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Bookkeeping is an exciting career option for individuals interested in finance. Anyone can take up this profession even when they cannot meet the requirements to be an accountant. Accounting firms highly demand a bookkeeper Leeds, UK.
Bookkeeping and accounting have subtle differences. A bookkeeper is responsible for recording the daily financial transactions of a business. On the contrary, accountants analyze the financial records and prepare financial statements according to that. They also take part in audits and business decisions.
Who is a bookkeeper?
A bookkeeper is an individual responsible for maintaining a record of the daily financial transactions of a company. Bookkeeping is considered to be the door to an accounting career. One can start working as a bookkeeper after completing their high school education. Several aspiring accountants work as bookkeepers initially to learn about the industry closely.
Tips to boost your bookkeeping career
Though people start working as bookkeepers early, they have to enhance their skills to increase popularity.
Here are a few technical skills for a bookkeeper:
1. Learn the basic level of accounting
Bookkeepers must know accounting fundamentals to stay in the competitive market. You may not learn everything about accounting. However, you must know when to stop if you face a complicated business scenario.
2. Learn using bookkeeping software and enhance computer skills
An individual may not learn to handle bookkeeping software in his school or while acquiring a degree. However, bookkeepers must know how to use these tools to understand the backflips in the software.
Nowadays, manual bookkeeping has been suppressed with digital solutions as a systematic approach to handling bookkeeping tasks. A bookkeeper must acquire crucial computer skills like Microsoft Excel and other fundamental computing navigation.
3. Learn the basic level of Mathematics
Bookkeeping and accounting, at one glance, means crunching numbers. Being good in numbers is a vital skill in such professions. For example, you must know addition to find the sum of a set of financial transactions in a week. Therefore, a good hold on addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division.
Technical skills are not sufficient for a bookkeeper to boost his career. They need to work on their soft skills. Here are a few soft skills that a bookkeeper must learn:
4. Time management
Bookkeepers are assigned numerous tasks in a company. To complete all of them within deadlines, gaining time management skills is necessary. You need to plan your schedule and make a list of priorities.
5. Communication skills
Such individuals need to work with different clients and in various work environments. They may face difficulty with everyone if their communication skills are underdeveloped. Bookkeepers must have a professional way of speaking that clients can understand easily.
6. Discipline
A bookkeeper must be disciplined and focused. They need to maintain consistency in providing quality results and meeting deadlines. Also, these individuals need to manage stress during strict schedules. Stress management skills in the workplace can gain the attention of your boss.
7. Attention to detail
As a bookkeeper, your primary responsibility is to work in financial industry and have to work with client. Therefore, you need to pay attention to performing every task to ensure accuracy in financial records. These records will further be used by an accountant or a tax advisor during tax filing or preparing financial statements. An error on your part will create a wrong impression of you in other sectors.
8. Problem-solving skills
This skill ensures your ability to solve problems in a business. A bookkeeper may find errors in the system while recording information. They need to identify the root cause and plan a problem-solving scheme. That creates a good impression on customers, and they refer you to others.
9. Commitment
Bookkeepers aim to boost their career, and in the course, they forget to complete their responsibilities towards clients and the company. They must stay committed and perform bookkeeping activities as promised. It will help bookkeepers build a good relationship with the company and clients, resulting in better outcomes.
10. Integrity and transparency
People hiring you are mainly dependent on your decisions and activities. Bookkeepers work with the confidential data of a company. Therefore, maintaining integrity is highly expected from them. Also, it will be best if you are transparent about reports and information with clients.
11. Expertise
Experience plays a significant role in any profession. A person always looks for a bookkeeper with years of experience and particular skill sets. Therefore, if you want to boost your career, it is essential to keep practising. Focus on tasks your senior colleagues perform and learn them minutely in your free time.
Conclusion
Bookkeepers must acquire some soft skills and technical skills to boost their careers. Education and experience are essential to improve an individual’s ability in any field. You can also take up some short term courses to learn technical skills.
