Bookkeepers are responsible for entering, maintaining, and analyzing a company’s financial records. Bookkeeper jobs may entail managing payroll, billing, invoices, accounts payable, and accounts receivable, among other accounting responsibilities. Bookkeepers in larger companies tend to specialize in specific aspects of financial management. Because all types of businesses require meticulous record keeping, there is always a need for qualified people to fill a variety of bookkeeping positions.
Large corporations frequently hire multiple bookkeepers to handle specific accounting and auditing responsibilities. Accounts payable bookkeeping clerks are responsible for paying bills and completing purchase orders on the company’s behalf. Customers are properly billed, and they pay on time, according to accounts receivable clerks. Payroll bookkeepers make sure that all of a company’s employees are fairly compensated for their time spent on the job. Tracking fixed assets, entering financial data into a computer system, and auditing multiple accounts are examples of other bookkeeper jobs at a large company.
In a small business, a bookkeeper may be able to handle all accounting tasks. A general ledger, which contains all of the company’s financial records, is frequently kept a bookkeeper. Although most bookkeepers only work with electronic records, some small businesses still keep physical records and receipts. When managing electronic records, employees must be skilled at efficient and accurate data entry, as well as possess strong organizational skills when filing paper records and receipts.
Some bookkeepers prefer to work for private accounting firms, which handle accounts and financial matters for a variety of businesses. Bookkeepers must be extremely careful to keep multiple financial account numbers and information confidential, according to such firms. Many experienced bookkeepers work on a freelance basis for various businesses, doing contract work from home. Freelance bookkeepers must manage all aspects of their own home businesses in addition to standard accounting duties.
A high school diploma is required for most bookkeeper jobs, but many employers prefer applicants with college degrees in accounting, business administration, mathematics, or other related fields. Although certification is not usually required, some people choose to do so in order to improve their chances of finding work as a bookkeeper. The American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) in the United States offers a Certified Bookkeeper program that requires students to pass a comprehensive exam on accounting and ethics. Many other countries have organizations similar to the AIPB that offer financial expert certification programs.