Contrary to what many people believe, there's more to being an administrative assistant than typing letters and making tea for the CEO. It can be a challenging career that demands a diverse set of skills: scheduling, planning, coordinating, getting to grips with information technology, and navigating the inter-personal minefield are all part of the job.
However, for the right person, it can also be a hugely rewarding career with a plethora of benefits. If you’re efficient, organised and a team player, a career as an admin assistant could be right up your street. So what does it take to become one? Here’s a brief overview of the skills and qualities you’ll need:
Education
While formal qualifications are not absolutely necessary, gaining an AABA diploma or similar qualification will greatly enhance your prospects. At a minimum, you should ideally have high-school passes in subjects such as English, math, typing and MS office.
Communication Skills
As an admin assistant, you will often be the go-to person in an organisation. Dealing with people at all levels requires excellent communication and inter-personal skills - written as well as verbal.
This means things like:
*Having an excellent telephone manner.
*Being able to compose (or correct!) business letters and emails.
*Being able to express yourself clearly.
*Being able to deal with others with tact and diplomacy.
Of course, no one’s suggesting you need to be brilliant at these things right away - many young, inexperienced people obviously will not. But you should have a basic aptitude as a ‘people person’ and be willing to hone your skills over time.
IT Skills
Needless to say, you will need to be a proficient typist, and be comfortable using current software and office technology. Knowledge of MS Office is a must; you must have a good working knowledge of MS Word, Excel and Outlook (remember that Outlook is a fuller, more sophisticated version of Outlook Express that you may be used to on your home computer).
You will also need to have proficiency with the usual (and sometimes troublesome!) IT paraphernalia: printers, scanners and networking.
Also note that some companies use MACs instead of PC’s, and some may run their own bespoke software. However, if you’re familiar with industry standards like MS Office, you shouldn’t have much difficulty getting to grips with these other applications.
Organisational Skills
Last but by no means least, you absolutely need to be organised and efficient. Rest assured, you will be called upon to do all kinds of tasks - from scheduling meetings, to organising travel arrangements, to replacing light bulbs. Getting these things done in an competent manner is a must.
In summary, if you think you would enjoy being an admin assistant, applying for an AABA diploma is a terrific first step. Bear in mind, too, that being an admin assistant is not (necessarily) a static career since there are many opportunities for advancement. You could progress to being an office manager, event planner, or project manager, to name but three.
All in all, it's a career that offers stimulation, diversity, and many opportunities for growth. If you've got the right skills and a 'can-do' attitude, it might just be your cup of tea.
You can now enroll yourself for an
administrative assistant course in Toronto. Cbstraining.com can help you start a
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