Administrative Assistant

The core duties and responsibilities of an Administrative Assistant revolve around supporting others. Their job duties can vary widely, not just from job to job, but from day to day at the same job.

On any given day, they may perform a variety of tasks, such as :

• Answer phones and greet visitors
• Schedule appointments and maintain calendars
• Schedule and coordinate staff and other meetings
• Collate and distribute mail
• Prepare communications, such as memos, emails, invoices, reports and other correspondence
• Write and edit documents from letters to reports and instructional documents
• Create and maintain filing systems, both electronic and physical
• Manage accounts and perform bookkeeping

In order to perform their various duties, an Administrative Assistant must exhibit many varied skills and qualifications.

At the core, the Administrative Assistant is a support position, meaning that communications and decision-making are paramount.

A few of the specific skills that all administrative assistants should possess include :

• Decision-making : Administrative Assistants have to make independent decisions on a daily basis, addressing the best way to handle specific tasks.
• Communications and collaboration : An Administrative Assistant must collaborate with other administrators and support personnel, management and clients on a regular basis.
• Organizational skills : Organization and prioritization are the core elements of the Administrative Assistant's responsibilities.

You must know how to keep yourself and others organized and how to determine which tasks are the most important in a given list.

Writing : Spelling, punctuation, sentence structure and writing are essential to an Administrative Assistant, who must be proficient in a variety of styles, from creative to professional to technical to education and more.

The minimum level of education for an Administrative Assistant is a high school diploma or GED. Temporary agencies may also provide training in these areas.

For those straight out of high school, courses in word processing and general office procedures are offered at vocational schools and community colleges and can be very helpful.

Administrative Assistants with a bachelor’s degree are more marketable, as they are seen to have a more well-rounded education that includes writing and mathematics, which can be useful to the job.

While prior experience is not strictly required for work as an Administrative Assistant, many employers value prior work in the field.

This is because many office professionals learn their major skills through on-the-job training, and a strong history of long-term work with other organizations can show reliability, responsibility and that you possess the skills you need.

Starting as a secretary and working up through the ranks also shows increasing skill development and dedication.

Compensation : $17.00 - $18.00 per hour

Compensation : $17.00 - $18.00 per hour Typically Monday through Friday business hours Fast growing industry Opportunity to work in a variety of roles