When considering a career change or going into business for yourself, a career in bookkeeping is an option that has no shortage of work.

There are literally tons of small and large businesses that require bookkeepers to work not only within the company but by contract as well.

One of the most obvious skills you want to have if you are thinking about being a bookkeeper is being good with numbers. No, you don’t have to be a math scholar but you should at the very least have a good grasp of basic math as well as being able to balance your own chequebook accurately. If you fall into those categories then becoming a bookkeeper is definitely a viable option for you.

Numbers, Numbers and more Numbers

You may be good with numbers and able to balance a chequebook with ease, now for the important question. Do you enjoy it? If not so much, then being a bookkeeper may not be the best idea for you.

Bookkeeping is basically balancing someone else’s larger and more complicated chequebook multiple times a week (or more), paired with a whole lot of repetitive and meticulous data entry involving more, yes you guessed it, numbers. If the thought of that makes your head hurt, then perhaps you may want consider working in the food industry or any type of job that requires a little less mathematics.  Having said that, many people love the challenge of making things balance and see maths as a puzzle with the answer being those columns of figures all lined up right.

Communication Skills

Being a successful and sought out bookkeeper does involve more than just numbers. According to the book [amazon template=product&asin=0974609390], communication skills are imperative in bookkeeping. Business owners not only want to know all the financial details of their business every step of the way, but they expect financial guidance from you as well. Business owners are typically not bookkeepers and if they were, they wouldn’t need you. If you were to walk into any small business office, the likelihood is if they don’t have a book keeper, their accounts will not be very well kept. Part of your job may be to iron out the problems and give advice on how to keep their accounts better, so being tactful is important here too.

Most business owners are not very concerned with the logistics of what you are doing, they only concern themselves with the bottom line, how can we save and make money, and more often than not they want this explained in the least amount of technical jargon as possible.

Being vocal and asking questions is vital; the worst kind of bookkeeper is the one that hides quietly in the shadows with their calculator. Be willing and able to have a vested interest in the company you are working for.

Take a Course

This should be the first thing you do after you decide to go the bookkeeping route. Even if you feel that your math skills are up to par for the tasks involved in bookkeeping, it’s always best to go into it with an educated concept of what you can look forward to.

At the very least achieving a diploma or course certificate will increase your chances of getting your foot in the door, whether it be for employment or to attract clients to your bookkeeping services. A diploma or certificate will give employers and/or potential clients an added confidence in your bookkeeping abilities. In fact, you may want to continue to take online book keeping courses throughout your career to stay fresh and up to date.