What exactly is it that billing clerks do? Well, people who work in this capacity have a responsibility for billing clients. Whether your position is in one of the healthcare administrative jobs or hotel administration jobs, or anything in between, the job description is similar for a billing clerk. Once you begin working in this field, you can expect to handle a lot of responsibility. You will calculate exactly how much your company’s clients owe the business and prepare the bills. In order to do this, you will have to gather all relevant documents, which may include purchase orders and sales tickets. Once you have calculated the bill, you must apply any credits. In the healthcare administrative jobs field, for example, you may apply insurance payments before you bill the patient. Depending on your field, you will become familiar with the different discounts and credits offered by your company or industry.
Computers have made business administrative jobs much easier. Most billing clerks use an accounting program that calculates the entries and computes it in the accounting system. The need for manually calculating figures is diminishing, and billing clerks’ responsibilities are moving towards checking the numbers in the system with receipts to make sure they match. Another benefit of computers for people in business administrative jobs is the ability to email bills to clients. If the clients do not have email, some programs have become so sophisticated the billing machines will print and stuff the bills.
While you can enter this field with a high school diploma, you can increase your marketability by completing a business program. While you may have taken classes in high school related to billing, it is extremely helpful to understand the mechanics of what you are doing. By taking business classes in math and software for business and accounting, you increase the probability of landing a good business administration job. Two year degrees are preferred by some employers, and having a degree will never hurt. Going to school may ultimately help you advance within your position as you use your education and job experience to move up within a company or to move to a better position with another company.
Billing clerks earn a fair salary. The national average is around $27K, which is on the lower end of the spectrum. You must take into consideration that if you are in the healthcare administration jobs field, or many other business administration jobs, there are benefits that must be factored into the total salary. Business administration jobs will allow you access to work for larger companies that may be able to offer benefits not available to other types of jobs. The working conditions for a billing clerk are good. It is mostly deskwork, performing routine tasks between 35-40 hours weekly. If you enjoy a predictable job, this is perfect.
So, now that you have decided this is something you want to do - or maybe you are looking for somewhere else to do it - how do you find that perfect job? With many candidates looking for a job, you must make sure your resume stands out above the rest. How do you do this? Research, power words, proof read, and get feedback from your friends and professionals. A strong cover letter will emphasize what your job skills as well as personal attributes are that make you THE candidate for the company. Submit that resume to the locations and positions you desire to start soliciting interviews. Professionalism is necessary in all business administration jobs. The office setting requires a clean appearance, so make sure you clean up nicely for your interview. Always send a thank you to your interviewer.
Once you are with the company, maybe you are wondering about advancement opportunities. Billing clerks are eligible for promotions and pay increases. Some are promoted to a supervisor position, and those with a bachelor’s degree are qualified in some instances to move from business administration jobs into human resources.
The best positions are predicted to be healthcare administration jobs, because with the advance of computers billing clerks have lighter workloads. In the medical fields, however, the complexity of insurance claims makes it a more promising long-term career. While this is not a fast growing industry, understanding business administration jobs will position you to succeed in many other areas in the future.
As you seek your perfect business administration job, keep an open mind about the industries you are willing to work for. Healthcare administration jobs, theatre administration jobs and hotel administration jobs are all great options for sending out resumes. Find the perfect job and start building your experience for a promising future in the job market.
