Administrators or office managers are not only the face of the company but the lifeline too. Back when brick and mortar were most businesses’ way of being, administrators were responsible for ensuring that the company was running well on a day-to-day basis. The new normal made us wonder if we’ll ever need to have administrative personnel in our offices (virtual or real), and the answer is still yes. Without any office management or administration person, you run the risk of having a business that is chaotic, lacking productivity and full of unhappy employees. In this article, we will look at some of the administrative skills you can acquire in order to be considered by potential employers.
Table of Contents
First, Breaking Into The Industry
A lot of administrative jobs are usually carried out by people who have been with a company for years, and it is not common to have job openings regularly. However, there is an opportunity on a freelance basis or when you join the kind of networks and agencies that link people with these jobs.
Good Resume, Many Opportunities
For an administrative role, it is important that your resume highlights all the skills you have in that job and others that you may feel are in line with it. You will be in charge of the everyday upkeep of a company, and whether small or big, you will be needed and probably viewed as the number 1 hero to go to for everything. Inform your potential employer of all the things you know how to do or have done, and always try to showcase some of the projects you’ve done. These can be organising big executive trips, team-building events, and so much more. Your potential employer needs to know that you will be able to run their offices with ease – with or without them. We know you can handle it; your new boss might not, so let them know.
Communication Skills Are Key
One of the most important factors of having an administrative job is that you will be the communication source for the office as well as clients or collaborators. Good communication skills make good companies because everyone feels heard. As an administrative assistant or office manager, your task is to ensure there is clear, concise, kind and professional communication amongst everyone, and this starts with you having those skills. So invest in learning how to better articulate yourself during uncomfortable and comfortable moments and how to maintain professionalism at all times. Admin and office experts say other communication tasks and skills in your job include:
- Answering Telephones
- Client Relations
- Correspondence
- Customer Service
- Directing Clients
- Editing
- Filing
- Greeting Clients
- Greeting Employees
- Greeting Visitors
- Interpersonal Skills
- Oral Communication
- Presentation
- Public Relations
- Public Speaking
- Receptionist
Tech It Up
Administrative employees have to work with a few tech tools such as Microsoft Office Suite, WordPress, online scheduling programs and project management software. This, plus the fact that you may have to work printers and scanners in the office too. If you have these skills, it is great to mention them in your resume, and if you do not, the best way would be to start looking at taking up such courses. There is also a range of online material that can help you upskill and better yourself as an administrative employee.
Organise The Organisation
Administrative jobs of all kinds require organisational skills to juggle many day to day tasks. Almost every task you are doing requires a certain level of organisational skills. You may already have some of these skills, and these will set you apart from the rest of the candidates applying for the same job. Here are some organisational skills experts say are needed for administrative jobs:
- Accuracy
- Appointment Setting
- Attention to Detail
- Billing
- Bookkeeping
- Calendar & Docketing
- Efficiency
- Filing
- Inventory
Remember, these may seem like a lot of skills to acquire, but chances are you already have a lot of them if you have been in the administrative industry for a while, and if you are new, they are easy to obtain, so do not fear.
In Conclusion, You Hold The Keys To The Keys
You also have to know that sometimes your job may require you to be a mediator or represent your superiors in some meetings. A good administrator knows what to record in order to give proper feedback and information. If you want to succeed in being a great administrative assistant or office manager, you will have to put in as much investment as with any job. If you feel you need to grow some more, there are a lot of ways to learn, such as taking up an online admin or bookkeeping course and broadening your skills in order to stand a better chance of being considered for a position.
