Vincent I must disagree with your assertion that because you are low on the food chain it is someone else’s responsibility to manage your career. Unless we all take personal responsibility for growing ourselves we don’t deserve – or often make use of – the opportunities we are given. I love training a bunch of people who are there because their boss sent them. I blow them away because the attitude sucks and is encouraged by the “world owes me” attitude you’re reinforcing.

How does an AP clerk stay relevant? Well an AP clerk can do a heap – for example they are the ones who see the company waste or spending mistakes, or lost opportunities for better deals – they see a side of the business not just a task – and they can contribute a whole lot more than processing invoices and spreadsheets. This makes them more relevant to the company and the career marketplace.

Please don’t keep people on the bottom rung on the bottom rung because you give them no inspiration or incentive to do better – help them see what they can become if they still want to!

Let me give a simple contradiction to point 10 “Stay Relevant”.
What is an accounts payable clerk supposed to do to stay “current” in their “area of expertise”? Keep buying the current releases of “Quick Books”? Build pivot tables in Excel in their free time? For what business purpose?

MANAGEMENT has the fundamental responsibility to keep all employees trained, including the true professionals. The lower the employee is on the org chart the greater the responsibility of management since they have the master plan and the resources to train. Mail room clerks don’t have much disposable income for career development.