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Bookkeeping assistant 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 bookkeeping assistant skills. We ranked the top skills for bookkeeping assistants based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 16.5% of bookkeeping assistant resumes contained data entry as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a bookkeeping assistant needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 bookkeeping assistant 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 bookkeeping assistants use data entry:

Performed data entry into QuickBooks accounting software, processed small-business payroll, generated periodic reports for supervisor and restaurateur client.
Manage payroll- Reconcile Bank Statements- Invoices and Estimates on Contracts- Data entry- Travel Arrangement's- Reserving Conference Rooms- Coordinating Meetings

2. Financial Reports

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use financial reports:

Performed bank accounts reconciliations and performed monthly financial reports to improved internal control over the company's finance.
Prepared and printed company financial reports for administrative distribution.

3. Credit Card Statements

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use credit card statements:

Reconciled all bank and credit card statements and filed and maintained physical records of each property.
Entered cash on deposits to QuickBooks program, recorded and reconcile credit card statements.

4. 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 bookkeeping assistants use bank deposits:

Prepared bank reconciliations and bank deposits.
Prepared daily bank deposits for cash receipts from clients as well as processed related system coding and management reporting of same.

5. General Ledger

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use general ledger:

Maintained general ledger by transferring account summaries and recorded day-to-day financial transactions and completed the posting process.
Reviewed journal for completeness and accuracy while reconciling the general ledger and sub-ledger accounts.

6. Bank Reconciliations

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use bank reconciliations:

Processed approved invoices and deposits; and assisted in bank reconciliations
Conducted periodic Bank Reconciliations to ensure accuracy of business accounts.

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7. Purchase Orders

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use purchase orders:

Managed phones, correspondence, and reception Composed letters and purchase orders Completed documentation in accordance with federal and state compliance
Negotiated and resolved disputed invoices/purchase orders with vendors, manufacturers and customers.

8. Accounts Payables

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use accounts payables:

Maintained open Accounts Payables, reconciled wait staff's daily closing document and filed invoices and legal documents.
Managed all accounts receivables, accounts payables, processed pay-roll and church budget.

9. Quickbooks Pro

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use quickbooks pro:

Maintained accounts payable, accounts receivable and account reconciliation using QuickBooks Provided administrative support to executives Filing
Developed and streamlined an organized system of folders and bins to simplify the accounts payable process that fully utilized QuickBooks Pro.

10. Bank Accounts

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use bank accounts:

Entered processed payroll information into Intercept to be direct deposited into individuals bank accounts.
Completed monthly reconciliation of multiple business and personal bank accounts.

11. 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 bookkeeping assistants use journal entries:

Maintained accounting records for businesses including posting journal entries and reconciling accounts.
Maintained and posted daily general journal entries

12. ACH

Automated Clearing House, ACH is a computerized electronic network to process, coordinate and manage transactions (credit and debit) and automated money transfers between banks and other financial institutions without the use of paper checks, electronic transfers, credit cards, or cash networks. The ACH network is regulated by the federal government and managed by the National Automated Clearing House Association (NACHA).

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use ach:

Handle company overdrafts and Automated Cleaning House (ACH) accounts.
Performed daily and monthly proofs (DDA, Savings, ACH, Backup Withholding, etc.).

13. Financial Transactions

The type of agreement held between two parties (buyer and seller) regarding an exchange of funds for an asset, is termed as a financial transaction. The financial transaction is the exchange of products, services, cash or credit, information, and other things of value among two separate entities for a common goal.

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use financial transactions:

Maintain complete and systematic records of campus financial transactions according to established procedures and generally accepted accounting principles.
Maintained records of financial transactions by establishing accounts; posting transactions.

14. Tax Returns

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use tax returns:

Managed accounts payable/receivable, handled daily entry of debits and credits, and prepared documents for quarterly and annual tax returns.
Prepare and file small business and personal tax returns as well maintained account books for either a compilation or audit.

15. Accounts Receivables

Here's how bookkeeping assistants use accounts receivables:

Reviewed and prepared for payment incoming invoices and tracked and collected outstanding accounts receivables.
Contributed substantially to reducing outstanding accounts receivables through persistent collection processes.

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What skills help Bookkeeping Assistants find jobs?

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

What skills stand out on bookkeeping assistant 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 bookkeeping assistants?

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 bookkeeping assistants 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 bookkeeping assistants 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 a bookkeeping assistant 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 bookkeeping assistant skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a bookkeeping assistant resume and required skills for a bookkeeping assistant to have include:

Data Entry
Financial Reports
Credit Card Statements
Bank Deposits
General Ledger
Bank Reconciliations
Purchase Orders
Accounts Payables
Quickbooks Pro
Bank Accounts
Journal Entries
ACH
Financial Transactions
Tax Returns
Accounts Receivables
Sales Tax
Expense Reports

Customer Accounts
Financial Data
Office Equipment
Balance Sheet
Scheduling Appointments
Account Reconciliations
Computer System
Process Payroll
AP
Ar
Credit Card Accounts
Vendor Invoices
CPA
POS
Property Management
HR
Credit Card Payments

Inventory Control
Sales Reports
PowerPoint
Payroll Checks
ADP
Telephone Calls
Payroll Taxes
Word Processing
Business Transactions
Client Accounts
Mathematical Accuracy
Payable Invoices
Travel Arrangements
Sales Orders
Collection Calls

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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