Accurate and careful clerical work can be vital to public safety, as well as to the successful administration of organizations. Contrary to what many people may think, there are specific skills and attributes required of clerical workers, particularly those in higher level positions. These include:
1. Attention to Detail. Clerical work is detail-oriented work. It involves jobs that track activities and generate actions in businesses and other organizations. While it still involves a lot of paper work, most clerical work these days is closely linked to computer programs which disperse information according to the needs of organizational departments and management. Clerical mistakes in one department can therefore cause problems throughout the organization. It is therefore important that clerical employees are careful and accurate workers who pay attention to detail. Clerical jobs can therefore be excellent training grounds for professions which require a great deal of attention to detail. For example college clerical jobs are a good idea for students studying accounting, actuarial studies, statistics, economics, and other specialties requiring them to do careful and patient work.
2. Awareness of Patterns. A good clerical worker has an innate ability to notice patterns in documentation and recognize when a pattern is interrupted or something is out of the ordinary. Many a fraud has been discovered by a clerical employee simply noticing that something wasn’t quite right.
3. Patience. Clerical tasks often require a painstaking willingness to double check work to ensure accuracy and fix errors. Patience is therefore an important quality in a person doing this sort of work.
4. Neatness. People who do clerical work must be neat. A lot of work is still done by hand and messy handwriting can create problems for other people. It can make accounting and auditing a nightmare.
5. Process-Oriented. Clerical work tends to involve process-oriented tasks, and a good clerical officer is willing to adhere to all the steps in a process and not skip any. This ability to do steps even if they don’t appear to make sense will ensure a paper or electronic trail which protects the company and allows errors to be easily located.
6. Intelligence. The willingness to follow rules and be detail-oriented does not imply that a clerical worker should be an unthinking automaton. The best clerical workers are also intelligent and can think for themselves. These individuals are able to identify problems (and solutions) and bring them to the attention of their superiors.
7. Adaptability. Most clerical tasks are now automated and require the use of computer software. A good employee will therefore be able adapt to changing technologies and willing to learn new skills and train on new software programs when necessary.
Even home businesses are finding that they can rise or fall on the back of clerical tasks, and virtual assistants are often hired to cover these bases. This means that you can even make a home business out of clerical work if you want the flexibility of working from home.
If you’re just finishing high school or college and wish to get your foot in the door with a clerical job, you may wish to consider clerical entry-level jobs. Most of these positions will require word processing skills, a typing speed of at least sixty words per minute, and other computer software skills depending on the specialization. For example, if you’re working in an accounts department, you’ll probably need spreadsheet experience and some experience with computerized accounting software. You should be able to get a good idea of what organizations are looking for by reading through the selection criteria for the types of jobs you are interested in.
Union clerical jobs tend to offer greater work protections and higher pay rates depending on the industry. In uncertain economic times, it can be good to know that you have someone on your side. However, it can be difficult to approach job hunting from the perspective of looking for these types of jobs, and you really need to be open to all available positions when you’re seeking work. You can find a list of clerical jobs online on job sites or in the employment section of your local newspaper. Employment agencies also often have a list of clerical jobs that they are trying to fill, and it may well be worth your while to contact them. You can also contact potential employers directly. If there are particular companies you’d like to work for, keep an eye on their websites. Companies often advertise for positions on their website and allow you to submit your resume and application online. Temporary office work is also a popular way to get to know companies and be offered permanent work from them.
Clerical jobs will always be necessary, but they suit a very specific type of person. If you fit the profile, you may find a successful niche in this employment area. However, if you find clerical work boring and have trouble getting things done, it’s probably not the right sort of work for you.
