How to Build a Career in the Payroll Department

How to Build a Career in the Payroll DepartmentHow to Build a Career in the Payroll DepartmentWith low unemployment and mora than 200,000 new jobs created each month, its easy to see why payroll professionals are in huge demand. Interested in a career in payroll? Read on for answers to common questions about working in this field.Q How do I get started in the payroll department?A While payroll experience is preferable for an entry-level clerical position, its not mandatory. The minimum educational requirement is a high school diploma or GED, and employers are willing to offer on-the-job training to new payroll hires. A background in bookkeeping, menschengerecht resources or administrative assistance can easily transfer to payroll.Q What does a payroll clerk do?A This entry-level position is part payroll and part clerical. Working under a supervisor, you would assist with data entry, filing, answering employee questions and maintaining accurate records. The payroll department and huma n resources work closely together, so as a payroll clerk, you might deal with employment verification, processing new hires paperwork and helping with orientation. In some departments, a payroll clerk also carries out basic bookkeeping duties.Read about whats new in the ever-expanding world of payroll professionals.Q What are employers looking for in an entry-level payroll clerk?A Besides a high school diploma, basic computer and math skills are common requirements. Relevant experience is a plus, but often not required for the right candidate. Job skills are essential, though. Employers appreciate applicants who demonstrate professionalism, can solve problems independently, have good written and verbal communication, pay attention to detail, and provide excellent customer service.Q What hard and soft skills are in demand?A Read about the trends and required skills for payroll professionals in the slideshow, below.Striking a Balance Hard and Soft Skills for Payroll ProfessionalsThis slideshare was presented at the American Payroll Associations 2018 Congress, where Michael Steinitz, executive director of Accountemps, was a keynote speaker.Q What types of software does a payroll department use?A You should be proficient in Microsoft Office, especially Excel, Word and Outlook. Most payroll departments use one of the following pay-processing systems Sage, ADP, PeopleSoft, UltiPro, Workday, Kronos, Dayforce, Paychex and Paycom. The mora you advance in the department, the more youll be expected to be proficient in SAP, FreshBooks, NetSuite, Oracle and other financial software.Q What is the typical career progression in payroll?A After a few years as a payroll clerk, youre ready for the next rung on the ladder. As a payroll specialist, you would be working more independently in processing payroll, employment verification forms, garnishment orders and so forth. Youd also serve as backup for the payroll coordinator/administrator. At the top of the payroll org chart is t he payroll manager, who supervises a team, handles higher-level accounting functions, stays up to date on legislative compliance and trains staff on software, year-end closing and payroll best practices.Looking for a job in payroll? See the job descriptions and duties for different positions in the payroll department.The higher you go in the payroll department, the more degrees youll need. After a GED, the next step is an associate or bachelors degree in accounting, finance, management, business administration or human resources. A masters degree is a preferred qualification for those planning on advancing to a leadership role in HR or finance.Q Does payroll have a certification program?A Yes. The American Payroll Association (APA) offers two industry-recognized payroll certifications. Created for entry-level employees, the Fundamental Payroll Certification (FPC) covers the core concepts required to get started in the industry. The good thing about this credential is that no prior p ayroll experience is necessary. To pass the exam, the APA recommends six to 12 weeks of study and review. The organization offers study guides, prep courses, web-based training, books and a boot camp.For those with more experience and wishing to lead a department, the Certified Payroll Professional (CPP) offers an advanced overview of payroll topics, ranging from a mastery of core concepts to in-depth accounting and finance practices.Both certifications verify a specific level of knowledge and can help you stand out from other applicants during a job search.Q What are salaries in payroll like?A Payroll offers excellent job and salary prospects. The salary midpoint for a payroll clerk is $39,000, according to the 2019 Salary Guide for Accounting and Finance Professionals. For a payroll coordinator or administrator, its $46,000, and for a payroll manager or supervisor, $72,750.Salaries range widely from city to city and should be adjusted for each market using the Salary Calculator. A t the midpoint, candidates have average experience with the necessary skills to meet the job requirements, and the role may be in an industry where competition for talent is moderate.The payroll department is a rewarding place to work, bringing you into contact with people throughout the organization. If youre looking for a career with plentiful job opportunities and interesting work, now is a great time to get your foot in the door.

5 Steps to Build Self-Confidence

5 Steps to Build Self-Confidence 5 Steps to Build Self-Confidence He told me that in the first 60-90 seconds he could tell I was nervous, yet, after that, I loosened up and got into the feel of it. Although he told me he believed public speaking was certainly in my future, there was one very important area I needed to master to bring it all together.Heres a what-my-memory-will-allow recap of ur conversationHim Besides the higher-ups, who are the best paid people in a company?Me Developers?Him Sales. And why is this?Me Because fruchtwein people arent comfortable asking for money.Him So, what is it about sales people that enable them to feel comfortable doing so?Me Aggression?Him ConfidenceThis intrigued me and led me to the article Key Qualities of a Great Sales Person. The author lists eight of the most common traits of great sales people, and guess what came in at number two? Confidence.The author writes that a confident person believes in his/her own abilities and can handle reje ction. Sales people either dont take no for an answer or dont take no personally. They are driven and go for what they want, oftentimes stopping at elendhing until theyve accomplished their goals.I wonder what would happen if wed all adopt a sales mentality for every area of our lives? How much could you accomplish if you didnt take no for an answer? If you were driven and relentlessly pursued your desires? I believe this mentality is possible for everyone, but it all begins with self-confidence.You know the saying, confidence is key? Well, its true. If you dont believe in your abilities and skills, how will you stay motivated? What will drive you? What force would push you to accept nothing but what you set out to accomplish?Below are five tips for building your self-confidence, advice I also plan to take to ensure I have a sales mindset for all my endeavors1. Review past accomplishmentsWhen facing a big challenge, project or task, sometimes all we need is a reminder that weve been there and done that. Look at your past accomplishments to see if any are similar to what youre currently facing. This should help build your confidence, knowing that youve already successfully accomplished a similar task. You can do this too. Even if you dont have past accomplishments similar to your current task, you have past accomplishments. Dont forget what you have done, which can show you that you do have the skills and abilities to achieve things.2. Dont underestimate your roleUnsure if youre good enough or qualified to fulfill a task? Think about your current role. You applied for the job and were selected out of X amount of other applicants. Obviously, youre qualified to fulfill the role youre in dont underestimate that. Look for ways your current role relates to the task at hand. Were you asked to manage a project because of your role? Were you chosen to speak at an event because of the topics you regularly write about? Just like your current role, there is a reason you w ere presented with the opportunity at hand. Dont downplay that.3. Think about your strengthsA great way to increase your self-confidence is to think about your strengths. Make a list of every area youre strong in (you may be surprised at how long it is). Dont forget areas others, such as managers, mentors, colleagues, etc., have noted as your strengths. This helps build confidence because it reaffirms your skills and abilities. You can also make a list of your weakness and challenge yourself to improve upon them. Personal and professional development, i.e. making the effort to improve weak areas, is certainly a sign of strength.4. Assess your goalsA lot of times it helps to assess your goals. What are your short-term and long-term goals? What is your motivation for both? Sometimes looking at the reason behind why were pursuing something helps our confidence. Its much easier to maintain your confidence when working toward a degree in a field that you love and are passionate about ver sus a degree that family and friends think youd be better suited for.Also remember when thinking about your goals, only you can get you there. If you dont believe in yourself and your capabilities, who else will? Think about a job interview. If youre not fully confident that youre the best person to fill the position, why would a hiring manager be convinced? You must be your number one fan.5. Fake it till you make itThis is a common saying, but I think its true when it comes to confidence. The gentleman offering me constructive criticism agreed If your confidence isnt there, you still need to act like it is. He told me to think about actors and actresses, they play a part and become a character on screen, but that doesnt mean thats who they are in real life. Of course, you eventually want to truly possess self-confidence, but this doesnt always happen overnight. Sometimes you need to act like youre confident. Oftentimes when you do this, confidence will inevitably build within you.

Benjamin Henry Latrobe

Benjamin Henry Latrobe Benjamin Henry Latrobe Benjamin Henry LatrobeDesigner. Engineer. Canal builder. Painter. Benjamin Latrobe the father of American architecture was all that and more. Emigrating to the United States from his native Britain in 1795, the versatile Latrobe discovered a young nation still searching for its national aesthetic the perfect blank canvas for his unique vision.Steamship pioneer Robert Fulton, with whom he would later do geschftsleben, said his genius is for works of a higher order, but he has the happy faculty of accommodating it to anything useful.Latrobe was one of the nations first formally trained architects and one of its earliest steam engineers. Through his designs for the U.S. Capitol and the White House, he defined the style of federal buildings for generations to come. Through his innovative public works, he brought clean water and better transportation ordnungsprinzips to cities from Philadelphia to New Orleans.Latrobe was born in 1764 near L eeds, England,to a schoolmaster father and Pennsylvania-born mother. Educated in England and Germany, he was fluent in multiple languages and fully steeped in the arts and classical scholarship.Latrobe began a new life in America after his first wife died in childbirth, drawn by his mothers stories of growing up in Pennsylvania. Over the remaining 25 years of his life, he would make an indelible mark through a series of innovative design and construction projects for government buildings, banks, theaters, cathedrals, prisons and other high-profile institutional structures. He originated the Greek Revival style in American buildings with his widely imitated Bank of Pennsylvania, designed a landmark academic building for Dickinson College at no cost, and parlayed an acquaintanceship with George Washingtons son into a productive network of powerful clients in the new Federal City taking shape on the banks of the Potomac River.Latrobe pivoted seamlessly between architecture and engineer ing, dabbling in contracting, surveying and other pursuits along the way. Between difficulty keeping projects on budget and some misguided business ventures, Latrobe spent much of his career on the brink of financial disaster.As an early proponent of steam power, he built Philadelphias first waterworks. His design incorporated two behemoth steam engines to pump water from the Schuylkill River. Piping fresh water to homes for the first time in the citys history, his water system greatly reduced the incidence of water-borne infectious diseases such as yellow fever.In 1803, President Thomas Jefferson tapped him as the U.S. Surveyor of Public Buildings. Soon he was assigned to supervise completion of the Capitol Building. He made important changes to William Thorntons original design and contributed to other iconic Washington, DC, structures including the White House and the Washington Navy Yard. Some of the best surviving examples of his interior work in the Capitol include the Nationa l Statuary Hall (formerly the Hall of the House), the Old Supreme Court Chamber and the Old Senate Chamber, with their ornate murals depicting uniquely American motifs such as corn and tobacco among the classical imagery. During James Madisons administration, he worked extensively with first lady Dolley Madison to refurbish the White House to her elegant standards.As a surveyor and canal builder, Latrobe improved inland waterways in and around the capital to promote lokal navigation. He supervised or consulted on a series of canals linking lakes and rivers with otherwise landlocked cities, creating opportunities for the emerging steamship industry and using cutting-edge technology such as hydraulic cement that could harden in water.Latrobe knew and shared similar business ambitions as Robert Fulton. By 1813, he had grown tired of Washington life and was inspired by the prospect of earning a shipbuilding fortune. He took a short-lived job in Pittsburgh as an agent in Fultons steamboa t company, remaining in the area for the next few years building boats, taking on architectural commissions and struggling to stay out of bankruptcy.He wrote of his struggles to get ahead With us the labor of the hand has precedence over that of the mind that an engineer is considered only as an overseer of men that dig, and an architect as one that watches others that hew stone and wood.After the War of 1812, the government called him back to Washington to refurbish the fire-damaged Capitol. He was ready.Later in the decade, Latrobe relocated to New Orleans to complete a protracted waterworks project that had been launched by his son, who had died of yellow fever. The city had long captured his interest for its potential as a steamship port, and he immersed himself in several important architectural projects including the Customs House and the St. Louis Cathedral.Ironically, the engineer who had done so much to rid urban cities of yellow fever contracted the disease before the wate r system was completed. He died in 1820 at age 56.Michael McRae is an independent writer.His genius is for works of a higher order, but he has the happy faculty of accommodating it to anything useful.Robert Fulton on Benjamin Latrobe