What are the pros & cons of being an inventory clerk - is it right for me?

So you’re thinking about becoming an inventory clerk? Perhaps you’d like to know what are the benefits and some things to consider before making that decision.

Let’s begin with addressing what an inventory clerk does to get a rough idea of what the job entails.

An inventory clerk is a third party usually appointed by a landlord or estate agency to carry out either a Check-In, Mid-Term inspection or a Check Out. At the end of the inspection, all parties are expected to receive a detailed report of the condition of the property which will be used at a later stage if any damages were to occur.

Now that we’ve cleared up the role of an inventory clerk, we can begin to discuss the pros and cons!

Pros:
• Meet new people − If you’re a people person, it can be refreshing to meet new people every day at work, whether it’s the agents, the landlords or the tenants. Meeting new people and getting to know them can make your work more interesting!
• Flexible hours − An inventory clerk does not have a regular 9 am-5 pm job, although some days it does feel like we’ll get to the cons in a minute! The inventories are usually booked around the availability of the tenant, the estate agency or landlord and of course the inventory clerk! This is perfect for those who have prior commitments and families which leads to the next point.
• Good for families / other priorities − As this is a flexible job whereby the inventories are booked around a time that suits you, this is perfect for those with families who have to drop off the kids and pick them up from school.
• No 2 days are the same − A basic office job will usually have a routine and the excitement of going to work will usually fade due to the repetitive tasks involved. However inventory clerks, not only do they visit different properties, sometimes even grand and luxurious mansions but the reports themselves differ. Inventory clerks are usually assigned 4-5 different types of reporting for different properties.
• No paperwork is involved, everything is on the app − Gone are the days when inventory clerks would spend hours carrying out an inventory with a pen and paper only for that piece of paper to then get lost if misfiled. With technology changing the entire world for the better, software developers have used this to their advantage and created software for us inventory companies to use. Not only does it automatically upload photos to the correct destination but once completed all parties involved can add their comments and signatures in one place!
• Once you leave the property you don’t need to worry about the report. No need to take work home with you − Perhaps with other inventory companies, various jobs and positions, it is expected for the employee to carry out a task over several days, often the employee stresses over the given task out-of-work hours especially if deadlines are to be met. With inventory clerks, the job they’re given gets completed there and then. They don’t need to take any work with them home to complete. Once they’ve left the property they need not think about the report again!

Cons:
• Inconsistency − No 2 days being the same perhaps may help relieve boredom however some individuals prefer consistency and sticking to a schedule. Some days you may finish work earlier and other days you may finish later than expected because of external influences, for example, if you cannot get access to the property, your report is then delayed resulting in a later finish.
• Some days there may be last-minute bookings − It may be difficult to plan activities with your family & friends due to last-minute bookings, especially if you’ve chosen to work some weekends. Although the role is flexible, a lot of rearranging of appointments is required!
• Busy during summer − Ah, the summer which everyone looks forward to! Unfortunately, as an inventory clerk, this can be the busiest time so you may need to cut your holiday a little short. Perhaps you can’t go for a picnic with your family on a sunny day but no one’s stopping you from treating yourself to a nice cold drink (or even ice cream) while you carry out your report!
• Detailed reports, may be tired and overlook things − On a typical busy day, an inventory clerk can be given around 4-5 inventories to complete and usually, they’re back-to-back. The only break you may have is a quick lunch break when you’re driving from one appointment to the next. This may mean when you arrive at the last inventory you may be completely drained which would affect the quality of the report. You’re most likely to overlook some things which could be a problem later.

Hopefully, that cleared up any questions you had, of course, if you have any questions you can leave a comment below this article.
If you found this helpful article you may find our TikTok page useful too, you can find videos of “a day in my life as an inventory clerk” to give you an idea of what to expect!