What Qualifications Do I Need To Work As An Administrative Assistant?

To be a successful administrative assistant you have to be able to perform a vast array of duties form typical clerical tasks to jobs or roles that are specialised in certain industries. It is possible for you to enter into the administrative field using a secondary school education and then learn the skills you require on the job. That being said, it is much more advantageous to you if you have more education as you will discover that advancement and employment opportunities become much easier for you to locate.

Education

Having a secondary school degree which includes business and technology classes can help to prepare you for a position as an entry level administrative assistant. Further certification or education can be helpful in ensuring that you attain more positions that offer more responsibilities and of course more pay.

Numerous employers actually prefer their employees to have at the very least a college education, either a few years of vocational school or community college.

These years should include being enrolled in courses such as office, computer and communication skills. It is possible for you to make use of college credits, alongside your work experience to attain a certification as a CAP or Certified Administrative Professional.

This certification is handed out by the IAAP or International Association of Administrative Professionals. When you have this certification, you are able to prove to any prospective employers that you have the updated skills and knowledge to carry out your tasks.

Technical Skills

For you to be an administrative assistant, you will have to be proficient with office equipment and computers. It is more than likely that you will have to use a plethora of office tools such as scheduling, email, spreadsheet and word processing programs.

To further ensure that you stand out from the pack, you can improve your knowledge of databases, accounting and image software. There are certain businesses that lack dedicated IT personnel, so in this case it might be the responsibility of the administrative assistant to have basic knowledge of computer networking. A great starting point for an administrative assistant is by taking an online admin and support skills course as this will give you an insight into the processes of how admin and support works.

Abilities

Most organisations actually seek out individuals that have great communication skills for their administrative assistant positions. In this role, you might be required to create and proofread a wide range of documents. You might also be required to communicate on a frequent basis with customers and colleagues, and that is why it is essential to have good grammar.

You should also be able to clearly express yourself in oral and written communication. Organisation, time management skills as well as being capable of multitasking are usually qualities that are highly sought after by employers. It is essential that you are capable of prioritising tasks, especially in an office that is quite busy.

You have to do this in a manner that is most professional. These are just some of the skills required to become an administrative assistant. You should also be able to have specialised and advanced skills as they make you extremely attractive to prospective employers.