Administrative Assistants as Managers

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.

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