Job Readiness — Show What You Know

Monday morning. Meera reached the office at 9:30 sharp. Negi Bhaiya was already at his desk, typing furiously — it was GST filing season. Sharma Sir arrived at 10 with his steel tiffin and newspaper, as always. He settled into his chair and looked at Meera. "So, Meera. Pooja tells me you two had a good conversation about career options." Meera was surprised — "You know Pooja?" Sharma Sir laughed. "Her branch manager is my client. Small town, small world. Now sit down. Today's lesson is the most important one. You've spent months learning accounting, GST, ERPLite, TDS, payroll. All of that knowledge is inside your head. But when you go for a job interview, the knowledge inside your head is invisible. You need to make it visible. You need to show what you know."

Step 1: Build a Portfolio of Your Work

What is a Portfolio?

A portfolio is a collection of work samples that prove your skills. A painter shows paintings. A tailor shows stitched clothes. An accountant shows financial records they have prepared.

"Meera, over the past few months, you have prepared hundreds of vouchers, several trial balances, complete financial statements, and dozens of GST returns. That is your portfolio," Sharma Sir said.

What to Include in Your Portfolio

Sharma Sir helped Meera make a list. Here is what you should collect:

"But Sir," Meera said, "some of this is confidential client data. I can't show other people's business numbers."

Sharma Sir nodded approvingly. "Good thinking. There are two ways to handle this."

How to Handle Confidentiality

Option 1: Use Practice Data — Create a set of books for a fictional business. Call it "Meera General Store" or "Practice Company Ltd." Enter transactions, prepare statements, file practice returns. This shows your skills without revealing anyone's private data.

Option 2: Redact Real Work — If you want to show a real GSTR-1 or a real balance sheet, blank out or cover the client's name, GSTIN, PAN, and any identifying details. Show the format and your work, not the client's data.

How to Organize Your Portfolio

Get a simple plastic folder with clear sleeves — the kind you can buy at any stationery shop for Rs 50-80. Organize it like this:

1. Cover page — Your name, phone number, email
2. Table of contents — List of items inside
3. Voucher samples — One of each type
4. Financial statements — Trial Balance, P&L, Balance Sheet
5. GST return samples — GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B screenshots
6. Bank reconciliation
7. ERPLite screenshots
8. Any certificates — Computer course, accounting course, NACIN certification

"When you walk into an interview with this folder," Sharma Sir said, "you are already ahead of 90% of other candidates. Most people come with just a resume and say 'I know accounting.' You come with proof."

Step 2: Create Your Resume / CV

What is a Resume?

A resume (also called a CV — Curriculum Vitae) is a one-page or two-page document that summarizes who you are, what you know, and what you have done. It is the first thing any employer sees.

"Let me show you how to make a good one," Sharma Sir said. He opened a blank document on the computer.

What to Include

Here is the format, section by section:

MEERA JOSHI

Phone: 98XX-XXXXXX | Email: meera.joshi@email.com | Haldwani, Uttarakhand

OBJECTIVE

Seeking a position as a bookkeeper or accounting assistant where I can use my skills in double-entry accounting, GST return filing, and accounting software to contribute to the organization's success.

SKILLS

• Double-entry bookkeeping (journal, ledger, trial balance, financial statements)
• GST compliance (GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, ITC reconciliation, e-way bills)
• Accounting software: Udyamo ERPLite
• TDS basics (deduction, challan payment, return filing)
• Payroll processing (salary computation, PF, ESIC, professional tax)
• Bank reconciliation
• MS Excel (data entry, formulas, basic charts)
• Hindi and English (reading, writing, speaking)

WORK EXPERIENCE

Trainee Accountant — V.K. Sharma & Associates, Chartered Accountants, Haldwani (Month Year — Present)

• Record daily transactions and prepare vouchers for 10+ clients
• Maintain ledgers and prepare monthly trial balances
• File GSTR-1 and GSTR-3B returns for clients with annual turnover up to Rs 1 crore
• Assist in preparing annual financial statements and GSTR-9
• Handle bank reconciliation and payment tracking
• Use Udyamo ERPLite for all bookkeeping tasks

EDUCATION

• 10th Pass — Government Inter College, Bageshwar, Uttarakhand (Year)

ADDITIONAL LEARNING

• Bookkeeping and GST — Trained under CA V.K. Sharma (6 months)
• Basic Computer Course — (Institute name, if applicable)

REFERENCES

Available on request.

What NOT to Include on Your Resume

Sharma Sir was very clear about this:

"Remember," Sharma Sir said, "your resume should be one page. Maximum two pages if you have a lot of experience. For someone starting out like you, Meera, one page is perfect."

Tips for a Strong Resume

1. Use action words — "Prepared trial balances" not "was involved in trial balance work"
2. Use numbers — "Filed GST returns for 10+ clients" is better than "Filed GST returns for clients"
3. Put skills before education — When you don't have a degree, lead with what you CAN do
4. Match the job posting — If a job asks for "GST knowledge," make sure "GST" appears prominently on your resume
5. Save as PDF — When emailing, always send your resume as a PDF. It looks the same on every computer. A Word file might look different on someone else's machine.

Step 3: Prepare for the Interview

Negi Bhaiya pulled his chair over. "Meera, let me help with this part. I've been through a few interviews myself."

"What do they ask?" Meera asked nervously.

"Don't worry. For accounting jobs at our level, the questions are quite predictable. Let me give you the most common ones."

Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them

Question 1: "Tell me about yourself."

This is the most common opening question. Do NOT recite your entire life story. Keep it to 4-5 sentences.

Sample answer: "My name is Meera Joshi. I am from Bageshwar, Uttarakhand. For the past six months, I have been working as a trainee accountant at a CA firm in Haldwani. I handle bookkeeping, GST return filing, and work on accounting software called ERPLite. I am looking for a full-time accounting role where I can use and grow these skills."

Question 2: "What is double-entry bookkeeping?"

Sample answer: "Double-entry means every transaction is recorded in two accounts — one is debited and one is credited. The total of all debits must always equal the total of all credits. This is how we catch errors and keep the books balanced."

Question 3: "What is the difference between debit and credit?"

Sample answer: "Debit means the left side of an account. Credit means the right side. When an asset increases, we debit it. When a liability increases, we credit it. For expenses, we debit. For income, we credit."

Question 4: "What GST returns have you filed?"

Sample answer: "I have filed GSTR-1, which is the monthly or quarterly return for outward supplies — sales invoices, B2B and B2C. And GSTR-3B, which is the monthly summary return showing total tax liability, ITC claimed, and net tax payable. I have also assisted in preparing GSTR-9, the annual return."

Question 5: "What is Input Tax Credit?"

Sample answer: "ITC is the GST you paid on your purchases, which you can subtract from the GST you collected on your sales. So you only pay the difference to the government. For example, if you collected Rs 1,800 GST on sales and paid Rs 1,200 GST on purchases, you only pay Rs 600 to the government."

Question 6: "What accounting software have you used?"

Sample answer: "I have used Udyamo ERPLite for all my bookkeeping tasks — creating masters, entering vouchers, generating reports like trial balance, P&L, and balance sheet. I am familiar with the full sales cycle and purchase cycle in the software. I am also willing to learn Tally Prime or any other software your office uses."

Question 7: "Can you prepare a trial balance?"

Sample answer: "Yes. A trial balance lists all the ledger accounts with their debit or credit balances. The total of the debit column must equal the total of the credit column. If they don't match, it means there is an error somewhere in the books that needs to be found and fixed."

Question 8: "Why should we hire you?"

Sample answer: "I have practical experience in bookkeeping and GST filing. I have worked with real clients at a CA office. I am careful with numbers, I can use accounting software, and I am eager to learn. I also have a portfolio of work samples that I can show you."

Then open your folder and show them.

Interview Tips from Negi Bhaiya

"Some general advice," Negi said:

1. Dress simply and neatly — Clean clothes, combed hair, polished shoes. You don't need expensive clothes. You need clean clothes.
2. Arrive 15 minutes early — Never be late for an interview. If the office is far, go the day before to check the route.
3. Carry your portfolio folder, resume, and original documents — 10th marksheet, Aadhaar card, any certificates. Keep photocopies too.
4. Speak clearly and honestly — If you don't know the answer to a question, say "I don't know, but I am willing to learn." This is much better than making something up.
5. Ask questions too — At the end, when they say "Do you have any questions?" — ask something. For example: "What software does the office use?" or "How many clients would I be working with?" or "Is there an opportunity to learn new things?" This shows you are serious and interested.

Step 4: Demonstrate Your ERP Skills

"Here's a tip that will set you apart," Sharma Sir said. "When you go for an interview, offer to do a live demo."

What is a Live Demo?

Instead of just saying "I know ERPLite," offer to show them. If they have a computer available, ask if you can open the software and demonstrate:

• Creating a new account in the chart of accounts
• Entering a sales voucher
• Posting a payment receipt
• Generating a trial balance or P&L report

"Most candidates just talk," Sharma Sir said. "When you sit down and actually DO the work in front of them — their jaws will drop. I have hired people on the spot because of this."

What if They Use Different Software?

"Sir, what if they use Tally Prime instead of ERPLite?" Meera asked.

"Good question. The concepts are the same. A voucher in ERPLite is a voucher in Tally. A ledger is a ledger. The screens look different, but the logic is identical. If you can use one accounting software confidently, you can learn another in a week."

"In the interview, say: 'I have experience with ERPLite. I understand the full accounting workflow in an ERP system. I am confident I can learn your software quickly because the accounting logic is the same.'"

Step 5: Keep Learning — What to Study Next

Sharma Sir sat down with Meera and mapped out a learning plan for the next year.

1. Tally Prime

Tally is the most widely used accounting software in India. Almost every CA office, small business, and trading company uses it. Learning Tally Prime should be your very next step.

How to learn:

• Join a local Tally coaching institute (2-3 month course, Rs 3,000 — Rs 8,000)
• Or learn free on YouTube — search "Tally Prime full course in Hindi"
• Practice on the free trial version of Tally Prime

What you will learn:

• Company creation and ledger setup
• Voucher entry (same concepts you already know, different screen)
• GST setup and return preparation in Tally
• Inventory management
• Payroll in Tally

"Since you already understand accounting concepts," Sharma Sir said, "learning Tally will be very fast for you. Most Tally courses spend the first month teaching accounting basics — you already know all of that."

2. Advanced Excel

Excel is used everywhere — not just in accounting but in banking, insurance, government offices, and every corporate job. The basics (typing data, simple formulas) are not enough. You need intermediate-level Excel skills.

What to learn:

How to learn:

• Free YouTube courses: search "Excel for accounting Hindi"
• Practice daily — even 30 minutes a day for a month will make you competent

3. Income Tax Basics

GST is one type of tax. Income Tax is the other major one. If you want to work in a CA office long-term or become an independent tax practitioner, you need to understand income tax.

What to learn:

• What is income tax and who has to pay it
• The five heads of income (salary, house property, business, capital gains, other sources)
• ITR filing — how to file an income tax return
• TDS returns — you already know the basics from this book
• Basic tax planning — how to save tax using Section 80C, 80D, etc.

How to learn:

• The Income Tax department has a free e-learning portal: www.incometax.gov.in
• CA coaching institutes offer short-term ITR filing courses
• Learn by doing — file your own family members' ITR first

4. Company Accounts

If you want to work in a larger company (not just small shops and traders), you will need to understand some additional concepts.

What to learn:

• Share capital and types of shares
• Company financial statements as per Schedule III of the Companies Act
• Audit basics — what happens during a statutory audit
• MCA (Ministry of Corporate Affairs) compliance — annual filings

This is more advanced and can wait until you have 1-2 years of experience.

5. Online Certifications

6. LinkedIn Profile

"Meera, do you have a LinkedIn profile?" Sharma Sir asked.

"What is LinkedIn?"

"It's like Facebook, but for professionals. Companies post jobs there. Recruiters search for candidates there. You should create a profile."

How to set up LinkedIn:

1. Go to www.linkedin.com and create a free account
2. Add a professional photo (simple background, neat appearance, facing the camera)
3. Write a headline: "Accounting Trainee | Bookkeeping | GST | ERPLite"
4. Write a short summary: 3-4 sentences about your skills and experience
5. Add your work experience (same as your resume)
6. Add your skills — bookkeeping, GST, double-entry accounting, ERPLite
7. Connect with people you know — Sharma Sir, Negi Bhaiya, Pooja, classmates
8. Follow companies and CA firms in Haldwani, Dehradun, and other cities you'd like to work in

"Many recruiters in Uttarakhand now search LinkedIn for accounting staff," Negi said. "I got a job offer last month from a Dehradun firm just because they found my profile there."

Step 6: Meera's Learning Roadmap

Sharma Sir drew a timeline on the whiteboard.

"This is not a fixed plan," Sharma Sir said. "Life will throw opportunities and challenges at you. But if you have a direction, you won't get lost."

The Phone Call

It was Thursday afternoon. Meera was posting vouchers for Bisht Traders when her phone buzzed. Unknown number. She almost didn't pick up.

"Hello?"

"Hello, is this Meera Joshi?"

"Yes, speaking."

"This is Rajesh Pandey from Pandey & Associates, Chartered Accountants, Haldwani. We saw your resume — Sharma ji had sent it to us. We have an opening for a junior accountant. Would you be available for an interview this Saturday at 11 AM?"

Meera's heart started racing. She looked at Sharma Sir. He was pretending to read his newspaper, but she could see a small smile behind it. He had sent her resume without telling her.

"Yes, Sir. I will be there. Thank you."

She put down the phone. Her hands were shaking slightly.

"Sir... you sent my resume?"

Sharma Sir folded his newspaper. "Meera, Pandey ji is a good man. He runs a bigger office — eight staff members, over a hundred clients. He needs someone who can handle GST independently. I told him about you."

"But Sir, I'm still learning—"

"You have been learning for six months. You have filed real GST returns. You have prepared real financial statements. You have used ERP software. You know more than many people who have been doing this for years. You are ready."

Negi Bhaiya spun around in his chair. "Meera! This is great news. Don't worry about the interview. Remember everything we talked about. Carry your portfolio. Speak clearly. Show them what you know."

Getting Ready

That evening, Meera sat in her small rented room near the bus stand. She laid out everything on the bed:

1. Her portfolio folder — neatly organized, with voucher samples, a trial balance, P&L statement, balance sheet, GST return screenshots, and ERPLite screenshots
2. Her resume — one page, printed on clean white paper, saved as PDF on her phone too
3. Her certificates — 10th marksheet (original + photocopy), computer course certificate, Aadhaar card
4. A clean kurta and pants — ironed and ready
5. A pen and small notebook — to write down anything important during the interview

She rehearsed her answers one more time:

• "Tell me about yourself" — practiced in front of the mirror, timed at 45 seconds
• "What is double-entry?" — clear, simple explanation
• "What GST returns have you filed?" — GSTR-1, GSTR-3B, assisted with GSTR-9
• "Why should we hire you?" — practical experience, portfolio, eagerness to learn

She called Pooja.

"Pooja, I have an interview on Saturday!"

"MEERA! I'm so proud of you! You'll do great. Just be yourself. And remember — you KNOW this stuff. You're not pretending. You actually do this work every day."

Meera smiled. Pooja was right.

She called her father in Bageshwar.

"Papa, I have a job interview."

There was silence on the line. Then her father's voice, a little rough: "Meera... I always knew you would do well. Your mother would have been proud."

Meera wiped her eyes, set her alarm for 6 AM, and went to sleep.

Saturday Morning

Meera reached Pandey & Associates at 10:45 AM. It was a bigger office than Sharma Sir's — a proper reception area, four cabins, and a row of computers where junior staff were working.

The interview lasted 30 minutes. Pandey Sir asked her about double-entry, GST, TDS, and ERPLite. She answered each question calmly. When he asked "Can you show me any work you've done?", she opened her portfolio folder.

He looked through it — the vouchers, the trial balance, the balance sheet, the GST return screenshots.

"You prepared all of this?" he asked.

"Yes, Sir. Under Sharma Sir's guidance."

Pandey Sir nodded. "One last thing. Can you show me how you would enter a sales voucher in accounting software?"

He pointed to a computer with ERPLite open on the screen.

Meera sat down. Her fingers found the keyboard. She opened the sales voucher module, selected the customer, entered the item, the quantity, the rate. The GST calculated automatically. She saved the voucher, then pulled up the ledger to show the posting.

It took her less than two minutes.

Pandey Sir watched silently. Then he smiled.

"Meera, when can you start?"

Quick Recap — Chapter 28

Building your job readiness:

1. Portfolio — Collect work samples: vouchers, trial balance, P&L, balance sheet, GST returns, ERPLite screenshots. Organize in a folder.

2. Resume — One page. Lead with skills, not education. Use action words and numbers. Save as PDF.

3. Interview prep — Practice common questions. Prepare clear, simple answers. Carry your portfolio.

4. Live demo — Offer to demonstrate your ERP skills. Doing the work in front of them is more powerful than talking about it.

5. Keep learning — Tally Prime, Advanced Excel, Income Tax basics, online certifications, LinkedIn profile.

Most important lesson: You are ready. You have real skills. Go show the world.

Practice Exercise — Your Action Plan

Exercise 1: Build Your Portfolio

Start today. Create a practice company (make up a name and some transactions). Prepare the following:

• 6 vouchers (one of each type)
• A trial balance with at least 15 accounts
• A simple P&L statement
• A simple balance sheet

Print them. Put them in a folder.

Exercise 2: Write Your Resume

Using the format in this chapter, write your own resume. Fill in your real details. If you don't have work experience yet, focus on:

• Skills you have learned from this book
• Any practice exercises you have completed
• Computer skills you have
• Languages you speak

Ask a friend or family member to read it and check for spelling mistakes.

Exercise 3: Practice Interviews

Find a friend or family member to ask you these questions:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What is double-entry bookkeeping?
3. What is GST? What returns have you studied?
4. What accounting software do you know?
5. Why should we hire you?

Practice answering out loud. Record yourself on your phone and listen back. Are you clear? Are you confident? Keep practicing until you are.

Exercise 4: Create Your Learning Plan

Using the roadmap in this chapter, write down your own plan for the next 12 months. What will you learn? When will you learn it? What resources will you use?

A Final Word — From Sharma Sir

On her last day at the old office, before she moved to Pandey & Associates, Sharma Sir asked Meera to stay back after Negi Bhaiya left.

"Meera, sit down. I want to tell you something."

She sat.

"When you walked into this office six months ago, you didn't know what a debit was. You didn't know what GST stood for. You didn't know how to turn on the accounting software. You were scared and quiet."

Meera nodded. She remembered.

"Today, you can prepare a complete set of books from scratch. You can file GST returns. You can read a balance sheet and tell me if a business is healthy. You can use ERP software better than many people who have been in this field for years."

He paused.

"Do you know what made the difference? It wasn't talent. It wasn't a fancy degree. It was this: you showed up every day. You asked questions. You made mistakes and learned from them. You practiced until you got it right."

"That is all any career needs. Show up. Ask questions. Practice. Keep learning."

He reached into his drawer and pulled out a small wrapped box. "A gift."

Meera opened it. Inside was a simple calculator — a Casio with a green display — the same model Sharma Sir himself used.

"Every accountant needs a good calculator," he said, his eyes twinkling.

Meera held it to her chest. "Thank you, Sir. For everything."

"Go," Sharma Sir said. "Go and do great work. And when you have your own office someday, train someone the way I trained you. That's how this chain continues."

Meera stepped out of Sharma Sir's office into the Haldwani afternoon sun. The same narrow lane. The same stationery shop below. But she was not the same girl who had walked up those stairs six months ago. She had a skill. She had confidence. She had a job waiting for her on Monday.

She looked up at the small blue board — V.K. Sharma & Associates, Chartered Accountants — and smiled.

Then she turned and walked toward the bus stand. Not to go back to Bageshwar. To go forward.