Morristown office staffed to complete the audit of a dental client, being a team meant that each member had trust, admiration, respect and support for one another.

 

Typically a true team aspect and culture, much like the Giants or Patriots, can take years of bonding, and overcoming adversity to truly gel.  However, our audit team (“Dental Force One” as we refer to ourselves) really came together seemingly overnight.  I’m not sure if it was the ‘cozy’ nature of the client’s conference room, or perhaps the mountains of paperwork to climb, but something about our stay here made our team click and come together much faster than normal. 

 

Throughout the long days and nights filled with caffeine and a few side stories, we each learned a little bit about each other that we would have never known otherwise.  In just over a week, we had grown to care about one another and understand that although busy season is full of long hours, dizzying spreadsheets and a longing for a good night’s sleep, we were all in it together… as a team.  There was something comforting about that realization; something that made me want to commit to the team and do my part.  There was a piece of me that felt like my team relied on me and I knew, especially as an inexperienced Staff I, that I relied on them as well.

 

As my first busy season engagement moved forward, hard work turned into sign-offs and review notes and although this particular sequence of actions was rewarding, it left behind a bittersweet sentiment.  On one hand, the hours spent at the client were paying off and the work was getting done, but on another hand my time there was coming to an end.   I knew that in a sense I would miss being here.  Perhaps not the work or the conference room, but definitely my team. 

 

All in all, I never imagined that my first foray into public accounting would make me feel like part of a team, but over the first few weeks of busy season, I would have trouble describing it as anything else.  Looking ahead I am excited about the prospect of spending time on new jobs, with different teams, and I hope that the hours spent working elsewhere will leave a similar feeling of camaraderie and fellowship.

 

Dan

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