Bookkeeping
Why bookkeeping is a great career path
The days of ‘bookkeeping as a stepping-stone to accounting’ are over, reports Annie Makoff
At a glance
It’s a vital skill in its own right
Bookkeepers are expert data handlers
Build strong client relationships
Bookkeeping has long been thought of as a short-term stepping stone option rather than as a destination in itself, but this is no longer the case.
“More and more, bookkeeping is being viewed as a complete career choice which is great to see,” says Libby Walkett FMAAT, director of The Ethical Bookkeeper. “Yes, having bookkeeper training makes you a better accountant if that’s the route you want to go down, but equally, taking AAT Level 4 before continuing down the bookkeeping route actually makes you a better bookkeeper.”
Indeed, a lot of work, effort and skill goes into the company account books long before an accountant first sets eyes on them. Rather than a short-term option, bookkeeping is a crucial part of the accounting process, making it a great career option for the long-term.
It’s a vital skill in its own right
Libby often hears the phrase ‘just a bookkeeper’ and it frustrates her. An award-winning chartered accountant, elected AAT Council member and AAT tutor, Libby has enjoyed a successful bookkeeping career for over 20 years.
“It’s a different skill to accountancy, not a lesser skill,” she says. A good bookkeeper, says Libby, ensures transactions are up-to-date, figures are correctly reconciled and everything is recorded and coded.
Renu Elston, founder of Profectus Bookkeeping Services, agrees. “Bookkeeping is the foundation of accountancy,” she insists. “It has to be 100% accurate. Otherwise, how can you produce a management account? How can you forecast? My job as bookkeeper is getting the company books to a stage where they’re easy to access and understand so everyone can make informed decisions.”
Crucially, bookkeepers and accountants need to work in partnership. “Think of it as how doctors and nurses operate within a hospital,” she explains.
Bookkeepers are expert data handlers
Data entry may play a key role in a bookkeeper’s day-to-day responsibilities but according to Sallyanne Sheppard MAAT, who runs Sheppard Bookkeeping Services, bookkeeping is much more than data entry. Bookkeepers are ‘expert data handlers’, conducting in-depth data analysis and interpretation using software and technical know-how.
“It’s not about pushing paper around anymore,” says Sallyanne. “We pull data together from invoices, expenses, purchase orders, sometimes even carrier bags full of paper receipts, and use our knowledge and creativity to record and make sense of it all. There’s nothing I like better than starting out with a mess of data all over the place and untangling it. You’re problem-solving and using technical skills.”
Bookkeeping provides immense job satisfaction
Libby Walkett FMAAT has been in the profession for nearly twenty-five years. Director of The Ethical Bookkeeper and an AAT apprenticeship coach at Cirencester College, Libby is also an elected AAT council member.
She’s a fully qualified accountant yet her true calling is bookkeeping, something she ‘fell into’. “I decided to take on an admin job and ended up on bookkeeping duties.”
But the real change for Libby was a deflating conversation with a recruitment consultant years later, who dismissed her academic qualifications.
“I absolutely don’t agree with her,” Libby recalls. “But I realised I needed to get some professional qualifications.” She came across AAT and knew it was the right path for her. For Libby, it brings a lot of job satisfaction.
“Clients often approach me because they’ve tried to do it themselves and it’s ended up in a mess,” Libby explains. “Being able to sort that out and add value is enormously satisfying.”
No urgent deadlines
AAT licensed bookkeeper Cassie Tipson’s bookkeeping business Tipson Bookkeeping Solutions gives her the best of both worlds: she can run a successful business supporting clients and contribute to their growth – without missing out on being a parent. As Cassie points out, there are no urgent deadlines in bookkeeping so if something unexpected happens in her home life, she can take steps to address it.
Cassie’s decision to set up her own bookkeeping business was financial: high childcare costs meant it was no longer viable to return to her previous admin role after maternity leave. But Cassie wanted to continue working and had previous bookkeeping experience from when she’d worked in New Zealand. It was also why she’d chosen to study with AAT – she wanted a professional body that was recognised both in the UK and New Zealand.
Cassie says AAT helped kickstart her bookkeeping career and provided her with qualifications to prove it. “I’d had bookkeeping roles before I studied with AAT, but I needed the qualification to get me to the next level,” says Cassie. “Now I have my own business and I really enjoy what I do.”
Build strong client relationships
While accountants keep in touch with clients at key points throughout the year, bookkeepers need to keep in regular contact, so maintaining client relationships is essential.
“Bookkeeping is more hands on and much more involved in the running of the business, with much higher touch points than accountants normally have,” says Libby. “You really have to be on top of the money in/money out side of things and be in frequent contact.”
Cassie, in particular, who describes herself as a ‘one-man-band’ joins in team meetings with clients and really feels part of the extended team. So although clients outsource their bookkeeping needs, in practice it rarely feels like outsourcing — Cassie says part of her job is to get under the skin of each and every business and be seen as a valued team member.
Getting started
Volunteering with a small business or charity is a great way into bookkeeping
Apprenticeships offer a reliable and structured route into bookkeeping
Direct application is an option to AAT members as they are sufficiently qualified
