The position of an administrative assistant is essential for companies across a vast range of industries. If you are interested in getting a job as administrative assistant, follow along to learn more about the duties associated with the role.
Administrative Assistant Job Duties
An administrative assistant is a person responsible for performing clerical tasks and providing administrative support within an office.
The duties of an administrative assistant are wide-ranging and can include:
- Answering and transferring phone calls
- Welcoming visitors and clients
- Scheduling appointments
- Coordinating and updating calendars
- Generating reports and presentations
- Typing, copying, scanning, and filing documents
- Planning meetings
- Taking detailed minutes during meetings
- Maintaining contact lists
- Drafting messages
- Managing inventory
- Managing office supplies
- Offering assistance as needed
While administrative assistants share a core of common skills, it’s not uncommon for some administrative assistants to specialize in a specific sector, such as law, accounting, or insurance, for example.
Administrative Assistant Job Requirements
Being an effective administrative assistant requires a combination of hard and soft skills.
Hard skills are quantifiable skills you can acquire through education or work experience, such as typing speed or the languages you speak.
Soft skills, on the other hand, can’t be quantified and relate to how you work and interact with others.
Administrative Assistant Job Requirements: Hard Skills
The basic goal of an administrative assistant is to provide clerical support. In order to do that, you’ll need to have some of all the following hard skills, depending on the specific requirements of the position:
- Typing speed
- Software proficiency (especially word processing and spreadsheet software)
- Familiarity with email and digital calendars
- Use of productivity or project management tools
- Spelling and grammar
- Basic to intermediate math skills
Administrative Assistant Job Requirements: Soft Skills
Although a solid grasp of the above hard skills is key to succeeding as an administrative assistant, soft skills are equally important.
After all, an administrative assistant interacts with the clients of a company and must collaborate with colleagues from other departments. Some essential skills for administrative assistants include:
- Time management
- Empathy
- Flexibility
- Confidence
- Attention to detail
- Negotiation
- Conflict resolution
Looking for an Administrative Assistant Job? Driven Talent Can Help!
Whether you are an employer looking for the ideal candidate to fill a position or a job seeker trying to take the next step in your career, Driven Talent is here to make things easier.
Contact us today by telephone (657-533-2980), through our social media channels (Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram), or fill out the contact form to learn more about our services and our philosophy.