Administrative Assistant Job Description

Some organizations do not distinguish between executive assistants and administrative assistants. In organizations that do, administrative assistant handles long-term projects such as, research work, preparation for a presentation, and preparing for a directors. meeting. And an executive assistant handles day-to-day jobs that do not associate with internal matters such as going through mail and memos and sorting them and attending to people visiting the office. 

As the name suggests, an administrative assistant assists in general administrative processes. They help in the overall housekeeping and day-to-day functioning of an office. Job description may vary with the organization, but some duties and responsibilities are common in all organization. These are listed below:

Duties and responsibilities of administrative assistant:

• Maintaining office co-ordination: maintaining co-ordination and link between the department/person and the rest of the office.
• Arranging meetings and other gatherings
• Creating and maintaining office documents: office documents such as, invoices, reports, data sheets have to be created and maintained by an administrative assistant.
• Accompanying the employer to conferences and meetings: administrative assistant should accompany the employer to meetings and conferences both outside and inside the firm.s premises. They are then required to make an account of the happenings and improvements.
• Overall office keeping: administrative assistant has to maintain the inflow and outflow of goods (food, paper, pens, pencils, notepads etc.), arrange for repair and maintenance of office equipment, receive, store and maintain inventory of office supplies and equipment, and send, receive and sort mail and other packages.
• Supervising the work of low level clerks and assign jobs to them.
• Making travel arrangements: when the employer or the department has to travel some place on official work, the administrative assistant makes arrangements for the travel and stay.
• Interaction with clients and customers: administrative assistants interact with clients and customers and keep track of the improvements. Client/customer relations have to be maintained and any complaints or problems go through the administrative assistant to the employer.
• Maintaining confidentiality in all aspects on the firm.s dealing and working.

Administrative assistants are required to be flexible and work according to the need of the organization. Therefore, they are viable to perform few other tasks as well, which are:

Other duties of administrative assistant

• Maintaining the firm.s website
• Maintain a calendar and co-ordinate the workflow and meetings
• Supporting the staff when assigned
• Giving orientation for new employees
• Helping and coordinating a support personnel
• Arranging commutation for staff
• Maintaining a leave log

Administrative AssistantQualifications

• High school diploma
• Minimum 2-3 years experience as a clerk
• Basic computer knowledge. Familiar with MS office tools and Internet
• Knowledge in basic functioning of a corporate office

Skills and abilities

• Must be able to work as a team and as an individual.
• Good writing and problem-solving skills
• Ability to effectively communicate
• Ability to operate basic office equipments such as, computers, copiers, calculators, printers

Career advancements and outlook

Administrative assistants can advance to lower-level management jobs. Some Administrative assistants move to sales and sales-related jobs.

The amount of job pressure, requirements, salary, and job profile depends on the organization you work for. For example this job would be with less pressure when you work in a university or a college, while be with high pressure when you work for an organization.