The career that counts – working with numbers!

Students with a qualification in accounting and bookeeping are in high demand in a wide range of industries (as long as money makes the world go around, there’ll be a demand for accountants and bookkeepers), improving your prospects of employment once you have completed your studies.

Bookkeeping provides you with skills that can be applied to many industries. As long as there are businesses in the world, your skill-set will always be needed, therefore you will always have potential to find a job. A qualification in bookkeeping is the best way to kick-start your career.

What do you learn from bookkeeping?

In simple terms, there are basic goals of bookkeeping: Keeping track of your income and expenses so that you improve your chances of making a profit. And collecting the financial information so that you can file all the necessary tax returns to SARS and local taxing authorities, e.g., the skills levy.

Having the ability to prepare an accurate financial picture of either your business or for that of the business that you work for, and keep records organised, is essential to be a bookkeeper. In this career you learn the skills and then you implement them – these include how to create balance sheets, invoices, cash flow statements, income statements, accounts receivable reports, and more.

What would I do on a day-to-day basis?

On a day-to-day basis, Bookkeepers complete data entry, collect transactions, track debits and maintain and monitor financial records. They also pay invoices, complete payroll, file tax returns and even maintain office supplies. In small businesses you may be a one-man or one-woman team! It is essential to be a very well organised person.

“I love bookkeeping because I can help my clients become more financially sound. They know where their numbers are each month, and I can identify to them where the problem areas are, and where the success areas are at,” says Amanda H. Some people love to socialise and work as part of a team. If you are a person who prefers to focus on your own work, bookkeeping could be the career for you.

Here are some skills to develop to succeed in a career as a bookkeeper:

• Attention to detail. Attention to detail helps bookkeepers be accurate when handling their company's financial data.

• Critical thinking.

• Organisation

• Excellent communication.

• Numeracy.

• Time management.

We choose a career based on our interests and talents, so bookkeeping and accounting are careers chosen by people who love numbers. You do have to have an affinity for numbers, and not be afraid of them as so many of us are!

You also need to be a very organised person as the company will hand over data to you in bits and pieces, you need to make sense of everything and file and record in the appropriate places.

Attention to detail is a critical skill in this career. You also need to be able to request information, and give feedback, so written and oral communication skills are important too.

While it’s a formulaic type of career that is very structured, there are times when you will need to be able to problem solve and use critical thinking to find a new approach or solution. Whether your interest lies in an in-depth understanding of financial accounting or you want to supplement your education.

Boston has something for everyone, from Bachelor of Accounting, Diploma in Financial Accounting , Higher Certificate in Accounting Practice, Payroll Administrator / Assistant Bookkeeper and more. Visit www.boston.ac.za