File clerks are essential to ensuring that an organization's records, accounts, and receipts are accurate and kept up to date. Since organizations of all types depend on careful records management, there are file clerk jobs available in a number of different settings. Skilled file clerks may work in private corporations, medical offices and hospitals, and government agencies.
In the private sector, file clerk jobs are found with all different types of corporations and institutions. Clerks in large office buildings may be in charge of sorting mail and retrieving information for other employees. File clerk jobs in smaller businesses, especially those in the service industry, usually involve keeping track of customer information, billing statements, and receipts. Many modern offices utilize computer systems to keep track of records and information. Therefore, it is important for file clerks to be knowledgeable about different types of data entry, spreadsheet, and word processing applications.
In doctor's offices, hospitals, treatment centers, and nursing homes, medical file clerks manage vital patient information. A clerk may be required to transcribe information about a patient's condition, diagnosis, and medical history into electronic forms. He or she keeps track of billing information and may help a patient set up a payment plan. Many medical file clerk jobs are closely related to medical billing and coding, a specialty in which professionals code diagnoses and communicate with insurance companies to ensure policies are accurate and payments are made.
Many government agencies staff file clerks to manage and update public records. Clerks who work for state health departments, for example, are responsible for keeping accurate records of births, deaths, marriages and divorces. They may be required to retrieve important documents for people and make changes to information when necessary. Clerks at motor vehicle departments help to ensure that important information about driver's licenses, registration, insurance, and driving records are accurate and up to date. File clerk jobs in county offices entail the careful documentation of vital statistics, property records, elections results, and other important legal information.
To find work as a file clerk, a person must typically hold at least a high school diploma or GED. Advanced positions in government agencies are often filled by employees with some college experience or bachelor's degrees in business management, finance, or accounting. As businesses, medical offices, and governments come to rely more on computer systems, there is a strong demand for clerks who can accurately transcribe information from physical records into electronic copies.
