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Like Rain on Your Wedding Day
Written by: Alina Kirillina
Isn’t it ironic? I’m not sure because I haven’t studied the actual meaning of irony since high school. I heard the Alanis Morissette song we all love on the radio the other day and it made me wonder what it is about irony that makes it so enthralling. Irony has made history countless times. My favorite example is the demise of the “unsinkable” Titanic on her maiden voyage. If you don’t know the whole story about all of the peculiar events that led to the sinking of this remarkable ship, it’s worth a look the next time the History Channel airs the segment. It’s also a great movie. But I digress…a lot.
So why is a CPA writing about irony? It’s because I’m writing this post the week after the 9/15 tax deadline – the scariest, most intense deadline of all, at least for me. And I’m bored. It’s not because I’m not working. In fact, I travelled to Knoxville and Athens this week for recruiting, I prepared and reviewed multiple state tax returns, and I caught up on a lot of administrative work that I simply couldn’t get to when things were much more hectic. I finally have some time to relax and not be quite so busy…but it’s awkward, and I don’t like it. I would certainly call this situation ironic. Perhaps it’s just that I actually enjoy what I do for a living. Is it ironic that I find my career exciting when most others find it one of the most monotonous things imaginable? Here’s a piece of advice – if you’re having a less-than-spectacular day, do not search “why are accountants so boring?” on Yahoo! Answers. You won’t be left with any kind of inspiration from the general public. Of course it’s unrealistic to think that every accountant enjoys his or her profession, but the fact that there are people who make it all the way to managing partner, accounting professor, or controller for a Fortune 500 company is comforting at the least. I certainly hope those individuals didn’t get where they did by despising what they spent as much as half of their time awake doing. Read the rest of this entry »
Busier than a One-Armed Wallpaper Hanger
Written by: Alina Kirillina
Have you ever heard this expression? I haven’t either until a client of mine was describing a hectic time at work to me and my manager. Apparently, it’s not that uncommon. Urban Dictionary defines the term as “being so busy that it will be impossible to finish your task.” I’ve felt just this way about several tasks in the midst of tax season. I didn’t think I’d be a great blogger, but I certainly didn’t foresee a month and a half zipping by before my second post. We all have things that we would like to do on a regular basis…exercise, spend more time with family, write for the GSCPA House of Blogs…but most of us also have excuses for not doing them. You know which ones I’m talking about… I’m too exhausted, I’m in the middle of tax season, there’s literally not enough time in the day. So is it in fact impossible to do the things we want to do when we’re this busy? Read the rest of this entry »
Introducing Alina Kirillina
Written by: Alina Kirillina
I had no idea that the word “blog” is a contraction of the term “web log” until I read Nikelle’s introductory post. For one reason or another, the idea never appealed to me much…that is until I stumbled upon the House of Blogs website one day and read what other accountants had to say. Who knew that we bean counters could be so creative and, dare I say it, interesting?! Out of inspiration from the other GSCPA bloggers, I am going to summon my modest literary skills and give blogging a try.
As I am a novice to the blogging process, my posts will be general until I can figure out the particular value I can bring to the House of Blogs. Actually, I am also a novice to public accounting and being a CPA. My license was issued less than a month ago and I celebrated (yes, celebrated!) my first anniversary with my firm in late May. I also recently became a member of the GSCPA’s College Outreach Task Force and am passionate about bridging the gap between universities and the “real world.” I would like to think that my lack of experience actually aids me in relating to students, even those who are still ignorant to the fact that a job in public accounting is anything but 9 to 5. Read the rest of this entry »
