Across the pond

The new tax year is just around the corner, but before that it's Chinese New Year! Is it fate? You decide! The Year of the Tiger begins on 14 February, so in preparation Steven West, a writer from Farmington Hills, MI, offers these ten witty fortune cookie sayings from the mouths of accountants.

The year 2010 will mark the start of a breathtaking trip into the future for accountants and auditors, but are they just 'backing into the future'?, asks our US colleague Larry Perry.

Having a winning personality has always helped in making friends or getting a date, but a recent survey confirms it also opens doors in when searching for jobs.

When presented with accounting or finance candidates who possess similar qualifications, 31% of chief financial officers (CFOs) interviewed said applicants’ people skills would tip the balance over attributes such as software proficiency and advanced certifications. This is up significantly from five years ago when interpersonal skills were cited by only 1% of respondents. 

The Prince of Wales has called on the U.S. CPA profession to take a leading role in helping develop the tools and information necessary for companies to embed sustainability issues effectively in their day-to-day operations and decision-making and to report sustainability performance in a more clear, concise and connected way.

Leslie Garrett outlines how to structure your business involvement with social networking sites to ensure your organisation gets the most out of it.

When is the right time to jump into social networking initiatives and why should you research several sites before settling into just one?

Shirley Coop of JCSComputer.net offers a seven step guide for businesses looking to explore new applications.

If you are a new business or an existing business that just needs more than your current application can provide it is important that you spend some time planning what you need today and what you need two years from now. Some software applications allow you to grow and easily migrate upwards to the next software package without having to purchase new software and go through the setup and learning curve all over again.

According to a recent survey, managers are planning to hire a combination of workers to support both long and short-term initiatives.

Recent figures from the US have revealed that accounting professionals are staying loyal to their employers for now – but many are considering a move when the economy improves.

When compared to the rest of the job market, the accounting profession has held up well in terms of the number of redundancies, shedding less than 2% of jobs since June last year. Perhaps as a result, accountants are loyal to their employers, with 57% saying they plan to stay with their current firm, according to a survey by Ajilon Finance.

While many people use LinkedIn to add to their professional network or keep in touch with existing contacts, have you thought about actively using it to find work? Our US colleagues have created a handy guide to help you do just that.

If you're not already on LinkedIn, start by setting up a LinkedIn account (there's no charge for this) and entering your CV information on your profile.

Here are some tips for enhancing your LinkedIn profile, even if your information seems sparse:

The US is known for its fervent observation of freedom of speech, but it seems employers want the right to police the ‘Wild West’ of online networking sites.

According to the Deloitte LLP Ethics & Workplace survey, 60% of business executives in the States believe they have a right to know how employees portray themselves and their organisations in online social networks.

Unfortunately, employees don’t agree, with more than half arguing that their bosses shouldn’t be snooping on their social networking profiles.