Office Clerk Requirements

Office Clerk Requirements

This post provides complete information on the requirements you need to meet to become an office clerk and build your career to the top.

It covers all you need to know about the educational, job, and certification requirements in the office clerk career path you will come across and complete to be successful in your career.

Please, read on:

Office Clerk Requirements for Career Success

If you desire to become an office clerk, here are major requirements you have to successfully fulfill to realize your goal:

1. Office Clerk Educational Requirements

Office clerk is a low position in an office setting that requires no formal education. To become an office clerk, candidates should meet with the minimum educational requirements and have basic office skills.

The kind of education you need to have for the Office clerk career is given below:

• High School diploma or its equivalent: High School diploma may be sufficient to begin a career as an office clerk. A High School diploma holder can be considered for an office clerk position if they have previous clerical experience.

Admission requirements for High School diploma:

To earn a diploma, a student typically must pass grade-level English, math, social studies, science, and other courses. The number and type of class credits required vary by Institution or state.

• Associate’s Degree: An Associate’s degree in Applied Science can be favorable for aspiring office clerks. Aspiring Office clerks may also pursue degree in Business Management where they will learn about topics like database management, records management and business communication.

Associate degree programs are generally 2-year educational programs.

Admission requirements for Associate’s degree:

Common requirements for entry into an Associate degree program include successful completion of all needed coursework and a minimum GPA in High School diploma.

2. Office Clerk Job Requirements

Employers look for a competent office clerk in relations to the organization or house’s requirements.

Job requirements for office clerk vary in different organizations.

Generally, employers require office clerks to perform various administrative and clerical tasks to contribute to the smooth running of the office’s activities.

Here are some key requirements and skills that office clerks need in order to efficiently perform assigned tasks in the office:

• Experience as office clerk or other clerical positions
• Knowledge of office procedures and other fundamental accounting principles
• Proper handling or knowledge of office devices and equipment
• A fast typist with knowledge of short hand and ability to take dictations
• Very good knowledge of MS Office, MS Access and other required computer software
• Excellent communication skills, organizational and multi-tasking abilities
• High School diploma or its equivalent.

3. Office Clerk Certificate Requirements

Though office clerks are generally not required to be certified to be hired and work in the industry, however, there are online and college voluntary certificate programs that can help you gain necessary skills.

Completing a certification program is especially beneficial to candidates who don’t have prior clerical work experience.

These programs below teach the business skills and essential office skills needed to become an office clerk; read along to know the certificate that best suits your desired qualifications:

• BSOT Office Clerk Certification: The Business Office Technology Certificate prepares students for challenging positions as administrative assistants and office managers, and other low positions like office clerk through courses in communication, office computer application, business, office procedures and bookkeeping, in order to meet the needs of the technologically advanced offices.

Requirements: To be admitted to take on this certification program, you must graduate from an accredited High Schools, and you must be up to 18 years of age or older so as to be able to benefit from the college’s instructional programs.

• Certified Municipal Clerk (CMC): The Certified Municipal Clerk program is designed to enhance the job performance of the Clerk in small and large municipalities.

Requirements: Be a Full, Additional Full, or Retired member of the International Institute of Municipal Clerks, IIMC. You will need to be an active member of IIMC for two years before you can be certified.

Office Clerk Responsibilities

An office clerk performs various administrative and clerical tasks to support the office.

They undertake a variety of activities in the office, ranging from entering data, filing of documents, and recording and answering of phone, to basic bookkeeping.

An effective office clerk has the ability to work diligently to help maintain smooth running of office operations.

Office clerks are reliable and hardworking individuals with great communication skills; they are familiar with office equipment and procedures.

Highlighted below are major responsibilities most office clerks carry out:

• Performs fundamental bookkeeping duties, issuance of invoice and banking transactions
• Prepares the agenda for meeting, attending meetings, and taking minutes
• Handles and maintains office equipment such as computers, printers, copiers, and fax machines
• Directing phone calls to appropriate staff members and taking messages
• Communicates with coworkers to answer client inquiries and responds to issues or complaints laid by clients via phone or email
• Keeps the inventory of office supplies and reorders supplies as needed
• Sorts and distributes incoming mails to appropriate staff members and prepares outgoing mails and other packages
• Takes messages by answering the phone or redirects calls to the right staff who can handle the particular customer issue
• Troubleshooting technical problems with office equipment and placing service calls for technical issues beyond their capabilities
• Helps to make travel arrangements and booking of venues for conferences and events.

See more on the office clerk job description

Conclusion

To become an office clerk and building a successful career requires fulfilling certain requirements.

This post highlights the requirements associated with the office clerk job to help you know what to expect in starting and building a successful career.