finance assistant.

Some typical responsibilities of a finance assistant include:

• supporting senior staff: your job is to support the finance manager and senior accountants with their duties. You help them prepare accounting reports and assist with budgeting and strategic planning. Sometimes, your duties involve scheduling meetings with investors on behalf of finance managers.
• carrying out clerical and administrative tasks: your role involves routine clerical and administrative tasks. For instance, you file financial documents and photocopy or organise files for your superiors. You also collect and record financial data in spreadsheets and accounting software. It is crucial to keep all the information up-to-date for proper financial reporting.
• preparing financial reports: you utilise accounting principles and techniques to prepare the company's financial statements. You compile the reports under the supervision of senior managers. Your job involves basic bookkeeping duties like organising receipts and vouchers and recording them on accounting software. Your job is to perform accounting computations and identify discrepancies before generating the financial statements. You also check for the accuracy of financial records during the reporting stages.
• assisting with audit: you are involved in regular audits to ensure the company's accounting system complies with the financial policy and regulations. You handle inquiries on the company's fiscal policies and procedures. You also review financial statements for accuracy and transparency if you work for an internal auditor.
• preparing budgets: your role involves helping the finance team with budget planning and preparation. For instance, you prepare a list of company expenses and revenue sources discussed in meetings and make the necessary estimates.

A finance assistant works in various business sectors and industries. From mining companies to manufacturing units, you can find a finance assistant position in any industry. Often, your work setting is an indoor office environment with temperature control and good lighting to provide a comfortable workspace. You are likely to work from a small cubicle or workstation as a finance assistant, while senior finance roles have separate offices.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include accountants, finance managers, financial planners, and bookkeepers. You might also be working in close proximity to service administrators and office managers, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, business analysts, payroll specialists, payroll officers, and assistant accountants.

You can commit to a full-time or part-time work schedule as a finance assistant. Full-time schedules are typically between 35 to 40 hours a week, while part-time positions require 30 hours a week. Most roles are the standard 9 am to 5 pm work routines, but some employers offer flexible working arrangements. Overtime hours and working weekends are rare except during busy periods like audit and tax seasons. Travel is minimal unless you work for a company that provides services to various clients.

A finance assistant role is a great way to join the finance industry. The entry-level position provides exciting learning opportunities that often lead to better roles. You can become an accountant or a chartered accountant with additional training and certification before moving to a finance manager position. If you follow the auditing path, you can become a junior auditor with additional experience.

Finding your finance assistant job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as a finance assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

As a finance assistant, you work in the finance department of an organisation. Your job is to track the company's finances. You perform basic bookkeeping and data entry tasks like entering information into databases and filing financial documents. You also handle accounts payable and receivable. That means you process invoices and reconcile bank statements before preparing financial documents.

As a finance assistant, you perform diverse roles since you support accounting and finance employees. You need a strong knowledge of bookkeeping and accounting processes to prepare accurate financial statements. Most organisations manage their bookkeeping through spreadsheets or accounting software, so being conversant with the software is crucial. Strong analytical skills are necessary when reviewing financial information.

A finance assistant requires formal qualifications in accounting and finance, such as a Certificate IV in business administration with a finance major or a diploma in accounting. Some employers prefer candidates to have a bachelor's degree in business or accounting. While it isn't compulsory for finance assistants to complete a certification, attaining a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) status improves your career prospects.

Depending on the organisation's size, a finance assistant can be an entry-level role or a very senior one in upper management. As a finance assistant, you work under an accountant or finance manager. As you progress, you take up head accountant or finance manager roles.

Most finance roles are stressful since they involve repetitive tasks requiring high levels of concentration. A simple mistake can take hours to resolve. However, they are exciting jobs if you enjoy analysing financial information.

Applying for a finance assistant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our finance assistant job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.