Anyone used Sage payroll and accounting?

Alikay

I've worked as a temp for some years now - it suits me because I only work term-time and we don't rely on my salary for paying the bills. I've done some payroll and accounting for large organisations using their own bespoke systems - basic admin stuff in busy departments, not running the full double-entry bookkeeping stuff.

A couple of times a role has come up requiring Sage experience...again in big departments, not taking a small business through to trial balance stage. Now, I've heard that Sage is pretty simple and I'm tempted to blag it a bit.....say that I've used sage-based systems, as there's a nice role going right now.

What do you think? Obviously honesty is the best approach, but my latest temp agency contact (nice-but-dim 17 year old former schoolmate of my son!!) has little knowledge of admin systems so is following the Sage experience requirement to the letter, and I'm a bright 40-something with loads of admin experience. If you've used it, would you say it's easy and not dissimilar to most current payroll and accounts systems?

Feedback from experienced users rather than moral judgement please!

Strapped

It's easy to pick up, imo - but bear in mind, as I'm sure you already know, payroll tends to be the thing people get a teeny bit upset about if it's not run correctly :eek:

I think that it's more important to understand the principles behind what the system is trying to achieve, if you see what I mean, than necessarily "knowing" a particular system. You don't sound very confident about double-entry accounting, so maybe brushing up on this would be the place to start? I would imagine that you could easily blag the interview, but it might be hard to get up to speed without really understanding what you're doing. It all depends on the exact nature of the job, so without knowing that it's hard to say.

joseph21_2

hi did you get trained at college or at work. Do you have a cd thta will train you. I know that they exist but cannot get them due to funds.


I have the software and iam try to get around the software so i can say that i have used it

any info

thanks

Alikay

Well I've done both sales and purchase ledger and about a year in payroll but the systems were bespoke and within very large companies. The double entry thing sounds scary - I managed a travel agency and did "the books" prior to them going to the owners and then the accountant. Money for sales coming in, money for shop overheads, paying the airlines/tour operators and staffing going out. Plan was that the "ins" exceeded the "outs" and the budget kept within certain parameters. Is that double entry? We just called it "the books" :rotfl:

Job in question is purchase ledger (coding invoices and matching up with contracts/delivery notes...all stuff I've done before) in a smallish (100 employee) company using Sage. I'm not planning on masquerading as an accountant and for £6.50 an hour they're flippin' well not going to get one! Don't especially want to go on a course, as I don't want to go into it in huge detail, nor do I need to as there are plenty of other assignments that I get offered. This one is just convenient hours and local, but mentions Sage, so I wondered if I could wing it

Careful_with_that_Axe

Sage is extremely user friendly. I have only used Instant Accounting and Line 100 versions as well as Payroll, but a great deal of it is common sense if you are familiar with Purchase Ledger. You could always ask employer to allow you to "brush up" skills. Sage used to have a Training CD which they dispatched free of charge to any registered Sage user. Do you have anyone you could borrow one from? Or there must be something available on download somewhere - I'll have a look if I get the chance.
I would suggest that you ask someone to run you through using it the first couple of times. Put a positive spin on this by perhaps saying that you want to be sure that you become familiar with their particular procedures speedily so you can be as efficient as possible. And DONT PANIC!!!!

All good luck to you.
J

hjb123

its easy to pick up

check out your local colleges, I did a sage payroll course at my local college which lasted 5 weeks, at one night per week. I also did a computerised accounts course which was at the same college but a longer course, again only one night per week

honest is the best in my opinion

Alikay

I guess I'll leave it and stick with the reception and HR admin I usually do. Its better pay anyhow. This is just a temp assignment til Easter so I don't want to invest in a training course.

Jacky-f

I think with all your previous experience you could use Sage in a minute. They're not going to ask you to do anything complicated at that rate of pay! Because Sage brings out a new version every year, all you have to say is you are not familiar with whatever version the company happens to be using, and ask them to show you what to do, just as a reminder. I am sure you will pick it up very easily.

I used Sage for the first time last May and it really is very user friendly. I would go for it. No need for a training course.

katyk_2

I would agree that sage is very easy to pick up and very user friendly. Your experience of purchase ledger per se should count for much more than your lack of experience on that particular system.
Would say better to be honest though as you will need a little basic guidance around it to start with
Good luck