- As the name implies, a bookkeeper manages a company's books (meaning its financial records). A bookkeeper's job description is likely to include recording financial transactions (such as checks written and received); managing accounts payable and receivable; reconciling bank statements; updating the trial balance, profit-and-loss statement and balance sheet; managing payroll; invoicing clients; making federal and state tax deposits; and completing annual tax forms, such as W2s and 1099s.
- The smaller the company, the greater the bookkeeper's responsibilities may be, since there are fewer employees to manage the different components of a company's finances. At a large company, different people might be in charge of accounts payable, accounts receivable, payroll, and so on. At a small company, a single bookkeeper might handle all of the tasks described in the Function section. However, since bookkeepers do not necessarily have specialized or advanced training, certain tasks may be handled by a certified public accountant whom the company uses on an as-needed basis for complex activities like preparing annual tax returns.
- Applicants who are familiar with at least one bookkeeping program (such as QuickBooks), have knowledge of double-entry bookkeeping and possess strong numerical abilities will be more desirable candidates for a bookkeeping job. Being a bookkeeper does not necessarily require any special training, however, and it does not require a college degree (though a bookkeeper with a college degree may earn more). For someone who is good at math and reasoning, the tasks involved are simple enough to learn on the job.
- Some bookkeeping jobs can be tedious. If the position has been unfilled for some time or the previous employee neglected his duties, the new bookkeeper may spend a great deal of time updating the books and possibly untangling intricate webs of someone else's past mistakes. Bookkeeping can also involve large amounts of data entry on an ongoing basis, depending on the volume of a company's financial transactions.
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Someone who is interested in a career in accounting may want to get a job as a bookkeeper first to test the waters. Accounting jobs often require a special degree, such as a bachelor's degree in accounting, and in some cases a Certified Public Accountant designation--both of which involve a significant investment of time and money. Bookkeeping is akin to an entry-level accounting position, and often has few barriers to entry. In fact, the line between accountants and bookkeepers is sometimes very blurry: What one company may call a bookkeeper, another may call an accountant.
If you'd like to be a bookkeeper but don't feel your experience matches the job description, try getting a job as a bookkeeping or accounting clerk. You may be able to get a job like this by using an employment agency if your overall credentials are strong, even if you don't have prior relevant experience.
