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The Job Of An Administrative Assistant
Date Added: November 24, 2010 08:56:46 PM
Author: donnagonzalez
Category: Arts & Humanities: Education
Administrative assistants are the glue that holds an office together. One minute they could be asked to make travel arrangements for the president of a company, and the next fix a faulty light bulb in a conference room. Although administrative assistants are primarily responsible for coordinating office communications, this role has become increasingly sophisticated. They might be in charge of setting up a national or international videoconference. Administrative assistants are now being given the duties that once fell under the job descriptions of executives, such as writing reports and creating spreadsheets. Here are other jobs they will be expected to perform. Answering Phones and Making Appointments In larger companies receptionists would be the ones who would sit at a desk and take all incoming calls. In mid-sized and small firms the job of answering a multi-extension phone would fall into the hands of the administrative assistant. Responding to questions in a professional manner, transferring calls without long delays, and dealing with irate customers are what administrative assistants do every day. In many cases, they will schedule internal appointments with external clients. This will require superb organizational abilities because the administrative assistant will have to make sure no two meetings overlap each other. In most companies, they will manage the daily schedules of multiple individuals. Furthermore, administrative assistants will also have to cancel and rearrange meetings if asked to do so. Being Familiar With Computer Software Now that companies of all types rely on computers to communicate and do business, administrative assistants must be comfortable with using a multitude of programs. Microsoft Word is the most widely used program, with Excel coming in at a not too distant second. The latter would be important when using a spreadsheet to track expenses/profits, employee attendance or to create a report detailing the company's financial performance. Spending lots of time in front of a computer is guaranteed. Senior executives in the company are often too busy to communicate with everyone who needs attention. That's where administrative assistants come in. They will type reports, letters and internal office memos that must be completed by a certain deadline. Typing speeds of over fifty words per minute is an accepted industry standard. Administrative assistants will have to know how to format these documents in the right way. Office Equipment and Inventory An office needs paper, pens, pencils, toner cartridges, file folders and many other kinds of stationery. Administrative assistants are routinely in charge of stockrooms and will as part of the job description purchase supplies from vendors on a weekly or monthly basis. Assistants will also be asked to prepare invoices and coordinate the delivery of those supplies. The company inventory is not limited to paper. If an office is about to host a large conference it will need the services of a professional caterer. Foods and beverages will be ordered by administrative assistants. There are fax machines, photocopying machines and computers that can and do break down. Maintaining this equipment is vital for business transactions to run smoothly. Administrative assistants must be quick to correct any problems that might come up. How Does Somebody Get an Administrative Assistant Job? High school graduates with basic office skills may qualify for an entry level position. Business and vocational schools can offer rudimentary typing and computer skills. Medical and legal assistants will have to go on to specialized training programs to learn the required language of those industries. Being able to type quickly with no spelling or grammatical errors will improve one's chances. A number of temporary staffing agencies provide such training. Employers will look for excellent customer service skills because administrative assistants must be patient when dealing with people. An administrative assistant must be all things to all people in a company. They must be a troubleshooter, payroll officer, researcher, travel coordinator, and maintenance man/woman all in one. People with advanced computer skills will have better chances of getting this job. write my dissertation
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