Tomorrow is Administrative Professionals Day. A day to celebrate admins of all types, from front office managers to assistants, data entry professionals to payroll pros, to bookkeepers and more.
And what better way to celebrate than to see how far we’ve come?
Are you ready for an admin adventure?
Despite already having experience with several jobs, many working adults are unable to answer that age-old question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Our Job Spotlight monthly blog series is designed to help with that. In this series, we review all the basics of specific job types, from salary and duties to why people do the jobs they do.
Administrative Assistant
For this month’s Job Spotlight, we’ve chosen to focus on administrative assistants, since tomorrow is Administrative Professionals Day.
Administrative assistants do more than answer the phone. They keep the office running, act as gatekeepers, distribute mail, and master spreadsheets. A perpetually positive disposition and an organized mind are must-have qualities.
Many administrative assistants work with a variety of coworkers from different departments, from accounting and sales to marketing and more. Every day is different—you never know who might walk through the door or call on the phone.
Required Education
High school diploma or GED certificate.
Salary
Although it varies depending on a variety of factors (e.g. experience, industry, geographic area, etc.) administrative assistants can make as much as $40,000 per year.
What Administrative Assistants Do
Administrative assistants handle a variety of responsibilities, which may include:
What Companies Look for in Administrative Assistants
Although every position is different, a few key skills include:
Are you an administrative assistant? How do you feel about your position? Let us know in the comments below!
Businesses couldn’t exist without administrative professionals. These are the men and women who run the ship. They do so much more than schedule meetings and answer phone calls. They are often the first person to greet clients or prospects and given that they spend so much time interacting with the public, they need to know everything about the company, from history and departments to statistics, personnel, and more. That’s true dedication.
So what makes for a truly skilled administrative professional?
Above all else, an administrative professional needs to be able to communicate. As the first point of contact for the office or department, they act as the gatekeeper. A talented administrative professional has an open personality reflective of the company’s own culture and values. He or she communicates with a wide variety of individuals of varying backgrounds, from unsatisfied customers to CEOs. An administrative professional also knows how to communicate across numerous channels, from telephone to in-person to email.
Administrative professionals must communicate with the executive suite daily to achieve the goals of their department. This can be quite difficult, given the busy schedules of executives, so patience is a must. Administrative professionals must be kings and queens of managing personalities and working through (and sometimes around) problems.
They are able to manage not only their own schedules, but also those of pretty much everyone else. As gatekeepers, they keep track of everyone who enters or leaves the department or office. They meticulously sort through and organize electronic documents and emails. Disorganization is not acceptable on any level. Multitasking skills are a necessity — no two days are ever the same. All of this work requires an incredibly organized mind, given that an administrative professional may be called upon to locate a person or document at a moment’s notice.
Administrative professionals are expected to dress in line with the company’s public image. But professionalism is about more than just dress. It’s also about conduct. They are frequently the first point of contact for vendors and customers. As such, any time spent staring at a phone or surfing the web reflects poorly on the business as a whole.
In today’s world, technology skills are essential for strong administrative professionals. At the very least, they should be proficient in the main Microsoft Office Suite programs (Word, Outlook, Excel, and PowerPoint). The more they know about other programs, such as social media (Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter), the better.
We’re here to help. Headquartered in Oklahoma City, OK, Express Employment Professionals is a leading staffing provider in the U.S. and Canada. We employed a record 510,000 people in 2016. If you have any questions about the job search, contact your local Express office or create an Express account to apply for jobs online.
Today is Administrative Professionals’ Day, observed in countries around the world to highlight the significant contribution of administrative professionals.
The day came about during World War II, when there was a shortage of administrative personnel in the United States. Now in the U.S., more than 4 million administrative assistants are part of the workforce. In Canada, the number is upward of 475,000.
As years go by and the profession continues to evolve, they deserve to be celebrated for their efforts and the behind the scenes work that many people don’t see.
At Express Employment Professionals, we are proud of our administrative associates and want to wish them a very happy Administrative Professionals’ Day!
Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.
According to the latest statistics from the U.S. Department of Labor, more than 4.8 million administrative professionals work in the United States. And according to Statistics Canada, more than 500,000 administrative professionals work in Canada.
To honor this growing industry, Administrative Professionals Day is an unofficial holiday observed in several countries throughout the year. In the United States and Canada, Administrative Professionals Day is Wednesday, April 22. The day recognizes the work of secretaries, administrative assistants, receptionists, and other administrative support professionals.
The idea for the holiday began when Mary Barrett, president of what is now known as the International Association of Administrative Professionals, and C. King Woodbridge, president of Dictaphone Corporation, addressed a national shortage of skilled office workers. From there, the idea for National Secretaries Day, now known as Administrative Professionals Day, was created. The first National Secretaries Day was held June 4, 1952.
Since then, Administrative Professionals Day has become one of the largest observances in the workplace.
At Express Employment Professionals, we are proud of our administrative associates and want to wish them a very happy Administrative Professionals Day!
Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.
Today is Administrative Professionals’ Day, a day set aside to let administrative workers know how much they are appreciated for everything they do in their workplaces.
It takes a special person to fill the role of administrative professional. The job title doesn’t do justice to the huge contribution those people provide their companies with daily. Administrative professionals do a lot of behind the scenes work that many people don’t realize and they deserve to be celebrated.
Ways to Show Your Appreciation
How can you acknowledge the hard work of the administrative professionals at your company? Depending on where you work and how well you know the administrative assistants, you may offer to take them out for lunch, buy them their favorite chocolate or coffee, or write them a note to let them know how grateful you are for their hard work. Taking the time to show your appreciation will brighten their day.
I don’t know about you, but the administrative professionals at my workplace are some of the greatest people I know. They’re incredibly hard working and choosing one day out of the year to let them know they are appreciated is a good start. So, remember to acknowledge your administrative professionals and let them know you appreciate them for all they do.
How do you recognize the administrative professionals at your workplace and celebrate their hard work? Let us know in the comments section below!
Movin’ On Up is brought to you by Express Employment Professionals.
