The accounting profession is known for long hours. Even when it isn’t tax season you can still routinely work 80 hours per week. There are some who thrive on this. But for so many others it’s the greatest source of job dissatisfaction.
I know, this ain’t exactly news. But here’s what is. More and more accountants are doing something to not only take back their lives but also their love of their work. It’s called Lifestyle Accounting and the concept is simple: using today’s technology to optimize work/life balance and enhance quality of life. With the cloud and mobile devices it’s easy to work remotely but now more people are using these to take project-based work from different firms and clients in order to take extended time off or to travel.
For example, they’re freelancing for a big firm during busy season from wherever they want for $50 to $100 per hour and then they take the other nine months off. They travel the world, living in countries where there cash has greater purchasing power. But just as importantly, it can reignite and sustain their enthusiasm for their job. They can choose assignments that they enjoy and find fulfilling instead of working long hours on stuff they couldn’t care less about and getting burned out.
This type of arrangement could be a big shift in the industry going forward. The sort of flexibility and freedom It affords would be attractive to anyone. But according to all the research on Millennials this would especially appeal to them. Given that they are the biggest living generation, it would be a boon to the profession.
