WMCPA Spring Conference 2023

"Hey, do you have a minute?" We're asked that question many times every day, and while we say yes, the sad answer is... NO! Our lives and our careers are busier than ever. Feel like you're barely keeping your head above water at work? You're not alone. We struggle to keep up with the demands of our careers while retaining some semblance of balance between work and personal time. Come to this session and learn the life hacks you need to supercharge your productivity! By the end of the session you'll have the tools to save over 168 hours - that's one full week - every year! What will you do with all that extra time?

What are your career goals? Sure, we're all great with technology, but to continue growing in our careers requires that we do the unthinkable... we actually have to TALK to each other. And even worse... we have to TALK to the business people in our companies! Why? WHY? Why would we possibly want to TALK to PEOPLE? The answer to that question is that today more than ever, technology IS the business. So it makes sense that IT can help or hurt a business more than ever. It's critical that we align our IT efforts, goals, and strategies with those of the business - and all of that requires good communication. Would you like to have a seat at the table, to be taken seriously as a businessperson, and to have a voice in the decisions our companies make? Then this is the interactive workshop for you. Fair warning... this will be an INTERACTIVE workshop. Attendees will be encouraged to speak in front of the group, and will be divided into teams to work together on critical thinking exercises and role play. Yes, you'll be asked to talk, to work in groups, and to role play. If you find that uncomfortable, perfect! Take that first step outside your comfort zone. Enroll, participate, be uncomfortable, and grow... and you may just find yourself listened to with newfound respect and interest by your business. Come to this interactive workshop to partner with your business and communicate for success.

Ok, maybe we're setting the bar a little high by saying EVERYTHING, but did you ever feel like all the people around you seem to just KNOW things, things you don't? Sure, you're a wiz with SQL, and no one codes RPG like you do, but when it comes to people skills, to working in teams, to communicating well, to building your career... Well, they never taught you THAT! Come to this session to learn everything you've been missing out on.

Education in today’s IT and Business Environment challenges both the Company and the employee. What skills are needed to provide for today’s (and tomorrow’s) business needs? How does the company and the employee deal with these challenges? How to decide; what to learn, how to learn and when to learn, when planning for future needs. These challenges differ depending on where a person is in their careers path. Jim discusses these challenges and more in this presentation. Great presentation for managers and employees! • The question of being relevant? • How to know… your relevancy  • Uh Oh… I’m not relevant (what to do) • Business vs IT Skills – the Balance • The Specialist vs the generalist – Let’s hire a consultant

Learning Objectives:
1. Internalize the need to continue learning in Information Technology 2. Understand how your current skills can be leveraged into new skills 3. Have a better understanding of how to approach today's educational opportunities

We all come from different backgrounds. Some of us might have heard or lived under the mindset of “Failure is not an option” or “You have to keep pushing to reach your goals” and that was the only way we knew to strive for excellence. While this session will help you hit the same goals but, give you tools to avoid the burnout that many of us failed to avoid.