Administrative Assistants as Managers
Administrative Assistant ResourceApril 8, 2014 — 3,808 views
The term “administrative assistant” describes a wide range of jobs where the person holding the position offers administrative support to colleagues in business enterprises. A good administrative assistant more often than not has excellent managerial qualities.
Types of administrative assistants
Depending on the office, there are a number of managerial tasks which comes under the role of administrative assistants:
- Employees holding the position of administrative assistant usually offer support to particular teams or departments in a company, like Accounting, Sales and Marketing, Human Resources or even Information Technology. In smaller firms, a single administrative assistant (admin for short) provides vital support to everyone in office.
- Executive assistants or secretaries provide much needed support to high rankling company heads or a small cluster of executives. Responsibilities include handling sensitive or private personal and corporate information.
- The principal task of a receptionist is answering the telephone and greeting visitors who come to the office.
- Project assistants are tasked with providing support for a particular individual, and responsibilities frequently include personal errands of the boss.
- Clerks provide office support which is limited to particular tasks like data entry or filing.
- Accounting assistants offer support to the Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and Finance departments. In such jobs, the individual knows detailed accounting practices.
- Production assistants offer support to groups and people in television and film production.
Duties
Administrative assistants perform a number of functions, like:
- Assist with all the aspects of logistics, equipment inventory, administrative management and directory maintenance.
- Manage the inventory of supplies and assets and monitor the stocks' critical level. They also submit invoices and source suppliers.
- Coordinate between operating units and departments to resolve daily operational and administrative problems.
- Schedule and coordinate meetings, events, interviews and similar activities.
- Sending out and receiving packages and mail.
- Formulating business correspondence using computer software like spreadsheet and word processing.
- Managing files and sending faxes.
- Identify and research important sources of data.
- Wide ranging office support.
- Preparing the minutes of the meeting, internal support materials and meeting notes.
- Sending and receiving forms for the employer.
- All daily operational matters.
Expectations from employers
Employers prefer knowledgeable people. They should have that winning combination of personal charisma, skills and attitudes. Employers look for:
- Strong commitment towards work
- Professionalism and productivity
- Technical skills
A good administrative assistant is an excellent problem solver, capable of critical thinking. He or she must also possess superlative collaboration and teamwork skills.
Administrative Assistant Resource