Among the oldest and most universal of office positions is that of bookkeeper. For men who require work that does not call for physical activity this vocation offers excellent opportunities of earning immediate incomes while at the same time paving the way for advancement.
Requirements
Men who elect this calling should be able to write a good business hand, be accurate and rapid in handling the usual arithmetical computations, be neat and painstaking in their work, understand the fundamental language of business, be familiar with the common business forms, and possess a thorough understanding of the universally employed double-entry system of bookkeeping.
Length of Course
The time required for completion of a course of study that will insure the possession of the above qualifications will depend upon the man’s previous education and experience, but should generally be kept within a period of six months. Many will make adequate preparation in much less time.
Where Training May Be Given
Excellent courses are to be had in a large number of approved private business schools, and men may be trained in their home environment or in large commercial centers where employment is to be sought, as they may elect.
Why Take Training?
While many so-called bookkeeping positions are open to men without training, it is highly desirable that a comprehensive knowledge of bookkeeping be secured, as it is only by this means that promotion can be expected. The posting clerk, or entry clerk, will always remain an unskilled laborer in competition with untrained boys and girls unless he is fortified by such a knowledge of the science of accounts as will enable him to become the head bookkeeper, the cost accountant, or the auditor. Such a man may, by additional training in evening school, qualify for the profession of accountancy and establish an independent business of his own.