A Junior bookkeeper is responsible for base level financial operations in a business. Junior Bookkeepers mostly record financial transactions for the business. In most cases, they usually report to a senior bookkeeper who is responsible for making sure all the work they have completed is correct, and does not have any inconsistencies.

A Junior Bookeeper’s role in a Business

Everyone has to start somewhere in their career and being a junior bookkeeper is where many people decide to start their careers. It’s generally a well-paying job for the required qualification level to start working as one.

Day to Day responsibilities

As a junior bookkeeper, you can expect most of your duties to be fairly routine. You’re usually responsible for one or many of the following duties, depending on the company you are employed by. The typical duties of a Junior Bookkeeper are as follows:
  • Inventory and bank statements
  • Monthly bookkeeping to trial balance
  • Reconcile suppliers
  • Calculate PAYE / UIF / SDL
  • EMP501, IRP5, IRP6 and IT3a documents and VAT returns
  • Payroll tax and other deductions
  • Career Progression

Becoming a Junior Bookkeeper

In order to become a Junior Bookkeeper, you need to make sure you have the right knowledge for the job, as well as a qualification that proves it. Most companies wont employ you directly into a bookkeeping role without the correct kind of qualification.

Required Qualification

Generally you need to have at least a Level 3 certificate in bookkeeping on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF). This will provide you with the skills needed to be an effective bookkeeper, as well as prove to your future employer that you are capable of doing the required work for the job.

Where to Study

Deciding where to study is the next step in your process. The best places to study  usually offer accredited courses. These are courses which are usually monitored by an external government institution such as the Quality Council for Trades and Occupations (QCTO). They have strict guidelines as to how courses need to be structured and what kind of content they should have. This is to ensure that you correct knowledge to be employable once you have completed the course. Studying a course from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB) will ensure that you get the most relevant knowledge available and will be employable once you complete your course. The ICB is an external examinations body which offers courses through various educational institutions. They are only responsible for assessing your knowledge and making sure you understand all of the things you learned during your course.

Pass and Apply

The ICB Courses are split into different levels. Each of these levels qualify you for a different career level. One of the best things about these courses is that you can start studying with only a Grade 10 complete and no previous accounting knowledge. And once you have completed your first certificate, you will immediately be able to work as a qualified Junior Bookkeeper. All that’s left to do once you’ve completed your certificate is to start applying for jobs. It’s usually a good idea to find out if your education provider has a job placement service, as this will make it easier to start working sooner. If not, you can always submit your CV to a recruitment agency and they will call you back once they’ve found a position which you are qualified for. Author: Byron Last Updated: 23 April 2019