Once I graduated from college, I fell into an Accounts Payable job.  It was not what I planned on doing out of college, but I figured I could take this job until I could find something better.  That was 35 + years ago. 

As it turned out, I enjoyed working in Accounts Payable.  Yes, it was monotonous at times, but I enjoyed the customer service and problem-solving aspects of it.  I started out as a processing clerk at one company then moved to another company as a team lead.  When the role of AP Manager opened, I petitioned the controller to give me the position.  With each move, there were learning curves.  Eventually, I was offered the role of AP manager for a division of an international company.  There were a lot of changes in the 7 years I was in that job.  When accounts payable work performed in my division was outsourced, I was offered the position of International AP Project Manager within the same company.  Today, I am a consultant and project manager on everything AP related. 

Why am I telling you all this?  Because I had to learn my “trade” the hard way.  Remember, the internet did not exist when I was coming up the ranks and once it was available, learning options for the topic of Accounts Payable were limited.   And, let’s face it, Accounts Payable was not one of the fastest growing fields in the 1980’s and 90’s.

Fortunately, things have changed.  Not only has the field of Accounts Payable changes with the implementation of automation, workflow and various payment options, there are many resources available to learn about the different aspects of Accounts Payable.

So, do you work in Accounts Payable?  Would you like to learn more without wasting time searching several sites?    Learn about the role Accounts Payable plays in the procure to pay workstream.  Take a deep dive into the responsibilities of Accounts Payable then take courses that explain processes even further.  There are also courses about AP Workflow tools, how they work and what to consider when selecting the right provider for your company.   Use the right tools to climb up and over those learning curves.

Finally, show commitment to yourself, and to your employer, if you have chosen Accounts Payable as your career path.  Become a Certified Accounts Payable Specialist or Certified Accounts Payable Manager.  Yes, these and other certification programs are available at Illumeo.com, your single source for everything AP.

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Anne Wheeler: After a 30+ year career in various accounting areas Anne founded CS Process Flows. Her experience includes AP operations, identifying inefficiencies, and implementing solutions in existing teams.