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The OBA blog
Practical guides on skills, tools and changing career, written by the team who build our courses. No hype and no income promises, just things you can use.
FeaturedA balance sheet shows what a business owns, what it owes and what's left for its owners on one date. Here's how to read one in five minutes, with a worked UK example.
Newest first
Use XLOOKUP if everyone who opens the file has a recent version of Excel. Here's how both functions work, the four traps VLOOKUP sets, and when the old one still earns its place.
2 October 2026 · 8 min read
Most project managers ran projects before they had the title. Here's what the job involves, the routes in, the qualifications that count and a step-by-step plan.
2 October 2026 · 9 min read
What data analysts actually do, the skills to learn and in what order, whether you need a degree, what the job pays, and a six-step plan you can start this week.
2 October 2026 · 9 min read
The best skills to put on a CV are the ones the advert asks for and you can prove. Here's how to choose them, phrase them and back them up.
2 October 2026 · 10 min read
A career change at 40 is common and workable. Here's how to choose a direction from what you already do, test it cheaply, fund the switch and plan your first 90 days.
2 October 2026 · 9 min read
What bookkeepers do, whether you need AAT or ICB, the software employers want, what the job pays, and what the law asks of you before you take on your first client.
2 October 2026 · 9 min read
A beginner's walk-through from raw spreadsheet to published dashboard, including the report-versus-dashboard difference that confuses almost everyone.
2 October 2026 · 9 min read
A strong portfolio matters more than a degree. Here's what graphic designers actually do, the tools and principles to learn, how to build six to ten portfolio pieces, and what the job pays.
2 October 2026 · 10 min read
You need proof you can grow an account and report on it accurately. Here's what social media managers do, the skills to learn, how to get experience before your first job, and what the role pays.
2 October 2026 · 9 min read
Both are capable cloud accounting tools. The real question is who does your books, which tool the accountants around you use, and which jobs you want.
24 July 2026 · 4 min read
Prompt engineering is the skill of writing instructions for AI tools so they produce useful, checkable results. Here is what a good prompt contains and when it is worth learning properly.
24 July 2026 · 4 min read
Skip the top-ten list. A certification is worth it when it passes four tests: real demand, verification, proof of work, and a cost smaller than the opportunity.
24 July 2026 · 4 min read
More guides are on the way. Every category gets its first articles over the coming weeks.
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