Microsoft Great Plains experience

[bartman72]

My company has been sold and since they will be closing our office in February, I will be looking for a new job then.  I have a BA in Accounting, but not a CPA/MBA, so I normally apply for Staff Accountant jobs paying $40-50k.

Accounting software experience has always been important, but it’s gotten to where you won’t be considered for 30% (my estimate) of the openings unless you’ve worked with Microsoft Great Plains. As it happens, I have worked with almost every other major program.

I am considering taking a $300 in-person Great Plains training course in November. Without the training, I think I would still find a job, but it would take longer and there would be fewer openings to choose from.

Upon completing the course, my initial thought would be to list Great Plains with the other programs on my resume. Since I have a lot of general experience, gaining on the job familiarity with Great Plains would be easier with the head start from training.  It's not completely accurate to say that all accounting software is similar, but that has pretty much been my experience.

So I guess my question is, would it be misleading to list Great Plains with the other software programs that I have actually used on the job?  Or should I put some kind of note in parentheses or an asterisk where it says Great Plains on my resume? Or maybe I’m going about this the wrong way and there is a simpler and cheaper solution?

Thanks.

[Angel!]

I would include it on your resume, but make sure it isn't worded in a way that implies you have used it at previous employers.  But if you just have a list of software experience, then include it.  At interview time you can get more specific regarding your experience.

[jkapp]

I would love it if the jobs out here asked for Great Pains...er, Plains. That's actually one I know about. Out here its all Peachtree (for small businesses) and other programs I've never even heard of.  Doesn't anyone even use Quickbooks anymore?  I know its crap, but it used to be everywhere

[bartman72]

Thanks Angel, I was thinking the same exact approach.

Jkapp, yeah Quickbooks is another one I haven't used and it does come up sometimes with small companies.  I might try getting trained on that one next.  Peachtree is going out of style at least where I am.

[ArchietheDragon]

Take the course.   What is the worst that happens?   You spend $300 and get nothing from the class.   But more likely you will get experience in a new software.  Once you have that experience, I would list in on your resume without any notation.    IMHO most accounting software is pretty similar and if you have use a couple you will be fine learning great plains on the job. 

[milee]

Sept 12, 2014 9:33:13 GMT -5 bartman72 said:

Thanks Angel, I was thinking the same exact approach.

Jkapp, yeah Quickbooks is another one I haven't used and it does come up sometimes with small companies.  I might try getting trained on that one next.  Peachtree is going out of style at least where I am.

Peachtree is going out of style because after Sage purchased it, they haven't done any meaningful updates or improvements and have made small, nonvalue added changes that require users to upgrade frequently at great cost but no functional benefit.

10-15 years ago, Peachtree did all sorts of things QB didn't do. QB was easy for people who were absolute beginners to use, but incredibly frustrating, slow and non customizeable for anyone who had any accounting knowledge.  Since that time, Peachtree hasn't changed much (except to increase the price), yet QB has improved dramatically. IMHO, unless there's a major change, within the next 5 years, QB will be the only game in town and Peachtree only used as a legacy system.

[movingforward]

Sept 11, 2014 18:26:44 GMT -5 jkapp said:

I would love it if the jobs out here asked for Great Pains...er, Plains. That's actually one I know about. Out here its all Peachtree (for small businesses) and other programs I've never even heard of.  Doesn't anyone even use Quickbooks anymore?  I know its crap, but it used to be everywhere

My company still uses quickbooks.  A lot of the small businesses here still do. 

[NoNamePerson]

Personally I think QB is a mickey mouse program. But if you want to learn it just go to YT and take the tutorials.

[Deleted]

Sept 12, 2014 9:46:30 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Personally I think QB is a mickey mouse program. But if you want to learn it just go to YT and take the tutorials.

QB doesn't need an awful lot of learning. I did a 2 day review course when I completed a Microsoft Office training program and it was easy to pick up. I have the book for 2011 and can just look things up. Basically, if I can pick it up, a monkey can pick it up.

[alabamagal]

If you question is should you list it, the answer would be YES.   I wouldn't get into too much detail on the resume, you can explain more in the interview.

When you get to the interview, if someone asks if you have used it you just say "I have a lot of experience with <other programs> and took the Great Plains class to familiarize myself with Great Plains and after taking the class, I feel that I can come up to speed pretty quickly."

[bartman72]

Sept 12, 2014 9:35:51 GMT -5 ArchietheDragon said:

Take the course.   What is the worst that happens?   You spend $300 and get nothing from the class.   But more likely you will get experience in a new software.  Once you have that experience, I would list in on your resume without any notation.    IMHO most accounting software is pretty similar and if you have use a couple you will be fine learning great plains on the job. 

Just what I was thinking Archie, thanks.  I will definitely sign up for the course.  The main point of it is so I can put Great Plains on my resume in good conscience.  What I actually end up learning will be an added benefit.

[jkapp]

Sept 12, 2014 9:46:30 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Personally I think QB is a mickey mouse program. But if you want to learn it just go to YT and take the tutorials.

QB is great for people who know virtually nothing about accounting...it takes them step by step through a lot of the processes and it also allows them to correct mistakes easily. If you know accounting, though, its crap because it's too easy to "change" things that should never be touched (past month/year end) and its a pain to try to get reports that function for higher level accounting tasks.  Plus the reports were always really ugly.

I can't remember anymore, but how long did it take for QB to finally accept account numbers as a data field?  Forever you always had to put the number as part of the name

[NoNamePerson]

Sept 12, 2014 17:55:29 GMT -5 jkapp said:

Sept 12, 2014 9:46:30 GMT -5 NoNamePerson said:

Personally I think QB is a mickey mouse program. But if you want to learn it just go to YT and take the tutorials.

QB is great for people who know virtually nothing about accounting...it takes them step by step through a lot of the processes and it also allows them to correct mistakes easily. If you know accounting, though, its crap because it's too easy to "change" things that should never be touched (past month/year end) and its a pain to try to get reports that function for higher level accounting tasks.  Plus the reports were always really ugly.

I can't remember anymore, but how long did it take for QB to finally accept account numbers as a data field?  Forever you always had to put the number as part of the name

AMEN - that's why I called it Mickey Mouse.