The outsider’s perception of an Accounts Payable career doesn’t always align with the views of those on the inside. For a long time, AP has been considered a strictly clerical function, imagined as rows of workers sitting at small wooden desks, wearing green eyeshades while robotically stamping invoices and stacking them up for payment.
Of course, that’s not what you signed up for when you chose an accounts payable career, and it’s a far cry from reality.
Yet although that’s an antiquated meme, it’s a persistent one. Even people within a company may not fully understand the role of AP or its importance to the smooth functioning and overall health of the organization. Let’s dispel those notions by looking at the reality of the role from an insider’s perspective.
You didn’t choose Accounts Payable to process invoices. You chose to build a career.
While some people stumble into the profession without any finance or accounting knowledge whatsoever, most have some higher education in a related field. For them, an entry level AP job is the beginning of a lifelong career path, and it’s a solid choice. For as long as there are businesses that need to buy things and pay for them, an Accounts Payable professional will have work.
Especially at this pivotal time in the evolution of technology, a career in AP offers a promising future. As more of the clerical work is becoming managed by AI and related automated tools, Accounts Payable professionals will have the opportunity to take on more strategic roles that will help shape the organization, enabling them to strategize, build relationships, and contribute to its financial well-being.
You didn’t choose Accounts Payable to chase approvals. You chose to make finance better.
Getting approvals is, of course, an important step in the payment process. But it’s simply that — a step. It’s essential to keep that in perspective when looking at AP as a whole.
Of course, that’s not to downplay the importance of getting approvals as part of the payment process, and it’s a fact that this can be a particularly frustrating obstacle in a manual workflow. Automated solutions make this a much more efficient and streamlined activity that largely eliminates the need for AP staff to be “approval detectives.”
Yet even in organizations that don’t use automation for approval routing, it’s just a necessary part of the job that’s simply a means to an end — ensuring compliance with payment best practices, preventing fraud, and capturing discounts before they expire. That’s the bigger picture: AP improves the organization financially.
You didn’t choose Accounts Payable to spend your day firefighting. You chose to improve processes.
As anybody who’s spent time in AP knows, there will be days when it seems like all you do is put out fires. But that isn’t what you signed up for. It’s stressful and extremely inefficient.
However, those issues serve to show you where the problems lie. They reveal opportunities for process improvement; you just need to take the time to analyze them and figure out how to address them — not just in a given situation, but for all such similar problems that may occur in the future.
One way to do this is called “process mapping.” This involves flowcharting processes and figuring out where there are issues. It’s important for everybody that performs a particular task to participate, because it may come to light that they are aren’t all doing the same task in the same way. They may also discover duplications of effort, unnecessary steps, or lapses in accountability.
Firefighting is, in fact, an invitation to process improvement.
You didn’t choose Accounts Payable to stay in the background. You chose to grow.
If you’re reading this, you’ve come to IFOL for insights on how to build your accounts payable career. While some people are content to keep a low profile and then go home, you clearly aren’t one of them. Improving your understanding of best practices, compliance, efficiencies, and the evolution of AP as a whole is important to maintaining a clear view of where the profession is going and how you can leverage your knowledge to ride that career wave.
If you haven’t already done so, take advantage of growth opportunities through certification, conferences, and webinars.
You didn’t choose Accounts Payable to fix problems. You chose to build trusted relationships.
Resolving invoice discrepancies is part of AP’s role, yes. But those who have been in the profession for a while know that working with Finance, Procurement, and suppliers is so much more than that: It’s essential relationship building.
First, remember that AP controls almost all the cash flowing out of the organization. The reporting and insight you provide to Finance is essential for accurate analysis and business planning.
In addition, maintaining open communication with Procurement provides insight into the end-to-end procure-to-pay process. That can help the AP professional understand the specifics of individual vendors and develop good working relationships with them on the basis of that information.
You know why you chose Accounts Payable.
Not to do clerical work all day, every day. Not to be invisible within the organization. Not to manage inefficiencies without their ever being resolved.
You know why you chose a career in AP. Now it’s up to you to help the rest of your organization understand that too.
What’s the Next Step in Your Accounts Payable Career?
If this article resonates with you, perhaps it’s time to invest in your own professional development.
Whether you’re looking to strengthen your technical knowledge, gain professional recognition, or prepare for the next stage of your career, developing your skills is one of the best investments you can make.
To help you explore your options, you can:
Join our free CAPP Walkthrough to discover how the Certified Accounts Payable Practitioner (CAPP) program works, who it’s designed for, and whether professional certification is the right next step for your career.
Or, if you’d prefer to learn at your own pace, download the CAPP Course Guide for a detailed overview of the program, curriculum and learning outcomes.
Whatever stage you’re at in your career, IFOL is here to support your professional development.
