If you’re seeking a career in accounting, you can plan on being constantly challenged and learning new things. That’s definitely true in my position at Hare CPAs, and I consider it to be a plus. Hare CPAs is a firm that envisions abundance for all. With our driven team, we provide guidance, shared knowledge, and bring the curiosity essential to help our clients.
One of the things I love about my work as an associate at Hare CPAs is that every day is different. Given that, the following offers a look at what a “typical” day might be like for me.
Getting a Good Start with a Structured Routine
My workday begins with a cheery good morning from our Executive Assistant, Jennifer Springer. It is always nice starting the day off with her positivity.
Preparing for a Productive Day Ahead
I make sure to start my day by reviewing my to-do list, emails, and usually preparing for either our daily huddle at 10 a.m. or a team meeting. The Hare CPAs team conducts daily huddles on Mondays and Fridays, and we have a weekly team meeting every Wednesday. If there are no daily huddles or team meetings, I might schedule time with colleagues to discuss important items. Using this time for project planning allows for a more efficient and effective workflow.
Building Strong Client Relationships
Often my day includes client meetings, something that’s still new for me, so good preparation is a must. We want to be ready to discuss all necessary items with clients. That means having updated and accurate financial data, and being prepared to give them quality advice that will help them add value to their business.
Client Trust Starts with Transparency
Transparency is an essential component for establishing client trust. When we talk to clients, we may have to tell them things they don’t want to hear. In those situations, we make sure to offer clients the best solutions to address whatever problems they may be experiencing so they can grow their business.
Tax World is Ever-Changing
In the tax world, no two days are ever the same. The tax code is always changing, which makes the tax industry ever-changing. To serve our clients, it is essential to keep up with tax laws and regulations. The team gets daily updates from multiple sources to make sure we are current on all tax law changes. For example, to stay on top of multi-state tax rules, we have our multi-state tax champion, associate Megan Kosciolek, who is our go-to person for clients with businesses operating in more than one state.
Ensuring Compliance with Tax Laws
At Hare CPAs, we don’t operate as lone wolves. We have relationships with other CPA firms, banks, attorneys, valuation firms, investment firms, staffing firms and operational experts, who we collaborate with to address complex tax issues. We also have developed impressive research capabilities that allow us to obtain the most accurate information available on behalf of our clients.
Tax Planning Strategies
To avoid any tax surprises for our clients, we dive deep into the numbers to reduce income taxes, strategize entity structure, depreciation and cost recovery, estate, and gift tax planning, and much more.
Teamwork
We are a family here at Hare CPAs, which makes working together easy and enjoyable. We each have an area of expertise, and we rely on one another when dealing with complex issues. Effective communication is key to our success.
Achieving Common Goals Together
Our firm sets up a personal plan for each team member. Each team member can make these plans accessible to anyone they would like. We use these personal plans to set yearly goals and assist each other in keeping track of our goals and sticking to our plans.
Professional Networking
As someone who’s just beginning their career, networking is one of my top goals. Having peers to collaborate with, even if they are not fellow CPAs, is beneficial to both you and the collaborator. There are always challenges and complex issues that arise in the world of tax and accounting that can benefit from the expertise of other professionals such as a banker, realtor, or attorney.
Connecting with Co-Workers
At Hare CPAs we routinely take a break from work to connect with colleagues. It’s part of our culture. For instance, when a new person joins the team, we welcome them by getting together for lunch where the new person picks the menu. The firm also loves to celebrate birthdays and goes out of its way to make team members feel special. Desks are decorated, and we enjoy a dessert of the team member’s choosing. Everyone feels valued and it makes work fun.
Commitment to Continuous Learning
Hare CPAs views education as an investment and strongly believes in continuing education for all team members. During our slow season in the summer, we take time to earn CPE by taking training courses and participating in webinars/seminars and workshops. Everyone is expected to keep current on industry trends and regulations. Continuous learning is so important that Hare CPAs is currently developing a training program called Hare Academy. Instruction is offered to interns and associates who need to learn new processes. The curriculum also offers refreshers and deep dives into various accounting topics for experienced professionals.
Completing Tasks & Preparing for Tomorrow
Since tomorrow could be totally different from today, it’s important to clear all necessary items and make note of what things should be accomplished tomorrow.
Good Organization and Time Management
Calendars are used heavily at this firm. We block out time with one another to get through multiple items all at once, which is highly efficient. Staying organized and using time effectively makes it easier to stay on top of projects to avoid the stress of missing deadlines.
Maintaining Work-Life Balance
This profession is not known for its work-life balance, but as you progress in your career, you’ll discover ways to manage your work and social life. At Hare CPAs, we work extremely hard during tax season but have much more freedom to take time off the rest of the year.
A Rewarding Career
Tax and accounting work is challenging. Every day brings a new problem to solve, but at the end of the day, we are rewarded by clients appreciating the hard work we do for them.
This gives you an idea of what a “typical” workday is like for an associate at Hare CPAs. I appreciate the firm’s commitment to its employees’ success. If that appeals to you, visit Hare CPA’s career page as well as our values + culture page to learn more about what it’s like to be part of the team at Hare CPAs.
