Office Office

[office-management-blog]

A day in the life of an Office Manager Part 2

Showing how varied and busy an Office Manager job can be, I chronicled my morning activity in a blog in Part One.

14:00 Back from not very pleasant lunch at Portuguese place opposite; all bread no filling!

14:05 The main server goes down; PANIC!!! It looks like it went off in lunch hour; Now I must check when the latest data back-ups happened.

14:10 Our remote IT support have spotted the server problem and are logging into the system to see if they can re-instate remotely.

Author Digidreamgrafix and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

14:20 Two staff members who have developed an out of work relationship have a loud argument in the main office; I quickly calm down the situation and arrange individual meeting for after work. This is the last thing I need when dealing with a IT emergency. I am losing patience with these two. 

14:30 IT people need to send an engineer; I set up emergency IT contingency to operate without main server.

14:45 Meeting with someone from Neopost to discuss the benefits of using a franking machine instead of using our existing Royal Mail SmartStamp

15:00 Meeting with head of sales department to see how their data reporting can be streamlined to give more meaningful  feedback reports and to synchronise with budgeting software. It appears we will need to get the software people to create a suitable macro.

15:45 At last I get to do some catch up paperwork, especially as my paperwork is now urgent as I like to leave nothing important outstanding in my inbox overnight. I will have to do some steaming to catch up as there are 16 new important e-mails since 13:00.

16:15 The hardware engineer arrives to see the server, he is able to do a diagnosis alone. We need new drives and a main fan; this can be ordered overnight but no server until tomorrow!

16:30 E-mail from Groupon looks interesting with group offer at Rodizio; think I will book it for 10 people as monthly office treat.

16:45 Still trying to clear inbox but fighting a losing battle as they seem to be arriving faster than I can bat them back. One looks important and I will need to refer it to my boss as it could lead to a serious complaint if not handled quickly.

17:00 Input of e-mails seems to slow so I am on top at last, will need to give it to 17:30 to finalise replies.

This has been a very normal day for me. However, the Office Manager Career is truly an excellent option. Mainly because it boosts your earning potential and gets you to a management level of staff. I took an Office Manager Course in London to get this job.

[office-management-blog]

A day in the life of an Office Manager Part 2

Showing how varied and busy an Office Manager job can be, I chronicled my morning activity in a blog in Part One.

14:00 Back from not very pleasant lunch at Portuguese place opposite; all bread no filling!

14:05 The main server goes down; PANIC!!! It looks like it went off in lunch hour; Now I must check when the latest data back-ups happened.

14:10 Our remote IT support have spotted the server problem and are logging into the system to see if they can re-instate remotely.

Author Digidreamgrafix and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

14:20 Two staff members who have developed an out of work relationship have a loud argument in the main office; I quickly calm down the situation and arrange individual meeting for after work. This is the last thing I need when dealing with a IT emergency. I am losing patience with these two. 

14:30 IT people need to send an engineer; I set up emergency IT contingency to operate without main server.

14:45 Meeting with someone from Neopost to discuss the benefits of using a franking machine instead of using our existing Royal Mail SmartStamp

15:00 Meeting with head of sales department to see how their data reporting can be streamlined to give more meaningful  feedback reports and to synchronise with budgeting software. It appears we will need to get the software people to create a suitable macro.

15:45 At last I get to do some catch up paperwork, especially as my paperwork is now urgent as I like to leave nothing important outstanding in my inbox overnight. I will have to do some steaming to catch up as there are 16 new important e-mails since 13:00.

16:15 The hardware engineer arrives to see the server, he is able to do a diagnosis alone. We need new drives and a main fan; this can be ordered overnight but no server until tomorrow!

16:30 E-mail from Groupon looks interesting with group offer at Rodizio; think I will book it for 10 people as monthly office treat.

16:45 Still trying to clear inbox but fighting a losing battle as they seem to be arriving faster than I can bat them back. One looks important and I will need to refer it to my boss as it could lead to a serious complaint if not handled quickly.

17:00 Input of e-mails seems to slow so I am on top at last, will need to give it to 17:30 to finalise replies.

This has been a very normal day for me. However, the Office Manager Career is truly an excellent option. Mainly because it boosts your earning potential and gets you to a management level of staff. I took an Office Manager Course in London to get this job.

[office-management-blog]

A Day In The Life of an Office Manager Part One

I have been an Office Manager at my company since being promoted from a Secretary. I like the job, but it can be hectic. I managed to get the promotion after taking an Office Manager Course. Just to show you how busy and varied my job can be as an Office Manager I decided to run a diary yesterday morning till lunch  and this is what it ended up looking like:

08:00 I got stuck in traffic on M25; there was an accident further ahead.

08:25 I finally got in, although officially I start at 08:30 I like to get in early so I can control the day rather than the day control me; traffic therefore was a problem.

08:30 The receptionist not yet in. So I answered the phone and got nabbed by an early cold call trying to sell stationery; I was polite, but dumped call as soon as possible.



Author photostock and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

08:40 I checked IT configuration and noted that our main server had problems, so I contacted our IT support to investigate.

08:50 First coffee.

08:55 HR called to advise they received resignation from an administrative assistant. They asked me to check with her before they get involved, so I booked a chat for 09:10.

09:05 Second coffee.

09:10 I met with Jade, the girl who just resigned. It turned out that she had resigned because she fell out with her boyfriend, Jeff who also works here. They have made up overnight, so her resignation was withdrawn. I could have done without that, this morning.

09:25 I met with IT company to discuss a new CRM system, which integrates with our accounting system. I found out that it could track a client from first call right through to issuing invoices and statements. It sounded really good but as it is cloud based it cannot interface with our phone system.

10:15 Third coffee

10:25 I had a meeting with all the PAs to arrange a day training, where both they and their managers are present. This will improve both of their respective soft skills, whilst at the same time allowing both sides to bring any issues to the forefront. A couple of the girls did not fancy the idea. They thought that they would lack confidence to speak up, so I arranged one on one coaching on confidence building for next week.

 Author photostock and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

11:00 I had a meeting with Sales Manager to see how we can improve the reporting accuracy of sales staff, as it is causing a problem with data reliability.

11:45 Then there was a meeting with Jeff on a “private matter” concerning his relationship with Jade.

12:00 I had a dreaded meeting with the auditor to explain our reporting procedures and how we handle our preferred suppliers’ list.

13:05 Off to lunch with cup of tea (no more coffee in afternoon, as I am buzzing). I will write about my afternoon in a later blog. Stay tuned.

[office-management-blog]

The Job Role of an Office Manager - ever changing and growing

The formal growth of the role of an office manager has grown greatly in recent years.

Historically, this role was a more of an informal position where the administration person filled the position and became a manager for other administrative staff. However, the role was often limited and ill defined.

The role has grown to become prominent in recent years and office manager positions now appear in most small to medium sized businesses as well as within each profit centre of larger organisations.

Consequently, there has been an increase in the amount of specialised training made available to these positions. This means that professionals in administrative position that are looking to get a formal office manager position need to consider bolstering the skill base.

Examples of areas that may need improved skills training are as follows: 

Author samuiblue and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

·         Book-keeping Course

·         Sage Computerised Accounting

·         Sage Payroll

·         Leadership and motivation skills; coaching

·         Negotiation

·         Communication skills

·         MS Office skills

 ·         A Comprehensive Office Manager Course

·         Project Management

  Obviously the mandated job requirements of individual office manager positions vary and not all of these skills will be needed in every situation. The main office manager course is highly recommended as it will touch on a lot of the areas mentioned above and explain them in context. Following on from that more general course you can decide on which areas are more important to the actual role that you work in. You can then choose to supplement the course with more detailed specific training.

A key area of focus should be on leadership training. This is because many new Office Managers are new to leading others and the responsibility that comes with this aspect. Some people have a natural tendency to lead and provide a role model for others; however newly appointed managers will require a level of guidance and new skills to cope with the new leadership role that they have acquired.

                                               Author renjith krishnan and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

The degree to which finance is important also needs careful consideration. Many roles require management and setting of your office's budget and this requires bookkeeping and accounting. 

This will mean a foundation in bookkeeping will be necessary and possibly even looking at high level accountancy. Project Management is a new area that many Office Managers require a knowledge of, because organisation are constantly changing through new projects. The seniority of the role will ensure that you are involved and even running many projects in your role.

Microsoft Office Training is essential as you will need to have an excellent grasp of all the programmes. In particular, you need to ensure that the programmes that you will use extensively, you have attained a highly proficient standard.

[office-management-blog]

Career Change: Secretary to Office Manager

My Early Career I started work in Administration of a medium sized company. The atmosphere was busy and efficient with junior and senior mingling nicely. My high typing speed and accuracy were noticed and I was promoted to the secretarial pool. I enjoyed this new role as it was challenging and the rest of the team was good fun; we went out for dinner once a month. During this time, I often had to relieve one of the 4 PAs whenever they were away, whether on holiday or sick.

After three years in this job, one of the PAs left as her husband was transferred abroad so I applied for the position and secured the role. I was delighted with this move as it meant a healthy pay rise, but it meant that I no longer had the comfort of the team. The role was more demanding and my boss was meticulous with presentation with which I had no difficulty. I soon settled in the job and established an excellent working relationship with him.

My last role was a disaster

Author nirots and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

I was in this role for four years when one of the two EAs had to resign because of health problems. I was asked to take over this role but with no pay rise. I was disappointed with this, but decided to take the job for the experience. My new boss was very difficult and made it quite clear that he would not have selected me for the role. His EA had a very antiquated of handling the work as she would keep a record of every letter, memo, fax or email sent out in a note book; this will include the date and time. He insisted that I kept the same practise and would often check that it was being carried out. With audio transcription, he would often change words several times which meant amending and printing numerous times. He would refer to me as his PA and never EA. Also, he had bad days when the slightest thing would annoy him and he would shout and swear. I kept out of his way on those days. At first I worked hard to get on with him but after a time, I found that I was creeping around the office; very much like walking on thin ice. As expected, I began to dread going to work. Is this the reason the previous EA left? I knew I had to look after myself. So after sixteen years with the company, I know I have to leave.

Author Akarakingdoms and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

After much thought, I decided to have a changed of career and on checking the job market, I decided to go for the Office Manager role. The pay is good and you will not have to be at someone’s beck and call. I researched thoroughly and found a college that provided just what I needed at this time. I took an Office Manager Training Course and at the same time, I topped up my IT skills by taking Advanced level in Word, Excel, Outlook, Access and PowerPoint. Today, I am working out my notice and look forward to starting a new career in two week’s time.

[office-management-blog]

How to get the correct format in Business Letter Writing

Here is a survival guide to business letter writing formats that are covered on a good business letter writing course. You should make sure at first that you are clear on business letter format and follow this formal format. This will ensure that the overall look of your business letter is professional. Try to make sure that you use a font which is standard, so Times New Roman or Arial. You should also ensure that there is a suitable sized margin and that letter body is left justified.

The letterhead is essential in a business letter. In most company’s you will have headed printed paper for your business. This should always be used where available, as it shows a greater level of professionalism. However, if you do not possess headed paper, you can put your full contact details in the top right hand corner of the paper.

 Author stockimages and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

The letter should be left hand justified at the top, below the level of a manually written address which should be written out in full. Therefore, it should appear like this: 25 February 2011. The Year should be in YYYY format and the month written in full. Deviation from this format will appear clumsy to experienced clerical workers.

Make a space and then below that you should input the full details of the recipient. You should write the recipient's name in full, followed by their title then by the name of the company and finally the address. Always remember to include their reference number, when possible.

Too many people make mistakes with the salutation. There are many choices that you have here and you need to be sure to make the correct choice. You must select the correct level of politeness and formality. Here are some examples

·         "To Whom It May Concern" is to be used when you do not know who you are sending the letter to within the organisation.

·         "Dear Sir/Madam" is appropriate when you do not know the recipient very well. Use plurals, when you are right to more than one person, “Dear Sirs/Madams”.

·         However you could opt to use the title and the surname instead "Dear Mr Coulsdon."

·         If you know the recipient well and enjoy an informal relationship with him or her, you may consider a first-name address, e.g. "Dear Susan."

In the body of the letter you should use body paragraphs, which means that you should put 2 spaces between your paragraphs. This will make the presentation look much better.

Author stockimages and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

In a formal business letter you can use "Yours faithfully", when you do not know the person. However, when you know the person you should use "Yours sincerely".

A gap of four lines should be left for you to sign. You will leave your signature here, or that of your boss, after you have printed the letter. Always use blue or black ink to sign, other colours will look unprofessional.

[office-management-blog]

How I turned around a dead end career to become a successful professional

I am not proud of my grades at GCSE and now wish I had worked harder at school. If only I found the subjects stimulating. I got a job as a checkout operator at one of the national hyper stores and was happy that I was earning. My two best friends carried on studying as they both wanted to work in offices. At that time, I felt that I was doing a lot better than them as I can buy nice clothes and I had money to spend which I did.

Over the two years at the store, I was given more responsibilities and a pay rise albeit small. My friends were both settled in jobs in offices with one of them working in the office at my work place. Her pay was more than mine. I had to take stock and consider my life and future. I realised that I just drifted into whatever job was available with no career planning beforehand. I decided that I also would like to work in an office so I approached recruitment agencies, who promptly informed me that I did not have the experience required. I thought, ‘How can I possibly gain experience without being offered a job?’

Author photostock and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

  Eventually I secured a job as an office junior in a small company. I was overjoyed as I had  broken through that barrier of ‘no experience.’ I found some aspects of the job quite daunting as you were required to deal with many ad hoc duties. I never completed my probation period as my employer said that although I was willing to learn and he liked my enthusiasm and personality, the staff were finding it a strain to always be on hand to assist me. He suggested that I really need a course in office training. After which he will consider employing me should he have a vacancy. I was shattered.

My friends rallied around and found me an intensive course in Administration. I enjoyed the course enjoyable and expanded on it by signing up for all the Microsoft training modules. I also realised the many shortcomings that I had for any office role. My dedication to this course paid off, as I achieved a distinction. This was the first time I had really studied or worked towards anything.

                                           Author Michal Marcol and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Armed with this certificate and my new found confidence, I soon secured a job in an office and had no problem in performing the tasks. With my clear understanding of the function of the office and over a period of time, I suggested changes in the system to have the department running effectively; these were taken up with success.

Over a five year period, I was promoted within the department to Administrator. My boss mentioned that he would eventually like me to be the Office Manager, so I immediately prepared myself for this. I enrolled for an Office Manager courseat the same training centre and topped up training with Microsoft modules at Advanced level. Today, I am the Office Manager and have been for the last three months. Who knows what role I will have in the next five years but, whatever role it will be, I will be fully prepared for it.

[office-management-blog]

Jobseekers: Do not lie on your CV

Most people have areas of their CV which they are not happy with, but it is important that you are not tempted to lie about them. If you are caught lying on your CV, it could damage your professional reputation and cause you to lose the current job application. Furthermore, recruitment agents will not be keen to work with you again. This is because they cannot risk sending out a dubious candidate to their clients, as it will appear that the recruitment agents have not been vetting candidates sufficiently.

What are the chances of being caught

This is the key issue for anyone who is lying on their CV. Employers and agents can do extensive background checks, in order to verify the details on your CV. This has become a whole industry in itself and the thoroughness of the process is severe. Now the chances of them discovering that you have lied are quite high.

Why do we decide to lie? Well that is easy and I think we all understand why we would lie about our experience and skills. If we feel that there are weaknesses in our CV, we may decide to embellish the truth, with a little lie, or even give a big lie.

There are some common things that people lie about. One is the dates of their previous employment or education. Many people try to extend their dates to fill in any gaps of unemployment. Background check for work references will always ask your employers to confirm your dates of employment. Also, do not say things like you are travelling to fill in gaps, if you were not travelling. Employers check this by going through the stamps in your passport or asking for verified travel documents.

Lying about your job titles and level of education is also common. However, educational institutions will confirm your subjects taken and grades achieved. Meanwhile, Human Resources at your previous employers have to confirm what your job title was at your previous job.

These checks and the cooperation of employers, universities and schools have made it impossible to lie on your CV.

Dangers when caught out

If you are caught out by a background check, this can leave you blacklisted by the recruiter and the potential employer. This could cost you a dream job and often the lies on your CV were not important for your job application.

I have a lot of professional experience of hiring people and this is one issue that is sadly commonly witnessed. I am now the trainer of Office Manager Courses in London.

[office-management-blog]

Jobseekers: Do not lie on your CV

Most people have areas of their CV which they are not happy with, but it is important that you are not tempted to lie about them. If you are caught lying on your CV, it could damage your professional reputation and cause you to lose the current job application. Furthermore, recruitment agents will not be keen to work with you again. This is because they cannot risk sending out a dubious candidate to their clients, as it will appear that the recruitment agents have not been vetting candidates sufficiently.

What are the chances of being caught

This is the key issue for anyone who is lying on their CV. Employers and agents can do extensive background checks, in order to verify the details on your CV. This has become a whole industry in itself and the thoroughness of the process is severe. Now the chances of them discovering that you have lied are quite high.

Why do we decide to lie? Well that is easy and I think we all understand why we would lie about our experience and skills. If we feel that there are weaknesses in our CV, we may decide to embellish the truth, with a little lie, or even give a big lie.

There are some common things that people lie about. One is the dates of their previous employment or education. Many people try to extend their dates to fill in any gaps of unemployment. Background check for work references will always ask your employers to confirm your dates of employment. Also, do not say things like you are travelling to fill in gaps, if you were not travelling. Employers check this by going through the stamps in your passport or asking for verified travel documents.

Lying about your job titles and level of education is also common. However, educational institutions will confirm your subjects taken and grades achieved. Meanwhile, Human Resources at your previous employers have to confirm what your job title was at your previous job.

These checks and the cooperation of employers, universities and schools have made it impossible to lie on your CV.

Dangers when caught out

If you are caught out by a background check, this can leave you blacklisted by the recruiter and the potential employer. This could cost you a dream job and often the lies on your CV were not important for your job application.

I have a lot of professional experience of hiring people and this is one issue that is sadly commonly witnessed. I am now the trainer of Office Manager Courses in London.

[office-management-blog]

Effective Business Writing in Emails

Emails are a form of business communication and they require the same level of care, when writing, as a business letter. If you are working in an office job, it is likely that you will send many emails. However, it is all too common to become too relaxed about the nature of our emails. Here are the keys to maintaining a good standard of writing.

Author jannoon028 and Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Maintain good grammar

Failing to use correct punctuation destroy the image of your emails. This can lead to people not taking your emails seriously. Ensure that you maintain a good level of grammar.

Wording

Try to be clear and concise in your writing. Avoid using vague language or being long winded. You should also try to avoid using too many buzz words or technical jargon. You want to widen your audience as much as possible, rather than exclude sectors of the audience.

Take care with the structure

Avoid creating long paragraphs and sentences. This will make it harder to read and many readers will lose interest or just not read your email. Furthermore, a bad layout makes your email look poor and less professional

Professional Language

Avoid using informal and conversational language. This is a bad mistake which is often done, as people regard emails as being more informal modes of communication. However, a business email is a formal communication and this means that it must have a professional tone.                                                                                     Author renjith krishnan and Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

No Exclusivity

Use clear and universal language to ensure that no one is excluded from understanding your email. All too often jargon is used and many readers will not understand the meaning.

Concise and clear

Get to the point, don’t  bring in off centre issues, the reader must know what you are saying without having to guess.                                       

Thorough Proofreading

Human error is inevitable and it happens to the best of us. You must check your writing for the mistakes mentioned above. This is the only way to ensure that the email is ready to be sent.

The standard of your email communication is important for so many reasons. You have to ensure that the email relays the message communicated clearly and is read by your audience. These issues should be addressed on Admin Courses and Business Writing Courses

[office-management-blog]

Effective Business Writing in Emails

Emails are a form of business communication and they require the same level of care, when writing, as a business letter. If you are working in an office job, it is likely that you will send many emails. However, it is all too common to become too relaxed about the nature of our emails. Here are the keys to maintaining a good standard of writing.

Author jannoon028 and Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Maintain good grammar

Failing to use correct punctuation destroy the image of your emails. This can lead to people not taking your emails seriously. Ensure that you maintain a good level of grammar.

Wording

Try to be clear and concise in your writing. Avoid using vague language or being long winded. You should also try to avoid using too many buzz words or technical jargon. You want to widen your audience as much as possible, rather than exclude sectors of the audience.

Take care with the structure

Avoid creating long paragraphs and sentences. This will make it harder to read and many readers will lose interest or just not read your email. Furthermore, a bad layout makes your email look poor and less professional

Professional Language

Avoid using informal and conversational language. This is a bad mistake which is often done, as people regard emails as being more informal modes of communication. However, a business email is a formal communication and this means that it must have a professional tone.                                                                                     Author renjith krishnan and Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

No Exclusivity

Use clear and universal language to ensure that no one is excluded from understanding your email. All too often jargon is used and many readers will not understand the meaning.

Concise and clear

Get to the point, don’t  bring in off centre issues, the reader must know what you are saying without having to guess.                                       

Thorough Proofreading

Human error is inevitable and it happens to the best of us. You must check your writing for the mistakes mentioned above. This is the only way to ensure that the email is ready to be sent.

The standard of your email communication is important for so many reasons. You have to ensure that the email relays the message communicated clearly and is read by your audience. These issues should be addressed on Admin Courses and Business Writing Courses

[office-management-blog]

Bookkeeping a skill needed in a variety of jobs

For anyone who has been looking for an Administrative Assistant, Administrator, Office Manager or similar clerical job, it is all common to see a requirement for bookkeeping knowledge. The roles will generally have an element of bookkeeping included, but will not be a role for bookkeepers.

Therefore, developing bookkeeping skills is an important attribute to making you more job ready. In this job market, it is especially important that you make yourself as attractive to employers as you can.

What is a Bookkeeper

People, who have never worked in bookkeeping, often misconceive the realities of the role. Bookkeeping or book-keeping is the process by which an organisation’s financial transactions are recorded in the company ledger (accounting system).

 Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Stockimages

This process happens in all types of organisations, if they have accounts and financial transactions. It does not means that bookkeeping only occurs in a business.

Bookkeeping will enable to us keep a record of what we have bought and sold, as well as our bills.  

These financial transactions will be added up by the Accountants. They will then check them and publish them as financial accounts. Bookkeepers are not likely to be involved in the high level accounts; they will focus on the inputting of data into the accounting system.

Bookkeeping will usually involve a double-entry accounting system. In this methodology, each recorded financial transaction will have a Debit and a Credit side. This methodology is easy once you have spent some time practicing it, but you will need to take a Bookkeeping Course in order to learn this concept.

Bookkeepers do not require a degree or an accountancy qualification. Most bookkeepers will take a bookkeeping training course, in order to gain experience.

 Author adamr and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

  What skills do you need to be a good bookkeeper.

·       You need a head for numbers. Strong numeric skills and the ability to digest numbers in spreadsheets and other forms.

·       You need a keen attention to detail. You need to avoid making errors, so being careful and accurate is important.

·       Be a fast learner and good at adapting. Accounting packages are constantly updated, so you’ll need to keep up with these changes.

·       Be able to meet deadlines and organise your work to meet this schedule.

[office-management-blog]

Bookkeeping a skill needed in a variety of jobs

For anyone who has been looking for an Administrative Assistant, Administrator, Office Manager or similar clerical job, it is all common to see a requirement for bookkeeping knowledge. The roles will generally have an element of bookkeeping included, but will not be a role for bookkeepers.

Therefore, developing bookkeeping skills is an important attribute to making you more job ready. In this job market, it is especially important that you make yourself as attractive to employers as you can.

What is a Bookkeeper

People, who have never worked in bookkeeping, often misconceive the realities of the role. Bookkeeping or book-keeping is the process by which an organisation’s financial transactions are recorded in the company ledger (accounting system).

 Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Stockimages

This process happens in all types of organisations, if they have accounts and financial transactions. It does not means that bookkeeping only occurs in a business.

Bookkeeping will enable to us keep a record of what we have bought and sold, as well as our bills.  

These financial transactions will be added up by the Accountants. They will then check them and publish them as financial accounts. Bookkeepers are not likely to be involved in the high level accounts; they will focus on the inputting of data into the accounting system.

Bookkeeping will usually involve a double-entry accounting system. In this methodology, each recorded financial transaction will have a Debit and a Credit side. This methodology is easy once you have spent some time practicing it, but you will need to take a Bookkeeping Course in order to learn this concept.

Bookkeepers do not require a degree or an accountancy qualification. Most bookkeepers will take a bookkeeping training course, in order to gain experience.

 Author adamr and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

  What skills do you need to be a good bookkeeper.

·       You need a head for numbers. Strong numeric skills and the ability to digest numbers in spreadsheets and other forms.

·       You need a keen attention to detail. You need to avoid making errors, so being careful and accurate is important.

·       Be a fast learner and good at adapting. Accounting packages are constantly updated, so you’ll need to keep up with these changes.

·       Be able to meet deadlines and organise your work to meet this schedule.

[office-management-blog]

Advice on how to master Body Language in Interviews.

Body language is usually observed intently at interviews. It is something that we all send out. However, most people are unaware of their body language and how they appear to others. Conversely, most people readily notice the body language of others and will especially look for body language signal on a first meeting.

1. Take a couple of deep breaths

Take a couple of deep, discrete breaths prior to the interview. This will relax your body.

2. Good Firm handshake

This is highly important to giving a good first impression. Male of female you should a give a solid and firm handshake. You should not go too far and try to crush the other person’s hand, but you should also make sure that you do not give a floppy handshake.

                                            Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Digitalart

3. Maintain a good upright posture

If you can maintain a straight back and keep you head and shoulders upright it conveys a level of confidence. However, looking down and stooping will give the impression that you are timid or even dishonest. This can have a huge impact on whether you get the job. 4. Eye contact

You must maintain eye contact with the interviewer. This will transmit a signal that you are confident and trustworthy. There is a saying that ‘he could not look me in the face’. This idiom illustrates the importance of maintain eye contact. You also need to maintain eye contact, so that you can gauge reactions of your interviewer. This is important, as you can tell if your interviewer likes the direction of the answers you are delivering.

5. Maintain a confident and professional position in your chair

Sit up straight in your chair and rest your hands on the table in front of you. Do not fidget, although it may be tempting to do so.

                                                Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Ambro

6. Smile

Try to smile occasionally, in a nice natural manner. Do not give a false smile or nervous smile, but smile when the opportunity arises. This will show you to be an amiable person, who is likely to fit in well within the organisation. No one wants a difficult personality.

These guidelines should help you to handle the difficult situation of being in a job interview. Remember that these little things often make the difference between getting the job and losing the job. Pay careful attention to these aspects of your body language and this will greatly increase your confidence, when you attend your next job interview.

                                                   Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Ambro These soft skills elements are covered in many training programs, including those provided by Souters Training.

[office-management-blog]

Advice on how to master Body Language in Interviews.

Body language is usually observed intently at interviews. It is something that we all send out. However, most people are unaware of their body language and how they appear to others. Conversely, most people readily notice the body language of others and will especially look for body language signal on a first meeting.

1. Take a couple of deep breaths

Take a couple of deep, discrete breaths prior to the interview. This will relax your body.

2. Good Firm handshake

This is highly important to giving a good first impression. Male of female you should a give a solid and firm handshake. You should not go too far and try to crush the other person’s hand, but you should also make sure that you do not give a floppy handshake.

                                            Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Digitalart

3. Maintain a good upright posture

If you can maintain a straight back and keep you head and shoulders upright it conveys a level of confidence. However, looking down and stooping will give the impression that you are timid or even dishonest. This can have a huge impact on whether you get the job. 4. Eye contact

You must maintain eye contact with the interviewer. This will transmit a signal that you are confident and trustworthy. There is a saying that ‘he could not look me in the face’. This idiom illustrates the importance of maintain eye contact. You also need to maintain eye contact, so that you can gauge reactions of your interviewer. This is important, as you can tell if your interviewer likes the direction of the answers you are delivering.

5. Maintain a confident and professional position in your chair

Sit up straight in your chair and rest your hands on the table in front of you. Do not fidget, although it may be tempting to do so.

                                                Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Ambro

6. Smile

Try to smile occasionally, in a nice natural manner. Do not give a false smile or nervous smile, but smile when the opportunity arises. This will show you to be an amiable person, who is likely to fit in well within the organisation. No one wants a difficult personality.

These guidelines should help you to handle the difficult situation of being in a job interview. Remember that these little things often make the difference between getting the job and losing the job. Pay careful attention to these aspects of your body language and this will greatly increase your confidence, when you attend your next job interview.

                                                   Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net and Author Ambro These soft skills elements are covered in many training programs, including those provided by Souters Training.

[office-management-blog]

How To Succeed at Job Interviews

All of us have to handle job interviews during the course of our working lives. Therefore, it is vital that we get a handle on the best way to prepare for an interview and execute it in reality.

Think about the questions on the Interviewers mind.

Author Ambro and Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

 The interviewer may not directly ask these questions, but this is what will be going through their mind.

 If I give you this job, will you want to / be able to do it?

Are you a fit for the organisation or team?

Therefore, you should structure your planning around convincing an interviewer that you genuinely want to do this job, you are possess the capabilities and experience needed for this job and that you are a natural fit for the job.

Technical Interviews

In the case of more specific interviews, you may need to be clear that you confirm that you possess the necessary qualifications and knowledge. For example, an Office Manager may need to demonstrate experience as a manager and that they have completed an Office Manager Diploma. Be aware that you may need to prepare good examples, which can demonstrate your experience.

                                                                                                Author Digitalart and Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

Preparation

Research the role and organisation and demonstrate your knowledge. You can ask informed questions or respond by building in your knowledge of the role or organisation.

This shows clear interest in the job, greater knowledge and hard working character.

Be sure that you are well presented and appropriately so. You should not be wearing formal business attire that makes a dramatic fashion statement. This is because you will risk a reaction and there is a chance of gaining a negative reaction. Be aware of the correct tone of business attire, so you can ensure that you present an image that you are a fit.

                                                       Author Ambro and Image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

The Actual Interview

Give yourself plenty of time, in order to arrive on time. If you arrive late or close to the time when you need to start the interview, you may add to your nerves unnecessarily.

Freshen up before going into the interview, as you should try to avoid signs of nerves. This can include clammy hands, sweating or anything about your appearance that has become untidy.

Appear to be positive and avoid making negative statements about anything discussed in the interview.

Be sure that you are able to build in good examples of your successes in previous jobs.

Make eye contact to show sincerity and confidence, a shifty eye can be off putting. Although it can be hard for shier personalities to achieve in such a nervy situation.

These are just a few pointers to help you get the job. There are many more areas that will require focus in order to master your interview technique.                                                               

 Administration Course

[office-management-blog]

Its Never Too Late To Learn: An Administrator's Success Story - H867HZXKREMS

Determination pays off

Having left school with two GCSEs, I started work as a junior clerk (dogs’ body) in a small company of architects. My role was not quite defined but I was to assist whoever, with whatever and where ever needed (including in or out of the office). The atmosphere was great and my colleagues treated me with respect. I found the work interesting and soon developed a hunger to learn; only wish I had the same desire to learn while I was at school but, maybe this comes with age or I am a late developer.

                            Author David Castillo Dominici and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

My progress

After working for three years, I began to analyse my shortcomings and realised I will not be able to learn everything on the job and also, my chances for promotion would be slim as the company was rapidly growing. One of the partners recommended that I take an Administration Course, which I did. I also enrolled for Microsoft Office Training in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and Access, at the same time. I found these subjects so interesting; it was likened to reading a mesmerising novel that you are so reluctant to put away. Needless to say, with this enthusiasm and open-mind, I achieved a distinction.

                                   Author photostock and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

My development

My bosses were so pleased with my new certificates that they gave me more responsibilities and of course, with a generous pay increase. With the knowledge gained from my course, I was able to confidently introduce systems in the office and these helped greatly in the smooth running of this rapid growing business. We no longer spent wasted time looking for paperwork and the follow-up system was more efficient. Although the relationship with clients and external professionals was efficient, the office was not operating effectively. I was soon given the job title of Administrator.

                            Author stockimages and image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

My career

 After eight years as the Administrator, the partners decided it was time to promote me. I am now the Assistant to the partners. Although I am not an architect, I know all the terminology so they thought I am the appropriate person for this new role. I now liaise with clients and external professionals, contractors and suppliers. I follow up queries, track payments and deliveries and research extensively. I also receive a generous bonus yearly. Yippee!