An accounting assistant is an entry-level position; this person may work with a single accountant or as part of a larger corporation’s accounting department. It entails daily bookkeeping and file maintenance, as well as customer service and other office tasks and file maintenance. People who want to work as an accounting assistant should have at least a few years of experience in bookkeeping or a certificate in this field. The certificate usually takes a few months to obtain and greatly increases one’s chances of being hired.
Some people who are completing longer accounting programs, such as bachelor’s and master’s degrees, and who are pursuing certification as a certified public accountant, will work as accounting assistants in the interim to gain experience. This can improve a candidate’s accounting skills while also looking good on a resume. Whether an accounting assistant works for an individual accountant or for a larger company or accounting firm, the tasks an accounting assistant performs on a daily basis can vary greatly. In most cases, it entails a mix of bookkeeping and office work.
An accounting assistant frequently works in the payroll and accounts payable/receivable departments of larger corporations. This person will be responsible for keeping accurate records of all funds that enter and exit the company, as well as reconciling items such as employee hours, vacation or sick time used, and other payments that must be made. In addition, the accounting assistant may collect invoices from vendors or other services and make payments or record payments received on these accounts. Anyone interested in working in this position should have a keen eye for detail, strong math skills, and the ability to double-check his or her own work for errors.
A person who works as an accounting assistant for an accountant may have a variety of responsibilities. In addition to assisting with financial tasks such as financial statement preparation, the assistant may also perform office tasks such as answering phones, maintaining a filing system, and composing mailings or other forms of correspondence. Additionally, greeting customers as they enter the office is an important part of the job. It is critical for the assistant to understand at least the basics of the accounting firm’s practices in order to answer customer questions or refer them to someone who can.