About Bookkeepers
Corporate bookkeepers compute, classify and record numerical data relating to a company's affairs. They also check the accuracy of figures and calculations, in accordance with accounting norms. These principles include generally accepted accounting principles and U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission guidelines. Bookkeepers also help with temporary, ad-hoc requests, such as basic audit or budgeting assignments.
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Academic Training
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The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reports that a bookkeeper position typically requires a high school diploma or GED certificate. Bookkeepers working for large organizations often possess an associate degree in accounting, business, taxation or investment analysis. Professional certification boosts employment prospects. Accordingly, bookkeepers seeking a professional license can apply for the certified bookkeeper designation that the American Institute of Professional Bookkeepers administers. For certification, applicants must possess at least two years of bookkeeping experience, pass a four-section examination and comply with a code of ethics.
Professional Affiliation
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Bookkeepers perform tasks similar to accounting clerks, accounts payable clerks and accounting assistants, according to O*Net Online, the U.S. Department of Labor's occupational research branch. Other individuals sharing a professional affiliation with bookkeepers include accounts clerks, accounts receivable assistants, accounts payable specialists and accounting associates.
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Nature of the Work
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Bookkeepers work under the tutelage of senior accountants, recording corporate data through debits and credits to financial accounts. These accounts include assets, liabilities, revenues, equity items and expenses. Recording a company's transactions constitutes the first step in a process that ultimately leads to year-end corporate financial reports. A bookkeeper debits an expense or asset account to increase its balance and credits the account to reduce its amount. The opposite is true for a revenue, liability or equity account. The accounting concepts of "debit" and "credit" are distinct from the banking terms. Unlike the banking phrase, debiting an asset account, such as cash, means reducing corporate funds.
Skill Set
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O*Net Online reports that experienced bookkeepers possess effective communication skills and other abilities, such as active listening, reading comprehension and critical thinking. Other skills that are common in the occupation include social perceptiveness, time management, information ordering and the ability to work efficiently on multiple tasks.
Considerations
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Compensation levels for bookkeepers depend on the company they work for and their professional credentials. As of 2008, bookkeepers earned $32,510 on average per year, according to BLS data. This earning power increased 11 percent to $36,000 as of 2010, indicates the career data resource Indeed.com.
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References
- Photo Credit The bookkeeper in a warehouse of polygraphic production image by terex from Fotolia.com
