Clerk is derived from the word cleric and refers to the Catholic Church’s control over record-keeping, especially since only clerics, priests, and a few nobles could read and write in most cases. They could work in a variety of roles, such as recording marriages, births, and deaths, working as church or royal family secretaries, or illuminating manuscripts. The term clerk is widely used nowadays, and it refers to a wide range of jobs. Clerk is frequently used in conjunction with other job titles such as legal, banking, sales, or file. What you will do as a clerk is largely determined by the other job descriptions.
For example, sales clerks frequently work in retail stores, where they provide customers with product information, assist them in finding what they need, and typically operate a cash register to record sales and returns. Banking clerks, also known as tellers, are the first point of contact for most basic banking needs. Deposits are taken, withdrawals are made, checks are cashed, and banking questions are answered. In order to do this work, they usually need good math and counting skills.
Another type of worker is grocery clerks, which refers to those who work at grocery stores’ cash registers. This is distinct from other store employees who may stock shelves, manage employees, or perform other supermarket-related tasks. A grocery clerk is similar to a sales clerk in theory, though they may only be required to operate the cash register and check groceries rather than working away from it.
Secretarial and administrative assistant jobs are available to other types of clerks. File clerks may be in charge of filing documents and records, as well as maintaining an organized filing system. They may also work at the front of the office to greet visitors, answer phones, and/or perform light typing or computer work, even if this is their primary job.
In the legal system, a court clerk assists in the scheduling of trials, as well as filing and having available documents required by the courts. They may also write court reports, manage evidence in a trial, and provide juries with necessary information. During the summer months, when school is not in session, people studying to be lawyers compete for clerkships with various judges.
The term clerks can also refer to liturgical music singers. Those who sing in choirs at the universities of Oxford and Cambridge are known as clerks. People who sing in choirs are known as lay clerks in a number of large cathedrals, particularly in the United Kingdom.
Because the term has so many meanings, you, as a clerk of some sort, are the best person to define the parameters of your work. Most clerking positions, with the exception of lay clerks, require some customer interaction, organizational experience, and possibly excellent counting, filing, or accounting skills.