The term “office assistant” is a broad term that can refer to a variety of office jobs. It can be used interchangeably with words like administrative assistant, or it can refer to office support staff who assist administrative assistants, executive assistants, or secretaries in their work. The average office assistant may perform a variety of tasks in an office setting and is required to have basic office skills.
This type of office assistant could perform any of the following tasks:
Answer the phone
Information should be filed and organized.
Take notes on the messages
Carry out errands
Make a selection
Data entry or word processing are two things you can do.
Assist other members of the office staff.
Use office equipment such as copiers and fax machines.
Use software such as Microsoft Word®, Excel®, or Access®.
Provide assistance to customers.
Accounting assistance for the office
Advanced office assistants may be in charge of running a business, providing direct support to executives, and supervising other employees. When providing more direct support to executives or high-level employees, the office assistant is referred to as an administrative or executive assistant. The office assistant may be referred to as an office manager if he or she supervises other employees.
Office assistants are frequently required to be “jack of all trades” employees. They must have good typing skills, be willing to take orders from other employees, be willing to work in a variety of capacities, and have a basic understanding of common office software. Work can vary from day to day, depending on the office’s current needs. On one day, you might be entering data, filing the next, and faxing or mailing promotional materials. If you work in a customer-service environment, the amount of time you are busy may be determined by customer traffic.
An office assistant may have completed certificate programs at community colleges or trade schools. Others hold high school diplomas, and only a few do not. Ability to type quickly and accurately, good phone manners, good people skills, and demonstrated ability to be organized are the most sought after skills. Other employers want to know if you can work with office software, and some even require you to take tests on it to prove your abilities.
Office assistants’ jobs may be more focused when they are acting as direct assistants to professionals. They will essentially perform any office tasks that are required so that the professional is not required to do so. Administrative and executive assistants are more familiar with office software and frequently serve as liaisons between clients and executives. They may manage offices and hire and fire office assistants to help them with their professional support work.
Pay range can also be variable because the term can mean a variety of things. An office assistant with only rudimentary office skills may earn barely more than minimum wage. Administrative assistants can earn more money, with an average salary of $30,000 US Dollars (USD). Depending on their experience and job responsibilities, many people earn significantly more.