Whether a company has one employee or one thousand, they will need someone to tally the amounts spent and earned each month. While sophisticated software has come into use (there are many different types of programs, so the best way to learn which one is most appropriate for your career is to look at the industry you wish to use your bookkeeping skills in then learn the software most prevalent in that industry), simple excel spreadsheets can also provide the basic tools any bookkeeper may need to practice their trade.

A good head for maths and a dedication to detail are both critical features for anyone who wishes to be a bookkeeper. More and more frequently, the tasks assigned to a bookkeeper go hand in hand with general administrative duties, so it’s important to have an understanding of general microsoft office and other office packages, and to be able to carry out other administrative duties. In smaller companies, these duties are likely to be combined in one position, while a larger employer might have a dedicated bookkeeper (or combine those duties with those of an accountant, who would require different qualifications).

The process of becoming qualified as a bookkeeper is shorter than for some other financial sector positions, but it is equally important that the student dedicate themselves to detailed work and the best practices of their trade. Bookkeeping provides the entire basis for a company’s financial health, as well as a basis for more detailed accounting, billing, and other financial work that needs to take place and builds on data from bookkeeping to develop.