Sage What you need to know

Sage What you need to know by Michael Cheary Want to become certified in the one of the most popular accounting and payroll programs? A Sage idea… Whether you’ve been working in the finance industry for a while, or you’re just starting out in your career and looking for a certification to help set you apart, a Sage qualification could be the perfect way to validate your skills.Not sure what your options are? Here’s a quick rundown of what you need to know:  What is Sage?Sage is one of the world’s most popular accounting programs.Their software is used by over six million customers, in 24 countries worldwide, and is utilised by businesses of all shapes and sizes, from start-ups to large multinational corporations, and everything in between.What are the different Sage qualifications?There are two main areas you can become Sage certified in: Sage Payroll and Sage Accounts.Both are primarily concerned with the Sage 50 program. However, there is also a Sage Instant Accounts certification available , as well as Instant Payroll.Here’s a quick rundown of the main Sage certifications:Sage Instant Accounts â€" The only accredited, performance-based Instant Accounts certification program approved by Sage. Proves you have the expertise to work with Sage Instant Accounts software, and are proficient in areas such as creating invoices, calculating VAT returns and analyse spending. No prerequisites.Sage 50 Accounts â€" Becoming certified in Sage 50 Accounts allows you to prove your proficiency in the software, as well as learning to manage your cash flow, invoicing, banking, customers, suppliers and VAT at the touch of a button. Perfect for anyone looking to work for an SME.Sage 50 Payroll â€" This course will validate your skills in one of the most popular payroll software solutions in the world. Aside from improving your product knowledge, you’ll also learn to run automated calculations, and learn the latest safe and secure payroll best practices.View all Sage courses nowWhy do I need Sage?Sage is one of the most popular accounting and payroll solutions, not just in the UK, but throughout the world.In fact, with over six million customers using their software, a growing number of businesses rely on Sage to help their companies operate. And the need for Sage certified individuals is only increasing.Sage certifications prove that you’re a competent Sage user, and provide credibility to prospective employers that you’re fully up-to-speed and ready to start using their systems right away.Additionally, notwithstanding the fact many employers consider Sage skills as absolutely essential for prospective payroll and accounting positions, Sage software is also great for anyone looking to start their own business.What methods of learning are there?Sage courses are offered in a variety of different formats.It all depends on how you like to learn. You could choose to do all of your learning online, and study at times that suit you. Or you could choose to go back to school, and take a more intensive, classroom-based course.So whatever your preference, and whatever the timescale you’re working towards, there’s a Sage course out there for everyone.How long will it take?This will depend on which certification you undertake, as well as your current level of Sage expertise, and the course provider.It could anywhere from a few days to go through and complete exams for each module, through to a year of part-time studying.Advantages of becoming Sage qualifiedSome advantages of becoming Sage qualified include:A validation for your proficiency using Sage softwareIncreased earning potentialIncreased opportunities for career advancementGlobal recognitionCompetitive advantage when applying to payroll and accounting roles  Ready to start studying Sage? Find your Sage course today.Find a job What Where Search JobsSign up for more Career AdviceSign up for moreCareer Advice Please enter a valid email addressmessage hereBy clicking Submit you agree to the

Brighten up your home this January

Brighten up your home this January January is always the worst month of the year. It’s grey, rainy, miserable outside and everyone’s short on cash so there’s not much going on. Often after Christmas it can look pretty bare inside and the dark weather means everyone’s home could do with a little sprucing up. A great way to beat those January blues is by brightening up in the inside of your home by making some small changes around the house. Here are a few suggestions: Add some colour Adding a bright lick of paint to a tired wall or creating a feature wall in a room is a great way to liven things up a little. Whether it’s a fuchsia pink dining room or a zesty lime kitchen, painting a wall really does the job. If you’re not wanting to make such a big change just yet, try out buying bright accessories to add a splash of colour. A funky lampshade or a few ornaments should do the trick. Hunt for summer paintings   It doesn’t have to be a Monet masterpiece but hanging up a few summery paintings really brightens up the home. Find one you love that makes you think of long balmy days in the garden and your mood is sure to be lifted in no time. Look for bright colours, summer time scenes and you’ll light up the room in no time. Light it up Whether you want to decorate your home with pretty fairy lights to prolong the Christmas spirit or hang a few lights up in the garden, lights definitely help to make you feel more cheery. If fairy lights are a little too much, making sure the bulbs in your lamps and light fittings are shining bright is essential. Lights can often become dim over time, so new bulbs from the LED Hut are the perfect solution. Add Flowers A great way to freshen up your home is with a gorgeous bunch of fresh cut flowers. Whether it’s some beautiful red roses or a bright bouquet of sunflowers, flowers both look and smell great. Make a cute flower arrangement by using different types of flowers and mixing them together. Get yourself a nice vase to keep them in and you’ll be smiling all the way through January By following these top tips to brighten up your home, a drab and drizzly January will be over in no time.

The art of self-promotion

The art of self-promotion Self-promotion isnt a dirty word: its a vital part of the graduate job search, particularly if youre looking to establish yourself in the arts world. Rachel Guthrie, final year history of art student and aspiring art critic, tell us how its done. Self-promotion has never been an easy idea for me. I’m a wannabe art critic, whos always liked to think that my writing could do the work for me â€" speaking of my ability and drive to write about the arts alone. But in the world of journalism, and even more so in the sector of the arts where critics, writers, reviewers and reporters are now all freelance and battling for every commission, self-promotion has never been more important. Having an active online presence is key to my future as an arts journalist â€" it’s the way in which I get known, as well as being the means of getting my writing out to a wider audience of readers and commissioning editors. Keeping it professional Self-documentation has always been a more comfortable concept. I began my post-school education practicing art 9-5, and my number one hobby is still photography â€" I love to document what I see, do and feel. This is in some ways what drew me to criticism because I couldn’t help but respond to the exhibitions I was attending and so I set up a blog (originally a blogspot, now a wordpress) when I left school. It was a commitment I made with myself and the wider web to write about every exhibition I saw. It would be my online portfolio of writing, increasingly building over a period in which I was not writing as part of my education. Here’s where twitter came in: it was a means of documenting, but not simply a list of the day’s activities one by one, but always putting an evaluative slant on all that I did. Foremost, my twitter account was set up to be a professional rather than a personal account. But at the same time, it had to be personable, culturally all-rounded. If I want to be a critic, I am putting myself in a position where I sell myself as a beacon of good taste. I have to be trusted by readers, I have to seen to know not just what I am talking about (therefore have a good education in art history), but also be able to decide what is good and what simple is not, in the exhibition scene. This is why I’ve linked my twitter into my blog so that people can read how I’m spending my time â€" how, essentially, I’m broadening my horizons. Building your persona Moreover, as a critic, you have to be a persona. This is quite different to general journalism â€" to your trained news reporter â€" I have to have a distinctive voice. The most well-known (and fearfully respected) art critic is Brian Sewell. He hates more or less everything he sees, but he is a 100% memorable, recognisable. He is himself a brand, and this is what a critic must be. And as a critic of the visual, I have to create a brand that is visually appealing, hence I have a blog with a clear aesthetic, which hopefully reflects my writing style and artistic [contemporary] preferences, and business cards which too mimic those graphics. My active online presence â€" I speak mostly of my blog and twitter account (which I believe should be seen as a form of micro-blogging) â€" is then a matter of self-documentation and promotion. My blog is the place in which you can find my CV, photographs and read my articles without asking for them, thereby cutting out the middle-man. My website is essentially an advertisement for my expertise, and in being cheeky enough as to suggest that I should be paid for what I love doing, I have been. Twitter is great for this too. By following key organisations (those you’d like to work for) and including them in your tweets you can catch their attention, and they can catch yours when they mention job opportunities, competitions and the like. I also have an automatic setting so that everything I publish on my blog goes on twitter (as I have more followers on twitter where the things I speak about are broader than those on my blog), and I tweet with hashtags to gain the kind of followers that may be useful for me. By making the most of the internet, I find unknown opportunities arising helping to widen my potential. Rachel was voted Best Arts Writer at The Boar (2011-12) and shortlisted for critic of the year at the 2012 Guardian Student Media Awards. Rachel  blogs  and tweets@rachelguthrie8

Soft and Clean Professional Resume Template Freebie

Soft and Clean Professional Resume Template Freebie Soft and Clean Professional Resume Template Freebie Lavender is a soft and soothing color. Black is the perfect, dramatic foil. Together, these two, striking colors make up our Soft and Clean resume template. It’s subdued yet dramatic. It’s feminine, but also powerful as well. If you want something that will truly make your future boss stop and take notice, this is your template. We think it is ideal for nurses, caregivers, direct sales staffers, and much more. Show your soft and clean side with one of our best resume templates! So, how do you get this template? That’s the best part. You don’t have to pay us. You don’t have to give up your personal information either. We create these templates simply to give you a great tool as you search for the job of your dreams.If this is the one for you, just click the button below. Once the template has been downloaded, you can feel free to modify it in any way that you please! File size: 70 KB Format: .docx Downloaded 612 times License: Free, personal use only. Please read the lice nse terms for resources. Download previous article How To Job Search While Still Employed (The Sneaky Way) next article Do You Have a 5 or 10 Year Career Goal Checklist? you might also likeFine Balance â€" A Creative and Professional Resume Template

11 Habits of Prosperous Writers CareerMetis.com

11 Habits of Prosperous Writers â€" CareerMetis.com Photo Credit â€" pixabay.comTake a deep breath and sit down. I have bad news for you. Writer’s block and inspiration do not exist. They are fiction. So sweet fiction that everyone who decided to become a writer but didn’t succeed fast sincerely believes in it.evalIf you are one of those, my message is for you: do not waste your time looking for excuses. Spend it on searching the way. Here is how.1) Write regularlyevalPractice makes magic. Professional writers write every day. They have a schedule and stick to it. They plan time they’ll start writing, duration of the work and quantity of words they will write.Contrary to common belief, the successful writer’s way is full of non-creative decisions. It doesn’t matter how long you haven’t been attending exciting events or meeting interesting people. You estimate the time you spend on writing every day and follow the plan.2) Go aheadThe successful writers never give up. They never complain. Your manuscript could be rejected th ousand of times Instead of complaining, edit your work, rewrite a couple of chapters, write the new book. Act until your manuscript will be published.3) Promote yourselfIf you think you are a good writer, do not hesitate to share this idea with others. If you want the world to read your book, you have to make your presence known on it.Attend writers’ meetings, publishing conferences, art exhibitions, etc. Use any opportunity to express yourself. Your chances to attract the publishers’ attention depend mostly on you and increases in proportion to the number of people who got familiar with your works.4) Meet your readersCreate a website, build your platform to connect with the readers. Do not expect publishers will do this job for you.evalShare your ideas with the audience. Give a feedback. Respond to emails, pay attention to the readers’ comments, try to find out what they like and dislike about your writing. Your success depends on them. Grasp it.eval5) Invest in yourselfSucce ssful writers invest in themselves. They take online classes, visit educational and professional conferences, share their experience with colleagues. Obviously, they read a lot of books.The success in writing depends on your progressiveness and intelligence. To make their works interesting for readers writers always need to stay one step ahead of them.6) Take it seriouslyDo not think of writing as a game. It is your career, your business if you will. Treat it appropriately.Maybe, once it was your hobby. But if you would like to earn money writing, be as purposeful as you can. Sure, you have no boss, there is no promotion ahead, but you do have duties and tasks to complete. Be a responsible worker and the success won’t be late.7) Hold the paceYet again, do not wait for inspiration; such expectancy leads to procrastination, and no results in the end. Hold your peace, keep writing even when the sentences are bad, the characters are awful, the scenes are plain. No matter, how bad your writing is, keep your word and write as often as you can.Do not rely on your spontaneous ideas and vivid imagination. Spend quality time on planning the outlines; it saves you from the sitting in front of blank pages.Do not feel pity about yourself. Write every minute you can. With no excuses.8) Love what you do Rewriting and editing are as important as writing. Sometimes, even more important. To write a best-seller you have to fall in love with them. Editing your book you polish it, add new soundings to it, improve it. You shouldn’t be passionate about it, but you need to realize it is the only path to create a masterpiece.9) Do not drag it outSuccessful writers act fast. The don’t wait for a right moment to submit the manuscript. Despite they go through many edits, they do not stick with it. They do not rewrite it over and over to make the book perfect. It is impossible. So, as long as they finish their work, they start looking for publishers.Again, it is all about excuses. D o not hide behind them.10) Take careProfessional writers know the audience is unpredictable. If they loved your first book, it doesn’t guarantee they’d love your next one in the same genre.If you don’t want such situations to wound your feelings, work on different projects. Write for a magazine, try yourself in other art fields. This way, in case something goes wrong, you always have a fallback, a one more channel to express yourself and â€" what’s more important â€" a reason to keep creating.eval11) Stay true to yourselfSuccessful authors filter any information they get. They don’t believe anything they heard. Professionals stay true to themselves. They pay attention to useful pieces of advice as well as keep applying what work for them.They value their uniqueness and the habits they got after years of hard work and practice. When they make changes, they do it because they feel it is what they need, not because someone said they had to.Prosperous writers know how much wor k it costs them to become great. Yet, they don’t change their habits as they know it’s worth it.