Clerks do general office work that assists professional personnel and management. Clerks work for a variety of businesses, organizations, institutions, government departments, provincial administrations, and local authorities.
There are different categories of clerks who perform a wide range of clerical duties:
- personnel clerks work with all kinds of staff matters giving advice and helping staff solve their problems
- committee clerks render supporting services to management to prepare, integrate, formulate and publish management resolutions with regard to policy and procedure
- financial clerks keep records of financial matters
- registry clerks sort incoming mail, register it and direct it to the officials concerned
Clerks do routine office work such as filing and perform other clerical duties in libraries, embassies, government departments and post offices.
Satisfying Aspects
- regular working hours
- good advancement opportunities
- serving the public
- opportunity to work without having to acquire a high level of education
Demanding aspects
- performing routine, detailed work
- having to stand or sit for long periods of time
- low salaries
- lack of variety in the work
Requirements
A clerk should:
- have a neat appearance;
- be accurate and orderly;
- be dependable and honest;
- be even-tempered;
- be able to concentrate;
- be able to work systematically;
- have manual dexterity;
- work well with others;
- work well under pressure;
- be able to work with or without supervision;
- enjoy detailed routine work;
- have an aptitude for working with figures at least arithmetically.
School Subjects
Grade 10 Certificate.
National Senior Certificate for a diploma course.
Compulsory Subjects: None
Recommended Subjects: Mathematics, Accounting, Computer Applications
Training
Diploma: N.Dip: for example: Public Administration, - NWU, UFH, UNISA.
Experienced senior personnel give training on the job over a period of from four to ten months.
Further study is encouraged and some employers pay tuition fees at universities of technology and private colleges.
Employer
- various businesses, organizations and institutions
- government departments
- provincial administrations and local authorities
Contact
Any of the above potential employers