Sharada Bhansali – 2014 Most Powerful Women in Accounting

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Click here to see the other honorees
of the 2014 “Most Powerful Women
in Accounting” awards.
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1. What advice would you give to female college students about the opportunities for women in the accounting profession?

   Certainly, accounting is a rewarding profession. You should evaluate your options very carefully. Decide whether you want to go towards public accounting or the corporate environment. Public accounting has demanding peak periods of long working hours. Choose what meets your personal goals and lifestyle.

2. What advice would you give accounting firms on things they could do to better retain and advance more qualified female staff?

   I believe one of the challenges in working at accounting firm is the long working hours, particularly during the tax season. That makes it difficult for women who want to raise a family and keep a work/life balance.

   Use technology to provide women professionals more flexibility in their work schedule. Cloud technology enables accountants to work more efficiently from home with a flexible schedule, rather than working in the office under a regimented schedule.

   Create an environment that enables employees to keep the right work/life balance. That keeps team members excited and makes them more productive.

3. How have you managed to balance your professional and personal life obligations, whether that includes family, etc?

   Keeping a work/life balance is important to me. I believe my skills to organize my work schedule and perform my work efficiently help me accomplish more in a day and manage my personal and professional activities without much stress.

4. How mobile are you regarding your work? How have mobile devices and apps impacted your productivity and work-life balance?

   I use an iPad for my work when I’m away from my office. I use a Kindle Fire for reading books. However, I don’t let mobile technology intrude into my personal life.

5. What single piece of technology could you absolutely not live without, and why?

   Today we live in a world where technology governs our lives. I can’t live without the Internet. Can anyone?

6. What is your favorite professional mobile app, and why?

   OneDrive from Microsoft. It makes it extremely easy to work on documents on any device.