what is an administration assistant?
As an admin assistant, you are the backbone of the office. You monitor everything that happens in the office and support workers and customers. If you are stationed at the reception, you ensure customers and clients make their appointments by directing them to various offices. You also prepare schedules for meetings and ensure everyone receives company memos and emails.
Administrative assistants are organised and efficient people that ensure the whole office functions properly. You don't just carry out routine administrative and clerical tasks; you step in and solve problems that arise in the office. Your time management skills and attentiveness to detail are valuable in various business sectors and industries. That is why an admin assistant can efficiently work in hospitals, manufacturing firms or technology companies.
administration assistant job description
Some administration assistants are assigned to a specific executive or top-level manager. Your role is to provide support and complete all routine clerical tasks for your employer, including making travel arrangements, managing their schedule and appointments and conducting any research related to their role.
While being an administrative assistant is an entry-level job, it provides a great learning experience. You will juggle numerous tasks, from providing customer service to liaising with suppliers and major clients of the organisation. Nowadays, admin assistants can also work remotely and give the same support to managers and office workers.
Would a career in administration as an administration assistant suit your organisation skills and attention to detail? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in an administration assistant role.
average salary of an administration assistant
According to National Careers, an administrative assistant's starting salary is £14,000 per year. When you build your experience and enhance your skills, you qualify for a salary of £28,000 per year. Apart from basic salary, an admin assistant also enjoys various benefits, including transport allowance and medical insurance. If you are a full-time assistant, your benefits may include paid vacation and contribution to a pension scheme. Working overtime and weekends is quite common, and you will enjoy overtime pay for the unsociable work hours. Some companies also offer incentives like end-year bonuses.
how to increase the salary of an administrative assistant
The salary of an administration assistant usually depends on the specific responsibilities and qualifications. For instance, you require training to understand medical terminology and codes if you work in a hospital. Even admin assistants in law offices need qualifications in law to perform their duties. If your role requires specialised training, you will earn more and enjoy additional benefits. Experience and transferrable skills also influence your salary. Administrative assistants with years of experience have more hands-on experience in running an office, and their skills warrant a higher compensation package than entry-level admin assistants. Geographical factors also affect your pay structure since urban settings with a higher demand for administration assistants pay more.
types of administration assistants
Some types of administrative assistants include:
- executive administrative assistants: as an executive administrative assistant, you provide high-level support to top executives in a company. You handle complex responsibilities like reviewing company revenue and preparing reports for the chief executive officer or managing director. Sometimes, you have to supervise clerical staff in the organisation.
- legal administration assistants: you prepare summons, motions and subpoenas under the supervision of a lawyer. It is important to understand legal procedures and terminology to excel in your role. You also review journals and assist in legal research, like verifying citations in legal briefs.
- medical administrative assistants: your role is to assist physicians and surgeons in preparing reports. You also transcribe dictations and find medical histories for patients. You need to be familiar with medical codes, terminology and laboratory procedures.
working as an administration assistant
Administrative assistants support business functions by organising meetings and preparing schedules for managers. Check out the day-to-day tasks and your work settings in the role.
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duties and responsibilities
Some of the daily tasks of an administration assistant include:
- communication and correspondence tasks: as an admin assistant, you answer phone calls, respond to emails and relay messages to various staff. You greet clients or visitors and direct them to their appointments or answer questions. Your job also involves compiling reports and filing documents.
- scheduling tasks: besides being responsible for your schedule, you also manage the programmes of managers and executives. You schedule appointments, prepare a calendar of activities for managers, coordinate events like client lunches and plan company meetings. You also plan travel itineraries and make necessary arrangements.
- organisational tasks: as an administration assistant, you need exceptional organisation skills to adapt to changing priorities and manage the company's filing systems and databases. You complete data entry tasks, file the necessary documents and create an efficient filing system for easy records retrieval.
- bookkeeping and financial management tasks: an admin assistant completes basic bookkeeping tasks in an organisation without a separate bookkeeping employee. You record and reconcile office expenses, manage the petty cash, create invoices and bills for clients and compile financial reports. You are also in charge of accounting management tools and preparing budgets for administrative functions like stationery and travel.
- assisting the human resource department: as an administrative assistant, your role involves human resource functions like preparing for job interviews and organising training sessions. You also maintain employee records and update employee handbooks with relevant policies.
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work environment
As an administrative assistant, you work in an office setting in law firms, hospitals, medical offices, schools and government agencies. You may work in a shared space alongside other assistants in an open office plan. When you are an executive administrative assistant, you have an independent office close to the executive you assist. You spend most of the day answering phone calls, working on your computer or writing minutes in meetings. The office environment is usually a quiet workplace but can become noisy when business operations ramp up or during company events. As an administrative assistant, working from home is often an option too.
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who are your colleagues?
Depending on the industry, your colleagues might include lawyers, paralegals and nurses. You will also work in close proximity to office coordinators, doctors and other specialists that could consist of human resource managers, accountants and IT specialists.
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work schedule
As an administrative assistant, you will work between 35 to 40 hours a week from 9 am to 5 pm in a full-time position. Some companies employ part-time admin assistants, and you can work flexible hours. When business operations increase during peak seasons, you must work overtime to meet deadlines and catch up with the paperwork. Besides, some industry sectors work outside traditional business hours, and you have to work during weekends, holidays, and night shifts. For instance, hospitals and medical offices have irregular work hours suitable for people who don't mind flexible schedules. The job also involves travelling since you have to accompany executives on various trips.
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job outlook
Admin assistants can follow various career paths depending on the field of interest. For instance, an entry-level administration assistant can progress to an executive assistant or office manager role. However, you have to improve your qualifications and enhance your skill set to join managerial positions. It is also possible to move to related departments like accounts and information technology or become a paralegal. Nowadays, virtual assistants are becoming popular, and you can advance your career by offering remote services.
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advantages of finding an administration assistant job through randstad
Finding your administrative assistant job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:
- a wide variety of training and development opportunities
- an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
- a range of opportunities in your area
- get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
- temporary and permanent contracts
Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as an administration assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too!
education and skills
If your career path guides you to an administrative assistant role, focus on gaining the following qualifications:
- post-secondary education: entry-level administration assistant jobs require GCSE qualifications only. However, you have better chances of success in your career if you have post-secondary education. Find a certificate or diploma course to improve your knowledge and skills. Some relevant courses include Level 2 or 3 in business and administration and T Level in management and administration.
- apprenticeship: an admin assistant can also join the career through the business administrator advanced apprenticeship. The apprenticeship requires 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 with English and maths. You will learn on the job as you complete your coursework.
skills and competencies
Some of the skills you need as an administration assistant include:
- computer skills: as an admin assistant, you need basic computer literacy skills to write reports and complete data entry tasks. Knowledge in word processing, spreadsheets and databases is important.
- organisational skills: working as an admin assistant involves juggling multiple tasks. You need to prioritise and schedule the tasks to avoid delays. You also manage calendars and schedules for various managers, and without organisational skills, you can mix up the schedules or leave out some clients in the appointment schedules.
- attention to detail: as an administration assistant, it is crucial to complete your tasks without errors. For instance, your reports should have impeccable grammar and highlight accurate facts. When filing documents, being detail-oriented helps you avoid mistakes.
- self-starter: you need to anticipate work issues and resolve problems before they escalate. Hence, you have to be a self-starter to use your initiative.
More information on what skills office admin employers are looking for can be found here.
FAQs
FAQs about working as an administration assistant
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what does an administrative assistant do?
An administrative assistant supports office workers and organises schedules to ensure the office is running smoothly. They also monitor communication channels and receive correspondence.
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what are the top 3 skills of an administrative assistant?
As an administration assistant, you need time management skills to juggle numerous tasks and organisations skills to keep the work environment organised. You also need communication skills to relay information to other workers and respond to customers when they call or visit the office premises.
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is admin assistant a hard job?
Becoming an admin assistant can be challenging in a fast-paced work environment since you handle numerous tasks. Fortunately, many companies hire sufficient assistants to assist various managers.
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what qualifications do you need to be an admin assistant?
Entry-level assistants only need GCSEs to secure a job. However, post-secondary qualifications like college courses improve your career prospects.
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are admin assistants paid well?
Administrative assistants earn attractive salaries with various benefits and generous compensation packages. The earnings depend on the industry and specific duties.
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how do I apply for an administration assistant vacancy?
Applying for an administration assistant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our job offers for vacancies in your area. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here!
