Online Bookkeeping Certification
These days, when there are so many people trying to find a job or to climb the corporate ladder, it's nice to have something to set you apart from the crowd. If you are a bookkeeper, you can gain that edge by testing to become a Certified Public Bookkeeper (CPB). Becoming a CPB can ensure that employers and potential clients see you as experienced and trustworthy. It proves your integrity and your dedication to your career. Getting that position as a full-charge bookkeeper will be easier when you can prove your knowledge with a CPB license.
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Why Become a CPB
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A license as a Certified Public Bookkeeper is an excellent resume booster. It can open up doors into higher paying positions, or jobs with more responsibility and perks. If you plan on staying with the same company you work for now, it may lead to regular raises or even a promotion to a better position within the company. For those who are self-employed, your clients will know you are an experienced bookkeeper if you are certified, and you may even be able to charge a higher hourly rate because of your experience. Overall, a certification can do a lot for your career and it can make you more confident and comfortable with your skills as a bookkeeper.
Required Education
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To become a CPB you will need to go through an approved course. These courses will cover topics like accounting, computer applications in the financial industry, taxes, budgeting, writing, and computer classes that can help you do your job more easily and efficiently. These certification programs will require regular testing to make sure you are grasping the information in the classes. Once all tests are passed with satisfactory marks, then the institution that moderated the program and testing will issue you a certificate that will make your title as a Certified Public Bookkeeper official.
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Careers
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Bookkeepers that are Certified Public Bookkeepers can work in a wide range of environments. Some financial firms have whole floors dedicated to CPBs because they can handle whole accounts on their own. You could also work for a small business, or even start your own bookkeeping and tax service. With a CPB license, you can step into any career field that you want, and you can be confident that you are qualified.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that this career field will continue to expand from 2010 through 2019, with growth in both number of jobs, and in average salary. The national average salary for a Certified Public Bookkeeper stands at just under $65,000 per year as of May 2009.
National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB)
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The CPB program that is put out by the National Association of Certified Public Bookkeepers (NACPB) is one that focuses on small business accounting needs and practices. There are three main parts to this program, and the great thing about it is that you can go through the guides and tests at your own pace and it's 100% online. They offer a complete breakdown of the course and guide you along the way as you complete the course in your own time, and in your own way.
American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB)
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Another option for online certification as a public bookkeeper is overseen by the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers (AIPB) and this program involves a bit more. They require all of their students to have at least two years of full-time, or four years of part-time experience in accounting, and you must take two of the four tests at one of their testing facilities. They have three hundred testing facilities nationwide so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding them. They also ask that you sign a code of ethics, tying you to the good practices of accounting that the program endorses. A CPB license from AIPB is highly respected in the financial industry.
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References
- Photo Credit money. image by Petr Gnuskin from Fotolia.com
