Preparing business letters and reports, answering the telephone, and mailing documents, these are just a few of the many tasks performed by an administrative assistant. Administrative assistants, also referred to as office clerks, are the backbone of many successful offices. This is because administrative assistants are responsible for all of the little tasks that make a business run smoothly.
Administrative assistants perform all sorts of general office duties. Besides, answering phones and preparing documents, administrative assistants make appointments, explain any procedures or questions that clients or potential customers may have, and generally keep things in order. Successful administrative assistants are excellent at multi-tasking, meaning they can perform and keep track of many duties at one time. For individuals who enjoy variety in their work, administrative assistant would be a good position as each day will bring different tasks.
Administrative assistants must be extremely organized and detail oriented. These workers need excellent verbal and written communication skills to communicate with clients and produce effective business correspondence. Administrative assistants also require good clerical skills and computer skills as well as the ability to adapt to new office technologies. They should also have an awareness of different types of filing systems.
Typical Tasks
Key in, edit, proofread and finalize correspondence, reports, statements, invoices, forms, presentations and other documents, from notes or dictation using computers
Respond to telephone, in-person or electronic inquiries or forward to appropriate person
Provide general information to clients and the public
Photocopy and collect documents for distribution, mailing and filing
Prepare reports from manual or electronic files, inventories, mailing lists and databases
Process incoming and outgoing mail, manually or electronically
Send and receive messages and documents using fax machine or electronic mail
May perform bookkeeping tasks such as preparing invoices and bank deposits
May sort, process and verify applications, receipts, expenditures, forms and other documents
Administrative assistants will spend their day working within an office environment. They will perform many different duties throughout the day. From producing business correspondence and answering the telephones, to processing mail and greeting clients there is a variety of tasks they may be performing. Administrative assistants tend to work regular 40-hour weeks with weekends off; they may occasionally work longer hours if required.
Workplaces, Employers and Industries
Administrative assistants are employed by all sorts of companies and in many office environments. Both small and large companies employ administrative assistants. Not all administrative assistants work in established offices some may also work as administrative assistants for production companies.
Long Term Career Potential
There is some room for advancement in this career. Administrative assistants with experience may choose to progress to supervisory or office management positions.
Educational Paths
To work as an administrative assistant the completion of secondary school is required. It also recommended that individuals wanting to do this work should complete some college business or administrative courses. This will increase their chances of working in this field. The ability to type and basic computer skills are also required for this position.
