Administrative Assistant Careers

Start Your Career as Administrative Assistant

Nov-5-2009

Administrative Assistant Careers Blog. Welcome!

Hello and Welcome to my Blog dedicated to Administrative Assistant Careers.

 Many people are thinking about starting their careers as Administrative Assistant. The purpose of this Blog is to help you make this important decision an educated one.

Administrative Assistant Careers Blog will cover various job opportunities, provide valuable advice, and assist in your Job Search.

Jobrolls below are a great place to start.




First of all, great news for those who want to dedicate themselves to Administrative Assistant Careers. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics:

  • This occupation is expected to be among those with the largest number of new jobs.
  • Opportunities should be best for applicants with extensive knowledge of software applications.
  • Secretaries and administrative assistants today perform fewer clerical tasks and are increasingly taking on the roles of information and communication managers.




As the reliance on technology continues to expand in offices, the role of the office professional has greatly evolved. Office automation and organizational restructuring have led secretaries and administrative assistants to assume responsibilities once reserved for managerial and professional staff. In spite of these changes, however, the core responsibilities for secretaries and administrative assistants have remained much the same: Performing and coordinating an office’s administrative activities and storing, retrieving, and integrating information for dissemination to staff and clients.
Secretaries and administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative and clerical duties necessary to run an organization efficiently. They serve as information and communication managers for an office; plan and schedule meetings and appointments; organize and maintain paper and electronic files; manage projects; conduct research; and disseminate information by using the telephone, mail services, Web sites, and e-mail. They also may handle travel and guest arrangements.



Please scroll down to the next posts that will cover Nature of Work, Qualifications and Training for Administrative Assistants.

If you are looking for good reading about this exciting career, please check the following books on Amazon.com:

     

No matter what path you choose to follow, I wish you success and personal fulfillment in the career of your choice. Hopefully my Blog will assist you in your journey.

Good luck in your Job Search.
Scroll down to next posts to read more….

Karen B.
Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers, Administrative Assistant Employment
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Nov-4-2009

Administrative Assistants: What Do They Do?

Administrative Assistants: What Do They Do?

 Specific job duties of Administrative Assistants vary with experience and titles. Executive secretaries and administrative assistants provide high-level administrative support for an office and for top executives of an organization. Generally, they perform fewer clerical tasks than do secretaries and more information management. In addition to arranging conference calls and supervising other clerical staff, they may handle more complex responsibilities such as reviewing incoming memos, submissions, and reports in order to determine their significance and to plan for their distribution. They also prepare agendas and make arrangements for meetings of committees and executive boards. They also may conduct research and prepare statistical reports.



Some secretaries and administrative assistants, such as legal and medical secretaries, perform highly specialized work requiring knowledge of technical terminology and procedures. For instance, legal secretaries prepare correspondence and legal papers such as summonses, complaints, motions, responses, and subpoenas under the supervision of an attorney or a paralegal. They also may review legal journals and assist with legal research—for example, by verifying quotes and citations in legal briefs. Additionally, legal secretaries often teach newly minted lawyers how to prepare documents for submission to the courts. Medical secretaries transcribe dictation, prepare correspondence, and assist physicians or medical scientists with reports, speeches, articles, and conference proceedings. They also record simple medical histories, arrange for patients to be hospitalized, and order supplies. Most medical secretaries need to be familiar with insurance rules, billing practices, and hospital or laboratory procedures. Other technical secretaries who assist engineers or scientists may prepare correspondence, maintain their organization’s technical library, and gather and edit materials for scientific papers.


Secretaries employed in elementary schools and high schools perform important administrative functions for the school. They are responsible for handling most of the communications between parents, the community, and teachers and administrators who work at the school. As such, they are required to know details about registering students, immunizations, and bus schedules, for example. They schedule appointments, keep track of students’ academic records, and make room assignments for classes. Those who work directly for principals screen inquiries from parents and handle those matters not needing a principal’s attention. They also may set a principal’s calendar to help set her or his priorities for the day.

Work environment. Secretaries and administrative assistants usually work in schools, hospitals, corporate settings, government agencies, or legal and medical offices. Their jobs often involve sitting for long periods. If they spend a lot of time keyboarding, particularly at a computer monitor, they may encounter problems of eyestrain, stress, and repetitive motion ailments such as carpal tunnel syndrome.


Almost one-fifth of secretaries work part time and many others work in temporary positions. A few participate in job-sharing arrangements, in which two people divide responsibility for a single job. The majority of secretaries and administrative assistants, however, are full-time employees who work a standard 40-hour week.

Secretaries and administrative assistants use a variety of office equipment, such as fax machines, photocopiers, scanners, and videoconferencing and telephone systems. In addition, secretaries and administrative assistants often use computers to do tasks previously handled by managers and professionals, such as: create spreadsheets; compose correspondence; manage databases; and create presentations, reports, and documents using desktop publishing software and digital graphics. They also may negotiate with vendors, maintain and examine leased equipment, purchase supplies, manage areas such as stockrooms or corporate libraries, and retrieve data from various sources. At the same time, managers and professionals have assumed many tasks traditionally assigned to secretaries and administrative assistants, such as keyboarding and answering the telephone. Because secretaries and administrative assistants do less dictation and word processing, they now have time to support more members of the executive staff. In a number of organizations, secretaries and administrative assistants work in teams to work flexibly and share their expertise.

Many secretaries and administrative assistants now provide training and orientation for new staff, conduct research on the Internet, and operate and troubleshoot new office technologies.

Please scroll down to the next posts that will cover Qualifications and Training for Administrative Assistants.

Good luck in your  Job Search. Scroll down to go to next posts to read more….

Karen B.
Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers, Administrative Assistant Employment
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Nov-5-2009

Administrative Assistant Careers: Qualifications, Training and Job Advancement.

Administrative Assistant Careers: Qualifications, Training and Job Advancement.

Word processing, writing, and communication skills are essential for all secretaries and administrative assistants. However, employers increasingly require extensive knowledge of software applications, such as desktop publishing, project management, spreadsheets, and database management.

Education and training. High school graduates who have basic officeskills may qualify for entry-level secretarial positions. They can acquire these skills in various ways. Training ranges from high school vocational education programs that teach office skills and typing to 1- and 2-year programs in office administration offered by business and vocational-technical schools, and community colleges. Many temporary placement agencies also provide formal training in computer and office skills. Most medical and legal secretaries must go through specialized training programs that teach them the language of the industry.

Employers of executive secretaries increasingly are seeking candidates with a college degree, as these secretaries work closely with top executives. A degree related to the business or industry in which a person is seeking employment may provide the job seeker with an advantage in the application process.

Most secretaries and administrative assistants, once hired, tend to acquire more advanced skills through on-the-job instruction by other employees or by equipment and software vendors. Others may attend classes or participate in online education to learn how to operate new office technologies, such as information storage systems, scanners, or new updated software packages. As office automation continues to evolve, retraining and continuing education will remain integral parts of secretarial jobs.

Other qualifications. Secretaries and administrative assistants should be proficient in typing and good at spelling, punctuation, grammar, and oral communication. Employers also look for good customer service and interpersonal skills because secretaries and administrative assistants must be tactful in their dealings with people. Discretion, good judgment, organizational or management ability, initiative, and the ability to work independently are especially important for higher-level administrative positions. Changes in the office environment have increased the demand for secretaries and administrative assistants who are adaptable and versatile.

Certification and advancement. Testing and certification for proficiency in office skills are available through organizations such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals; National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), Inc.; and Legal Secretaries International, Inc. As
secretaries and administrative assistants gain experience, they can earn several different designations. Prominent designations include the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) and the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP), which can be earned by meeting certain experience or educational requirements and passing an examination. Similarly, those with 1 year of experience in the legal field, or who have concluded an approved training course and who want to be certified as a legal support professional, can acquire the Accredited Legal Secretary (ALS) designation through a testing process administered by NALS.

NALS offers two additional designations: Professional Legal Secretary (PLS), considered an advanced certification for legal support professionals, and a designation for proficiency as a paralegal. Legal Secretaries International confers the Certified Legal Secretary Specialist (CLSS) designation in areas such as intellectual property, criminal law, civil litigation, probate, and business law to those who have 5 years of legal experience and pass an examination. In some instances, certain requirements may be waived.

Secretaries and administrative assistants generally advance by being promoted to other administrative positions with more responsibilities. Qualified administrative assistants who broaden their knowledge of a company’s operations and enhance their skills may be promoted to senior or executive secretary or administrative assistant, clerical supervisor, or office manager. Secretaries with word processing or data entry experience can advance to jobs as word processing or data entry trainers, supervisors, or managers within their own firms or in a secretarial, word processing, or data entry service bureau. Secretarial and administrative support experience also can lead to jobs such as instructor or sales representative with manufacturers of software or computer equipment. With additional training, many legal secretaries become paralegals.

Please scroll down for the Job Outlook for Administrative Assistants.

Good luck in your Job Search. Scroll down to go to next posts to read more….

Karen B.
Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers, Administrative Assistant Employment
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Nov-4-2009

Administrative Assistant Careers: Job Outlook



Administrative Assistant Careers: Job Outlook.

  Employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations. Secretaries and administrative assistants will have among the largest numbers of new jobs arise, about 362,000 over the 2009-16 period. Additional opportunities will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave this occupation.

Employment change. Employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is expected to increase about 9 percent, which is about as fast as average for all occupations, between 2009 and 2016. Projected employment varies by occupational specialty. Above average employment growth in the health care and social assistance industry should lead to faster than average growth for medical secretaries, while moderate growth in legal services is projected to lead to average growth in employment of legal secretaries. Employment of executive secretaries and administrative assistants is projected to grow faster than average for all occupations. Growing industries—such as administrative and support services; health care and social assistance; and professional, scientific, and technical services—will continue to generate the most new jobs.
Little or no change in employment is expected for secretaries, except legal, medical, or executive, who account for about 46 percent of all secretaries and administrative assistants.

Increasing office automation and organizational restructuring will continue to make secretaries and administrative assistants more productive in coming years. Computers, e-mail, scanners, and voice message systems will allow secretaries and administrative assistants to accomplish more in the same amount of time. The use of automated equipment also is changing the distribution of work in many offices. In some cases, traditional secretarial duties as typing, filing, photocopying, and bookkeeping are being done by clerks in other departments or by the professionals themselves. For example, professionals and managers increasingly do their own word processing and data entry, and handle much of their own correspondence. Also, in some law and medical offices, paralegals and medical assistants are assuming some tasks formerly done by secretaries.

Developments in office technology are certain to continue. However, many secretarial and administrative duties are of a personal, interactive nature and, therefore, are not easily automated. Responsibilities such as planning conferences, working with clients, and instructing staff require tact and communication skills. Because technology cannot substitute for these personal skills, secretaries and administrative assistants will continue to play a key role in most organizations.

As paralegals and medical assistants assume more of the duties traditionally assigned to secretaries, there is a trend in many offices for professionals and managers to replace the traditional arrangement of one secretary per manager with secretaries and administrative assistants who support the work of systems, departments, or units. This approach often means that secretaries and administrative assistants assume added responsibilities and are seen as valuable members of a team.

Job prospects. In addition to jobs created from growth, numerous job opportunities will arise from the need to replace secretaries and administrative assistants who transfer to other occupations, especially exceptionally skilled executive secretaries and administrative assistants who often move into professional occupations. Job opportunities should be best for applicants with extensive knowledge of software applications and for experienced secretaries and administrative assistants. Opportunities also should be very good for those with advanced communication and computer skills. Applicants with
a bachelor’s degree will be in great demand to act more as managerial assistants and to perform more complex tasks.

Projections data from the National Employment Matrix
Occupational title

SOC Code

Employment, 2009

Projected
employment,
2016

Change, 2009-16

Number

Percent

Secretaries and administrative assistants

43-6000

4,241,000

4,603,000

362,000

9

Executive secretaries and administrative assistants

43-6011

1,618,000

1,857,000

239,000

15

Legal secretaries

43-6012

275,000

308,000

32,000

12

Medical secretaries

43-6013

408,000

477,000

68,000

17

Secretaries, except legal, medical, and executive

43-6014

1,940,000

1,962,000

22,000

1


Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition, Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos151.htm

Good luck in your Job Search. 

Karen B.

Posted under Administrative Assistant Careers, Administrative Assistant Employment
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Nov-3-2009

Looking to become administrative assistant?

I have no idea where to begin..do I need to take any classes? Or have certification? And is this a career that I could potentially be able to do from home?

Many community colleges offer associates degrees for administrative assistants, and they’re not very popular programs – very people go into college wanting to be a secretary – but there are a lot of people out there looking for competent secretaries.

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Nov-2-2009

Assistant Director of Administration Jobs

Assistant Director of Administration Jobs and AdminCrossing.com

Duration : 4 min 34 sec

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Oct-25-2009

Executive Secretaries and Administrative Assistants – Careers.Org Occupation Profile

Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, handling information requests, and performing clerical functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.

Duration : 0:2:2

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Oct-24-2009

How do I become an administrative assistant?

I have no experience but wan to change careers. I thought about taking a fundamentals course but do employers really look at that?

walk in an office and apply

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2 comments
Oct-18-2009

Careers4u.tv Administrative Assistant

Short version of clip available from careers4u.tv careers library

Duration : 0:1:39

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Oct-18-2009

Where can I look for an Administative Assistant position in a creative environment in Chicago, IL?

I am a career Executive and Administrative Assistant but I want a position in a creative environment in Chicago, IL. If I go to Monster, HotJobs or CareerBuilder and put in keywords like Desktop Publishing or Adobe Illustrator, it sends back Graphic Designer jobs.

Anyone have any ideas how I should look?

Have you thought of becoming a Virtual Assistant and going into business doing this for yourself? That is what I have done and it has worked out great! You get to do what you love and help others run successful businesses as well. What could be better?

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