Accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing clerks are financial record-keepers. Their work is to update and maintain accounting records containing of receipts, accounts receivable, expenditures, and profit and loss. These clerks must possess a wide range of skills. The work of a bookkeeper is to maintain books in the company.
Nature of Work
Accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing clerks make a number of calculations every day and they must be comfortable using computers to compute and record data. In small firms, bookkeeping clerks and bookkeepers are accountable for accounts. They maintain all transactions and post debits and credits.
Bookkeeping clerks prepare financial statements and produce reports and summaries for managers and supervisors. Bookkeepers produce bank deposits by putting data together from cashiers, balancing and verifying receipts, and sending checks, cash or other form of payment to the bank. They also deal with payroll, prepare invoices, make purchases, and keep record of overdue accounts.
In accounting departments of some companies, accounting clerks have more specialized tasks. They are often titled as accounts receivable clerk or accounts payable clerk. Additionally, their responsibilities differ by level of experience. The work of entry-level accounting clerks is to post details of transactions, compute interest charges, and total accounts.
These clerks may oversee accounts and loans to make sure that, payments are up to date. Some clerks may total, reconcile, and balance billing vouchers, code documents as per the company procedure, and make sure the accuracy and completeness of data on accounts.
The task of accounting clerks is to post transactions in journals and on computer files. They also update these computer files when required. Senior clerks assess computer printouts against regular journals to make required corrections. They may evaluate statements and invoices to ensure that the given information is complete and accurate.
The work of auditing clerks is to verify records of transactions posted by workers. These clerks verify postings, figures, and documents to make sure that they are mathematically accurate and coded properly. They note and correct errors for accountants and other workers to fix.
Accounting clerks, bookkeeping, and auditing clerks use specialized accounting database, spreadsheets, and software. Most of the clerks can enter the information from bills or receipts into computers. This information is stored in the computer. The computer technology enables accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing clerks to carry out additional responsibilities such as procurement, payroll, and billing. These clerks often need to write letters and make phone calls to clients and customers.
Work Environment
Accounting clerks, bookkeeping, and auditing clerks work in an office environment. Due to work load, they may experience muscle and eye strain, headaches, backaches, and repetitive injuries. Sometimes, clerks may need to sit for extended periods at the time of assessing data.
Some bookkeeping, auditing and accounting clerks work regular business hours that is forty hours a week. Some clerks may work occasional weekends and evenings. Most of the clerks work part-time. These clerks may work longer hours to meet deadlines at the end of the financial year. During tax time and monthly or yearly accounting audits, clerks have to work longer hours. Clerks who work in restaurants, stores, and hotels may need to work overtime during peak vacation and holiday seasons. These clerks deal with the following responsibilities.
Responsibilities
Educational Qualification
Generally, employers prefer accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing clerks to have completed at least a high school diploma along with accounting coursework. Candidates holding experience in this field are preferred. An accounting clerk should have good communication skills and he/she must be trustworthy.
Most positions for accounting, bookkeeping, and auditing clerks require having a degree in accounting or business. Some employers offer on-the-job training to their employees. Candidates who have computer knowledge are preferred.