Central Coast Accounting Firm seeks experienced office manager/ accountant.

Alas, our fabulous office manager/senior bookkeeper is leaving us shortly. Sharen is off to manage the expansion of her own successful family business. We’re thrilled for her, of course, but I did consider the possibility of chaining her to the desk in her office so she can’t ever leave (word of warning, Fair Work tends to frown on that kind of thing). 

Now, we’re a small team and so often each wear multiple hats. With the news that our current super-star is leaving us, I’m afraid I’ll be wearing so many hats I won’t be able to hold my head up.

So now the search is on for a multi-skilled candidate who can replace an irreplaceable team member (no pressure!) and support me in different administrative and business development tasks.

What I need right now more than anything is:

• someone who can assist in the preparation of BAS and quarterly reports (minimally, be able to take it to a stage where it just needs review and perhaps adjusting entries);
• someone who can liaise with clients, handle routine requests, follow through and follow up to ensure all client needs are being met, be proactive in developing relationships;
• someone who can manage and instruct the front office staff (delegate tasks, ensure database is maintained, monitor jobflow, implement/update procedures, generally watch over the day-to-day stuff);
• someone who can assist in the preparation of proposals/engagements and other client communications, including marketing materials and newsletter content.

In essence, I need someone who can see what needs to be done and does it.

I don’t expect to find a new and improved hybrid of Sharen and myself who can leap tall buildings in a single bound as they fly in to work on the first day. I do expect a confident all-rounder who can hit the ground running.

It is essential this individual is

• familiar with the accounting environment,
• proficient in fundamental accounts preparation (even better if you’re an experienced accountant who can prepare  business tax returns and financial statements to review stage),
• able to connect with people, and
• know their way around Office software (bonus if you’re already trained in Handisoft).

I need someone who can produce quality output with minimal supervision.

I anticipate the successful applicant would have a proven track record that demonstrates the above. 

Although I am primarily seeking a replacement for Sharen, I’m open to the possibility of an intermediate or senior accountant with a hands-on approach to clients and projects.

If we can get excited about you, and you’re excited to work with us, that’s a great first step… the rest are details to be worked later based on the skill set and expectations brought to the table. 

 If this sounds like a position that may interest you, look us up online (we have the blog, website, Facebook , Twitter, etc). Get an idea for yourself on who we are, what we are about and whether or not you see yourself as a fit.

Send a resume by all means, but only with a compelling reason to open it. Let’s face it, what I really want to  know is who you are, what you can do for us, and why we should hire you.

Your time is just as valuable as mine so if you have your own ‘hope-for’s’ or ‘must-haves’ feel free to share them also.  

We can be quite flexible when it comes to hours and working arrangements for the right person.

The question is, are you the person I’m looking for? 

Feel free to send any expressions of interest, questions or applications to christie@lewistaxation.com.au. You might want to check out one of my earlier posts titled Job Applications – What NOT to do for a couple of quick tips.

The majority of Australians of working age undertook some form of learning during the last year, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Almost all (89%) Australians aged 15 to 64 years undertook some form of learning in the last 12 months.

On the job training, or learning by books or the internet was undertaken by nearly all (84%) Australians of working age.

About one quarter (26%) participated in formal study at school, college, TAFE or university with slightly more (28%) taking courses that do not lead to a formal qualification.

People with a Bachelor degree or higher were most likely to be employed as professionals or managers and people without a non-school qualification were most likely to be employed as clerical and administrative workers or labourers.

The most common field of study in formal learning was management and commerce (26%) followed by society and culture (20%).

The ABS also found that women are more likely than men to posses a Bachelor degree, but men are more likely to have completed a Certificate III/IV.

Since 2001, the proportion of people with a tertiary qualification has increased by 13%.

The main reason people undertook work-related courses was that it was a requirement of their job. The health care and social assistance industry accounted for the majority of non-formal learning followed by the education and training industry.

Excluding the completion of school study, Australians of working age are more likely to have attained a Certificate III/IV (2.5 million) as their highest education qualification than any other educational qualification.

TAFE was the most popular institution for tertiary studies in the last 12 months, with over 300,000 students having completed study at TAFE compared with approximately 240,000 students at university. ACT residents are more likely to have completed a Bachelor degree or above (36%) than those persons in any other state or territory.

Further information is available in Education and Training Experience, Australia 2009 (cat. no. 6278.0) available for download from the ABS website,<www.abs.gov.au>.

Having spent the better part of the week sorting through literally hundreds of job applications, I feel compelled to share some quick hints for job seekers.

1. First of all, unless you are sending your application via SMS, use your words, people. Example of what not to do: “i want 2 apply 4 the position of…” . What is up with the continual use of “i” and “im” instead of “I” and “I’m” in resumes and cover letters? You are selling yourself to a potential employer, not chatting with friends on FaceBook.  

2. For goodness sake, if you don’t have a decent hotmail address without an R-Rated username, get one now.  Applications from emails like sexyhotbunnybabe258@gmail or psycho-axe-killer@msn just don’t set a professional tone. (Note: these are not actual addreses we received applications from, merely an example of the type of email address).  

3. If you say you’ve attached your resume, remember to attach it.

4. Spell check, spell check and then SPELL CHECK again! Common errors in the I-didn’t bother-to spell-check basket included mentions of “exellent” skills in “communcation”,  work “refrences” and “writting” letters. When you do spell-check, be sure the language settings are set for Australia. Having said that, don’t just rely on the spell-checker. Re-read several times yourself before submitting.

5. Don’t start out your cover letter with negatives such as “I don’t have any experience in…” or “I can’t work this day or that day…”  Start with the positive if you want someone to read any further. Be excited about what you can bring to the table.

6. Sending a job application from your current work email address during business hours might not be the best idea.  Potential employers might wonder if you are applying for a new job on your bosses time?

7. If you’re going to use  common industry terms be sure you a) know what it means to use in context and b) can spell it. Common errors include references to “companys” ”debitors” “acounting” and “mortgatge”.

8. Don’t go nuts with the formatting! It’s great to stand out and do something a little different but try not to splatter your resume with 7 different colours, 14 alternative fonts and random font-size changes.

9. Try to address the position criteria. If you’re looking to change professions or are just starting out, at least give some indictation why you want to apply or think you’ll be suitable.  

10. If you are using a template to create your resume, be sure to fill in all the fields or delete those areas you are not using. Being employed from [insert date] with [insert employer] isn’t very informative.  

I said 10 tips but I can think of a few more are worth noting……

11. If you are actually given the name of the person to address your application to,  it’s better to use their name instead of “To Whom it May Concern” or “Dear Sir/Madam”.

12. Potential employers WILL Google you and check your online profiles. What impression is Google going to give about you?

13. Don’t simply send a sentence with your name saying you want the job with a mobile number to call you on. If 400 others actually took the time to attach a resume and/or cover letter providing some details about themselves, the chance of any employer ringing to request these details from you is pretty slim.

14. Finally, do your homework. The job market is a competive place. You can gain an instant advantage by finding a bit out about the organisation (easily enough these days… just visit their website) and using this information to create a targeted pitch.

Minister for Employment Participation Mark Arbib today announced the Federal Government will provide $10 million for 2000 structural adjustment places in the Productivity Places Program for insulation workers affected by changes to the Home Insulation Program.

These are training places available to re-train insulation workers for new jobs and are on top of the 4000 places announced last year to help workers transition from the insulation industry –
2000 places in the Language Literacy and Numeracy Program and 2000 Apprenticeship Access places.

“Over the weekend and early next week, we’ll be talking with industry and job service providers about what other assistance can be provided to these workers,” Senator Arbib said.

Any worker who loses their job will have immediate access to assistance under the Government’s Compact for Retrenched Workers.

When a displaced insulation worker registers with a Jobs Services Australia provider, they will get immediate access to high level support – through Stream 2 or above.

This guarantees them access to retraining support and help in developing a tailored Employment Pathway Plan find another job as quickly as possible.

This could include: 

• help to develop a résumé and job applications, interview skills and presentation techniques;
• advice on searching for a job, various career options and employment programs;
• information about job vacancies and access to job search facilities offered by Centrelink and Job Services Australia providers, including JobSearch;
• referral and placement into employment;
• a comprehensive skills assessment;
• skills development and training relevant to the needs of the local labour market and identified job opportunities;
• referral to education or training opportunities including the Productivity Places Program, the Language, Literacy and Numeracy Program, or the Adult Migrant English Program;
• help to gain licences, certificates or other qualifications; and
• work experience opportunities.

Displaced insulation workers can ring 132 850 to find out more about the Government support available.

The Minister for Education, Julia Gillard today released a student income support estimator to help students plan their future study. Check it out here.

The estimator allows prospective students to enter their parents’ income level and family type to gain an estimate of the level of support they might expect to receive under the Rudd Government’s proposed changes to Youth Allowance.

Overall, around 68 000 more students will be able to access Youth Allowance in 2010 and almost 35 000 existing recipients will benefit from an increase to their payment.

Many students who were previously forced to gain eligibility through the old independence criterion will now automatically be eligible to receive Youth Allowance as a result of the increases to the Parental Income Test.

Under the proposed system students that live away from home to study will be entitled to receive student income support at higher family income levels than students who stay at home.

For example, in families with two students aged 18 and over living away from home, parents can earn up to almost $141 000 — up from $79 000 under the current system.

For families with two students aged 18 and over living at home, the new parental income cut-off is almost $108 000 compared with the current cut-off of around $62 000.

Families on low incomes will be better off than under the current system and the changes will be of particular benefit to rural and regional students.

For example, a family earning $50 000 with two students who have to move away from home may receive $18 145 a year in Youth Allowance payments alone. Total support, including scholarships and rent assistance, could be up to $33 436 for this family type.

University students on student income support payments will also be entitled to new scholarships.

All university students receiving student income support, around 146 600 students, will receive an annual Student Start-up Scholarship of $2 254 (to replace the current Commonwealth Education Costs Scholarship received by just 17.7% of students)).

Students who need to live away from home to study may also be eligible for the new Relocation Scholarship of $4000 in the first year of study and $1000 each year following ( less than 10 per cent of students have been benefiting from a Commonwealth Accommodation Scholarship). The Government estimates that the number of accommodation-related scholarships offered next year will increase by 75 per cent.

In total, eligible university students who have relocated to study would receive $6254 in the first year and $3254 in subsequent years on top of their Youth Allowance under the new arrangements.

The Government has tightened the eligibility rules in relation to the Independent rate of Youth Allowance and direct the savings to support for students by increasing the Parental Income Test.

Many of these changes will start from 1 January 2010, subject to the passage of legislation. Please use this information and the estimator as a guide only and check with Centrelink for full advice about the assistance you can get in your individual circumstances.

<sup>1.Includes both the annual value of student income support payments and the value of scholarships.
2. Basic rate excludes Rent Assistance. This is the rate calculated by the Estimator.
3.Students renting privately and living away from home may also be eligible for Rent Assistance (RA).  The amount available will depend upon individual circumstances. The maximum rate of payment for a single student with no dependent children is currently $111.20 per fortnight, or an extra annual amount of $2891 per eligible student. Columns which include RA are based on the maximum RA payment.</sup>

Parliamentary Secretary for Disabilities and Children’s Services, Bill Shorten, today launched a new publication which outlines compelling reasons for including people with disability as customers and employees.

The Australian Government provided $40,000 to the Australian Employers Network on Disability to produce Opportunity, which was also supported by the NSW Government, Westpac, McDonalds, KPMG and Sparke Helmore Lawyers.

“The time is right for business to start seeing people with disabilities as an important customer and skills base” Mr Shorten said.

“This is the first time various levels of government and major corporations have collaborated on building the business case for including people with disability.

“It is estimated that around one in five Australians have some form of impairment, but this does not mean they don’t want to, or can’t work.

“Employers who employ people with disability have found they tend to have better attendance records, remain longer and have fewer injuries at work than those without a disability.

“They are also as productive and reliable as any group of employees.

“It is time the government and the private sector embrace diversity as a means of enhancing business performance to access untapped reserves of talent and open new markets.

“Opportunity includes tips on becoming confident about meeting the needs of employees and customers with disability, as well as important statistics, case studies and a checklist of actions businesses can take to make their products and services more accessible.

“Some of these are surprisingly simple, yet effective like having a pen and paper at a counter for customers who are hearing impaired.

“Organisations which are accessible to customers and employees with disability are more accessible and more appealing to all consumers and stakeholders.

“For Australian businesses, people with disability should be seen as a significant market and source of labour, not to mention a large group with spending power which can no longer be ignored” Mr Shorten said.

This publication is being launched alongside a new website which goes ‘live’ today, Disability Confidence, which will provide useful advice and links to assist employers and the community in getting more information about the business case for employing people with disability.

Issue 6 of the ATO’s Workforce Education News is available now from the Tax Office website.

Workforce education news is issued regularly to employers and professional associations to provide updates about tax entitlements and obligations that may affect you, your employees, and members of your organisations.

The newsletter contains information and links of interest to both employers and employees. 

You can view previous issues of the publication from the ATO website also and even sign up for a free email subscription.

Did you know…?

If you are 25 years and over and do not have Year 12 or equivalent or certificate level II or higher qualification, you are probably eligible for Work Skills vouchers to help improve your qualifications.

The vouchers can be used in public, private or community colleges and are worth up to $3,000.

Unskilled workers and those returning to the workforce (such as parents, carers, etc) will get priority according to the latest information.

You can check your eligibility for a voucher through the Australian Skills Vouchers Program website.

A decision by the Australian Fair Pay Commission confirms Australia’s status as the nation with the second highest minimum wage in the developed world.

The decision means low paid workers receive an extra $10.26 a week taking the minimum wage from October 1 2007 to $522.12 a week.

With the cost of living being what it is, even with the increase to minumum wages, it still appears pretty rough. As frugal as our household is, I couldn’t imagine feeding and housing a family on minimum wage. Still, let’s not forget the additional social support available to Aussie families.

The recent report released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics confirms that after families receive government benefits, principally family tax benefit, only 40 per cent of households pay any net tax — that is, they get more back in family tax benefits than they actually pay in tax.

In my opinion, we really do live in the lucky country. Without a doubt, we have one of the most generous social support systems in the world. Unfortunately, generosity is open to abuse and can lead to a sense of entitlement or a cycle of dependency.

What do you think? Should we have minimum wage laws? Is it better to leave the labour market sort itself? Does the welfare system need to toughen up on some recipients? Who and how?

When you start a job, your employer (the payer) will give you a Tax file number declaration form to complete. Centrelink is also a payer and they will give you this form if you apply for payments.

You tell your payer you want to claim the tax-free threshold by printing X in the Yes box at question 9 – ‘Do you wish to claim the tax-free threshold from this payer?’

What if you have more than one payer?

You cannot claim the tax-free threshold from more than one payer at a time. If you do, it will result in you not paying enough tax for the income year. This could result in a large tax bill when you lodge your tax return.

If you have more than one payer, you need to choose which one to claim the tax-free threshold from. Generally, it is best to claim the threshold from the payer who pays you the most.

You have more than one payer if:

• you have a part-time job and also receive Centrelink payments, or
• you have two (or more) jobs.

Once you have selected the payer you want to claim the tax-free threshold from, print X in the No box at question 9 with your other payers.

If your circumstances change, you can fill out new Tax file number declaration to ensure you continue to claim the tax-free threshold from the payer who pays you the most.

However you must always make certain that you are not claiming the tax-free threshold from more than one payer at a time otherwise you may end up with a tax debt at the end of the income year.

Providing a Tax File Number

You have 28 days to give your payer a completed Tax file number declaration form with your tax file number (TFN) on it or to claim an exemption from quoting a TFN.  An exemption may be claimed if you do not earn enough income to pay tax and you are under 18 years of age. After that time, they must start taking tax out of your pay at a rate of 46.5%.

If you don’t have or have forgotten your TFN, you can indicate on the Tax file number declaration form that you are making an application or enquiry to get your TFN. This will mean your payer will tax you at the normal rates for 28 days. However, if you have not provided your TFN at the end of the 28 days, they must start taking tax out of your pay at a rate of 46.5%.

Gone are the days of travelling to the nearest CES and scouring the job boards for potential matches. Today’s employers are posting vacancies online as are government agencies.

Australian Jobsearch is a Government initiative (almost like an online version of the old CES). The database is updated with thousands of new jobs each day. Additional information is readily accessed on career information and job search tips. If you register, you can create a job match profile and upload your resume online. Searching by location and/or occupation is quick and simple. If you are a job seeker, this is one site you will want to be visiting regularly.

Other popular general job search sites include Career One and Seek.

Don’t feel limited to job bulletin sites in your search. Many businesses advertise positions vacant on their own websites. If you have a particular company in mind, be sure to check the ‘careers’ section of their site. Similarly, local councils and other government departments will advertise positions on their own little patch of cyberspace. I’ve personally picked up casual contract jobs by going directly to the Bureau of Statistics and the Electoral Commission sites and applying directly.

TIP: Today’s employers often ask you to email your resume along with your application. Keep in mind that different software versions could change the look of your resume significantly. Keep any fancy formatting for paper versions and stick with a safe copy for emailing.

Happy job hunting in your jammies!

• HECS-HELP
• FEE-HELP
• OS-HELP

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ATO Media Release