Office clerks are critical staff of organizations and businesses. They work in all sectors and are found in different types of companies. In the different sectors where they work, office clerks can be accounting clerks, medical clerks, admin clerks, corporate clerks, and college and university clerks.
This article describes the skills and job description of office clerks.
The Job Description of Office Clerks
Office clerks are required to carry out basic bookkeeping and bank transactions. They also handle money, counting, disbursing, and collecting it.
An office clerk acts as an important communication channel for employees, clients, and other individuals, answering their questions and addressing their complaints. They also take calls and messages and direct calls.
The administrative duties of office clerks include the filling, sorting, copying, and compiling of activities and records. As part of their routine duties, office clerks operate machines such as fax machines, scanners, photocopiers, and computers.
Important Skills of Office Clerks
The essential skills that office clerks need for the excellent performance of their duties include:
- Writing
- Active listening
- Basic computer skills
- Speaking
- Reading comprehension
- Social perceptiveness
Apart from the essential skills listed above, the knowledge of core subject areas will enable office clerks to carry out their duties excellently. These core subject areas include English language, economics and accounting, mathematics, and accounting.
Office clerks are also required to possess a typing speed of between 50 to 60 words per minute with a high level of typing accuracy.
Critical Computer Skills for Office Clerks
The 21st-century office clerk needs essential computer skills such as the knowledge of the Office suite such as MS Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Access, and Outlook. The knowledge of Quickbooks, Photoshop CS3 or CS4, and AutoCAD is also required for the performance of office clerk duties.
Duties of Office Clerks in the Different Sectors
The specific duties of office clerks vary according to the sector they work in. Here are the duties of office clerks according to their sectors.
Accounting clerks: Maintenance of accounting records, creation and management of accounting databases, determination of the value of depreciating assets, comparison of bank statements against general ledgers, and verification of financial records.
Document clerks: Electronic data process, data entry, creation of rough report drafts, liaison with IT departments for effective communications between departments and branches.
Audit clerks: Audits clerks are required to audit financial reports, analyze and report annual records, and update financial records.
Medical record clerks: These clerks are required to create and update the medical records of patients, transcribe medical records, set appointments over the phone, and send medical records to physicians.
Legal department clerks: Legal department clerks file legal documents, file legal documents, prepare document affidavits, and mediate or communicate legal disputes.
How does an office clerk differ from an administrative assistant?
Office clerks and administrative assistants are two commonly confused positions. The difference in both positions is in the roles and responsibilities, which are typically more complex for administrative assistants.
While office clerks get to mail, type, file answer phones, and communicate with all levels of professionals, administrative assistants communicate with high-level executives, supervise staff, and review submissions.
If you are interested in becoming an office clerk, you should know the job description, required skills, and other details, as highlighted in this article. Give us a call today for more info!
