There are a variety of possible accounting job positions that are available today. Knowing the descriptions for each job position is important so you would know if you are qualified for the positions that you aspire for. Likewise, you would know what your prospective employers expect of you as an applicant for the said position.

The most common accounting job positions include cost accountant, accounting manager, payroll clerk, bookkeeper, staff accountant and accountant. Each job position has their own primary responsibilities and qualifications and knowing them will be an advantage for you in writing your resume and cover letter and in preparing for the job interview. This article gives a preview of the job descriptions of the positions stated earlier.

A cost accountant is a job position which requires a person with a multiple of skills in documenting, bookkeeping and organization. One of the main responsibilities of a cost account is making ledgers and keeping tracks of the costs that the company have. These ledger entries will help the cost accountant to make a cost analysis which is important in every company. You should take note that analysis of costs should include information regarding financial activities of the company, costs of production, sales, overhead and the costs incurred in product development. Thus, it is the cost accountant responsibility to keep records of the said information. It is also his responsibility as a cost accountant to note the differences between the theoretical or the estimated cost and the actual costs and the reason for the differences.

The accounting manager, on one hand, manages accounting related information and is the one to relay to the management the essential financial information before the management makes the decision. Thus, he must also possess knowledge about management apart from accounting and he must also have good inter-personal skills. A payroll clerk is responsible in recording and computing the compensations or payroll of each employee in the company. This also includes keeping a record of the deductions, attendance and paid leaves of each employee through the use of a computer. Thus, a payroll clerk must also be computer literate.

Bookkeeping is the recording of financial transactions in the company and it is the bookkeeper’s primary responsibility, thus bookkeeping skills are important. Keeping track of business transactions which may include the account payables and receivables and the verification of these transactions are part of the job. An aspiring bookkeeper must know proper documentation and must be trustworthy and reliable.

A staff accountant’s main responsibility is ensuring that the company’s transactions are smooth and that the records open to the public are accurate. Public records include taxes and keeping track of these things should be a staff accountant’s job. Lastly, an accountant’s job is related to the bookkeeper although an accountant focuses more on the business’ department on accounts payable.

Accounting can be a very complex job but having the right background, experience and knowledge, will definitely help you make your job easier no matter which among the six positions described in this article you like best.