An Accounts Assistant might be hiredby a firm specialising in Accountancy, or employed in an in-house capacity by a business in just about any industry. The job can involve a multitude of tasks, which (as the title suggests) are generally undertaken in a support capacity.
Employers often use recruitment agencies to find andcontract Accounts Assistants - using the professional expertise they provide to ensure a good match for candidate and company alike. Whether you are recruiting for an Accounts Assistant or searching for a job yourself, you can use this page to find arecruitment agency which will be able to quickly and easily analyse your situation and place you in an advantageous position. Agencies cover vacancies both permanent and temporary, right across the country - simply use the search bar to find your ideal match.
What is involved in the role of Accounts Assistant?
Accounts Assistant tends to be a varied job, and may involve such responsibilities as the balancing of accounts; dealing with invoices, receipts, payments and invoices; dealing with VAT returns; carrying out payroll-related activities; monitoring budgets, as well as a number of more 'junior' office tasks such as dealing with communications and taking minutes at meetings.
What skills and qualifications does an Accounts Assistant need?
Although there are no qualifications specific to the role of Accounts Assistant, there are a number of courses and certifications which might be useful to anyone considering this role, and can often help a candidate to command a larger salary. Due to the junior nature of the role, candidates will often be considered if they are enrolled on a course which they have not yet completed, but this varies by position.
Useful qualifications include those provided by CIMA (the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants), ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) the ICAEW (Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales), and the AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians).
Accounts Assistants will benefit greatly from developing skills in numeracy, Microsoft Office (specifically Excel), and packages such as Sage. Knowledge of tax laws concerning issues such as IR35 and VAT will also be useful for any Accountant.
Salary Expectations
Salaries for Accounts Assistants in the UK begin in the region of around £14-22k. This may rise to around £30k with experience and / or qualifications. Salaries are greater in London, and may rise as high as £40k if working for a major operation with experience and qualifications.