The road to success is often a difficult one. Nobody in this world is perfect by any means; we all will fall down from time to time and fail. This is where most people give up because a task seems too hard for them. I believe there is no such thing as failure in life, there are two outcomes only: success and growth. Failure sparks the growth that we need to ultimately be successful in the future. We all need to stop putting our heads down when we encounter failure and instead develop a mentality called the growth mindset.

Difference Between Fixed and Growth Mindset 

Let’s first start off with the opposite of a growth mindset: the fixed mindset. An individual with a fixed mindset often complains and views traits and situations as stable and unchangeable over time. For example, for an entrepreneur who needs basic finance skills to create a business budget, he would display a fixed mindset by saying something along the lines of “I’ve never been good a math or financial statements, so I’m not cut to run my own business”. On the contrary, someone with a growth mindset views intelligence, abilities, and talents as learnable and capable of improvement through effort and hard work. If the entrepreneur had a growth mindset, he would instead say “I don’t have a background in finance, but I can learn and practice those skills until I feel capable”.

The Impact of Having a Growth Mindset

Having a growth mindset is important because it can help you:

• Overcome obstacles when learning and developing a new skill
• Recognize the importance of challenge, struggle, and failure in personal growth
• Cultivate creativity
• Find courage and motivation to create progress
• Develop resilience
• Support self-esteem

All these attributes are a result of having a growth mindset and are all key when trying to learn and develop new skills and overcoming adversity along the way.

In conclusion, anybody is capable of anything in this world, the only thing that you have to change is your mindset and the way you look at challenges and failures. The growth mindset is a powerful tool and is a belief that you are capable of anything if you put in the hard work along the way and don’t let failure break you down.

Throughout our lives we are all in pursuit of one main objective: Happiness. Happiness can have many different meanings, but I believe that true happiness is defined as being successful by loving what you do on a daily basis. So many people are successful in this world, but at the same time are often miserable because they hate what they do. Many people always say the same exact thing: Ah, I have to go to work today. We are truly happy if we are instead saying “I am so happy I get to go to work today”. Just changing one simple word from “have” to “get” makes all the difference in our lives. I survey on zippia.com states that 50% of people hate their job. This needs to change if we are all going to reach our true happiness in our lives. Let’s talk about why it is that so many people are unhappy with what they do for a living.

Unfair Pay 

Many people are unhappy with their job because of their underwhelming pay. Many people believe money will buy them happiness and try to do anything they can to make the biggest bucks. But does it really buy happiness? Why live a miserable life throughout your career just to make a large amount of money that you won’t even know how to spend later in your life. Many people are afraid to do what they love because they don’t want to make less money than their peers. Our society should strive to work in an industry that interests them, not that pays the most money. Money is something, but not everything. If you are doing something you genuinely enjoy, it won’t feel like “work” all the time and you will be able to put your best foot forward because you happen to be so passionate about it.

Overworking

Employees constantly being overworked has also been a prime example of why people hate their jobs. Being overworked is a direct correlation to workers trying to get a raise in pay. Why work overtime in something you don’t enjoy and have a passion for? This comes back to theme that we need to stop constantly chasing money. Money will come over time, we have to prioritize enjoying what we do so we can grow and feel satisfied with what we are doing. If that means working less hours but actually coming into work every morning with a smile on your face, it’s a fair trade.

Overall, our society needs to stop chasing money when we are pursuing happiness. I encourage you to choose a career you are interested in and our passionate about, that way you can put your best foot forward and enjoy what you do, even if it means taking a pay cut. Happiness is making a living by doing what you truly love to do. Go out there and find your true passion and give it everything you have, and I promise you will go very far. Society needs to develop this mindset so we can live in an ideal world where most people are happy and satisfied with their lives.

In 2020 our world suffered from one of the biggest pandemics in recent memory: The Coronavirus, universally known as COVID-19. This pandemic effected the world in ways that were originally unimaginable, most noticeability with work and school switching to remote platforms. Since COVID, remote work has spiked at a rapid rate.

Pros of Remote Work 

An article on forbes.com states that, as of 2023, 12.7% of full-time employees work from home and 28.2% use a hybrid model. Before COVID, many companies were highly against remote work. However, after COVID hit, companies were forced to work outside the office to limit the spread of the virus in order to keep everyone safe. This changed people’s views on working remotely when they were eventually forced to. Many learned that working remotely has various benefits, such as cutting costs on real estate and allocating funds to other areas of interest, including testing new business models, hiring better personnel, and venturing into new segments. Multiple companies have benefitted from these new allocations, such as PWC, who projected a $1.5 trillion addition to the economy, thanks to the new technology.

Cons of Remote Work

Remote work has its challenges as well. Physically being in offices give companies more control over work processes, live meetings can be way more productive than zoom meetings, some people need social interaction to give their best work, and being physically present in the office induces more creative collaboration. Working remotely has been proven to hurt workers mental health and it has decreased effective communication, which is essential in any business.

In conclusion, having to quarantine over the COVID period has forced our society to adapt to working remotely, causing an uncertainty in various work environments. There are many benefits of working remotely, such as eliminating real estate costs for businesses and offering flexibility for workers. However, there are many disadvantages too such as less effective communication and efficiency within a business. The world is leading towards further utilizing remote work, which could be detrimental to full-time employees in the future because of the lack of face-to-face interaction.

Accounting has always been an integral element of the business world, but it has never been more important than it is today. While AI has helped generate financial information at a rapid rate, the improvements in the economy have resulted in a need of more accountants. We need financial professionals to help clients make sense of their records and information. With the improvements of AI, accounting has evolved from old school bookkeeping to a more hands on and communicative profession. When AI generates certain business or client financial information, how is everyone supposed to make sense of the data they are working with and make decisions? That’s where many hire an accountant.

Accounting Jobs Outlook

According to the U.S. bureau of labor statistics, they project a demand increase of 7% for accountants over the next 10 years. This is due to other factors, such as globalization, a growing economy, and a complex tax environment. Potential clients need professionals to help them analyze their financial statements because many simply can’t do it on their own.

Shortage of Accountants

The growing demand for accountants is also a direct effect of the supply. In an article on businessinsider.com, it states that there is a nationwide shortage of accountants and it’s becoming a problem for businesses. Overall, fewer college students are graduating with accounting degrees than in years past. A 2022 Deloitte poll found that 82% of hiring managers for accounting positions at public companies and 69% at private companies said talent retention is a challenge. Since there are fewer accounting majors today, most companies need more accountants and have less than they would like.

In conclusion, the work force needs accountants today because of economic factors and the shortage of accounting majors. Business need workers who can manage financial processes, financial reporting, and ensure regulatory compliance so the accountability and integrity of a business don’t suffer. The business insider article compares the shortage of accountants to playing sports without a referee. Accountants understand the language of a business and companies cannot be successful without them.

Artificial Intelligence, well known as AI, is changing the world we live in as we speak. It is helping us perform tasks at an efficient rate and less brain power is being used to generate information. As shown is the graphic above, the use of AI has skyrocketed in world markets over the past 10 years to up to almost $12 billion in revenue. The question we should ask ourselves is, while AI is an amazing tool, are there also negative consequences of it? Out of all the major industries and jobs in the world AI has a unique impact on accounting. As a result, many raise the question of if we will need accountants in the future. After all, why do we need accountants when AI can simply create financial statements and analysis for us?

Effect of AI

On an article on Rekord, they describe the 8 main ways AI is changing the accounting industry:

1. Improved quality of data analysis– AI can process huge amounts of data, extract insights and detect more complex patterns in data than humans can.
2. AI can learn and become smarter– AI can automatically and instantly learn from errors and become increasingly smarter over time.
3. Mitigating repetitive tasks– Rather than wasting time on tedious tasks, accountants can focus their efforts on work that can only be done by humans – such as consulting with the clients and advising them on successfully running their business.
4. Reducing errors– Artificial intelligence can detect errors immediately and ensure bookkeeping and accounting records are always accurate.
5. Speedy data analysis- AI can provide valuable insights on the current status and the future of the business, much faster than a human ever could.
6. Real-time compliance monitoring- It provides accountants with reliable, fast data each time they generate a report, thereby maximizing efficiency and giving clients peace of mind.
7. Increased security- Cybersecurity technology is capable of accessing the stored data securely and protecting the cloud with methods that are very complex for intruders.
8. New opportunities- AI creates new career opportunities by allowing accountants to focus on higher-level tasks that require human instinct and insight.

Importance of Consulting and Auditing

Overall, while AI can do a lot of work for accountants, the world is still in need of accountants. Accountants need to adapt and embrace technology while developing new diverse skills, such as interpreting the information generated by AI and using data to help clients make financial decisions. Consulting and auditing have never been more important than it is now. We need accountants who are willing to offer advice to clients and be able to effectively communicate, in addition to understanding financial reports. While AI has generated financial data and information, it can’t make decisions for you, and that’s where accountants are still more important than ever in our modern society.

In conclusion, AI has made a positive impact on the world and hasn’t caused harm in the field of accounting. We still need accountants, but they must be able to perform different skills than previously before AI and technology took over. Instead of constantly crunching numbers and bookkeeping, accounts must develop effective communication and analytical skills to use the information provided by AI to help clients make business decisions in fields such as consulting and auditing.

I agree with the points presented in this post: there are a lot of good rules for implementing visuals and typing into your report. There are 5 main points made for visuals in your report.

First, the post mentioned labeling, titling, and numbering every graphic. It might seem simple, but it was an important reminder that the simple techniques are what matters, and they make all the difference in the end.

Second, it mentioned placing graphics in the right spot. I agree that this is important because if the graphic is not in the right spot, the reader can easily get confused. I make this mistake in my reports sometimes; this post has helped me pay more attention to it in the future.

Third, it mentioned to introduce and explain each graph. This makes sense because the reader needs to understand what they are looking at before they look and try to analyze the graphics.

Fourth, the post emphasized to document your graphics to help the audience understand the importance and why it was placed where it was placed.

Fifth, it explained the importance of making your graphic stand out. There are many graphics being used throughout a report so it is important to make sure each are identified. You don’t want the audience to miss a graphic that might be really important for the purpose of your report.

Sixth, it touched on making it easy to find the graphics. I believe it is important to make your graphics all easy to find so your reader can understand your report better and have all the necessary information to know what is going on and find the main points the writer is trying to emphasize.

I also took a lot away from the 10 points on typing your reports. I didn’t know which fonts you used were that important in your writing. In the future I look forward to implementing these strategies with typing by using rules such as using different weights of fonts in the same family and making sure to avoid fonts such as comic sans and papyrus .

I agreed on all the points discussed in the post “How to Write for The Internet”. When reading online, I can relate to the idea of skimming in a kind of “F” shaped pattern. How the post is written and designed determines how much of it I actually read.

The post really emphasizes the importance of appearance and from this reading I have learn to focus on making the big points first, avoiding long paragraphs, and avoiding formal text. As stated in the article, it is important to make your main points and ideas first. As a reader myself, I don’t want to go searching to find information. If I can easily access the information and clearly understand what the writer is trying to convey right form the jump, I will be more likely to read most of it, if not, all of the article or post.

Long paragraphs can sometimes be a pain to read; I agree with the writer of this post on this topic as well because I need to emphasize smaller and more detailed paragraphs so I can appeal to my audience. When trying to keep the reader engaged, the post as mentioned the use of informal text. When using informal text I feel that the reader is able to connect further with the writer and this is another great way to keep the reader engaged.

I never quite understood how long a paragraph should be for a post on the internet, but the post has given me some perspective: 25-35 words should do it.  I never knew such a short paragraph could be so effective in one’s writing. As the post stated, most use the internet for work and other purposes and that will cause paragraphs to become longer as time goes on; however, short paragraphs are still recommended to catch the reader’s attention.

Using headings, bolds, links, and bullets really stuck with me as well, in addition to being visual as well. I agree with the post as I believe these techniques help engage the reader as well and help also catch their attention from the beginning. If I read something that was short, visual, and very well organized, I would be more inclined to read it and understand what the main points of the post were. Overall, these techniques were helpful to me and I look forward to using them to improve my internet writing skills moving forward.

The post “Interview Follow-Up Messages: Best Practices” was an important read for me because it was relatable to my experiences right now. This week I have my first job interview ever and I’m very nervous. I’ve been asking people for tips and potential questions to ask during the interviews. This post is exactly what I needed to help me succeed in my interview.

Because it is my first interview, I am worried I may make a mistake. Thankfully, the first topic the post talks about is what to do in case you make a mistake. It helped me realize that mistakes happen all the time and I’m not alone.  The post emphasized the importance of sending a follow up message or email and touched on the fact that the email is a perfect time to correct any mistakes that were made in a polite manner. Thanks to this reading, I will be prepared if I do end up making a mistake on my first interview, which I know can be common.

I didn’t know how early to send a follow up email and the reading now gives me an estimated time range on when to do so. I will make sure I send a follow up email within 48 hours of my interview to make a good first positive impression.

I thought normally follow up emails are just a simple thank you, but this post taught me that it is important to expand on a topic discussed during the interview as well, in addition to the thank you. There are no guarantees when following up on an interview, but it’s always worth a try to make a good impression, according to the post.

The post caught my attention when it mentioned the positives of mailing a handwritten note, instead of an email. The reading mentioned that if an employer gets a mailed letter, they have it forever, rather than it just being another email in their inbox. This was interesting because I figured that nobody used handwritten letters anymore, but now I’m aware that some people still use it. It may be something for me to consider in the future as I continue my interviews and job search.

This post has really helped me gain another perspective with interviews and writing afterwards. I look forward to using these tips in my interview coming up at the end of this week.

The first 5 lessons in the “How to Write with Flair” have taught me value techniques when writing emails within business. I highly recommend you read these first 5 chapters to improve your writing!

In the first chapter I learned how to use exciting verbs in my writing to make it more appealing to the audience when they read it. You need to Grapple with strong verbs and fritter away from the feeble ones. I noticed my writing seemed a little boring and bland in the past and I look to improve it moving forward by incorporating action verbs.

In the second chapter I learned the Big 5 punctuation marks: semicolons, colons, dashes, parentheses, and commas. Dashes can help highlight a part of a sentence, parentheses can imply a whisper, semicolons can combine sentences together that work with each other, commas can help make introductory clauses, and colons can create a list. These 5 uses punctuation have made my writing easier to read; helping it flow better. https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/punctuation-marks/#:~:text=We%20can%20break%20down%20the%20punctuation%20marks%20into,and%20parentheses%205%20Apostrophe%2C%20quotation%20marks%2C%20and%20ellipsis

In the third chapter I learned how to vary sentence length and change the way they start to create rhythm. Now when I’m not sure what to write next I first try to start the next sentence with either the first or last word from the last sentence.

In the fourth chapter I learned the importance of using clever wordplay in your email writing, such as puns, repeated first words, and self-answering questions. This chapter has helped my writing become more enthusiastic and appealing by writing in a more exciting tone. https://www.grammarly.com/blog/puns/#:~:text=A%20pun%20is%20a%20joke%20based%20on%20the,a%20clever%20use%20of%20language%2C%20or%20generate%20irony.

In the last chapter, chapter 5, I learned how to engage my audience in my writing. Sometimes I write as if I don’t know who I’m talking to, and this lesson taught me to recognize my audience and write in an appropriate tone to appeal to that audience. https://recruitment.relaypub.com/blog/writing-styles/#:~:text=Some%20tips%20for%20writing%20persuasively%20include%3A%201%20Identify,writing%2C%20even%20when%20faced%20with%20obstacles%20or%20opposition

All these 5 lessons have been impactful for me when reading them, most importantly lesson 4. I always thought writing had to be seriously all the time. I never tried to write with fun and engaging words. This lesson taught me that it’s just as important to keep your audience engaged as it is writing to the point. By using clever wordplay, you are able to keep your audience reading through the whole email, without wanting to put it to the side. You want your audience to read your emails all the way through so they can take something away from it.

Before I dive into Jack Dorsey’s memo to all the employees, I truly believe this was a tough decision to make, considering the circumstances. How would you have handled this decision if you were Jack? I would definitely highlight ideas that Jack used, such as expressing gratitude to the employees who were laid off and helping them find new jobs. I think it is important to be respectful to the workers that are being fired because we don’t want them to go down in flames. They deserve nothing but the best; this was truly an unfair situation. Overall, I liked how Jack showed respect to the workers in his memo, but I don’t believe he did the best job in his introduction. https://getjobber.com/academy/how-to-fire-someone-nicely/#:~:text=You%20can%20fire%20someone%20nicely%20using%20these%20best,…%208%20Give%20them%20time.%20…%20More%20items

Jack explains that he is going to give it to the audience “straight”. However, he doesn’t deliver that message right away, resulting in a much more indirect approach out the gate. He then rambles on about what the company is trying to accomplish and what they recently launched. He forgot to go straight to the point: that fact that he is firing 336 employees. Workers reading this probably don’t realize what is happening from the beginning. They might become disinterested from the jump and skip the rest of the email. In doing so, they would end up having no idea they just got laid off. https://www.bing.com/search?q=how+to+write+straight+to+the+point&cvid=5d678715c1374655b9796c6b75f38bdd&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIECAEQADIECAIQADIECAMQADIECAQQADIECAUQADIECAYQADIECAcQADIECAgQANIBCTEzMTkzajBqNKgCALACAA&FORM=ANAB01&PC=DCTS

I didn’t necessary understand why Jack named the subject of the memo “A more focused twitter”. I would recommend switching the subject to something along the lines of “employee layoffs”. It seems a little harsh, but it gets to the point of the email. Employers can then open the email and immediately get the idea Jack is trying to convey. Jack’s memo has many pros and cons: he shows respect for all the workers being laid off but also doesn’t get straight to the point from the start. https://writingcommons.org/article/memos/#:~:text=Memos%20are%20used%20in%20a%20variety%20of%20workplace,new%29%20Instructions%20Procedures%20Announcements%20Trip%20reports%20Distribution%20Medium