Junior Accounts Assistant Job Description (Roles And Skills)

Updated 17 June 2023

A Junior Accounts Assistant maintains and compiles financial reports, reconciles statements and helps companies prepare half-yearly and yearly budgets. They provide support to the accounting department, monitor the revenue and taxation of the organisation and analyse financial records. If you have an interest in working in the accounting department, understanding the various roles of a Junior Accounts Assistant can help you determine whether to pursue this career. In this article, we define what a Junior Accounts Assistant is, explain their responsibilities, list the educational and skill requirements and provide an example Junior Accounts Assistant job description for you to review.

Find Junior Accounts Assistant jobs

What Is A Junior Accounts Assistant Job Description?

A Junior Accounts Assistant job description is a document that summarises the role's responsibilities and outlines the qualification requirements for candidates. It lists the general accounting tasks and administrative duties the employer expects a Junior Accounts Assistant to perform to support the accounting department. Your primary duties in the role include issuing receipts and invoices, preparing financial statements and updating financial databases. A job description for this role may list a range of tasks, such as recording financial transactions, preparing and submitting financial reports, assisting in the creation of budgets and ensuring accurate and timely transactions and reporting.

Responsibilities Of A Junior Accounts Assistant

Typical responsibilities of a Junior Account's Assistant include:

Preparing financial statements

Junior Accounts Assistants work closely with Accounting Supervisors and Senior Accountants to prepare financial statements. You review and examine financial statements to ensure they comply with government regulations. If you notice any discrepancies, you request more information from the client and report the inconsistency to your supervisor.

Reconciling bank statements

Your role as an assistant is to reconcile bank statements and compare them with the general ledger to confirm that they are identical. This entails reviewing each line of a bank statement, identifying discrepancies and determining ways to resolve them. It may require you to contact clients or ask your supervisors or the bank for more information. This ensures a smooth accounting process.

Documenting fixed assets

Part of your job role involves recording, updating and maintaining documentation of fixed assets in the organisation. Fixed assets are those which are not easily convertible to cash. Your responsibility is to calculate the decline and depreciation of all assets to show the depreciated value over time and dispose of them when not in use. Employers typically expect you perform this task regularly.

Assisting with compliance reporting

An assistant role requires you to abide by government regulations, and you often assist with reviewing, preparing and filing compliance reports. This ensures the organisation and its clients maintain ethical standards. If you notice non-compliant behaviour, you take the appropriate steps to report and resolve the issue and notify your supervisors.

Communicating with vendors

Junior assistants manage accounts and update the general ledger. This involves communicating with vendors about billing issues, answering questions and providing basic customer service. You obtain the necessary information to validate financial statements and enquire about budgeting arrangements.

Posting journal entries

A Junior Accounts Assistant maintains accurate financial records, helps with asset audits and taxation matters and assists with planning budgets for each fiscal quarter. You perform financial data entry tasks, such as recording expenses and revenues in the company's general ledger accounts. Performing these tasks efficiently requires attention to detail, especially when managing ledger accounts.

Qualification Requirements For A Junior Accounts Assistant

The qualifications you usually require to become a Junior Accounts Assistant include:

Relevant degree

After completing your class 10, pursue the commerce stream. This stream allows you to study subjects such as accounting, business studies and economics. After your higher secondary or class 12, it is advisable to complete a commerce-related bachelor's degree. Degrees to consider include a Bachelor of Commerce, Bachelor of Commerce (Honours) or Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance. These programmes focus on tax laws, corporate accounting, cost accounting and business communications.

If you want to advance your career, you can pursue a relevant master's degree to impress hiring managers. Continuing your education helps ensure you stay up to date with the country's financial laws and regulations.

Internship experience

Completing an internship enables you to gain relevant practical experience and improves your chances of securing a job. You can pursue internships while completing your college degree or during semester breaks. After you graduate, search for an entry-level job as a Junior Accounts Assistant.

Junior Accounts Assistant Skills

Key skills for this role include:

Accounting

Junior Accounts Assistants record financial transactions and perform accounting operations such as reconciling bank statements and receiving invoices. Having excellent accounting skills helps you complete these tasks efficiently. Your job involves maintaining accurate documentation and these abilities can help you prevent accounting errors.

Time management

Junior Accounts Assistants work on different projects and handle multiple accounts simultaneously. Your time management skills can help you prioritise and complete your tasks efficiently. They also help ensure you meet deadlines.

Computer proficiency

Assistants use computers to review statements, post entries and update accounts, so employers typically prefer candidates who are proficient with computers. Knowledge of standard spreadsheets, word processing, file management and presentation software is key for this role. The ability to use different accounting software is also helpful.

Mathematical knowledge

The ability to complete basic calculations, identify mathematical errors and create formulas helps you in your accounting duties. Junior Accounts Assistants use their mathematical skills to generate financial statements and reconcile bank statements. You can develop these abilities through your university course or working in entry-level roles.

Communication

Interacting with vendors and business leaders requires excellent communication skills. For example, if a client lacks financial literacy, your communication skills enable you to explain concepts effectively. Conveying ideas clearly is key to satisfying client needs and expectations. Active listening and written and verbal communication skills help you excel as a Junior Accounts Assistant.

Organisation

Junior Accounts Assistants typically manage multiple projects and clients simultaneously, which requires you to multitask to meet deadlines. Organisational skills allow you to complete tasks on time and produce documentation and financial reports that meet the appropriate standards. Prioritising tasks effectively improves your efficiency and productivity.

Analytical thinking

Analytic skills enable you to identify errors when reconciling bank statements. They also help you with timely and accurate financial reporting. You can apply your analytical skills to conduct research, consider risks and solve complex issues in the workplace.

Work Environment For The Role

The work environment of a Junior Accounts Assistant varies depending on the organisation, but you typically work as part of a team. You usually work a standard 40-hour week in an office, but your role may require overtime at the end of the financial year and during the tax season. The type of work environment you choose depends on your working style, ability to work in a team and general preferences.

Job Description Example

Here is an example of a job description for a Junior Accounts Assistant:

We are looking for an experienced Junior Accounts Assistant to help our company with accounts receivable and accounts payable. Under the guidance of a senior accountant, your duties involve the submission of taxes and financial reports. We expect the Junior Accounts Assistant to help us provide transparency to the company's finances. Your key tasks include working on financial statements and creating reports. Part of your job involves updating accounts receivable, issuing invoices and accounts payable and performing reconciliation.

Our ideal candidate is proficient in accounting principles and has knowledge of goods and services tax (GST). The goal of hiring a Junior Accounts Assistant is to contribute to the company's overall efficiency and help the senior management monitor the company's financial condition.