How to Get Hired as an Assistant Controller

The job of the assistant controller in the administrative field is one that requires you to carry out administrative duties assigned to you by the controller. Such duties may include working with other personnel in the company or organization to ensure that all the policies and procedures of the office are being carried out properly and effectively. The essential duties of this position include preparing monthly financial reports and reconciling the monthly expenses and incomes. You will gather information regarding the company's business and prepare the statistics, either comparing the expenses and income from month to month or from one year to another. This will help give the owners of the company information about the business, such as how the company is growing or what products are more popular than others.

Monthly bank reconciliation is one of the duties of the assistant controller. At the end of the month you will spend time preparing the balance sheets for the month and this will help you assist in the preparation of a monthly forecast. Weekly payroll distribution and summary may also be part of your duties, depending on the size of the company. Paperwork will make up the bulk of your work materials. You must be proficient in the use of accounting software to do the many types of calculations required and to print off the necessary reports. You must also be proficient in the use of spreadsheets, especially when it comes to the role you play in helping to prepare the budget.

Supervision of office personnel under the position of assistant controller is another task that a person in this position will be involved in. This means carrying out performance evaluations and providing assistance to those who may be experiencing problems with their work. Providing backup support in generating payroll checks may also be needed on occasion.



To qualify for the position of assistant controller, you must hold a Bachelor’s degree in accounting or business from an accredited university. You will also need to have experience in using word processing and accounting software and demonstrate proficiency in data entry. There are other characteristics that you must demonstrate to an employer to be hired in such a position. These include:

• Ability to monitor and analyze information.
  
  
• Good interpersonal skills to develop and maintain a good working relationship with other office personnel.
  
  
• Integrity and professionalism in carrying out the duties of the job.
  
  
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  
  
• Ability to interpret various instructions in written, oral, diagram or schedule formats.

The noise level in an office is minimum, but an assistant controller will need to meet the physical demands of sitting for long periods of time. Good eyesight is necessary for the large amount of computer work that this job entails. With experience and the ability to adapt easily to changes will give you an opportunity to advance to higher administrative positions within the company or with other companies when they become available. This is one position in which the job outlook for the future is very good as more and more companies emerge and expand.