Administrative Assistant

The career of an administrative assistant is a diverse one. Administrative assistants are employed in a wide variety of industries and perform a wide variety of duties, usually within an office setting. The aspiring administrative assistant should be more than computer literate as much of this type of work is done on the computer. Read on to discover more about the career of an administrative assistant and how you can become one.

What does an Administrative Assistant Do?
Administrative assistants are often the heart of any given organization as they perform a wide variety of duties and often interact with the public. Some administrative assistant positions are entry level while others are reserved for those with experience and/or training. An entry level administrative assistant can expect to perform a wide variety of office duties, including filing, typing, answering the phone, and other duties that help to support various departments within the company, such as copying, faxing, etc.

Administrative assistants often prepare reports and spreadsheets and other documentation that may be needed for meetings. Some administrative assistants, especially those with experience, may make travel arrangements for the executives or others in the company. They may also coordinate conferences and meetings and notify others of such.

The career of administrative assistant may be as diverse as the industries in which administrative assistants are found. For example, corporate administrative assistants may be very involved in making travel arrangements while administrative assistants for other industries, such as the insurance industry or the funeral industry may spend their workdays doing nothing but paperwork. Some administrative assistants interact with the public and some serve strictly as support staff for various departments within a company.

Where does an Administrative Assistant Work?
There are administrative assistant jobs in a wide variety of industries. Almost any company that has an office will have at least one administrative assistant. However, there are administrative assistants found in the corporate offices of restaurants and other places where one would not initially expect to find an administrative assistant. Grocery stores, retail stores, and restaurants often have corporate offices where such support staff can be found.

This is important to keep in mind if you are looking for a position as an administrative assistant because at first glance, you might not think about working at a grocery store or a restaurant, but realizing that these types of industries do have offices can open new doors for you as a seeking administrative assistant. There are also administrative assistant jobs in the healthcare field. While some of these positions may require a certain amount of medical knowledge, not all of them do. Administrative assistants in the healthcare field may schedule appointments, file, prepare documents, answer the phone, return phone calls, and other duties as needed.

Education and Training
There are a variety of options to be considered when preparing for the career of administrative assistant. While you don't have to have a degree or any formal training in many cases, like any other career, the more education and training you have, the more money you can expect to earn and the more options you will have when it comes to what kind of job you can get as an administrative assistant. A high school graduate that has taken computer classes can secure an entry level position as an administrative assistant; however, if you have been out of school for some time or haven't worked in the workplace for a while, you might consider a program offered by your local community college or vocational school.

These programs can last from a few months to a year or more and will help prepare you to work in an office. You will learn the latest computer software programs that the workplace uses today and you will learn all about office practices. In addition, you can combine these classes with a medical or legal specialty if you wish to specialize either in the legal or healthcare fields. If not, you can get a general education regarding office practices and the use of office machines. In addition, many of these programs offer placement assistance for their graduates so it might be easier to secure a position with an established company if you decide to go this route.

Certification
While certification is not mandatory, it can boost the career of an administrative assistant to hold the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) certification, which is awarded to those who pass the associated exam, which is administered by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). Administrative assistants who hold this certification earn more, statistically, than those who don't. In addition, by holding this professional certification, the administrative assistant is esteemed by employers and potential employers as being career-minded and serious about their work.

Those interested in taking this exam can find all the details at the IAAP's website, however, it should be noted that either a combination of experience and education is required to take this exam or experience only will suffice; however, for those without a college degree, four years of administrative assistant experience is required. This certification is good for 5 years, after which you would need to re-certify to keep your certification active. Still, it is a worthwhile goal to have to take the exam. For complete details on requirements and resources pertaining to the CAP exam, check the IAAP's website.

Another certification that administrative assistants might want to consider is the Microsoft Office Specialist (MOS) certification. This certification carries a lot of weight as well, as many offices use Microsoft office applications, especially Word and Excel. Being certified as an expert in one or more of these applications can make the difference between getting the job and not getting it. Unlike the CAP certification, there is no experience or degree required to sit for this exam, however one must be proficient with the software programs before being able to pass these exams. For more information about this certification, see the Microsoft website.

Skills Needed to be an Administrative Assistant
Almost any administrative assistant position is going to require basic office skills. The career-minded administrative assistant can advance in his or her career by honing those skills and getting additional training as well. Salary is often commensurate with experience and/or education in this field so the more qualified an individual is, the more he or she can expect to earn.

Typing is often required for this position and most administrative assistant jobs that require typing specify at least 50 words per minute to qualify for the position. In addition, most of these positions require a working knowledge of word processing programs as well as spreadsheet applications. Administrative assistants that conduct meetings may also need to be proficient with presentation software. Those who plan to enter this career should be as proficient as possible with computers and software applications.

Administrative assistants use a wide variety of other office machines as well. If you are looking for a job as an administrative assistant, you should be familiar with how to fax, copy, and scan. You may also be required to use a postage meter and/or postage scale. These are quite easy to use in most office environments; however, they can be intimidating if you have never used them before.

How to get a job as an Administrative Assistant
While some of the ads for the job of administrative assistant may look daunting to the inexperienced, there are some entry level jobs available for administrative assistants. One way to break into this career is to go through temporary staffing agencies, often referred to as "temp agencies." Temp agencies need all kinds of administrative staff at any given time and it is rather easy to secure an entry level position by going this route.

Some temp agencies even offer training to those that are signed up with them. This can be difficult if you need to secure a position right away because typically the training, which is self-paced and offered through the use of computer programs, is only available during business hours, which are typically 8 am to 5 pm. Since these are also the hours that most offices are open, it may be difficult to take advantage of this training and work at the same time. However, this can be a great and cost-effective solution if you only need to brush up on your skills or if you can handle not working for a few weeks until you get some valuable training under your belt.

Even if you have some experience as an administrative assistant, getting a job through a temp agency can still be a great way to secure a position. By working for one of these agencies, you can work at a variety of administrative assistant positions, which can help you figure out exactly what kind of work you would like to do. In addition, many companies that use staffing agencies to find their employees end up hiring these employees full time after a probationary period. Of course, if you really want to work temp jobs long term without getting hired on permanently, you can do this too and retain the flexibility that working through a temp agency offers.

Trade Associations for the Administrative Assistant
The Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals (AEAP) and the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) are two well known trade associations for administrative assistants. As discussed earlier in this article, the IAAP administers the CAP exam, which offers a professional certification to administrative assistants. While you don't have to be a member of the IAAP to take the exam, members are offered a discount. There are other benefits to being a member of this organization as well.

Being a member of IAAP provides several resources for the career minded administrative assistant. There are annual conferences that offer workshops and training that will help keep the administrative assistant apprised of workplace trends and new technologies. There is also a vast network associated with this organization that offers training and career resources. You might also be able to find a local chapter near you, which could help you network face to face with other professionals in your field.

The AEAP is another worthwhile organization for administrative assistants to join. Here, you will find many career development resources as well as a job bank that lists jobs all across the United States for those administrative assistants who may be seeking a new career. There is also salary information to help you figure out what administrative assistants are being paid and what you can expect. The AEAP maintains an active website where you will find an interactive forum so that you can communicate with other professionals in your field.

This organization also hosts an annual conference that has several workshops to help administrative assistants in their career development. These conferences are held all over the United States at different times of the year to make it easy for members to attend. While membership in the AEAP as well as membership in the IAAP does cost, it is a worthwhile investment for the career minded administrative assistant and both organizations offer a wide variety of resources administrative assistants will find helpful.

Training on your own to be an Administrative Assistant
If you have a computer, there is a lot of training you can do at home on your own either to get a job as an administrative assistant or to improve your skills if you are already working as an administrative assistant. For example, if you need to improve your typing, whether in speed or accuracy or both, there is software that can take you from the hunt and peck stage to where you are typing 50 words per minute or more. Once you learn how to type, it is really only a matter of practice, however these programs can really be helpful there as well, because they include timers and practice sets that will help you to gauge your speed and accuracy.

Maybe you need to learn word processing or spreadsheet applications. There is software that you can buy to teach you this as well. In addition, if you want to learn Microsoft Office applications, such as Word and Excel, which is used in thousands and thousands of offices in the United States, you can get free tutorials online at the Microsoft site. If you are serious about either learning these skills or improving them, you will need to have this software on your home computer so you can practice at your convenience. While it may seem a little expensive at first, consider it an investment in your career. Administrative assistants who are proficient in these software applications won't have any trouble finding a position even if they haven't had formal training.

Your Future as an Administrative Assistant
If you enjoy office work, you can have a lucrative career as an administrative assistant. While you may begin your career in a mundane entry level position, through a combination of education and experience, you can advance to an executive position within this field. Most full-time administrative assistant jobs are with companies that have a generous benefits package, including such perks as health insurance, 401(k) plans, paid vacation, and many of these companies offer tuition reimbursement so that you can continue your education – on them!

For the career minded administrative assistant, the sky really is the limit. Learn everything you can about as many office practices and procedures as possible. In addition, the more you know about computer applications, the further you can rise on the career ladder. Even if you don't wish to pursue a degree, there are a lot of courses you can take and a lot of self-paced training that can help you to advance your career. Good luck and enjoy your career as an administrative assistant.


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