In 2010, Petra Kirkland found herself unemployed. Even with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and experience as a manager at Verizon, she was unable to secure a job. Then she saw an advertisement for Universal’s free Start Today Seminar and decided to attend.
Following the Start Today Seminar, Petra enrolled in UAC’s training programs. She soon completed the following:
- Universal’s Professional Bookkeeper (PB) Program: trains students in small-business accounting
- Professional Bookkeeper’s Guide (PBG) to QuickBooks: helps students master QuickBooks software, and
- The Universal Practice Builder (UPB) Program: teaches financial professionals how to launch their own businesses
In 2011 she started her own practice and enjoyed considerable success. She explained that the “…key to my success is determination and hard work. I kept at it even when I didn’t have any clients.”
Fortunately, that didn’t last long. Her practice grew to serve 8 regular clients, which she secured through principles taught in the UPB program. She found they appreciated the one-on-one attention they received and enjoyed working with someone who kept them informed about their finances and business status. Petra went on to explain, “Having freedom to set my own hours and work from home was great.”
Sadly, Petra’s husband died in 2013, and she no longer wanted to work from home. Luckily, her newfound skills and consequent experience enabled her to get a permanent position as a bookkeeper for a property management company.
Petra’s situation demonstrates the importance of securing marketable skills. Some may use these to launch their own businesses while others still may find it helps them receive promotions and advancement in current positions. Regardless, it offers peace of mind and the flexibility to build a career on your own terms.
Petra advises Universal graduations to “have confidence, stay focused and don’t give up.” Having followed that advice herself, Petra is enjoying a career of her own making, regardless of the struggles life has thrown her way.
Call Universal now at 877-833-7908 to enroll in one or more of our stellar training programs, and change the course of your professional future!
