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I took on the bookkeeping position at my former job, just prior to the firing of the bookkeeper. I knew nothing about the bookkeeping software and had to teach myself the A/R, A/P, payroll and tax payment functions in QuickBooks immediately to stay current. In my other position, I had to teach myself a graphics program to replace one that was becoming non-functional. How do I explain this "self-teaching" on my resume?

Judy
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The term, as far as I know is - self learning.

In your cover letter, or in the personal summary, you can post this as a skill - you have a couple of very good examples on this.

Self learner - learned the main functions of QuickBooks just prior to the bookkeeper leaving company X. In another job, learnt the XXX graphics program. I can learn new software by myself.

Oded
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I've never seen this sort of detail listed explicitly; software skills are typically listed in a section on their own, oftentimes categorized by experience ("Expert in A, B, C, Proficient in D, E, F, Familiar with G and H"). I would simply list the software in the appropriate section, and if someone asks how you learned to use the software I would provide the "self learning" answer suggested by Oded.

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eykanal
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If the people you're interviewing know QuickBooks (for instance) then you need to drop a hint about functionality you used that is only in QuickBooks. That way they know you know it. If not, all you can say is 'QuickBooks', since it's not of much interest anyway. If you spent most of your time Invoicing, the emphasis should be on the Invoicing process, not on what software you used. They'll be more interested in knowing whether you can keep track of business details than they are as to what program you did it with.

Meredith Poor
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Have a section on your resume for formal education and applicable skills gained via them.

Next, have a smaller section (just a sentence or two, no fancy formatting or anything) called "Experience With and Knowledge Of:"

and list them there.

In this competitive market, you need to communicate everything you know and they will appreciate it.

jmort253
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Greg McNulty
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Autodidact is a fancy way to describe a "self-learner". Here is an example of how to use it in a sentence:

I am an autodidact and therefore automatically procure the knowledge to update and improve my skill set. This means that company investment in my skill set is never a necessity, although if fore-coming it's always appreciated.

I have demonstrated this in previous roles where I.... blah blah Quickbooks.... blah blah Graphics package.

If applying for a job in the UK, less-complex language that's part of an extended vocabulary can still possess some allure. Take into account your culture when deciding what sort of vocabulary to use. This extended vocabulary is a more interesting and less-dull way of saying you're a self-learner.

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Quibblesome
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  • Hi Quibblesome, welcome to The Workplace SE. Because of the nature of our topic, we expect that answers provide an explanation of why or how, and that the answers also be backed up either with references or with experiences that happened to you personally. Please [edit] your post as per the guidelines in the [faq] and [answer], or remove this post. If you need further help, you can always ask in [chat]. Good luck, and welcome to our site! :) – jmort253 Feb 23 '13 at 02:28
  • Christ, I feel like I'm in a spelling bee. "could you put that into a sentence?". While I appreciate that one liners can often be unhelpful this is a question primarily about language. You might note that the top answer to this question is primarily about recognising that the term is "self-learner". I appreciate the administration of policy but would encourage moderators to look past the cold rules and treat each case in its context. – Quibblesome Feb 23 '13 at 03:12
  • Hi Quibblesome, thanks for updating your answer. I've never heard of "autodidact" before, and autodidact may not be a term most people are familiar with, (which is why this was flagged). Still, I'm wondering, if I didn't know what an autodidact was, would most hiring managers? Is it possible such a person using this term might insult the hiring manager or make the hiring manager feel the applicant is an elitist? It might be worth explaining how being fancy can help in this situation, as if it were me I'd avoid anything that might distract a hiring mgr from looking at my applicable skills. – jmort253 Feb 23 '13 at 19:02
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    That's a fair point, not everyone is going to know the term. However I find often when applying in the UK at least complex language still possesses allure. It's probably because we all love Stephen Fry. In the US perhaps not. Is it seen as insulting to use an expanded vocabulary that others might not be acquainted with in the US? "Self-learning" just seems to be such a terribly dull way to put it. – Quibblesome Feb 23 '13 at 22:03
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    Is it seen as insulting in the US? I suspect that would depend from person to person in the US, and I don't believe I would personally be offended. However, I've seen people say things like "He thinks pretty highly of himself" or use some other derogatory remark in response to people using what others might consider "big" words. I don't think my workplace would respond in that manner, but places with "brogrammers" or institutions with the frat-boy/sorority-girl mentality I could see possibly responding in a negative manner. :) – jmort253 Feb 23 '13 at 22:12
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    BTW, I paraphrased your last comment in the last paragraph in your post. Feel free to put in your own words if you wish. Thanks again for helping to fill our site with awesome content! :) – jmort253 Feb 23 '13 at 22:17
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    Ah that's sweet. I think it adds nicely to the post. Thanks for the edit and the conversation here. Highly appreciated :) – Quibblesome Feb 23 '13 at 23:38