Personality and skills needed to become a Bookkeeper

Are you thinking of becoming a bookkeeper? In this article I want to give a brief outline what personality traits and skills are needed to excel in this industry.

1. Self-direction

A huge part of bookkeeping is that you will be expected to get a lot of work done on your own, without someone holding your hand and telling you what to do constantly. This is a great career for those who are self-directed and can work on their own for several hours a day. These are people who don’t need a lot of guidance beyond initial training and can take the initiative to complete work without a lot of prodding.

2. Organizational skills

It’s no surprise that being organized is a helpful skill in bookkeeping. A bookkeeper has to organize their time to ensure the right tasks are completed by their due date. Many times spreadsheets are used to organize large amounts of data. Data is entered into the accounting software in an organized way.

3. Numbers or math oriented

There are a lot of numbers in bookkeeping. The actual math you will do will be minimal. It will mostly consist of simple addition and subtraction, which can easily be done on a calculator or with a spreadsheet formula. Bookkeeping is more about recording data than actually doing math. However you will be staring at numbers for several hours a day. While you don’t need to be a math whiz to be a bookkeeper, you will have to be comfortable looking at numbers all day.

4. Ability to sit still

Bookkeeping is definitely an inactive desk job. If you have trouble sitting at a desk for several hours a day, you may struggle with bookkeeping. Some people can tolerate a desk job more than others. There are ways to counteract this so I think bookkeeping can still be done by someone who wants a more active lifestyle, but it will take more effort. You can take breaks throughout the day and take walks, you can hit the gym before work, and/or you can get a standing desk. There are even treadmills that you can put under your desk. I personally would find it difficult to work while walking on a treadmill, but it’s an option if you can do it. I’m someone who struggles to sit at a desk all day. However I’ve found that I’m able to be a bookkeeper as long as I can take periodic breaks and move around throughout the day.

5. Introverted

Most bookkeeping jobs require one to work alone for most of the day. There are some jobs that are more interactive with a team, but most require you to work on your own most of the day. In an office setting this will likely not be an issue because you can work around other people. However remote bookkeeping positions can be very isolating. An extroverted person who wants to interact with others all day would struggle in this environment.

6. Willingness to adapt to change

Bookkeeping is a changing field. The basic accounting concepts haven’t changed much, but the online tools to complete the job are constantly changing and updating. If you can adapt to change, especially with technology, you will be well equipped to work in this industry.