Accounting Clerk: job description, resume skills, salary

 

From the business world to the nonprofit sector, bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing clerks are essential.

These professionals produce and maintain financial records, helping businesses and organizations of all kinds sustain their operations. Find out which skills are in demand for bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing professionals at all experience levels

When you get your start as a bookkeeping, auditing, or accounting clerk, you'll need a few basic skills from Day 1. Whether you've just started your first job search or you're looking for a new entry-level position, get to know the skills you'll need to get a foothold in this field.

1. Math Skills

Most entry-level accountant jobs require you to have completed some basic accounting coursework to demonstrate that you grasp the fundamentals of the field. While these introductory courses are a step in the right direction, you should also make sure your math skills are up to speed.

In addition to your coursework, make sure you can solve simple arithmetic problems easily. After all, you'll deal with numbers constantly in this role. If you can't speak the language, you're bound to encounter endless stumbling blocks. If necessary, brush up on your math skills by investing in a software program or taking a community college course.

2. Computer Skills

No matter how comfortable you are with basic arithmetic, you must be able to apply your knowledge electronically. While many businesses maintain paper copies of financial statements and bank records, most rely on software programs to track numbers.

Before you start your first entry-level job, get comfortable with using computer spreadsheets and auditing software. If you've never used these applications, try completing a tutorial or joining a webinar to get hands-on instruction. In addition, take the time to hone your computer skills and research the programs that are most common for a professional at your level. If you're already familiar with the tools you need, you'll be prepared to shine from your first day on the job.

3. Attention to Detail

When you land a bookkeeping or accounting clerk job, you'll quickly learn that you can't succeed without excellent attention to detail. When you prepare financial statements and income reports, you'll be responsible for ensuring accuracy and avoiding errors of any kind. After all, even a small mistake can multiply and lead to big consequences.

If paying close attention to detail doesn't come naturally, you can take steps to develop this skill. Try making lists, limiting distractions, and taking on one task at a time. When you work to improve your focus, you'll become more detail-oriented and reduce your risk of making mistakes.

Mid-level Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Skills

After completing a few years in an entry-level position and receiving accolades, you'll undoubtedly be ready for a new challenge in the finance industry. Prepare yourself for a midlevel bookkeeper position by honing the following skills and abilities.

4. Integrity

To attain a midlevel position in the financial industry, you'll typically need to demonstrate your sense of integrity. After all, not just anyone is cut out for a role in bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing. In a midlevel position, you'll take on even more responsibility for guiding a business toward its goals. Most companies will seek assurance that you have their best interests in mind and that you can maintain confidentiality.

To demonstrate this skill, take steps to increase the transparency of your work. Don't withhold information from colleagues or superiors, and let your work speak to your honesty on the job.

5. Analytical Skills

In the financial industry, analytical skills are key to climbing the corporate ladder, as these go hand in hand with integrity and attention to detail. A natural inclination to analyze information can help you identify problems with financial records, spot errors in bank statements, and devise out-of-the-box solutions to puzzling issues. In some cases, strong analytical skills can also help your business prevent unethical or fraudulent practices.

6. Resourcefulness

Working in a mid-level bookkeeper position requires you to make decisions and solve problems constantly. To do this successfully, you'll need to be resourceful. To develop this ability, start anticipating probable issues and brainstorm ways to resolve them. If you take a proactive approach to problem-solving on the job, you could even improve your workflow or your company's standard procedures.

Senior-Level Bookkeeping, Accounting, and Auditing Skills

As you continue to excel at your role in the finance industry, additional opportunities will present themselves. Before you land that senior-level accounting manager job, you've been eyeing, however, you should make sure your skills are up to speed. Work on the following accounting skills to ensure that you succeed at the senior level.

7. Business Acumen

When you land an accounting manager role, you do much more than just crunch numbers. You also lead teams of accounting clerks and develop systems for analyzing and reporting financial information. In short, you take on a business-oriented role within the company.

To do this job well, you'll need business acumen, or the ability to assess risks and opportunities. To improve your business acumen, try enrolling in a few business courses at your local university, or seek out a higher level mentor who you can learn from one on one.

8. Legal Knowledge

As a high-level accountant, you'll need more than just business savvy. You'll also need specialized legal knowledge and an understanding of how financial law affects your company's practices.

This isn't a skill you're likely to develop naturally, but you might absorb all the legal knowledge you need over the course of on-the-job training and years of experience. If you find that you need to learn more, don't hesitate to enroll in a business law course to fill in the gaps.

Not just anyone is cut out to succeed as a bookkeeping, accounting, and auditing professional. If you have what it takes, put your skills to work and apply for an entry-level accounting clerk position or a senior-level management role in a field you love.

The perfect answers to 10 common job interview questions

 

Regardless of your industry, a job interview follows some particular patterns. Trust us, some of the same, time-worn interview questions will show up.

As you prepare for that interview, shift your perspective.

Prepare interview answers for categories, rather than to actual questions.

Because the sequence, wording and content will vary from interview to interview, you should focus on general topics. Doing so ensures you're ready for whatever comes your way. Plus, by thinking in big picture terms for each category, your answers will ultimately come across as more conversational, and believable, which will make the interview better for everyone. Here are the 10 biggies you should consider:

"Tell me about yourself."

At first glance, this question can seem easy to answer (and it can be), but you need to have your compass pointed true North to pull it off.

To prepare, start by thinking of 3-5 strong and relevant adjectives that describe you and your values. Tell the interviewer what they are, then give real examples of how you embody the adjectives. Certainly, you can mention hobbies or interests in your explanation, but keep them relatable to the job.

"Describe a challenge or conflict you've faced and how you dealt with it."

Your potential employer needs to know how you respond under pressure and how you resolve conflicts.

Most everyone has a story where they reacted less than ideally to a workplace issue. You can mention one of these experiences if you feel it's appropriate — it could ultimately make your case stronger. But you can also use an example that didn't happen in the office. The important part is how you describe the resolution, not that there was an issue.

Choose an incident in which you were frustrated but overcame the emotional turmoil or one where you had to make a sacrifice that didn't jeopardize the quality of your output. Your interviewer's asking this question to determine if you're candid, coolheaded and willing to compromise.

"What's your greatest personal achievement?"

Choose one or two max. You do not want to come off as boastful, even if you have accomplished a lot. Your discretion in the choices you make will speak far more positively of you than offering an endless laundry list.

The example you choose should be something that's not widely applicable, meaning don't mention graduating college. Choose something that sets you apart, such as organizing a charity drive for local animal shelters where you raised $10,000. BTW, quantifying an achievement (re: $10,000 to a good cause) is a great trick. Just don't exaggerate.

"What's your biggest strength/weakness?"

Many of us tend to dislike this question, but we actually think it's one of the more fun questions you can be asked. It's an opportunity to showcase how well you really know yourself, which is more critical to employers than many applicants realize.

People often get stuck on how to spin a weakness into a positive asset because, admittedly, you shouldn't be telling a potential employer that you have bad habits. Let's say you have a tendency to get distracted. You can tell your interviewer that, but clarify the actions you've taken to remedy it. Mention that you've now implemented a schedule where you wake up early, work out and set aside the hours from 7-9 to respond to emails, then don't check again until right before lunch. Demonstrating your drive to better yourself is key.

"Why do you want a change from your current career path?"

You committed to one professional direction, but you're not feeling it anymore. That's fine, but make sure you explain it in a less cavalier way than that.

You'll need more than just, "It wasn't the right fit." Why wasn't it? You can start by explaining the parts you got right (no one wants to hear you hated everything about your last job), then explain what you didn't. Lack of career advancement? Wanted more responsibility or challenging projects?

Know your reasons, stick to them, don't apologize. You wanted something better, and that's why you're interviewing now.

"Where do you see yourself in [X] years?"

Even if you are 100 percent positive at the time of interview that the job is right for you, it doesn't mean you're ready to commit the next 10 years of your professional life to it. Don't play lip-service if you genuinely can't see it. Instead, talk about the things you would want to do long-term.

Talk about your passion for the actual work you'd be doing: "As a product manager, I would be able to fulfill my dream of executing a business strategy from conceptualization to market; these types of business plans are what I plan to be designing for the rest of my career."

You can also talk about personal goals of yours: owning a house, starting a diverse investment portfolio, supporting a family, managing/starting your own business. You can connect how the job description would allow you to better attain those personal goals. Just use discretion when discussing the new job as a potential means to an end. No one wants to hire someone because they cite the job as an ideal way to start their 401(k). Talk about personal goals in addition to succeeding in something your passionate about in the industry.

"Why are you interested in our industry?"

Again, your preparation and research will come in handy here. If you have a story about what first sparked your curiosity about your industry, that's a great thing to describe now.

Pick a moment in time when you felt particularly connected to the work that was going on in your field (positive or negative) and explain those feelings. If possible, reference something that just broke in the news having to do with your industry.

"How do you evaluate success?"

There is no wrong answer to this question. Be cognizant of the type of job you are applying for. If you're aiming for a big corporation, your emphasis should be on the bottom line. If you're applying for a non-profit, you should place more importance on social impact. If you're applying for a start-up or maybe a fashion house, you should talk about influence and media presence.

You'll also want to make the answer personal to you, such as always improving performance, furthering the company's mission, making a positive overall impact, maintaining the best quality of your work, up-keeping team morale, successfully and reliably completing projects, etc.

"What gets you out of bed every day?"

What's important with your answer is what's implied — employers don't care if you're into fly fishing or Baroque painting, they care about your personal values, well-roundedness, and dedication.

Although you can answer this question with a work-related passion, we suggest picking a hobby or "extracurricular," so to speak. Perhaps your passion is music – why does it make you tick?

"Do you have any questions for me?"

They want something specific from you: to see if you've been paying attention and whether you can multitask. There's a lot of new information thrown at you in an interview, and the interviewer wants to see how well you've processed it all.

You should try to ask at least three questions at the end of your interviews, but don't just ask to ask. If you can easily Google it, don't ask it. We actually recommend you prepare some questions specific to the company in advance and memorize them. If your head is spinning at the end of your interview, you can refer back to them. At the very least, they will know you did your research.

It also doesn't hurt to ask questions about what you can expect from the role. Think of questions like: "What's the biggest challenge you think I'll face coming into this position?" "Why did the last person leave the role?" "Who would I be working with on a daily basis, and what might an average day in the position look like?"

How to destress your job search

 

From what to include on your resume to the tools you need, here’s how to get rid of stress in your job hunt.

Finding a new job isn’t exactly a day at the spa. It’s more like running a slow-motion marathon: you need to update your resume, search for open positions, compose a cover letter, decide on a salary range, update your resume again, practice interviewing, compose another cover letter, apply apply apply, run run run—yeesh! Is your heart trying to climb into your throat?

That’s job search stress, and it’s not going to help you land the perfect gig.

Luckily, we’re here to provide some stress relief. Take a deep breath—in through your nose, out through your mouth. Better? Good. Now here’s everything you need to destress your job search.

Lead with your skills — and apply anyway

You found a great retail job and know the brand inside and out. The thought of sharing it with other customers puts a smile on your face, but there’s one problem: you’ve never worked retail before. Hello, stress!

Take another deep breath—this isn’t as big a problem as it seems. The pandemic has changed everything about work and finding a job—in some ways for the better. We’ve all had to adjust course, hiring managers included. They aren’t just scanning your resume for a neat, linear path through one particular industry. They don’t just want to know where you’ve been; hiring managers want to know what you and your skills can do for their team.

So, you’ve never worked retail. But in your past customer service job, you used communication skills to help clients solve problems. You used time management skills to juggle the kids’ piano lessons, soccer games and karate classes. You used your knowledge of trends and research skills to recommend the best policy to customers.

Emphasizing how your transferrable skills apply to the job you want can help you stand out as a candidate, even if you don’t have the most direct experience in that field. And if you still think you’re not quite up to snuff, you can learn new skills at home for free.!

The right job search tools to get hired quickly

That nightmare of strutting into class after studying for hours, only to realize you focused on the wrong thing? Yeah, we get that level of stress from feeling unprepared. Embarking on a job search can often feel the same way, especially if you’re out of work because of the pandemic. Nobody was prepared for that. But even if you’re up the creek, you’re not without a paddle. You have a unique skillset that makes you perfect for jobs that might not even be on your radar. And CareerBuilder has lots of tools to help you navigate the rough waters of your job search:

• First, make a CareerBuilder profile and upload your resume so that we can do the job hunting for you. We’ll pinpoint jobs that match your qualifications, allowing you to apply to multiple positions in seconds. Use the extra time to soak away your stress in a nice warm bubble bath.
• Don’t have a resume? Here’s an easy guide to writing one. Or let our AI resume builder help you stand out to screeners and managers alike. You can learn more about how companies find your resume here.
• If deciding on a pay range has you biting your nails, you need two things: cuticle cream to soothe your hands and CareerBuilder’s salary checker to soothe your mind. It’ll tell you how much a certain job typically pays in your area so you can go into your interview knowing what your work is worth.

Take time for self-care

Sure, face masks and champagne are great. But bettering yourself is also a form of self-care. You can take a free online course or gain new skills by volunteering in your community. That extra experience will help you be ready for any job opportunity.

And after you’ve updated your CareerBuilder profile and applied to jobs that excite you, relax. Stress can lead to social withdrawal, lack of motivation and even some gnarly physical symptoms. Don’t take our word for it—ask the Mayo Clinic. None of that is going to help you land a job. Get some exercise. Try learning to meditate. Schedule regular time for your favorite hobbies. Be good to yourself and your job search will be good to you.