Bookkeeping Assistant Career

This post provides detailed information on the bookkeeping assistant career, including how to get into the career, the various opportunities available, and the benefits of being a bookkeeping assistant.

How to Become a Bookkeeping Assistant

Here are steps to take if you are interested in becoming an assistant bookkeeper:

1. Complete a high school diploma program or its equivalent.

A high school diploma or equivalent is the minimum educational requirement for the position of a bookkeeping assistant.

Some employers may prefer candidates who have taken college courses in bookkeeping, accounting, or a related field.

If you want to be a certified public accountant (CPA), you must first complete an undergraduate degree program, followed by additional coursework and exams to become licensed.

2. Think about enrolling in a bookkeeping or accounting certificate program.

While a certificate program is not required to become an assistant bookkeeper, it can provide you with the necessary skills and knowledge.

Bookkeeping and accounting certificate programs can teach you more about financial statements, payroll, taxes, and other aspects of business administration.

An online certificate program may be completed in as little as six months.

3. Gain hands-on experience with bookkeeping software.

Working with bookkeeping software is a necessary part of becoming an assistant bookkeeper.

Many businesses manage their finances using software, such as Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, and Peachtree.

Before applying for positions as an assistant bookkeeper, job candidates should have experience using these programs.

4. Get a job.

Once you have the necessary education and experience, find an entry-level job as an assistant bookkeeper.

Start by applying to businesses in your local area. If that doesn’t work, explore options

Bookkeeping Assistant Career Opportunities

There are various career opportunities for people with bookkeeping assistant experience, including:

• Staff Accountant

A staff accountant is a junior accounting position.

An entry-level staff accountant is responsible for helping with the financial records of a company or organization.

This account works under a controller, chief accounting officer, or another senior accountant.

• Controller

A controller is an accountant who oversees the financial activities of a company or organization.

They establish policies and procedures to track business transactions and make sure that bills are paid on time, payroll taxes are filed accurately, and budgets are met.

Controllers coordinate financial details for annual statements such as profit-and-loss

statements and balance sheets.

• Accounting Manager

The accounting manager is a senior accountant who is responsible for the company’s overall financial reporting.

This position may be responsible for accounting and auditing, government relations, and banking relationships.

• Certified public accountants (CPAs)

CPAs are often referred to as CPAs or accountants.

To become a CPA, you must complete a four-year college program in an accredited school that focuses on “accounting and taxation.

Candidates must pass the difficult CPA exam.

The CPA exam is an eight-hour test of 200 questions, designed to test if the candidate can apply a wide range of accounting and financial principles to real-life situations.

• Chief financial officer (CFO)

A CFO directs the financial activities of a company or organization.

The CFO is responsible for the accounting, budgeting/financial reporting, banking, and financial control functions of an organization.

More Bookkeeping Assistant Career Opportunities

• Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

The CEO is the highest-ranking executive in a company or organization.

They determine the long-range plans for the business and its future direction.

CEOs are involved with all aspects of the business and monitor the day-to-day activities of management.

They directly supervise all managers and reviews their performance.

• Chief Information Officer (CIO)

The CIO is responsible for implementing technology that supports a company’s operations.

This includes computing, telecommunications, and telecommunications networks.

The CIO must follow prescribed policies and procedures and coordinates the activities of various departments.

They are responsible for all technical aspects of network, software application, and computer systems management in determining the effective operation of a network.

The CIO also reviews trends related to information systems in business, government, and industry.

They may be responsible for developing an organization’s control systems and procedures.

• Internal Auditor

The internal auditor is an independent professional who is responsible for a company’s financial records.

They ensure the accuracy of financial transactions and identify any irregularities.

Internal auditors provide information about the company’s financial situation to upper management, members of the board of directors, and investors.

Additional Career Opportunities for Bookkeeping Assistants

• Tax Auditor

A tax auditor is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) working in the field of taxation.

They examine the records of individuals, corporations, and businesses to determine their tax liability.

Tax auditors research complex financial records to establish appropriate taxes and then make recommendations to the IRS on audit adjustments or refund requests for current or past tax periods.

• Tax Manager

The tax manager is responsible for overseeing all aspects of a company’s or organization’s tax compliance.

They are involved with all phases of tax preparation, accounting, recordkeeping and advice.

Tax managers coordinate tax filing and consult with other companies that have similar operations to determine the most efficient means of collecting taxes.

Challenges faced by Bookkeeping Assistant on the Job

Bookkeeping assistants face a number of challenges on the job, some of these include:

• Management is uninterested in investing in training

A common challenge faced by bookkeeping assistant is that no investment is made in staff training and development.

Bookkeeping assistants need to be updated regularly on the industry they work in.

Without the proper training, they will not be able to retain employment and may need to move to a different company.

• Limited opportunity for career growth

Another challenge faced by bookkeeping assistants is that they will not be able to grow in the company.

It is very common that employers want to protect the employment of their staff and do not want them to gain more responsibilities without a promotion.

This may lead them to work with lesser quantities because they do not want to lose their position of power in the company.

• Lack of appreciation from superiors in the workplace

Another challenge faced by bookkeeping assistants is when superiors in the company are unappreciative for accomplishments.

It is very common that superiors in the company do not acknowledge the work done by staff members.

This can have a negative impact on employees and they may be demotivated to continue working very hard.

Major Benefits of a Bookkeeping Assistant Career

Benefits of a Bookkeeping assistant career include the following:

• Not physically demanding career

As a bookkeeping assistant, you will work in an office setting. This is a less physically demanding occupation than others in the field of business administration.

• Predictable work schedule

Unless a bookkeeping assistant has additional responsibilities outside of their primary job duties, their work schedule is usually very predictable.

Assistant bookkeepers are usually expected to be in the office for eight hours every day.

If you want to spend more time with your family or have flexibility in scheduling when you work, this may be an ideal career choice for you.

• Gain valuable experience

A bookkeeping assistant can learn a lot about bookkeeping and accounting in their first few years of employment.

Because you will be working alongside more experienced staff, you can observe how they handle common tasks and gain valuable knowledge.

You may also be able to work with different types of businesses, which can help you

learn accounting practices used by various types of organizations.

• Salary increase overtime

As you gain more experience and have more responsibilities, your salary will increase accordingly.

After working as a bookkeeping assistant for five or ten years, your salary will likely be higher than average.

You may also receive bonuses and performance-based pay at some companies.

More Benefits of a Bookkeeping Assistant Career

• Long-term career opportunities

Working as a bookkeeping assistant offers long-term career opportunities.

Some assistant bookkeepers develop their skills over time and eventually become certified public accountants.

Another option is to move into a supervisory or management position within the company.

• Company benefits

Many companies offer benefits to their employees, these may include:

1. Health insurance
2. Dental insurance
3. Vision insurance
4. Life insurance
5. Flexible spending accounts
6. Discounts on products and services offered by the company and its partners
7. Promotion opportunities:

More experienced bookkeeping assistants are often promoted to more responsible positions and are able to manage their budgets, accounts payable, and other accounting responsibilities.

Being a bookkeeping assistant is a great opportunity for those who want to advance within their companies.

Conclusion

The bookkeeping assistant is an important role in any organization.

This position requires the bookkeeping assistant to perform many vital tasks, such as entering all financial data, keeping records of bank deposits and withdrawals, and maintaining inventory of supplies and material in a shop, office or business.

With some hard work and dedication, bookkeeping assistants can have a career they are happy with.

This post has provided detailed information on the bookkeeping assistant career.