Bookkeeper
?Job overview
?Bookkeepers keep a record of financial transactions, in different sets of accounting books.
?What do people do in this job?
?Bookkeepers may have sole responsibility for the books of a small company, or may be part of an accounting department in a larger organisation.
?They record the credits owed to the company and the debts the company owes to others.
?For this purpose they use cash books, ledgers, subsidiary books and journals.
They prepare monthly statements of the monies owed to the company,? in some cases adjusting amounts by the addition of interest due.
The final statement of account is checked by the accountant or auditor and sent to the customer or client.
?On receiving cash, bookkeepers write out a receipt in duplicate, one for the company and one for the client.
?Many companies today do not provide receipts for cheques.
?The cheques are regularly banked and bank deposit slips are completed by the bookkeepers.
?A record is kept of the daily balance.
?When dealers order merchandise from a factory or wholesaler, they do not pay cash.
?At regular intervals the bookkeepers send out a summary of the amounts the dealers owe and arrange for payment of the account.
?In department stores bookkeepers deal with goods bought and sold, while in a legal organisation bookkeepers check securities of clients and note the interest.
?They often work with trust money and post entries into journals.
?In some cases bookkeepers complete income tax returns for their employers or for clients.
?What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
?Bookkeepers should enjoy working with figures, be able to perform routine arithmetical calculations correctly and be able to concentrate and work neatly.
?They must be trustworthy and honest, because they are dealing with confidential matters and other peoples' money.
What qualifications are needed?
?Bookkeepers need an aptitude for figures, usually stemming from proficiency in school mathematics.
?Often they have taken part-time evening courses in bookkeeping.
