The job of accounts receivable specialist is an entry-level job in the accounting industry, but it is one that is essential to the financial welfare of any company. At this level you process all the money that comes into the firm and record the entries. In a small company, this may be only one of many duties that you have to perform, but in a large company, you will report to either the bookkeeper or the accounting manager. The computer is an essential tool in the performance of this type of work and therefore, you should be proficient in using the computer and the specific software that will help you do your job.
The main focus of the job of accounts receivable specialist is to keep track of the money customer owe to the company and take steps to collect overdue accounts, such as making reminder calls to the customers or sending out notifications. As you process the income on a daily or weekly basis, you enter the amount of the money paid into the computer database and record the number of the transaction and the nature of the payment. Record keeping is essential so that you fully credit the customers for their payments and to ensure you have the records necessary if you have to deal with any inquiries.
During the course of a day you may have to perform several different types of duties and deal with customers. The qualifications you need for the job of accounts receivable specialist are usually graduation from a two-year course in accounting or bookkeeping. Many colleges now offer an Associate’s degree in accounting, which will qualify you for the position. Some of the people who do work at this entry-level job have a Bachelor’s degree in accounting and want to get started in the industry with the hope of advancing in their career.
To be efficient at your job as accounts receivable specialist, computer and keyboarding skills are necessary. The keyboarding skills should be at data entry speed. You should be familiar with the use of office equipment, such as fax and copy machines and scanners and be able to do simple repairs when necessary. You will be working fairly independently in this job, so you should have a good eye for paying close attention to detail and have excellent organizational skills. Since you will have more than one duty to perform, you should be able to prioritize so that the most important jobs are completed first.
The work environment for an accounts receivable specialist is in an office setting with a standard 40-hour workweek. At certain times of the year, such as income tax time, you may have to work overtime, but this depends on the size of the company. It is unusual to find people self-employed in this profession, but part-time work is very popular, especially with small companies who do not need a full time person in this capacity. There are many possibilities for employment when you have the proper training in all levels of government, the retail industry and the construction and trades industry.
