ICYMI, Getting A Great Work-Life Balance *Is* Possible

The best tips on learning how to thrive in your professional and personal life.

By: Natalie Cappetta

This is a sponsored article. All opinions are 100% our own. 

In today’s nonstop hustle culture, finding the perfect work-life balance can be difficult. But as Sofia Cordero, a partner at the full-service accounting firm Mazars, shared during the Generation Hired x Accounting+ Office Hours webinar, “In Our Balanced Era,” thriving in both your professional role and your personal life is totally possible with a career in accounting.

Check out all the ways Sofia found the sweet spot between handling business and prioritizing self-care, and her advice for finding fulfillment and success in both your career and personal life. To learn how accounting allows you to do more, live more, check out Accounting+, the online career resource hub that helps you discover the vast opportunities in the field!

Advocate For Yourself

In the hustle and bustle of our work lives, it’s easy to get caught up in the chaos of deadlines, meetings, and endless to-do lists. But Sofia emphasized the importance of advocating for yourself and explained that “speaking up for your needs is essential for keeping that perfect work-life balance.” But, speaking up isn’t the only part of advocating for yourself.

“[Advocating for yourself] is more than just communicating your needs,” she said. “It’s about making sure your voice is heard in the workplace, knowing your worth, and not settling for less than you deserve.”

Admittedly though, advocating for yourself can be intimidating, so Sofia said it’s helpful to learn how others have approached similar situations. One of the things she loves most about having a career in accounting is knowing that she can lean on her peers and mentors for support. Some of her other key tips for self-advocacy include trusting that you can do it, avoiding limitations to your potential, and welcoming new opportunities.

“[A career in accounting] has endless connections,” Sofia said, explaining that it goes way beyond just keeping up with financial and tax regulations and providing accounting support. She can connect, advocate for others, build teams, and form meaningful connections internally. Not only that, but she also has a chance to engage with clients, learn about their businesses, motivations, concerns, and opportunities on a day-to-day basis, and serve as a strategic advisor to their businesses. Additionally, the opportunity to network with clients outside of work has allowed her to create meaningful connections that support that balance between work and fun.

Set Boundaries

When starting your career in accounting, you might feel pressured to always be available and say yes to everything because you want to prove yourself, which can ultimately lead to burnout. So setting boundaries at work — and continuing to prioritize a work-life balance — is crucial. 

“I think a lot of times this stress or this burden will come up when we think that we’re expected to say yes and not have any objection,” Sofia said, explaining that it’s not about how many hours you put into something, but instead if your contributions are impactful. “[Ask yourself] — how are you showing up to that project or that task? Are you taking full ownership? Are you being accountable? Can someone rely on you?” 

Sofia believes that transparency is the key to maintaining boundaries and that you should always communicate openly with your team about your commitments outside of work. When faced with a boss who has a different definition of work-life balance, be direct about your availability and stick to it so you can continue taking time for yourself! To be able to show up 100% both at work and at home, communication is key!

Don’t Forget to Unplug

As we mentioned, a career in accounting has a great work-life balance and offers a flexible schedule to pursue other passions (or to relax on the couch, no judgment!). However, one of the most important parts of maintaining that balance is knowing when to hit the pause button and shift your focus from work to your personal life until the next morning. 

Sofia’s tip for making it a little bit easier to unplug and pull away from work is to get the more time-consuming tasks out of the way at the beginning of the day or week so that you can fully relax at the end of the day and when the weekend rolls around. When Sofia’s off the clock, she likes to spend time catching up on her favorite TV shows, traveling with friends, and finding new ways to decorate her home. 

Want more tips from Sofia on finding a work-life balance? Watch the whole chat on Generation Hired! And be sure to head to joinaccountingplus.com for all the deets on pursuing a career in accounting!