Accounts assistant
Supporting an accountant with their day-to-day tasks, organisation is key in this job.
Also known as: accountancy assistant, assistant accountant
About the job
What it's like
Accounts assistants work alongside accountants to support them in their job. This includes administrative duties, such as filing, making phone calls, mail handling or bookkeeping. Â
In this job, you’d work directly for an accountant or finance manager to help keep things organised and run smoothly. Organisation is key in an accountant’s job, so supporting them with the clerical duties is crucial.Â
Producing spreadsheets to create sales and purchase ledgers and journals to keep track of the company’s spending. You’d also calculate payments and amounts to make sure records are correct. Control credit and chase any debts, as well as manage any petty cash transactions.Â
What you might do:
Create and maintain spreadsheets to track and record spendingÂ
Issue invoices to customersÂ
Check financial transactions to make sure they’re accurateÂ
Make bank deposits and keep records up to dateÂ
Type up any data into the company accounting systemÂ
Validate invoices and record themÂ
Process expense forms and provide reimbursementsÂ
Write and handle chequesÂ
Manage incoming and outgoing postÂ
Provide administrative support Â
Explore more information about this job
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Top skills
Skills are things you're good at. Whether you know what yours are or not, everyone has them!
It's useful to learn which ones are important in a job so you know the areas you need to brush up on. It can also help you work out if you're suited to a career.
Meta skills
Here are some of the meta skills you'll need to do this job.
- analysing
- managing resources
- sorting
- attention to detail
- working with numbers
- evaluating
- resourceful
- written communication
- supporting
- building relationships
Your skills are important
Our unique skillsets are what make us stand out from the crowd. Learn about each skill in depth and discover what employers look for in your applications and interviews.
Getting in
Explore each section to find more information about getting into this career.
Colleges and universities will list subjects you'll need for entry to a course. Some useful subjects include:
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Accounting
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Maths (Mathematics)
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Financial Services
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Foundation Apprenticeship: Accountancy
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Applications of Mathematics
You can get a head start in this career by doing a Foundation Apprenticeship in S5 and S6.
You'll get an SCQF level 6 qualification which is the same level as a Higher. You'll also learn new skills and gain valuable experience in a work environment.
Discover what's on offer at your school on Apprenticeships.scot.
There are no fixed entry routes to this job but most employers would prefer a selection of subjects at National 4/5 level or above including maths and English, which show strong written and verbal communication skills.
Most employers look for relevant experience - this could be gained through college or university courses such as NQ, HNC, HND in business, accounting or finance, or through work based experience and qualifications.
Not all employers list specific qualification requirements but they might ask for relevant (usually work based) experience that demonstrates a range of transferable skills.
Qualifications and experience that show your employability, business and ICT skills such as Skills for Work Financial Services (SCQF Level 5) can be helpful.
Having, or working towards, professional qualifications in IT or Finance, such as AAT qualifications (Association of Accounting Technicians) are highly valued.
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