Joey Balaja - Finzer Roller

Joey Balaja talks about his role in accounting at a company he has been with for 7 years, mentoring others & how his leadership position has helped himself evolve and grow as a human being.

— Q1: What inspired you to choose your current career?
A1: I went into the spring semester of my sophomore year of college at Illinois State
without a major, I took an intro to accounting class and everything clicked. I wouldn’t say it came easy, but it certainly suited me. After graduating I came across Finzer Roller online and I’ve been with the company for nearly 7 years now.

— Q2: What do you enjoy most about your day-to-day work?
A2: I enjoy the mix of diversity in the challenges that I come across paired with the stable routine. Some days I can enjoy music and crank out my work because it’s something I’ve done 100 times. Other days I have to really dig into what I’m doing because It may be something I’ve never encountered before. I also like the structed nature of accounting. Having & meeting deadlines creates a sense of accomplishment.

— Q3: How does your career contribute to your personal growth?
A3: In accounting you are often required to critically evaluate a problem/situation. The ability to critically think about something applies to all walks of life so sharpening that tool has certainly helped me grow. Outside of that I’d say time management for meeting deadlines as well as keeping composure when there is the pressure of deadlines is important.

— Q4: What do you find most rewarding about your career?
A4: The problem-solving aspect of accounting is easily the most rewarding part of the gig. There is instant gratification when the light bulb turns on and you solve the puzzle you’re working on. Aside from that – I have enjoyed the opportunity to mentor younger accountants. I’ve found a great deal of value in teaching, the more you explain something out loud the better you will in turn understand it yourself. There is also just a sense of fulfillment knowing I’ve helped another person grow.

— Q5: How do you maintain work-life balance in your career?
A5: Work-life balance has never been an issue for me. My work does not come home with me, so outside those hours of 9-5 I am living my life to the fullest. Yes there are times I’m staying late to meet a deadline, but once I’m out the door any stress connected to it goes with it. Don’t let a Monday ruin your Sunday.

— Q6: What advice would you give to someone just starting out in your field?
A6: — 1. Get yourself acquainted with the little nuances that make up the job. The better you understand the foundation of accounting the easier time you’ll have navigating the more complex topics you’ll encounter later on.

2. Find good mentors and get all the knowledge you possibly can from them.
When you find somebody who takes a complex situation and breaks it down into verbiage you understand, gravitate towards them.

3. Be detail-oriented & learn from your mistakes. Mistakes are going to happen, it’s part of the job. Learn from them and try to be as detail-oriented as you possibly can. I can’t tell you how many times a simple once-over of my work has saved me from an error. Make a habit of reviewing yourself.