How to Get Back to Work in Payroll

How to Get Back to Work in PayrollHow to Get Back to Work in PayrollPayroll specialists take leaves of absence for various reasons - raising young children, caring for aging parents or going back to school, for example. If youre one of many professionals who has taken such an off-ramp, its natural to have questions and even some anxiety about getting back to work and into the swing of a full-time job - not to mention finding new employment.The good berichterstattung is that, unlike a decade ago, the job market for payroll professionals has been thriving the last few years and shows no signs of stopping. Demand is still high as companies grow and seek more skilled employees to administer payroll, handle reimbursements and withholdings, generate reports, and help maintain compliance.At the same time, its normal to feel hesitant about diving back in. Is your skill set out of date? How do you talk with potential employers about your time away? Does anyone even want to hire you when you ve been out of the game?Spoiler alert They do. And these seven tips can help you successfully get back to work and restart your payroll career1. Rediscover the requirements for payroll jobsIf youve been away for a year or more, be prepared for significant shifts in accounting technology when you return to work. The essentials of the position remain more or less the same, but the tools are continually upgraded. Cloud-based platforms are the norm now, including QuickBooks, ADP, Paylocity and Workday. Excel still reigns for spreadsheets, although many companies have moved away from desktop versions and use cloud-based schreibstube 365. To see what other new software employers are using, peruse job postings. Then study up so you can talk about them in an informed manner.2. Get up to speed on legislationTax codes and payroll-related compliance requirements change every year. Catch up by reading trade magazines, industry blogs and payroll newsletters. If youve let your membership in a pro fessional associations lapse, rejoin so you can access their informative articles, webinars, courses and conferences.3. Take advantage of LinkedInReconnect with former colleagues and letting them know youre re-entering job market. Be sure to update your social media profile and work history. As you re-establish relationships, ask trusted acquaintances for endorsements and recommendations. Boost your reputation by joining groups and participating in online discussions. The more visible you are, the easier it is for recruiters and prospective employers to find you.4. Revamp your resumeIf its been a long time since youve been working, you may wonder what your accounting resume should look like. Make sure its is written for applicant tracking systems (ATS) as well as philanthropisch readers. This means rather than having one generic resume, you need to customize it for each position. Scan the job post for keywords and use them organically in your application materials to maximize search -friendly language and terminology. For example, payroll hotshot doesnt mean much to talent management software, but ADP specialist and multi-state and Canada experience does.5. Include non-paid work experienceSome hiring managers see gaps in employment history as a red flag. To lessen that kind of impact over an extended leave of absence, list volunteer work that shines a spotlight on your accounting skills, organizational abilities or leadership traits. These could include heading up a community fundraiser or serving as treasurer for a parent-teacher organization.6. Focus on your added valueProspective employers dont want a long-winded justification about why you off-ramped. They want to know that you can handle the demands of the job. So whether youre writing a cover letter or interviewing for a position, address your time away head-on - but dont dwell on it. Keep the focus on how youve stayed active professionally, how youve kept current with regulations and industry software, and why youre the best person for the job.7. Go back to work graduallyConsider easing back into the workforce with temporary or part-time jobs. Besides offering greater flexibility, working as a temp allows you to re-acclimate after a long hiatus.Lets say you were a payroll administrator but quit your job five years ago to raise a child. To ramp back up, you could accept a few short-term assignments through a specialized staffing agency like Robert Half. This approach allows you to learn the latest software and get up to speed on legislation, all while sampling various industries. Whats more, a significant percentage of contract work results in an offer for full-time employment.The bottom line is that if you take the time to do ample research, upgrade your resume and spruce up your social media presence, youll clear most obstacles to your transition back to work. Then you can get ready for the next chapter in your payroll career.

How to Use Company Chat Professionally and Efficiently - The Muse

How to Use Company Chat Professionally and Efficiently - The MuseHow to Use Company Chat Professionally and Efficiently Slack, HipChat, Yammer, Lync, Pie, Bitrix24- one of unterstellung words most likely has a lot of meaning to you. After all, its how you communicate with all your co-workers every single day. (The others might have you scratching your head and wondering how one sentence could have so many typos.)For many companies nowadays, chat rooms are the water cooler. So, just like you need to be respectful and careful of what you say aloud in your office, you need to know the dos and donts of using these tools appropriately. (This isnt 1997, and you shouldnt be asking anyone A/S/L?) Even if youre using it every day, you still might be making some basic etiquette mistakes. Follow these five rules, and you should be good to go. 1. Use it (Only) When You Need Answers, FastIf you need an answer fast or have news your team needs to know now, this is the first place you should turn. People usually have notifications set up so that they see new chats as they come in and can respond to time-sensitive inquiries quickly. However, if what you want to communicate is an FYI, a question that will require some thought, mora of a long-term idea or project, or really anything youd want to reference in the future, turn to email. Youll get a more thoughtful response- and avoid annoying your co-workers. 2. Be FriendlyNow you know that these rooms arent meant for long, in-depth conversations. However, that doesnt mean you can forget your manners under the guise of being brief. Remember please and thanks. Also, note that this is one those rare forms of work communication where emoticons are OK, and a basic smiley face in response to a Youre welcome can do wonders. As can starting a conversation with Hows your day going? before jumping into Is the report ready? 3. Reply QuicklyOne of the biggest advantages of chat over email is that it takes just seconds to send a message. But , that means theres often an expectation that you should reply quickly, too. So, when youre asked something in chat, respond as soon as you can. In most cases, colleagues are assuming theyll hear back instantly. If youre working on something important, in a meeting, or even going to lunch, take a moment to change your position so people know youre not available. 4. Set Up AlertsWith that said, chat can easily be forgotten just running in a background window on your computer all day. Make sure you dont miss a thing by adjusting your settings so that you hear a sound or see a pop-up whenever a message comes in. (Just remember that if youre not regularly using headphones, you should turn off that sound.) In addition to that, you should check your settings to see if you can get conversations sent to you when youre offline. mora often than not, someone will email you if he or she isnt hearing back. But its not a bad idea to stay in the loop and skim over what you missed- especially in gr oup chats where conversation often moves back-and-forth between lighthearted banter and serious topics. 5. Stay on TopicOn that note, since its easy to fire off a string of comments in chat, you can easily get distracted and find yourself discussing your weekend plans instead of talking about tomorrows project review. Keep the conversation productive by sticking to the subject at hand.If you (and your team) struggle with that, set up a separate break room or off-topic chat room for any side discussions. Theres no shame in having a room reserved solely for puppy videos. After all, a good laugh can brighten everyones day. And, theres nothing quite like watching everyone read the same chat and burst out laughing at the same time. Just dont get too carried away or go all NSFW. This is work, after all.Chats quickly becoming the standard for team communication today. So, keep these rules in mind as you work. It wont just make your job easier, it will also make your communication far more effective. Plus, if you really commit to it, your GIF game will be that much stronger.

How to Get an Agent for Acting

How to Get an Agent for ActingHow to Get an Agent for ActingIf youre like many actors, you may realize you need an agent but dont know why or what they do exactly. The value of an agent is they have industry contacts and insight that you dont- and more importantly, they can find acting gigs for you. When you enlist an agent to represent you, they platzset up general meetings with executives, producers, and casting directors around town to make an introduction. The purpose of these meetings is to put a bug in the ear of the prominent decision-makers. That way, when an acting opportunity comes up that matches your gender, age, appearance, and skill level, youll be considered. Beyond those initial meetings, an agent will also ensure that youre top of mind for fellow agents in related departments at their agency for parts in movies, television, and commercials. Getting an Agent to Notice You The best way to attract an agents attention is to do things that stand out. Start with compil ing a compelling demo reel. Its unlikely that an unknown actor will convince agents to come to see them act in plays, short films or student films. Even so, its still worth seeking out those types of roles- and documenting them. Agents can review your headshot and resume, but seeing your acting ability in action makes a much better case. You can also try creating a buzz for yourself by becoming your own producer. Andy Samberg is perhaps the most well-known example of taking this approach. Together with a pair of friends, Samberg created comedy videos with their sketch troupe The Lonely Island and posted them on YouTube in the mid-2000s. The popularity of those videos led them to get an agent, which then led to jobs at Saturday Night Live. From there, Samberg went on to become a featured player on the series and later starred in movies and other TV shows. A more recent example is the stars of the sitcom Those Who Cant. Before landing their own show, this trio of comedians, Adam Cayto n-Holland, Ben Roy, and Andrew Orvedahl, wrote and produced a pilot with friends that they sold to Amazon Studios. Although Amazon Studios didnt order more episodes, the sitcom was later picked up by TruTV and was renewed for two more seasons. Agents are more inclined to work with actors like this who take the manahme and create their own opportunities. Make It Known That Youre Looking for an Agent Networking is essential to finding an agent. You might be at a casting call where they ask about your agent. Dont lie.Tell them youre in the process of looking for one and ask for recommendations. Many agents find clients by word of other actors, producers, directors, or casting directors. Being active on social media can likewise plug you into a community of like-minded actors. You never know who might be in a position to help you. Establishing a digital presence is also imperative. Having a site dedicated to your acting gives agents a convenient way to download your headshots, revie w your resume, see your demo reel and contact you if theyre interested. You Dont Need to Wait for an Agent to Start Your Career Even when youre fortunate enough to find an agent, youve still got to keep working hard to make a name for yourself. Its a big misconception that all you have to do is wait for the phone to ring once you have an agent. Thats bedrngnis the case most of the time. An agents livelihood depends on finding work for their clients. Typically, they get paid a percentage of the roles they help land- usually between 10 and 20 percent depending on whether the job is union or non-union. Just the same, you might not be their top priority, initially. The reality is that while agents work on your behalf, they have other established clients, and those actors will likely get work first. Its simply easier to attract attention from the industry for known quantities. So sitting around waiting for an agent to generate momentum isnt time well spent. Instead, focus on continua lly pushing your career forward.