payroll/book keeping/ sales ledger/ a/c receivable etc etc

engineer_amy

Coming from someone who was thrown in at the deep end with accounts and payroll and had to learn as I went, I wouldn't advise a short course that is days or weeks long. Most courses that teach the accounting packages - sage etc are useless if you don't have the accounting knowledge behind it.
The accounting packages are more or less data entry, you need to know things like the tax treatment of items, whether a transaction should be on the profit and loss statement or the balance sheet, before you start using these packages otherwise you are going to make a lot of mistakes. You wont see how what you are being taught relates to real life until you get some practical experience.


I would look for a course that is longer and offers real life work placement experience, my local college does a course that is 2 days per week and they arrange for you to go to a local business 3 days a week.


Personally, if you are going to spend the time and money on courses and training, I would go down the route of general bookkeeping/accounting. it will give you a broad overall sense of how all areas of accounts fit together, and if you go into a company you can then train in a few different areas or specialise in purchase ledger, sales ledger etc. Whereas if you only do payroll, it will only teach you about payroll, very little else and you may be limited then to what you can do without further training.


As pop pops said it can be expensive, so see if colleges or community centres offer any evening classes to see if you are going to enjoy working in accounts. its not for everyone, but can be very enjoyable.


I did my accountancy degree part time (2 evenings per week), but I was already working in accounts by this stage and wanted to learn more, my employer paid for half as he thought it would eventually benefit the business, and it did. I was very quickly able to put into practice what I was learning and I had an advantage over my classmates as I was working in an account dept. it took 6 years doing it part time, and it was very difficult at times, but I stuck through it.


Good luck whatever you decide to do

Emmylou_2

I'm currently doing the AAT Level 2 Certificate in Accounting. I had minimal prior accounts experience (dealt with invoices/payments when working as a PA, but never in an actual "accounts" role). The course assumes NO prior knowledge. I'm studying at my local college - out of 20 of us I'd say that 8 are currently working in "accounts/finance" in some way, and others have jobs as wide ranging as baking and security.

Have a look at this and see if it's what you want. The AAT are on FB and Twitter and frequently share "no experience required" job roles from firms who want AAT students.