December 04, 2006
by Jessica Santina
Local Education Columnist
Bean-counters. Number-crunchers. Say what you like about accountants and bookkeepers, but in many ways they keep the U.S. economy functioning properly.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics defines bookkeepers as "accounting professionals who serve as an organization's financial record keepers." In this age of corporate scandals and financial mismanagement, financial recordkeeping is of the utmost importance. Every business needs someone to keep an eye on the money. With career education in accounting and bookkeeping, that someone might be you.
A Career in Accounting & BookkeepingAnyone interested in an entry-level bookkeeping or accounting career should pursue formal education. As businesses in every industry begin to embrace office automation, they will need bookkeepers trained to use this software, who are also qualified to take on a broader range of duties. These may include tasks which have previously been reserved for those with more advanced accounting careers, such as payroll, procurement, or billing. Bookkeepers may also be called upon to communicate with customers, or internally with other departments.
Formal training will help to prepare you for these duties, which is why employers prefer applicants with career education in accounting and bookkeeping, who won't need as much on-the-job training as someone with only a high school diploma. A degree program will provide you with skills in business communication, certain business software, and even professional development. After completion, you'll be ready for an entry-level bookkeeping or accounting career, or for amore advanced study.
Meet Me in St. LouisIf you crunch St. Louis' numbers, you'll see that this Midwestern hub offers plenty to those in bookkeeping or accounting careers. The Greater St. Louis area is home to 21 Fortune 1000 company headquarters. Some of the St. Louis area's largest employers include such financial giants as A.G. Edwards, Citigroup, Edward Jones, U.S. Bancorp, and MasterCard Global Technology & Operations. In fact, the city is second only to New York City in stock brokerage and investment banking.
It all adds up. Career education in accounting and bookkeeping in St. Louis amounts to quite a lot of beans.
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About the Author
Jessica Santina is a freelance writer with a background in media and marketing. She also teaches first-year writing courses at the University of Nevada, Reno.
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