General office clerks perform a variety of clerical tasks, including answering telephones, typing documents, and filing records.

Duties

General office clerks typically do the following:

• Answer and transfer telephone calls or take messages
• Sort and deliver incoming mail and send outgoing mail
• Schedule appointments and receive customers or visitors
• Provide general information to staff, clients, or the public
• Type, format, or edit routine memos or other reports
• Copy, file, and update paper and electronic documents
• Prepare and process bills and other office documents
• Collect information and perform data entry

Rather than performing a single specialized task, general office clerks have responsibilities that often change daily with the current needs of the employer.

Some clerks file documents or answer phones; others enter data into computers or perform other tasks using software applications. They also frequently use photocopiers, scanners, fax machines, and other office equipment.

The specific duties assigned to clerks will depend on the type of office in which they work. For example, a general office clerk at a college or university processes application materials and answers questions from prospective students. A clerk at a hospital files and retrieves medical records.