How Do I Become an Accounts Receivable Manager?

If you want to become an accounts receivable manager, you probably need to become very well educated, gain relevant experience, and perform at a high level for a duration of your professional life. This is easier said than done and even easier written than said. The reality is that this achievable goal will put you in line to find a job in many different places as accounts receivable managers are needed in all facets of business. Following these steps maximizes your chances to become an accounts receivable manager.

Before you delve into a job, it's helpful to know a thing or two about it. Perhaps you are a seasoned veteran of business looking for a lateral movement, but you also may be a high school student trying to get all of your academic ducks in a row. In either case, a review is helpful. Basically, an accounts receivable manager is responsible for collecting any money owed to a company, hence the word receivable.

Wherever there is business, there is the potential for employment as an accounts receivable manager. Like any job, if you want to succeed, you need to know what you are doing. To become an accounts receivable manager, you need skills and education. You should be very good at math, great with people, and very firm yet professional. Also, you may need to couple these skills with a very good education.

There are a number of educational paths that may help you on your quest to become an accounts receivable manager. Perhaps the most fitting is an accounting background. There are ways to become an accounts receivable manager without an accounting degree, but the vast majority of people working in this field have paid their dues while studying accounting. A mathematics or statistics degree coupled with the right work experience may also suffice in certain situations, although it really depends on each specific position.

Speaking of experience, what you have done professionally is a complementary aspect of your resume that can compensate for or support your academic background. Once you have studied relevant material, try to get a job at an accounting firm or with a business in an accounting department. This will help you learn while also making connections and bolstering your resume. Experience is key, and it can certainly make up for a lack of accounting education. The bottom line is to make yourself as marketable as possible; therefore, the more you do relevant to accounting, the better.