Job Qualifications

A guide to careers and jobs.

Clerical Jobs

Few companies could continue to do business without the day-to-day duties performed by those in clerical positions. Clerical and office jobs provide much needed support for any business. They take care of the daily paperwork, operating procedures, and general tasks that fall within their job area. Some of the responsibilities of clerical workers include jobs like record-keeping, filing, typing, operating office equipment (such as faxes and copiers), filling staff vacancies, maintaining counter service, answering customer phone calls, and other administrative office tasks.

Clerical workers are probably the largest work force in the U.S. Traditionally, clerical jobs have always been held by women but in recent years there has been an increase in clerical positions held by men. Some of the more common clerical positions are receptionists, secretaries, and book-keepers.

Clerical Job Qualifications

Typically, most clerical positions do not require a college degree. Instead, many of the entry–level positions require a high school degree and/or typing skills. Some college hours would be helpful, particularly in business-related courses. Higher level clerical jobs will require a minimum of a few years experience. For instance, an assistant to a corporate chairman or vice-president would probably need four to five years experience in the clerical administration field.

Besides private businesses and institutions, clerical jobs can also be found in local, state, and federal governments.

Clerical workers need to be neat, organized, and have excellent typing skills as well as communication skills. A working knowledge of office software such as Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint is usually required. Motivation and the ability to work unsupervised are also helpful.

Clerical Job Descriptions

While duties and tasks of clerical jobs are widely varied, some of the most common positions are going to fall within one of the following categories: receptionist, general office clerk, book-keepers and auditors, data entry, and shipping/receiving.

Receptionist – Also known as an administrative assistant and secretary, a receptionist handles responsibilities from answering phone calls, assisting customers, relaying information, schedule appointments, assist other staff and professionals, and draft letters and reports for the office.

General Office Clerk – This type of clerical job is responsible for filing documents and information, typing reports, operate copiers and faxes, answering phones, and performing tasks given to them by higher-level receptionists and assistants.

Bookkeepers and Auditors – Bookkeepers log information and maintain company records, keeping them up-to-date with current information. Auditors examine and verify records to maintain accuracy and ensure that there are no mistakes.

Data Entry –This clerical position’s task is to enter information into standard forms on a computer. They use a keyboard to type in information from business transactions, sales, surveys, checks, and other specific data.

Shipping and Receiving – This specific clerical job is responsible for overseeing products that are shipped to and out of a business. They must inspect and log every shipment that arrives to verify contents and accuracy. The same goes for everything that gets shipped out to another location. Shipping and receiving clerks may also be responsible for operating forklifts, hand trucks, and mailing machines.