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Noman Ikhlaq
Working as a writer has long been a popular work at home job. It has become an increasingly viable way to earn a good income, as the Internet has increased the possibilities. You don’t just have to worry about whether or not someone else will find your work worth publishing. Now you have more people wanting content to publish and more ways to earn money from your own work. Earning a living as a writer still is not necessarily easy. You’re going to have to work at your craft. You won’t always find people interested in what you would prefer to write. You may have to work on your style and how it relates to people interested in your services. Many writers work for others. There are many employers of varying sorts. You can go freelance and find individual assignments, or you can find someone who needs your writing skills regularly. There are advantages to each option, and it can very much so be a matter of personal preference. Publishing your own work has become incredibly easy. Many people earn a living writing for their own website, whether in blog form or otherwise. The earning potential varies tremendously, depending on topic and your own skill at monetizing a website. But with the right software you don’t have to be a great website designer or constantly pay someone to maintain your site for you. All you need is to get set up and go. There are also many opportunities in writing for others. Many website owners would sooner pay someone else to do their writing, whether it be writing articles for their site or sales copy for their product. You bring the skills; they tell you what is needed. It’s easy to work for low pay online. There’s a lot of competition out there, and many writers willing to work for a pittance. It can be hard to get serious pay as a writer, but it is not impossible. Show your quality and know that you are worth it. If you’re helping people earn a better living, they will know when you’re the writer they need to keep using. In many cases, having your own website is strongly recommended. It’s a way to show off your work and attract clients if you’re freelancing. A good website is a major part of your presence on the web. Even if you don’t expect to do a lot of marketing online, listing a website on your business card is just one more sign of being serious and professional. There have rarely been more possibilities for earning a living as a writer. Not all writers will succeed, and not all styles of writing will appeal to people online. But if you can adapt you will give yourself more chances to build a viable business as a writer.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Accounting Career
Your accounting career starts here. Here’s the qualifications you need to become a qualified accountant in the next 3 or so years whether you want to specialise as a tax accountant or study for the Chartered Institute of accountants or the other bodies such as ACCA or CIMA.
The role of an accountant
There are three main accounting bodies – The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Which one you follow is dependent on where you wish to end up in life. ICAEW and ACCAs are allowed to sign off audited accounts so if you want to go into practice (eg: PriceWaterhouse etc) then these are for you. The ICAEW is always the preferred option and they have a higher standing.
CIMA folks can not sign off audited accounts and people studying for this generally target commerce (ie: a Finance Director in a company) but many people who are qualified for the others end up as Finance Directors as well.
It’s a hard slog and takes about 3 years to complete all the exams but worth it in the end.
As you move up your career you will take on vast responsibilities. It’s not unusual for a 30 year old to be a Finance Director of a fairly major organisation and upon qualification your salary should increase by 30% as most companies know you can move and demand more.
The great thing these days is many business people are doing their own accounts either using computer software by Sage or other accounting systems or using online small business accounting software such as Kashflow. This makes your job a little easier although many small business owners simply provide papers that you have to sort out and make sense of.
Good luck with your accounting career – it’s one of the best and is recession proof and your earnings and professional standing will be far above average.
What is an accountant ?
Most people think of a grey boring man or a glorified bookkeeper counting beans but in reality a good accountant will keep the cash flow positive and ensure the whole organisation understands profitability. Only qualified accountants can legally approve accounts (see below) and you can have a career as a finance director or an auditor. It depends on what excitement you want ! Other accountants specialise in tax planning, insolvency or small businesses.Why Become an Accountant ?
Accountants are rarely unemployed as every business needs to have their accounts prepared and approved. Larger businesses employ a Finance Director (CFO – chief financial officer) to manage not only monthly account preparation but also longer term financial planning.The role of an accountant
Accounting Qualifications
To become an accountant you’ll generally need a reasonable degree although it’s not essential but a degree will get you exemptions from some of the exams. The first part though is to choose which accounting body you wish to study towards and what type of accountant you want to be.There are three main accounting bodies – The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) and Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Which one you follow is dependent on where you wish to end up in life. ICAEW and ACCAs are allowed to sign off audited accounts so if you want to go into practice (eg: PriceWaterhouse etc) then these are for you. The ICAEW is always the preferred option and they have a higher standing.
CIMA folks can not sign off audited accounts and people studying for this generally target commerce (ie: a Finance Director in a company) but many people who are qualified for the others end up as Finance Directors as well.
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Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) is the oldest and most well known accounting body. Generally people who want to run their own accounting firms will study these exams. The institute was incorporated in 1880 by royal charter and now has over 170,000 members around the world. Qualified members have the initials ACA or FCA after their name. To achieve the ACA qualification you must complete a training contract that runs between 3 and 5 years and pass the professional and advanced state of the examinations. Additionally you must complete work experience requirements. The ACA qualification is widely recognised globally as the accounting standard and 70% of FTSE 100 CEOs, FDs and company secretaries are ACAs.
Many students work with an accountancy practice with most firms employing less than 40 people. The training may be basic and you will likely be auditing small companies but this training will provide an excellent foundation in all of your future work. You can find more about the ICAEW at their website here -
Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (ACCA) is the second most widely known accounting body representing 122,000 members and 325,000 students spanning over 100 years in existence. The study route is similar to ICAEW in that it’s a mix of exam and experience and you need to pass 14 exams (nine of which are eligible for exemption) gain relevant practical experience, with a minimum of three years and pass a Professional Ethics module. Once qualified you’ll get the initials ACCA after your name. You can get more information on this qualification on the ACCA website here
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Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) is the third body of accountants more aimed at people who want to work in commerce (or be finance directors in business rather than accountants in practice). Even on their own website they say “By using finance skills to focus on future success rather than past performance, they help to drive the world’s successful organisations” so it’s clear they see the accountant’s role as more than a bookkeeper and focusing on managing an organisation financial performance. As with the other two above the qualification method is similar although the subjects are focused on business rather than numbers. The modules covered are management accounting, business management and financial management and you’ll need three years relevant experience as well. You can get more information on this qualification on the CIMA website here
Accountant exams
If you join one of the big auditing companies you’ll generally be sponsored to take your exams, have time off to revise and get paid as well.It’s a hard slog and takes about 3 years to complete all the exams but worth it in the end.
Accounting work
Working as an accountant in your early years may seem boring but it will give you a thorough grounding in how accounts work, what’s required for an audit and how to manage finances and how to interact with clients and how you inform clients how their accounts have been developed. Your work will evolve and before long you’ll be managing your own junior and trainee accountants so they get to do the administration duties.As you move up your career you will take on vast responsibilities. It’s not unusual for a 30 year old to be a Finance Director of a fairly major organisation and upon qualification your salary should increase by 30% as most companies know you can move and demand more.
The great thing these days is many business people are doing their own accounts either using computer software by Sage or other accounting systems or using online small business accounting software such as Kashflow. This makes your job a little easier although many small business owners simply provide papers that you have to sort out and make sense of.
Good luck with your accounting career – it’s one of the best and is recession proof and your earnings and professional standing will be far above average.
Guide In Making a Career Choice
Finding a career may be the hardest task that people who are in their high school or college years need to accomplish. For the people at this age, they find themselves at a loss whenever the time has come for them to decide on careers. One may wonder, what does choosing a career entail? Four stages are involved when it is about time for a career decision. Considering the four stages, self-awareness, opportunity awareness, decision making, and taking action are included. On several occasions, stages coincided because of the person’s readiness and maturity. When it comes to self-awareness, this pertains to how well a person knows himself and it involves the exploration of his skills, abilities, likes, dislikes, personality, interests, strengths, weaknesses, and values. This is usually a gauge of well a person knows himself/herself. An individual needs to know himself well enough to decide on a career that matches his strengths, interests, and competencies because this is essential when it comes to career choices. Self-awareness can be deepened by using self-assessment tools such as the Myer-Briggs test and other personality tests to name a few. In terms of choosing careers, analyzing a person’s personality, interests, and skills is essential. When an individual know who he or she truly is, picking a career becomes a no brainer. Being able to recognize the various career opportunities that are presented to a person is what opportunity awareness is all about. It is possible for the gathering data on specific career prospects in your area of expertise to be needed here. There are career counselors that will be able to help you find the most applicable career for your degree or course, like public safety administration. With opportunity awareness, you can easily choose your career. You can open up opportunity options by engaging in volunteer work, interning, reading career guides, and seeking the help of a counselor. It may be best for you to explore different opportunity venues if you do not have a clear idea about careers for your degree. It is not easy to decide on career paths and it is even more difficult to do so if you are being required to decide. What you need is adequate time for deep analysis and consideration because the decision you will be making here will stick with you forever. You should not rush yourself when choosing careers because it takes time to do so. It can be a daunting task to select a career and so there are times when you may need to speak with an expert to see if the career you are considering is the right one. To be sure, individuals can undergo on the job trainings to assess if they are ready to commit to that career for the rest of their lives. To find out more about what you are about to commit to, find someone who is involved in your chosen career path. The final process in choosing a career is taking action. After deciding on a career, taking action is doing the necessary steps to be in the profession you want to be in. What is necessary in this case is applying for the position, preparing for interview, and utilizing various employment agencies apart from seeking for vacancies. How to choose a career need not be a tough and scary experience. Knowing the stages of picking a career gives a person an idea of what to expect or go through. Make the experience of choosing a career a positive and fruitful one.
Defining Your Career Goals and Matching Them with Educational Opportunities
The future is closer than you think. When you consider how quickly time passes, it’s important to start defining your career goals and enroll in community college. Once you define your career goals, you may begin to match them with available educational opportunities for advancement. This process is easier than it sounds if you follow these simple steps.
- Begin by outlining the skill sets you already have. Some people work better with their hands while others are good with numbers, but knowing what you enjoy (and what you can do well) will help define your career goals. By identifying your skills, you can begin to search for the educational programs and services that allow you to sharpen those skills and apply them in the future.
- After you identify the skills and experience you already possess, research careers that allow you to apply them. For example, if you enjoy working with your hands, then you might be interested in studying to become a mechanic or even a healthcare assistant. If you enjoying talking to people and working in teams, then you might be interested in a business career.
- The final step is the most important: get to work. It’s one thing to define your career goals, but working toward achieving those goals is something entirely different. Though achieving these goals takes commitment, dedication, and patience, it mostly takes a quality education.
BCS Launches Career Planning Tool
IT professionals will be able to plan how their careers develop more clearly with a new Career Paths tool from BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.
IT Career Guide: Advice for IT Professionals
Slideshow: 7 Best Cities to Find IT Jobs in 2011
BCS’s online tool allows individuals to track their career paths based on BCS membership grades and professional certifications, and the Institute’s IT skills and competency framework, SFIAplus.
So for example, the tool can provide information on what certifications professionals need to undertake to progress their careers in a particular direction, and how it aligns with the skills framework.
The Career Paths are now available in the areas of IT governance and information security, project management and support, business analysis, solution development and architecture, software testing and IT service management and ITIL. Other subject areas will be added later this year.
“Understanding what you need to do to advance in your chosen career is very important. Ambition can take you so far, but having the right skills, gaining the right professional certificates, networking, managing your career and professional developments are all important aspects to consider when planning where you want to be,” said Michiel van der Voort, BCS director of international and professional development.
Article source: http://www.cio.com/article/685144/BCS_Launches_Career_Planning_Tool?source=rss_news
IT Career Guide: Advice for IT Professionals
Slideshow: 7 Best Cities to Find IT Jobs in 2011
BCS’s online tool allows individuals to track their career paths based on BCS membership grades and professional certifications, and the Institute’s IT skills and competency framework, SFIAplus.
So for example, the tool can provide information on what certifications professionals need to undertake to progress their careers in a particular direction, and how it aligns with the skills framework.
The Career Paths are now available in the areas of IT governance and information security, project management and support, business analysis, solution development and architecture, software testing and IT service management and ITIL. Other subject areas will be added later this year.
“Understanding what you need to do to advance in your chosen career is very important. Ambition can take you so far, but having the right skills, gaining the right professional certificates, networking, managing your career and professional developments are all important aspects to consider when planning where you want to be,” said Michiel van der Voort, BCS director of international and professional development.
Article source: http://www.cio.com/article/685144/BCS_Launches_Career_Planning_Tool?source=rss_news
