Office Assistant / Helper
How to Become aa Office Assistant
Office Assistant Job Description
Skills and Qualities Needed to Become an Office Assistant
Office Assistant Salary
Influential Professionals in this Field
Leading Organizations in this Field
Top Cities for Office Assistant Jobs
Other Careers of Interest
How to become an Office Assistant
While in high school, individuals who are interested in becoming office assistants should study vocational courses including typing, computer skills, communications, English and mathematics. Optional courses would include accounting, bookkeeping, and law. A student will then complete a one to two year program in Office Administration at a technical, community or business college.
High school students who display a strong aptitude in basic office skills may qualify for entry-level office assistant jobs, however advancement opportunities will be offered to those with a college degree. The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), or other similar organizations, is able to provide testing to assess the skills of an office assistant.
An office assistant has a unique opportunity to choose to work in a field that they are interested in. For example, an office assistant may be interested in home design and will apply to work at an architectural firm or they may be interested in animals and will apply for work at a veterinary practice.
Office assistants consistently work in schools, hospitals, government or corporate settings as well as having unlimited choices in the private business sector.
According to the United States Department of Labor, there were over 4,241,000 office assistants and secretaries working in the United States in 2006.
High school students who display a strong aptitude in basic office skills may qualify for entry-level office assistant jobs, however advancement opportunities will be offered to those with a college degree. The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), or other similar organizations, is able to provide testing to assess the skills of an office assistant.
An office assistant has a unique opportunity to choose to work in a field that they are interested in. For example, an office assistant may be interested in home design and will apply to work at an architectural firm or they may be interested in animals and will apply for work at a veterinary practice.
Office assistants consistently work in schools, hospitals, government or corporate settings as well as having unlimited choices in the private business sector.
According to the United States Department of Labor, there were over 4,241,000 office assistants and secretaries working in the United States in 2006.
What does an Office Assistant do?
The job of an office assistant can vary greatly. It can range from providing support services in a general office setting to being the personal secretary to a management team member.
In either case, an office assistant will perform a variety of clerical and administrative duties in order for a company or office to run efficiently. An office assistant will use a selection of office equipment including a fax machine, photocopier, scanner, and telephone system. An office assistant may be required to answer the telephone, take dictation, practice general bookkeeping or accounting skills, and be responsible for office filing.
An office assistant will also use a computer extensively and must be knowledgeable about a diverse selection of computer programs including email, word processing, spreadsheets, database software, generating reports and even desktop publishing. It is said that a good office assistant can never know enough about computers.
Some office assistants may be responsible for the general upkeep of office equipment by being aware of leasing agreements and maintaining regular maintenance schedules. An office assistant may also be responsible for ordering and maintaining the stock of general office items including paper and other office supplies.
Office assistants may be required to sit for long periods of time while keyboarding at a computer monitor. This may sometimes lead to vision strain and wrist or hand problems known as carpel tunnel syndrome due to repetitive movements.
Office assistants can go on to specialize in a variety of secretarial fields such as a legal or medical secretary.
In either case, an office assistant will perform a variety of clerical and administrative duties in order for a company or office to run efficiently. An office assistant will use a selection of office equipment including a fax machine, photocopier, scanner, and telephone system. An office assistant may be required to answer the telephone, take dictation, practice general bookkeeping or accounting skills, and be responsible for office filing.
An office assistant will also use a computer extensively and must be knowledgeable about a diverse selection of computer programs including email, word processing, spreadsheets, database software, generating reports and even desktop publishing. It is said that a good office assistant can never know enough about computers.
Some office assistants may be responsible for the general upkeep of office equipment by being aware of leasing agreements and maintaining regular maintenance schedules. An office assistant may also be responsible for ordering and maintaining the stock of general office items including paper and other office supplies.
Office assistants may be required to sit for long periods of time while keyboarding at a computer monitor. This may sometimes lead to vision strain and wrist or hand problems known as carpel tunnel syndrome due to repetitive movements.
Office assistants can go on to specialize in a variety of secretarial fields such as a legal or medical secretary.
What skills or qualities do I need to become an Office Assistant?
An office assistant must be able to practice the following skills at a high level: keyboarding, proofreading, computer usage, communication (both written & oral), with a strong proficiency in spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Office assistants must be quick thinkers, adaptable to change, able to multi-task, learn quickly and be able to work alone or as part of a team. They must also be well organized, responsible, willing to take the initiative, be adaptable, have a keen attention for detail and understand the importance of confidentiality.
Interpersonal skills are a must for an office assistant; tactfulness, being polite and courteous, having great telephone etiquette and customer service skills, along with being energetic and enthusiastic with a positive attitude will prove to be very valuable when choosing a career as an office assistant.
Office assistants must be well trained in time management, scheduling meetings and appointments as well as being competent and confident in their own skills and abilities.
Office assistants must be quick thinkers, adaptable to change, able to multi-task, learn quickly and be able to work alone or as part of a team. They must also be well organized, responsible, willing to take the initiative, be adaptable, have a keen attention for detail and understand the importance of confidentiality.
Interpersonal skills are a must for an office assistant; tactfulness, being polite and courteous, having great telephone etiquette and customer service skills, along with being energetic and enthusiastic with a positive attitude will prove to be very valuable when choosing a career as an office assistant.
Office assistants must be well trained in time management, scheduling meetings and appointments as well as being competent and confident in their own skills and abilities.
How much does an Office Assistant make?
An office assistant, like any other professional, makes different salaries depending upon their place of employment, geographical area and applicable skills. The median salary for an office assistant in the United States as of May 2006 was $27,450 annually. The middle 50 percent of American office assistants made between $21,830 and $34,250 in the same year. The maximum attainable salary by an office assistant is estimated at $45,550. Certification, specialization and experience in the field may be rewarded by a higher salary than listed here.
Who are some influential professionals in this field?
Again, there were 4,241000 office assistants working in the United States in 2006 with a projected 4,603,000 by 2016.
Behind every successful business or organization is an office assistant who may be unknown but contributes significantly to the business. Each of these office assistants is a dedicated and hard working member of the team. There may be no identifiable influential people in this field but this is only because their work goes on behind the scenes.
Behind every successful business or organization is an office assistant who may be unknown but contributes significantly to the business. Each of these office assistants is a dedicated and hard working member of the team. There may be no identifiable influential people in this field but this is only because their work goes on behind the scenes.
What are some leading organizations in this field?
The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) is a professional organization with over 40,000 members and nearly 600 chapters. The IAAP is dedicated to helping office assistants and secretaries worldwide to enhance their skills while becoming more effective contributors to their employers.
The Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals (AEAP) assists its members in achieving their career goals through education, keeping them informed of changes in the industry along with networking opportunities. The AEAP is able to offer a number of benefits to their members.
The Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals (AEAP) assists its members in achieving their career goals through education, keeping them informed of changes in the industry along with networking opportunities. The AEAP is able to offer a number of benefits to their members.
What are the top cities for Office Assistant jobs?
As businesses are constantly evolving there is a consistent demand for office assistants. The states of California, Texas and New York consistently have a high demand for office assistants while the cities of Los Angeles, Houston and New York City are hot spots.
Office assistants from the baby-boomer generation will soon be reaching retirement age and there will be many opportunities for younger office assistants to take over their jobs. The employment outlook for office assistants is expected to grow through the year 2016.
Office assistants from the baby-boomer generation will soon be reaching retirement age and there will be many opportunities for younger office assistants to take over their jobs. The employment outlook for office assistants is expected to grow through the year 2016.
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