1. Organization skills

This is the number one quality you will need to succeed as a bookkeeper. You will be receiving plenty of data that you will have to organize in the short-term or long-term. People will be coming to you with multiple questions per day, as they consider you to be some sort of a living encyclopedia of information. That’s why you must have a sense of organization of things, for whenever they start to get hectic.

2. Attention to details

Of course that this quality is inter-connected to your sense of organization. However, we want to highlight it specifically as your attentive approach makes a huge difference. As we stated above, a company may base critical decisions upon the data you provide for them. So it is essential to try not to miss any valuable details.

3. Integrity and Transparency

The fact that you are considered the main source of information for most people in your workplace means that they are putting their complete faith in your abilities. That is why it is very important that you reward them with the same input that involves honesty and commitment. The data you are given may be very confidential, specifically the ones involving financial transactions. So make sure to keep them that way, and at the same time, provide a transparent approach to your co-workers when needed.

4. Communication skills

We have to break it to you now – you will have social interaction. Some people think that bookkeepers deal with numbers only and analytical tasks and that communication is not needed. Which is wrong! You will have to communicate with people to gather the data. In fact, you need to have excellent communication skills so that you can ask them exactly the information you need. This communication may be face-to-face or electronic; nevertheless, it is very much important.

5. Problem-solving skills

This is another quality that people expect bookkeepers to own. In the world of finance, problems and issues will undoubtedly be knocking on your door every once in a while. Hence, you need to possess the calmness to first, spot those issues long before others, and then solve them.

6. Tech-savviness

The trend of data going electronic has arrived long ago. That is why to survive this ongoing trend, you must be updated with the newest software and working tools. Your analytical skills will be required to connect many dots, and since the technology is here to help you, then why not give it a shot. By searching for new ways to make your job more efficient, you will never become outdated for the company or business you work for.

7. Time Management Skills

Every one of your abilities would be useless if you can’t divide your tasks properly when the timing is right. That’s why you must always have a schedule and make a list of your priorities, deadlines, or related activities that must be completed in the foreseen timeline. You will surely have many projects or people to deal with, so having the right time management skills can boost your day-to-day productivity.

8. A way with numbers

All the tasks that a bookkeeper has to perform throughout his/her career involve ciphers and numbers. That’s why it should serve as a heads up to you that if you want to pursue this career, you will have to be comfortable dealing with a little bit more than just elementary arithmetic skills. In some cases, the knowledge you are required to have with numbers depends on the kind of business you work with. But yet again, there is no escape from a routine that will certainly oblige you to deal with calculations.

9. Significant use of memory

We know that this is not always manageable and that we all tend to forget things every once in a while. However, as a bookkeeper, you must note down everything and try to remember details related to your evidence. Every bit of information matters when it comes down to putting together a spread out puzzle.

At the University of Potomac, we can lead you towards a successful career as a bookkeeper. Through our program in Bookkeeping Administration, we prepare you to take the QuickBooks Certified User certification exam. This exam enhances your skills in some of the most popular bookkeeping programs related to managing income, expenses, bank accounts, receivables, inventory, job costs, fixed assets, payables, loans, payroll, billable time, equity, and more.

Check out our Accounting and Finance programs offered through The Potomac Workforce Training & Development Center to get started, or contact one of our training advisors to guide you through the enrollment process in Bookkeeping Administration. Whereas for more relevant information on classes at Potomac Workforce Training & Development Center, visit potomac.theknowledgebase.org.

Originally published October 28, 2019 7:31 pm, updated November 17, 2020

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ACCOUNTING DEGREE