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A perfect office - Career in Office Administration

   No office would be able to function effectively with the structural backbone - the administrative staff.

Sector overview 

   Technology can make the various jobs easier, but the fact remains, that there needs to be a person to run the technology effectively. The job in question here is one that you watch happening in every office in every city or town in every country. Whichever office you go to, one thing is common. Virtually every business needs office support personnel. This is needed and is not likely to change anytime soon. Many small businesses started out by working without support staff (admin or assistants), but with expansion, they had to give in and hire.

   lt is understandable that when dealing with the employees internally and in dealing with other business parties externally, businesses need the services of such personnel, apart from the day-to-day office administration functions. Whatever the number of people working in the administrative capacity in an office, the role could mean looking after severa! functions. lt could all include handling the telephone, dealing with difficult phone calls from customers or other parties, handling challenging clients,maintaining reports, accounting for petty cash, mail management, banking work, and so on.

    ln fact in severa! companies and professions, a trusted administrative assistant is looked upon as a confidant. Many managers prefer assistants who know everything about them, about their lives and especially about their style of work. There is something deeply comforting about having everything in office run smoothly, and meetings happening on time, with the correct coffee and snacks. And for that, you need personnel!

     To getthere 

    Since a formal education may not be necessary to get a job, there is no single route to becoming an administrative assistant. There are severa! ways in which one can go about it. lt often happens that people get a job, and learn on it and develop expertise while working. Even then , there are certain soft and behavioural skills, apart from technical skills that assistants are supposed to have.

     Aspirants should ideally think of taking a professional course, since the curriculum is designed to look into particular job descriptions and so training will be offered in those areas. This training provides an upper hand in many cases in terms of getting a good job. ln either case, the skills are essential. When hiring office support personnel, many companies look for employees with a combination of the types of technical skills that are needed in the particular job as well as a positive attitude and strong communication skills. With technology now ruling the roost, most positions look for personnel who not only display the soft skills to work on the job, but also have a fair knowledge of operating computers and the required software on them. Often, before recruitment, companies ask applicants to take severa! tests to gauge their abilities in handling the tasks that lie ahead.

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    Whatever the designation or the title, the person in charge of office administration (management) carries a lot of responsibility. The diverse duties comprise those that must be performed on a daily basis, and some that need to be handled on a case-to-case basis. The role may vary with the business and the size of the office, but the primary duty is to ensure that the daily running of the office is smooth. Among other things, the office administrator is responsible for collecting and sending out mai l, for directing the calls to the appropriate offices or extensions, and making sure that the documentation is in place. 

     These job prospects are usually high for those who are qualified, since offices will always need administrative personnel, and with expansion, they tend to take on more and more people. Openings can be found at departments and offices in the public as well as private sectors, no matter the industry. A variety of positions are available depending upon the work and the kind of hours to be put in. Usually, the aftice administrators and assistants have fixed hour jobs. It is a good option for those looking for a little flexibility, or even a single shift, and they should be able to work something out with employers.

    Salaries vary like night and day. They depend heavily on the size of the organization, the duties involved, the tasks assigned and most importantly, the experience the person has.

Available in: http://www.freepressjournal.in/education/a-

perfect-office-career-in-office-administration/656443. Adapted.