From Intuit Connect to Certification ~ My Journey Through the Intuit Academy

As someone invested in the accounting profession—with a healthy dose of nerdy enthusiasm for learning and a constant curiosity—I can’t help but want to dive into the tools and tech shaping our industry. That’s why, since leaving Intuit Connect, I’ve been steadily working my way through the Intuit Academy Bookkeeping certification—not in long, uninterrupted stretches, but in those spare moments of life. Picture me in airport lounges, waiting rooms, or between meetings, jumping into lessons and quizzes whenever I could.

This wasn’t just a casual exercise; I wanted to experience the program firsthand. If this is something we’ll see on resumes, I wanted to understand its value and how much weight it holds, especially when considering candidates from non-traditional educational or career backgrounds.

And now that I’ve completed the program, I’m sharing: this certification gets an ‘A’ grade from me. It’s not just a certificate; it’s a truly robust learning experience, one that provides foundational knowledge in Financial Operational Bookkeeping—a critical skill set for success in our field.

Why This Certification Matters

The program dives into key accounting and bookkeeping concepts with depth and clarity. Covering essential topics like cash vs. accrual accounting, modified cash basis, capital vs. operational leases, and KPIs, it equips learners with the knowledge to tackle real-world bookkeeping activites.

After all, these topic areas aren’t just buzzwords—they’re bedrock concepts that every bookkeeper or entry-level accountant must master.

Building Your Career with Operational Knowledge

At R Accounting, our team members bring diverse strengths and experiences to the table, enabling us to provide well-rounded and insightful client support. As a QBO-centric firm, we ensure every team member is QuickBooks Online (QBO) certified to maintain a consistent level of confidence and competence with the platform.

This bookkeeping certification goes beyond the QBO platform by offering foundational operational knowledge of the underlying bookkeeping workflows. Through over 30 hours of interactive, hands-on training, the well-structured modules help learners not only grasp key principles but also apply them to real-world scenarios. These are core concepts of bookkeeping overall—not just software skills.

Opening the Door to New Talent

One of the aspects I appreciate most about Intuit’s Academy is its efforts to create an open, accessible entry point into our industry. Beyond the bookkeeping certification, the academy also offers several tax tracks, a few of which our team plans to take this year.  These tracks provide opportunities for our team as well as other candidates to gain practical knowledge and a strong foundation on the topics they are not currently familiar with.

At a time when the accounting profession is facing a significant talent shortage, no-charge online programs like Intuit Academy are redefining how people can enter the accounting field. By offering structured training, they open doors for anyone with the drive to succeed. Learn more about Intuit Academy here.

Having started my career without a formal degree, much of my knowledge came from hands-on, deep-end-of-the-pool learning in my early roles. I’ve witnessed firsthand the transformative power of operational knowledge ~ that’s why I’m excited about how this program can bridge gaps, create opportunities, and welcome new, passionate individuals into the profession.

Real-World Impact

One of the unexpected highlights of exploring the Intuit Academy Bookkeeping Certification was the feedback we received after sending a client through the program. As a business owner without a formal degree but responsible for managing his company’s financial operations, he sought a deeper understanding of his financial world and better insights for steering his business toward success.

The result? He found the program extremely valuable. The structured lessons and real-world examples provided him with the knowledge to back up his instincts, giving him clarity and confidence in navigating financial concepts.

This feedback reinforced something I’ve long believed: programs like this don’t just benefit aspiring accountants—they empower anyone to understand the flow of business, a key element in driving success, and create a strong foundation that proves valuable no matter what role they pursue. Much like Accounting 101 is a staple for most business majors, learning these core principles provides a universal framework for understanding and contributing to any business environment.

Final Thoughts

For weeks, I carried this program with me—fitting it into those spare moments and absorbing the material on the go. And good news: I passed the exam! I’m coming away not only with new insights but also with confidence in this program’s ability to deliver the critical foundational knowledge essential for success in bookkeeping.

This journey highlighted the value of accessible, well-structured training programs in developing essential skills and confidence. Being able to squeeze this in on the go—mostly on my cell phone screen—reinforced just how adaptable and practical this type of learning can be for busy professionals.

For those entering the field from non-traditional paths, programs like Intuit Academy offer the solid foundation needed to thrive while shaping the future of our profession.

Whether enhancing your own expertise or investing in your team’s growth, the Intuit Academy provides a clear and realistic path to mastering critical skills and building confidence. Let’s continue the conversation—what has your experience been? Has anyone else taken this full certification ‘just to do it’? Just me?

Best… Sheri Radler

* This blog is not a paid partnership with Intuit

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