Why Choose Admin as a Career
Looking at Administration as a Starter Job
A job in admin can help kick start your career. Learn what Administrative Assistants do and the skills needed to be successful.
Administrative Assistants are often thought of as modern day secretaries. In reality, they are so much more. Administrative Assistants are key players in any business. They perform a variety of tasks that keep the daily business operations flowing smoothly. They act as support for managers, executives and other leaders in the company. Administrative Assistants are truly the foundation on which success is created. Working in Admin is a great way to start your career in any field.
What are the job duties and skills needed?
Administrative Assistants generally have direct contact with clients, greeting them in the office or over the phone. They must be capable of referring clients to the appropriate person to handle their needs and they should always be customer service oriented as they will often be the first point of contact.
Administrative Assistants are known for being organizers. They perform many basic office tasks including scheduling, filing, filling out paperwork, running reports, making copies, sending faxes, updating databases and spreadsheets, and writing letters. They must have a basic to intermediate level proficiency with computers and other technology.
Someone in this position should be comfortable multi-tasking and taking direction from many people. It is standard practice for one individual (or just a few individuals) to support an entire department of people. As such, Administrative Assistants tend to become very efficient, managing their time and work appropriately in order to get everything accomplished. It is also helpful for Administrative Assistants to be highly adaptive and flexible as the position tends to change often due to new technology and changing procedures.
Why start your career in admin?
Working in administration is an excellent place to start a career. You are able to experience quite a bit within the company you work for. You gain an overall sense of how the business operates, you learn the daily work flow, and you meet people from many different departments. As an Administrative Assistant, you are also able to learn about the industry as a whole, experiencing long-term business cycles such as seasonal changes in demand. Working in admin will teach you the basic daily routines and procedures of the company.
The position does not typically require any college education though a high school diploma and basic office skills proficiency are generally recommended. New college graduates may want to consider taking a lower level position in administration in order to gain a better understanding of the company and the industry prior to making a long term career commitment.
While working in administration is considered a lower-level position, it’s important to realize that this is the foundation of a successful company. Stepping in on the ground level can be very rewarding in the long run. If you’re looking to kick-start your career at a company, admin is a great way to get your foot in the door.
If you liked this article, check out How to Win at Work and Defining Your Dream Job.
