Summary. We reviewed real candidate profiles to learn the best path to become an office clerk. We'll guide you through the education, experiences, and skills hiring managers look for in an office clerk.
Most companies require a office clerk to have a bachelor's degree degree in a related field, such as business or accounting.
It's important to have relevant work experience, with typical job requirements ranging from 1-2 years in related fields.
Common job titles before becoming an office clerk include cashier, customer service representative, and sales associate.
Hiring managers expect an office clerk to have soft skills such as customer-service skills, detail oriented, and organizational skills.
Once you have all the required skills and experience, it takes an average of less than 1 month of job training to become an office clerk.
Getting a certification as a Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA) will help you to earn more as an office clerk.
We've found that 32.4% of office clerks have earned a bachelor's degree. Furthermore, 2.5% earned their master's degrees before becoming an office clerk. While it's true that some office clerks have a college degree, it's generally possible to become one with only a high school degree. In fact, one out of every four office clerks did not spend the extra money to attend college.
Those office clerks who do attend college, typically earn either a business degree or a accounting degree. Less commonly earned degrees for office clerks include a general studies degree or a health care administration degree.
If you're interested in becoming an office clerk, one of the first things to consider is how much education you need. We've determined that 32.4% of office clerks have a bachelor's degree. In terms of higher education levels, we found that 2.5% of office clerks have master's degrees. Even though some office clerks have a college degree, it's possible to become one with only a high school degree or GED.
Choosing the right major is always an important step when researching how to become an office clerk. When we researched the most common majors for an office clerk, we found that they most commonly have business, accounting and general studies.
Office Clerk Major | Percentages |
---|---|
Business | 26.90% |
Accounting | 10.90% |
General Studies | 6.70% |
Health Care Administration | 6.60% |
Other Degrees | 48.90% |
It'll be a good idea to develop office clerk skills before applying for a job. Here are some skills commonly requested in office clerk job descriptions:
Skills | Percentages |
---|---|
Customer Service | 21.00% |
Data Entry | 18.08% |
Telephone Calls | 6.80% |
Payroll | 5.21% |
Office Equipment | 4.06% |
Office clerks spend an average of Less than 1 month on post-employment, on-the-job training. During this time, new office clerks learn the skills and techniques required for their specific job and employer. The chart below shows how much time it takes to gain competency as an office clerk based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real office clerk resumes.
Certifications can show employers you have a baseline of knowledge expected for this position. They can also make you a more competitive candidate. Even if employers don't require a certification, having one may help you stand out in an application. Plus, the process of getting a certification can teach you new skills that you can bring to your work. We determined the most common certifications for office clerks. The most common certification is Certified Medical Administrative Assistant (CMAA), but Certified Management Accountant (CMA) is also frequently seen in office clerks resumes.
When you decide to become an office clerk, It's important to know what duties and responsibilities are required for this position. Some common responsibilities are a part of most office clerk jobs. Here is a list of the main duties that define the role:
Finally, when you already have checked the skills and responsibilities for this role, you can start creating your resume. Everything that goes into creating a perfect resume can take hours, days, or even weeks. No worries, we created a resume builder to make this process as easy as possible with tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and a summary.