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Financial ServicesISCO 4110

Office clerk

An office clerk is a person who performs the clerical and administrative tasks of an office and supports the business activity of a department.

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Rate 5 of the 26 essential skills of this occupation (European ESCO data). No account needed.

use spreadsheets software

file documents

organise business documents

align content with form

process commissioned instructions

About office clerk

The clerk sorts incoming mail and delivers correspondence, fills in forms and documents, answers the telephone, greets clients and schedules meetings, and in doing so supports the administrative staff, secretaries and assistants around them. The clerk processes data as it arrives and uses different communication channels to pass it on: telephone, email, internal systems and in person.

The clerk catalogues documents and manages electronic documents, which means a filing system that someone else can use, consistent naming, and versions that can be told apart. The clerk also distributes internal communications, so that what the department needs to know actually reaches it.

The clerk follows company policies, for example on who may see a document and how long it is kept. The job requires the ability to process data, manage electronic documents and fill in forms accurately. Formal requirements are set by the employer.

European Skills Framework

Skills and knowledge areas required for this occupation based on European classification.

Essential (26)

information confidentialityinformation confidentialityThe mechanisms and regulations which allow for selective access control and guarantee that only authorised parties (people, processes, systems and devices) have access to data, the way to comply with ...company policiescompany policiesThe set of rules that govern the activity of a company.communicate with customerscommunicate with customersRespond to and communicate with customers in the most efficient and appropriate manner to enable them to access the desired products or services, or any other help they may require.use spreadsheets softwareuse spreadsheets softwareUse software tools to create and edit tabular data to carry out mathematical calculations, organise data and information, create diagrams based on data and to retrieve them.disseminate internal communicationsdisseminate internal communicationsDisseminate internal communications using the different communication channels that a company has at its disposal.file documentsfile documentsCreate a filing system. Write a document catalogue. Label documents etc.organise business documentsorganise business documentsPut together documents coming from the photocopier, the mail, or the daily operations of businesses.use different communication channelsuse different communication channelsMake use of various types of communication channels such as verbal, handwritten, digital and telephonic communication with the purpose of constructing and sharing ideas or information.align content with formalign content with formAlign form and content to make sure they fit together.process commissioned instructionsprocess commissioned instructionsProcess instructions, usually oral ones, provided by managers and directives on actions required to be made. Take note, inquire, and take action on the commissioned requests.use office systemsuse office systemsMake appropriate and timely use of office systems used in business facilities depending on the aim, whether for the collection of messages, client information storage, or agenda scheduling. It include...handle mailhandle mailHandle mail considering data protection issues, health and safety requirements, and specifications of different kinds of mail.perform office routine activitiesperform office routine activitiesProgram, prepare, and perform activities required to be performed everyday in offices such as mailing, receiving supplies, updating managers and employees, and keeping operations running smoothly.disseminate messages to peopledisseminate messages to peopleReceive, process, and pass messages to people coming from phone calls, faxes, postal, and emails.fill out formsfill out formsFill out forms of a different nature with accurate information, legible calligraphy, and within a timely manner.prepare correspondence for customersprepare correspondence for customersDraught, prepare and issue correspondence to customers informing about pending bills, merchandising communication, apology letters, or greeting mails.apply grammar and spelling rulesapply grammar and spelling rulesApply the rules of spelling and grammar and ensure consistency throughout texts.maintain correspondence recordsmaintain correspondence recordsSort correspondence and attach previous records or files of correspondence with incoming mails.manage digital documentsmanage digital documentsManage various data formats and files by naming, publishing, transforming and sharing files and documents and transforming file formats.organise facilities for office personnelorganise facilities for office personnelManage the booking schedule for conferences and meetings of internal or external nature. Shop around and book reservations for travelling or hosting for office personnel.route correspondence to business departmentsroute correspondence to business departmentsClassify incoming correspondence, select priority mails and packages, and distribute them in the different departments of the company.communicate by telephonecommunicate by telephoneLiaise via telephone by making and answering calls in a timely, professional and polite manner.deliver correspondencedeliver correspondenceDistribute mail correspondence, newspapers, packages and private messages to customers.handle delivered packageshandle delivered packagesAdminister delivered packages and ensure that they reach their destination on time.process dataprocess dataEnter information into a data storage and data retrieval system via processes such as scanning, manual keying or electronic data transfer in order to process large amounts of data.facilitate access to informationfacilitate access to informationPrepare documents for archiving; ensure that the information can easily be accessed at all times.
Optional (21) — show
transcription methodstranscription methodsThe methods to quickly transcribe spoken language into text, such as stenography.accounting techniquesaccounting techniquesThe techniques of recording and summarising business and financial transactions and analysing, verifying, and reporting the results.document sharing proceduresdocument sharing proceduresThe internal procedures concerning the circulation of documents in large organisations.translate keywords into full textstranslate keywords into full textsDraft e-mails, letters and other written documents on the basis of keywords or key concepts outlining the content. Choose the appropriate format and language style according to the type of document.respect data protection principlesrespect data protection principlesEnsure that access to personal or institutional data conforms to the legal and ethical framework governing such access.maintain inventory of office suppliesmaintain inventory of office suppliesKeep inventory of office supplies such as equipment and stationery items to avoid out of stock or misuse of the supplies.digitise documentsdigitise documentsLoad analog documents by converting them into a digital format, using specialised hardware and software.maintain internal communication systemsmaintain internal communication systemsMaintain an effective internal communication system among employees and department managers.use software for data preservationuse software for data preservationUtilise specialised applications and software to collect and preserve digital information.monitor staff absencesmonitor staff absencesKeep an overview of the employees's vacations, sick leaves and absences, register these in the agenda and file the necessary documents and certificates.perform cleaning dutiesperform cleaning dutiesPerform cleaning duties such as waste removal, vacuuming, emptying bins, and general cleaning of the working area. Cleaning activities should follow health and safety regulations if required.use free typing techniquesuse free typing techniquesKnow, use and write documents, texts and content in general without looking at the keyboard. Use techniques to write documents in such fashion.keep records of customer interactionkeep records of customer interactionRecording details of inquiries, comments and complaints received from customers, as well as actions to be taken.communicate with customer service departmentcommunicate with customer service departmentCommunicate with customer service in a transparent and collaborative manner; monitor how service is operating; relay real-time information to customers.serve beveragesserve beveragesProvide a variety of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages such as soft drinks, mineral waters, wine and bottled beer over a counter or using a tray.ensure proper document managementensure proper document managementGuarantee that the tracking and recording standards and rules for document management are followed, such as ensuring that changes are identified, that documents remain readable and that obsoleted docu...issue sales invoicesissue sales invoicesPrepare the invoice of goods sold or services provided, containing individual prices, the total charge, and the terms. Complete order processing for orders received via telephone, fax and internet and...draft corporate emailsdraft corporate emailsPrepare, compile, and write mails with the adequate information and an appropriate language to make internal or external communications.process customer ordersprocess customer ordersHandle orders placed by customers. Receive the customer order and define a list of requirements, a working process, and a time frame. Execute the work as planned.use microsoft officeuse microsoft officeUse the standard programs contained in Microsoft Office. Create a document and do basic formatting, insert page breaks, create headers or footers, and insert graphics, create automatically generated t...use personal organization softwareuse personal organization softwareUse software tools, such as calendars, to-do lists, time-tracking, contact lists, to help in managing personal efficiency.

Related Occupations

Occupations that need many of the same essential skills, so the move between them is shortest.

secretary13 shared essential skillsadministrative assistant12 shared essential skillsmanagement assistant7 shared essential skillsexecutive assistant6 shared essential skillsfile clerk6 shared essential skillsinvestment clerk6 shared essential skillsproperty assistant6 shared essential skillsreceptionist5 shared essential skills

Frequently asked questions

What does an office clerk do?

Office clerks are responsible for performing clerical and administrative duties in an office setting and support of business operations within a department. They assist all the administrative staff, secretaries, and assistants by sorting mail, filing forms and documents, answering phones, greeting clients and scheduling meetings.

What skills does an office clerk need?

An office clerk needs 26 essential skills, including information confidentiality, company policies, communicate with customers, use spreadsheets software, disseminate internal communications.

Will AI replace office clerk jobs?

The AI disruption score for office clerk is 87/100 (very high risk). Skills most exposed to automation: apply grammar and spelling rules, fill out forms, process data. Most resilient: serve beverages, perform cleaning duties, maintain internal communication systems.

AI Replacement Risk

87/ 100
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Quick Facts

SectorFinancial Services
ISCO GroupGeneral and keyboard clerks
Essential Skills26

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