Secretaries and Administrative Assistants

There are expected to be several job openings for secretaries and administrative assistants that will be needed to replace other workers. The job opportunities will be greatest for administrative assistants who have extensive knowledge in the area of software applications. Experts predict that because of office automation and restructuring within several large organizations that these factors will affect the average growth of employment for administrative assistants and secretaries. The biggest growth spurt is expected for medical and legal secretaries.

Administrative assistant and secretaries usually provide training to new staff, perform research on the Internet, and troubleshoot office technologies and other duties that were once reserved for managers and supervisors. The main responsibilities of a secretary or administrative assistant are to coordinate the activities of an office, retrieve information, store information and integrate information for other employees and clients.

Many administrative assistants serve as communication managers for the staff and clients of an office. The assistant must schedule and plan meetings, maintain and organize electronic files, use telephones, mail services, e-mail, websites, conduct research and make guest or staff travel arrangements. Administrative assistants or secretaries must be competent in the use of photocopiers, fax machines, scanners, computers, telephones and videoconferencing systems. In addition to their daily responsibilities an administrative assistant may be asked to compose correspondence, create spreadsheets, make presentations, write reports and be familiar with graphic design software.

Another title for an administrative assistant is an executive secretary. An executive secretary usually has less clerical duties to perform. This type of secretary handles more complex tasks such as preparing statistical repost, conducting research, hiring clerical staff and training employees.

Secretaries and administrative assistants usually work in medical offices, hospitals, office buildings, schools, legal offices, corporate settings and government agencies. An administrative assistant must be able to sit for a long period of time. Some secretaries experience problems with carpel tunnel syndrome because of long hours spent typing. Over twenty-percent of administrative assistants only work part-time. Still though, the majority work forty hours a week.

Recent high school graduates are often given entry level positions in the secretarial field. The graduates must have basic office skills that qualify them for a secretarial position. There are greater job opportunities for secretaries who have extensive knowledge in spreadsheets, word processing and the management of database operations. For some jobs formal training may be required. A secretary must have good judgment, excellent organizational skills, and good communication skills, must be efficient when dealing with the public and must be able to work independently. The usually salary for an administrative assistant or secretary usually starts around twenty-thousand or more a year. The more skills an individual have the better secretarial position and salary will be offered to them. Management corporations and large global enterprises pay an administrative assistant a higher salary.