Accounts clerks record and maintain financial information, including receipts and expenditures as well as accounts receivable and accounts payable. They also create reports and statements, balance books and make notes of reporting discrepancies.
As you create your accounts clerk job description, focus on the fact that employees in this position need to be happy working with numbers and using basic math skills on a daily basis. They also need a background in accounting, bookkeeping or similar fields.
Taking classes in accounting is a good way for a job seeker to prepare for a role as an accounts clerk, so think about what level of education you will require from your candidates, and whether you will require any specific certification. Consult the accounts clerk job description template below for more ideas of what to include in your posting.
Accounts Clerk Job Summary
Are you a math lover with a high level of accuracy, even noticing mathematical or grammatical errors in everyday situations? Do you pride yourself on your attention to detail? Do you get satisfaction from seeing transactions in perfect balance? If this sounds like you, read on. Our firm is seeking an accounts clerk to help us maintain accurate records and keep an eye out for errors. As the latest addition to our bookkeeping team, you would oversee the recording of receipts and expenditures from all sources as well as the creation of monthly, quarterly and yearly profit and loss statements.
Job Responsibilities
- Enter accurate data into appropriate software systems, balance accounts and generate corresponding reports for distribution to relevant departments
- Create and maintain organized filing systems, both online and on-site, to be accessed by the entire clerical team
- Compile financial records and reports using computer software, including spreadsheets, accounting software, online bank records and ledgers
- Ensure accuracy of statements and records, including both mathematical correctness and appropriate coding
- Operate computers, 10-key devices and other business machines as needed to create records and reports and to complete other tasks as assigned
- Process cash, check, credit card and work order transactions, prepare daily deposits and process payroll for all departments
- Ensure that payables are processed in an expedient manner and work with vendors to collect receivable accounts, including those that are past due
- Maintain confidentiality and security in relation to client accounts, personal information (both client and employee) and proprietary information by adhering to established processes and procedures
Job Skills & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- High school diploma
- College-level coursework in accounting, bookkeeping or related field
- Proficiency in Excel, QuickBooks and Microsoft Office
Preferred:
- Associate’s degree or above in accounting or related field
- 3 or more years’ experience in a comparable role
Accounts Clerk Job Responsibilities
As you prepare your accounts clerk job description to go up where jobseekers will find it, revisiting each section and revising it until it is as clear and well-polished as possible is the best way to ensure it catches the attention of the most qualified candidates. That means you will need to make sure each section adheres to the right stylistic guidelines. When it comes to the longest section, the accounts clerk job responsibilities provide you with a unique opportunity to communicate the details of the job.
By concentrating on core duties and writing in active language, you show the reader what the day looks like for an accounts clerk, making it easier for the qualified individuals to see themselves in the position. You also deliver clear examples of how to use the skills the job requires in the actual day-to-day operation of your business. Writing in active language gives you the chance to reduce excess wordiness, too. Last, but not least, make sure each bullet-point starts with a specific verb, just like in the work experience section of a resume.
Here are a couple of examples you can use when writing your accounts clerk job description:
- Maintains records of customer accounts with up-to-the date lists of transactions
- Explains these records to customers in the course of advising them about their account status
- Works with customers to resolve disputes or discrepancies in account records
- Verifies the accuracy of customer account data
Accounts Clerk Job Specifications
As you prepare your accounts clerk job description for publication, it’s important to make sure each section is as clear and complete as possible. For sections like the skills and qualifications where the word count might be low but the importance high, it is vital that you have help ensuring that you include every essential detail. That’s because these items form the core qualifications for the job, so an omission can greatly affect your pool of applicants.
To make sure you have everything, start by comparing different skills lists online to form a “master list” of accounts clerk job specifications. Then, you can delete the ones you know don’t apply to your company. After that, take the list to a hiring manager who knows the position to make sure you didn’t have any omissions.
As you write the list, keep each item brief by using the most detailed nouns and verbs possible and by leaving off examples and explanations. Here are a few examples of items that you might find in the skills section of an accounts clerk job description:
- Strong quantitative reasoning skills
- Problem sensitivity
- Customer service skills
- Strong oral communication skills for complex quantitative information