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What is a Bookkeeper?

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Talent.com talent.com
Answered July 01 2021
Career Expert at Talent.com
As the name implies, a Bookkeeper is a person or staff hired by a company to maintain, balance, and update the accounting books. In layman's terms, they are responsible for keeping a record of a company's financial activities. Long story short, they deal with money, and because money is no laughing matter, it's essential to have balanced books in any situation.   
  
Bookkeepers occupy a vital position in every business or company, regardless of size. The services, tasks, and duties they provide and perform are crucial to the long-term successes of the companies they assist. They are vastly essential and are looked upon to keep track of money coming in and money going out, or what is known as "balancing the books," a term most closely identified with Bookkeepers. They do their best to ensure that the company stays in the "black," an insider term for remaining profitable in its business endeavors. Aspiring professionals in this field should note that while a Bookkeeper is a single role, larger companies often employ teams of Bookkeepers who may work externally for an accounting firm to investigate, maintain, and balance their ledgers.

Personality of a Bookkeeper
  • They are organized
Bookkeepers are responsible for heaps of data and financial statements, including reports for incoming equity and internal assets. Successful Bookkeepers have a system for staying on top of the incoming and outgoing figures, one that is organized efficiently and relies on paying particular attention to the details.  
  
  • They have a way with numbers and data
Working with numbers is no easy feat. It takes a certain level of practiced skill or perhaps just a natural aptitude to manage the level of numerical data that passes by a Bookkeeper's desk. Anyone who this comfortable with numbers is likely to enjoy working with them in this capacity!  

  • They are great communicators
We're not all alike, so Bookkeepers need to recognize that clients or even some colleagues may not interpret the data they manage in the same way they can. Strong communication skills are necessary for explaining finances in a decipherable way. 
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