How To Become A Bookkeeping Clerk

by Robyn Tellefsen

How do you know you're destined to become a bookkeeping clerk? Think back to childhood. Were you the default banker in Monopoly? You'll need to be a math whiz to handle all the calculations in this career. Was there no one who could match your prowess in Memory? You'll tap into those old matching game skills to keep the myriad of accounting and tax rules at the front of your mind. Bookkeeping clerks may never get famous, but their companies can't run without them. Read on to see if you have what it takes to become the financial backbone of an up-and-coming organization.

How do I become a bookkeeping clerk?
If you want to become a bookkeeping clerk, you'll need to have a high school diploma at the minimum. If you've completed some accounting coursework or even an associate degree in business or accounting, your employment odds will go up considerably. Employers also look for candidates with experience working in an office environment in a related position. A bachelor's degree is generally not a prerequisite for this occupation, but graduates may accept bookkeeping clerk jobs in order to work in a particular company or enter the accounting or finance field with an eye on advancement.

To become a bookkeeping clerk, you must be careful, orderly, and detail-oriented to avoid making errors and to recognize errors made by others. You'll also need to be discreet and trustworthy because you will frequently come in contact with confidential material. Good communication skills are a must since today's bookkeeping clerks spend more time working with customers. Most important, bookkeeping clerks should have a strong aptitude for numbers.

After two years of full-time bookkeeping experience, bookkeeping clerks may take a four-part exam to earn the Certified Bookkeeper (CB) designation awarded by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers. Several brick-and-mortar colleges as well as online universities offer preparatory courses for certification. To maintain certification, Certified Bookkeepers must earn 30 continuing education credits each year.

What will I learn in bookkeeping clerk school?
Bookkeeping clerk schools offer courses in software assessment, word processing, spreadsheet applications, accounting software, keyboarding, payroll, and practical accounting. Programs also provide instruction in worker classification (employees vs. independent contractors) and taxable vs. nontaxable benefits. To pass the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers certification exam, bookkeeping clerks must know all about adjusting entries and error correction, payroll and depreciation, inventory, and internal controls and fraud prevention.

Finance courses ensure that bookkeeping clerks master financial statement analysis as well as credit and collections. Accounting courses ensure mastery of entry adjustment (accruals and deferrals), accounting error correction, depreciation computing and recording, inventory recording, statement of cash flow preparation, internal control maintenance and fraud prevention, and double-entry bookkeeping.

Bookkeeping clerk schools may also offer general education courses such as writing and composition, workplace communication, and psychology to help you hone soft skills that are essential in the business world. In addition, most bookkeeping clerks receive on-the-job training to learn company procedures as well as specialized computer software.