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Accounting bookkeeper skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted experts

Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.,

Frank Longo

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical accounting bookkeeper skills. We ranked the top skills for accounting bookkeepers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 8.5% of accounting bookkeeper resumes contained data entry as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills an accounting bookkeeper needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 accounting bookkeeper skills for your resume and career

1. Data Entry

Data entry means entering data into a company's system with the help of a keyboard. A person responsible for entering data may also be asked to verify the authenticity of the data being entered. A person doing data entry must pay great attention to tiny details.

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use data entry:

Performed general office duties and administrative tasks including data entry.
Prepared invoices using appropriate codes for data entry into general ledger, processed payment, ran and mailed checks.

2. Reconciliations

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use reconciliations:

Provide accurate and timely account balances, transaction information and reconciliations as requested verifying reasonableness and ensuring conformance with established procedures.
Complete monthly, quarterly and yearly Financial Statements, General ledger and Bank Reconciliations for Corporations and individual businesses.

3. Payroll Taxes

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use payroll taxes:

Calculated payroll taxes quarterly for housing authority employees.
Prepared and processed quarterly payroll taxes for Texas and state income taxes for designated states.

4. Journal Entries

Journal entries can be defined as an act of keeping or making records of any transactions either economic or non-economic. The journal entries are made in the accounting systems of an organization. The entries are filled with two main fields; debit and credit. The debit and credit must be equal at the end of a journal entry else it is not considered correct. The journal entries also keep the date of transactions and the names of the accounts that were affected by the transactions.

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use journal entries:

Reconciled and balanced accounts using general journal entries in computer.
General ledger, journal entries, project management, vendor management, payroll, monthly invoices & additional work orders.

5. Vendor Invoices

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use vendor invoices:

Process vendor invoices on a daily basis for the skin care & clinical side of the company.
Analyze AP, AR vendor invoices and purchase orders hitting the asset clearing accounts.

6. General Ledger Accounts

A general ledger account is a practice to keep a record of a company's total financial accounts. The accounts included in a general ledger lists the assets, liabilities, owners' equity, expenses, and income or revenue. It forms the basis of reporting a business's financial statements.

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use general ledger accounts:

Balanced general ledger accounts for daily market activity.
Prepared and analyzed company budget including general ledger accounts, inventories and cost of goods sold through 2012.

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7. Credit Card Statements

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use credit card statements:

Reconciled various credit card statements.
Transferred/stored all bank account and credit card statements to client files using remote Log Me In program.

8. Bank Reconciliations

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use bank reconciliations:

Performed bank reconciliation, inventory reconciliation and made adjusting entry.
Performed monthly bank reconciliation and resolved discrepancies.

9. Purchase Orders

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use purchase orders:

Assist Tool Crib (MRO Purchase Orders), Quality Dept & Engineering Dept with solving issues on input on processes.
Balanced, Input, verified, re-calculated, and ordered all material (purchase orders) needed for jobs.

10. Tax Returns

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use tax returns:

Full preparation and processing of S-Corp, C-Corp, Partnership and Personal Tax Returns.
Performed F/C Bookkeeping Services for several clients and Individual Tax Returns via Turbo Tax1.

11. AP

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use ap:

Experienced with AP and AR, journal entry, multiple bank/credit accounts reconciliation for gross income approximate 70,000+.
Perform variety of AP tasks as part of long-term temporary assignments for scientific research and communications organizations.

12. Ar

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use ar:

Prepared and organized an AR Summary Report of all customer's delinquency and effectively communicated results to the Manager.
Collaborated with corporate controller, AR manager and senior accountants in annual audit preparation.

13. Sales Tax

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use sales tax:

Performed the task of calculating salary of workers and employees along with the payment of all federal/state payroll and sales taxes.
General Ledger, Financial Reporting, Payroll and P/R taxes, sales tax.

14. Accounts Payables

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use accounts payables:

Work with IBM computer systems primarily accounts payables/receivables
Processed accounts payables and receivables, managed invoices, payed bills.

15. Bank Deposits

Any money that a customer chooses to leave with their bank account is a deposit. Deposits can vary in amounts and different banks have limits on the deposits their customers can have as a minimum. Banks charge customers for deposits especially when a teller is used by the customer to deposit money into their account.

Here's how accounting bookkeepers use bank deposits:

Prepare bank deposits, receive, record and deposit customer payments for appraisal, credit reports and other origination related fees.
Receive checks/payments, account code, complete electronic/manual bank deposits and post payments to customer accounts.

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What skills help Accounting Bookkeepers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on accounting bookkeeper resumes?

Curtis Nicholls Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Accounting, Co-director of the Student Managed Investment Fund, Bucknell University

The obvious trends are going to become more pronounced: coding and technology-related skills. I think we are going to see an elevation in the coding expectations. In the future, I expect employers to begin providing coding assessments to potential candidates. This is a common feature of engineering and finance jobs, and I think we will see it with respect to claims about coding prowess.

Data skills will also continue to become more prevalent across all business disciplines. Employers are looking for experience with large data sets, data visualization software (e.g. Tableau, PowerBI, Alteryx, etc.) and statistical analysis. Data has become a major currency, and employees' ability to utilize data for decision making will be critical to success in the employment marketplace.

Beyond the obvious, I think the pandemic has also shifted focus to skills surrounding resilience and motivation. I've heard employers during the pandemic express surprise at the disparity of responses to the pandemic: some employees made the pivot to remote work seamlessly, others required significantly more support. Skills that demonstrate resilience, such as group work, honors programs, etc. will become more important.
I would encourage job seekers to highlight skills learned during the pandemic. I would anticipate a regular interview question inquiring about how the job seeker used their extra time during the pandemic. The most common answers will likely include lots of Queen's Gambit and Tiger King, but employers will look for answers surrounding the development of new skills or acquired certifications. Imagine the employer's thoughts when you suggest that you used the extra time to pursue a lifelong dream such as learning to play the piano or guitar. If you missed the early pandemic window of opportunity, take advantage now!

This line of questions may precede a dangerous trend for employers to look for indications of mental strength. I find this possibility disheartening as we could see employers screening employees with mental health challenges at a time when the solidarity of a job could provide much needed structure.

What hard/technical skills are most important for accounting bookkeepers?

Frank Longo

Assistant Professor of Business, Centenary University

Proficiency with emerging technology is an attention-getter. We should note that the Certified Public Accountants Exam will contain three sections by 2024, including Data Analytics, Tax Compliance and Planning, and Information System and Controls. A basic knowledge will be required in each of these, and the CPA candidate will identify one area of the above for more detailed testing. This change in knowledge requirements reflects the skills employers see as most important to hire. Using technology in any of these areas can move a candidate to the top of the hiring list. We should emphasize that the job candidate does not need to be an expert in each area, but the ability to effectively use technology in one area is important. Employers are looking for the ability to use technology in information security, business processes, information systems, IT audits, data analytics, and tax planning but not all of them.

Keep in mind that successful firms performed audits, prepared tax returns, advised clients on data security, and much more during the pandemic, and they often did so remotely. This can be expected to continue into the future.

What soft skills should all accounting bookkeepers possess?

Frank Longo

Assistant Professor of Business, Centenary University

The skills listed above in question number one are soft skills. They are the skills that truly differentiate the candidate. All candidates are expected to possess hard skills such as excel proficiency. It is the soft skills that get the job done. The ability to solve problems and to lead a team are the top requirements. Recent studies conducted by the National Association of Colleges and Employers consistently arrived at this conclusion, as did a recent Centenary University survey that included New Jersey and New York employers. These skills can be demonstrated through work experience, internships, and extra-curricular activities, including clubs and sports, which can serve as examples.

What type of skills will young accounting bookkeepers need?

Nava Cohen Ph.D.

Assistant Professor, New Jersey City University

With so many employees working from home, it's never been more important to be aware of the most in-demand skills for the future of work.
Data and analytics skills become increasingly valuable. Companies are looking for accounting and finance professionals with predictive model forecasting skills, advanced revenue analytics, cost optimization, SQL programming, real-time model development, and data visualization.

People with healthy analytical and critical thinking abilities to suggest innovative solutions and ideas and solve complex problems will be needed to navigate the human/machine division of labor. It's crucial for accounting students to learn technology skills to stay relevant and competitive in the job market today. Despite their education, many accounting graduates do not have the necessary technical skill sets. As firms are looking for people with data analysis and data analytics, they hire more non-accountants out of school.

With technology leading the way in the accounting industry, it's essential to keep your soft skills up to date. All workers will need to adapt as demand grows for work requiring socioemotional (initiative-taking, growth mindset), creative, and higher cognitive skills. According to a Deloitte's study, while we've recently seen strong attention on technical skills, two-thirds of jobs will be soft-skill intensive by 2030.

Creativity is the most in-demand soft skill of the future since technology is replacing many mundane, process-related jobs. But machines currently can't compete with humans on creativity. In this constantly changing work environment, developing a growth mindset - improving continually - is an important skill. Moreover, having strong interpersonal skills should never be underestimated. Whether it's communicating effectively with co-workers or working with clients, communication is essential to the future of work. People should improve their ability to share effectively with others, which means being able to say the right things, using the right tone of voice and body language. People with high emotional intelligence will also be in demand. As our world and workplaces become more diverse and open, young graduates must have the skills to understand, respect, and work with others, despite differences in race, culture, age, gender, sexual orientation, political or religious beliefs, etc. This ability to understand and adapt to others improves how people interact within the company and leads to a more inclusive and successful company. These soft critical skills could be the deciding factor in your success.

The future of work will be about skills. Interestingly, it will be about hard skills and a broader and more holistic mindset. Employers look for more than just task-oriented or technical skills. It is our job and opportunity to incorporate these soft skills and technical skills into the curriculum and classrooms, to lead students toward successful careers and increase diversity amongst our workforce.

What technical skills for an accounting bookkeeper stand out to employers?

Jodi Olson

Assistant Accounting Professor, Winona State University

Accountants serve many industries and sectors, so a broad range of technical skills is required to be ready to meet the needs of employers. Graduates must be technically competent in areas such as accounting information systems, tax preparation, auditing, managerial/cost accounting, financial reporting, and financial statement analysis. Also, graduates are expected to have general business acumen in areas such as management information systems, business law, operations, strategic management, and ethics. All these skills are important for graduates, but the pandemic has made the accounting systems and management information systems skills operative in allowing graduates to deliver their other areas of technical expertise.

Do you want to know more?

List of accounting bookkeeper skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for an accounting bookkeeper resume and required skills for an accounting bookkeeper to have include:

Data Entry
Reconciliations
Payroll Taxes
Journal Entries
Vendor Invoices
General Ledger Accounts
Credit Card Statements
Bank Reconciliations
Purchase Orders
Tax Returns
AP
Ar
Sales Tax
Accounts Payables
Bank Deposits
Financial Transactions
Bank Accounts

Accounts Receivables
Balance Sheet
ADP
Expense Reports
Financial Data
Fixed Assets
CPA
Quickbooks Pro
Human Resources
Loss Statements
Account Reconciliations
Routine Correspondence
W-2
Debit
Peachtree
Customer Accounts
Trial Balance

Reconcile Credit Card
W2
Financial Reports
Office Management
Tax Reports
Credit Card Accounts
Computer Spreadsheets
IRS
Mathematical Accuracy
Tax Preparation
Account Statements
Copy Machines
Wire Transfers
Bookkeeping Services
Bookkeeping Functions
Cash Disbursements

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

Updated January 8, 2025

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