What's the hottest issue in the accounting profession right now?No, it's not IFRS, or fair value accounting or even the latest President Obama-driven tax legislation.
It's - get ready for it - social networking sites!
OK, maybe I'm stretching the importance of these tools, but social networking sites - especially the use of Facebook and Twitter - have been clicked on by more accountants and consultants lately than I care to count.
It's pretty exciting, actually.
Social networking sites have become viral. You see one person on Facebook, you run down their list of friends, and add people you want to "befriend." It's addicting, and what was once for college kids has now caught on for people across generations because of its multiple uses and, well, because it's fun and instantaneous.
Accounting Tomorrow has been actively engaged in this conversation. We created a Facebook profile in early February and added nearly 100 friends in less than three weeks. Many of those friends are Baby Boomers, which is a good thing for upping the "hipness" factor of management. Interested in becoming our friend? Find us under "Accounting Tomorrow" and drop us a line.
In a recent post on Accounting Tomorrow, I quoted Michelle Golden, a consultant to accounting firms and a blogger, who said that banning the use of blogs, Facebook and iPods in firms is a hostile work environment for anyone under the age of 35. With the way these tools are taking off, we might have to up that age level.
Of course, social networking isn't the only thing we're talking about on Accounting Tomorrow. Here's a roundup of some recent posts:
* The American Institute of CPAs is looking for CPAs between the ages of 25 and 35 with a minimum of three years of work experience for its inaugural Leadership Academy in July. Twenty-five participants will be selected for the three-day event to be held in Chicago.
* Sarah Krom, a staff accountant at Cowan Gunteski & Co., went from being interviewed for an internship to interviewing new intern candidates in a handful of years. She shares her views from both sides of the table - namely that, for candidates, the people sitting on the other side are not the enemy.
* San Ramon, Calif.-based Armanino McKenna shares how it beefed up its applicant pool by investing in and launching a career Web site. The new digs feature funny videos, podcasts and employee blogs to give candidates "an intimate and credible" look at the firm.
And lastly, Accounting Tomorrow credits David Bergstein, business development manager of consumer products for CCH, a Wolters Kluwer business, for inspiration. He left the following comment on our Facebook wall: "I am a CPA of Yesterday, Today, Tomorrow and until Infinity. I can listen to my iPod, text and hit the ten key at the same time. I may be a Baby Boomer, but I stay up on what's happening as I do my rollerblading. Remember - there will always be CPAs, but technology will change how they work and what they do. Life is easier today than it was yesterday, so imagine what tomorrow will bring."
Accounting Tomorrow is always seeking submissions from outside contributors, story ideas and photos of your firm events. Send them to us at
