Become a Bookkeeping Pro with Intuit’s Academy Certificate
Bookkeeping forms the foundation of a business’s financial records and is a high-demand field, especially with small businesses and accountants. For those seeking to break into or advance in bookkeeping, Intuit now offers their Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate. This online program provides comprehensive training and certification in QuickBooks Online bookkeeping skills to position learners for bookkeeping roles.
This article outlines the details of Intuit’s bookkeeping certificate program including the course content, structure, benefits, career outcomes, ideal candidates, and overall value it provides for aspiring bookkeeping professionals.
Overview of Program
Intuit, makers of QuickBooks, leveraged their software expertise to develop the Bookkeeping Professional Certificate program. It equips learners with knowledge and abilities to succeed as a QuickBooks-focused bookkeeper for small businesses and accountants.
The fully online self-paced program takes about 3-6 months to complete. It consists of 9 courses combining interactive instruction, knowledge checks, hands-on software exercises, and skills practice. Learners gain expertise across core bookkeeping workflows in QuickBooks Online.
Upon completing the coursework, learners can take the Intuit QuickBooks Certified User exam online. Passing earns the Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate, demonstrating substantive skills to employers.
Key Topic Areas
Intuit’s certificate program curriculum provides training across all facets of modern bookkeeping:
– QuickBooks Online fundamentals
– Foundational bookkeeping concepts
– Recording income and expenses
– Payroll workflows
– Accounts payable/receivable
– Account reconciliation
– Inventory management
– Reporting and analysis
– Advanced QuickBooks features
Additionally the training covers professional skills like customer service, communication, problem-solving, organization, attention to detail, and workplace conduct.
Program Structure
The Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Professional Certificate program is structured into 9 flexible online courses:
Course 1: Bookkeeping Fundamentals
Covers core concepts like debits/credits, chart of accounts, balance sheets, income statements, and accounting equation. Builds base knowledge before software training.
Course 2: QuickBooks Online Essentials;
Gets into QuickBooks Online platform, settings, navigation, lists, preferences, and basic workflows for tracking income and expenses.
Course 3: Managing Assets, Liabilities and Equity
Focuses on accounts payable, accounts receivable, credit cards, bank accounts, loans, fixed assets, and equity accounts within QuickBooks.
Course 4: Bookkeeping for Inventory, Sales Tax & Payroll
Building skills in QuickBooks inventory, sales tax tools, and basic payroll workflows including processing payroll and related transactions.
Course 5: Reporting in QuickBooks Online
Learners gain proficiency generating key financial reports, custom reports, and visualizations in QuickBooks to derive business insights.
Course 6: Reconciling Accounts in QuickBooks
Covers the critical task of account reconciliation including bank accounts, credit cards, inventory, and other accounts to identify discrepancies.
Course 7: Analyzing Financial Data
Advanced analysis abilities with QuickBooks tools to understand cash flow, profit drivers, ratios, budgets, forecasts, and other analytical capabilities.
Course 8: Advanced QuickBooks Online
Expand QuickBooks feature mastery with advanced transaction types, multi-currency, budgets, estimates, time tracking, and automation tools.
Course 9: Capstone Project
Capstone project to demonstrate end-to-end bookkeeping proficiency across previous learning objectives.
Course blend short expert video lectures, knowledge assessments, hands-on software simulations with sample company data, step-by-step practice problems, community discussion forums, and milestone quizzes culminating in a final exam. Learners can track progress through the interactive course portal. Total program duration averages 3-6 months for completion.
Benefits of the Certificate
Aligns Training with Software Leader
As the makers of the No1 small business accounting software, Intuit has unmatched insight into bookkeeper skill requirements. Their tailored QuickBooks training prepares learners to meet modern bookkeeping needs.
Bolsters Job Prospects
Earning the certificate from Intuit Academy demonstrates substantive bookkeeping abilities to prospective employers. QuickBooks skills are in high demand. The credential boosts job prospects and salary potential.
Foundational Accounting Knowledge
The training grounds learners in widely-applicable concepts like debits/credits, financial statements, cash flow, reconciliations, accounts, and more. This knowledge transfers to other accounting software.
Flexible Self-Paced Learning
The fully online self-study format enables learning on one’s own schedule around life and work. Supportive course forums facilitate peer collaboration. Self-paced training works for motivated individuals.
Career Support Resources
Intuit provides career advisement, resume review, interview coaching, and job search tips to support learners in successfully transitioning to bookkeeping roles after completion.
Pathway to QuickBooks Certification
The certificate program curriculum covers all topics assessed on the QuickBooks Certified User exam, preparing learners for certification which further validates abilities to employers.
Ideal Candidates for the Program
While anyone can benefit from this certificate program, certain backgrounds tend to thrive in the training:
– Bookkeepers seeking to formalize/upgrade QuickBooks skills
– Accounting clerks looking to advance into bookkeeping
– Career changers with analytical capabilities
– Small business owners who manage own books
– Office administrators responsible for company finances
– Former accounting/finance professionals
– CPAs needing to train staff in QuickBooks
– Those with prior experience using QuickBooks or accounting software
The fully online format also enables work-from-home parents, remote workers, military spouses, and others needing flexible education options to complete the program.
Career Outcomes with the Certificate
The Intuit Academy certificate equips learners for several bookkeeping and accounting role types:
Bookkeeping Clerks
These entry-level roles focus on tasks like accounts payable/receivable, data entry, and basic reporting under accountant supervision. The certificate demonstrates core capabilities.
Full Charge Bookkeepers
With full certificate training, bookkeepers can gain confidence managing all key workflows for small business clients: transactions, payroll, inventory, taxes, reconciliations, and analysis.
Junior Accountants
Learners have the foundation to begin careers as accountants processing transactions, preparing reports, and supporting external accountant activities.
QuickBooks Consultants
Experts at leveraging QuickBooks Online can offer specialized consulting services to businesses setting up and optimizing their QuickBooks implementation.
Tax Accounting Assistants
Come tax time, learners have skills to provide workflow assistance on tax documentation, deductions, credits, bookkeeping software integration, and data compilation.
Virtual Bookkeepers
The certificate enables professionals to work as freelance or contracted remote bookkeepers leveraging online access to manage books for multiple clients.
Conclusion
Intuit Academy’s Bookkeeping Professional Certificate provides an accessible, affordable, and self-paced pathway to develop in-demand skills using the leading small business accounting software QuickBooks Online. Ideal for bookkeeping career starters and working professionals aiming to upskill, the program delivers substantive knowledge, practical software training, and career-building support. Graduates emerge certified and qualified for bookkeeping roles that leverage Intuit’s widely adopted QuickBooks platform.
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