Discussing the Administrative Assistant Resume
Key ResponsibilitiesWith increasing office automation and organizational restructuring, the role of office assistants continues to evolve. They are increasingly assuming responsibilities of the managerial and the professional staff. However, their core responsibilities are still the same: to perform and coordinate the administrative activities of the office mainly by storing, retrieving and integrating information for the staff and the clients. Administrative Assistants serve as the information and communications managers of the office, they plan and schedule meetings and appointments, organize and maintain hard and soft files, manage projects, conduct researches and disseminate information using telephone, manual mail, email and websites. Many times they also handle travel and guest arrangements.
they run a variety of office equipment like fax machines, photocopiers, scanners, telephone and videoconferencing systems in addition to using computer desktop publishing and digital graphics to compose correspondence, manage databases, create spreadsheets, presentations, reports and other documents. They may also be asked to negotiate with vendors, obtain and maintain leased equipment, purchase supplies, manage stockrooms or corporate record houses and retrieve data from various sources. On the other hand, managers and professional have assumed many tasks previously done by Administrative Assistants like keyboarding and answering the telephone.
Many times they also provide training and orientation to new staff, conduct researches and operate and troubleshoot new office technologies.
Level of Education Required
Administrative Assistants should be proficient in typing and use of office equipment as well as good at written and oral communication. Good customer service and interpersonal skills are also being increasingly sought as Administrative Assistants have to deal with people with tact.
No formal qualifications are required for the position of Administrative Assistant and high school grads with basic office skills may qualify for entry level. However, employers these days increasingly seek college degree holders as they have to work frequently with top-level executives. A degree related to the business or industry in which the candidate is seeking job will be an advantage.
Early training may be acquired in various ways ranging from high school vocational courses in typing and office skills to one or two year programs in office administration offered by business schools or technical colleges. Most office assistants acquire advanced skills through on-the-job instruction by employers or equipment or software vendors once they are hired. Testing and certification in office skills are offered by organizations like International Association of Administrative Professionals leading to designations like Certified Administrative Professionals (CAP).
Career Path
Administrative Assistants are employed in organizations of every type with around ninety percent working in service-providing industries ranging from education to healthcare and government to retail trade. Most others work for firms engaged in manufacturing or construction.
Along with good earnings, the job of an administrative assistant gives an aura of power and excellent learning opportunities. However, it is sometimes considered a dead end job as far as career progression is concerned. This means that earnings may increase but further growth in career is rather limited.
Summary
When discussing the Administrative Assistant Resume, the career of administrative assistant is a career offering steady earnings and maximum security but with little career growth. At the same time it offers great scope for self-development through interpersonal interaction and use of modern technology.