administration assistant.

Some of the daily tasks of an administrative assistant include:

• communication and correspondence: as an admin assistant, you answer phone calls, respond to emails and relay messages to various staff. You greet clients or visitors, direct them to their appointments, or answer questions. Your job also involves compiling reports and filing documents.
• scheduling: besides being responsible for your schedule, you also manage the programmes of managers and executives. You schedule appointments, prepare a calendar of activities for managers, coordinate events like client lunches and plan company meetings. You also plan travel itineraries and make necessary arrangements.
• organisation: as an admin assistant, you manage the company's filing systems and databases. You complete data entry tasks, file the necessary documents and create an efficient filing system for easy records retrieval.
• bookkeeping and financial management: an admin assistant completes basic bookkeeping tasks in organisations without a separate finance department. You record and reconcile office expenses, manage petty cash, create invoices and bills for clients and compile financial reports. You are also in charge of accounting management tools and preparing budgets for administrative functions like stationery and travel.
• assisting human resources departments: as an administrative assistant, your role involves human resource functions like preparing for job interviews and organising training sessions. You also maintain employee records and update employee handbooks with relevant policies.

As an administrative assistant, you work in an office in law firms, hospitals, medical offices, schools, government agencies and industrial settings. You may work in a shared space alongside other admin assistants in an open office plan. When you are an executive administrative assistant, you have an independent office close to the executive you assist. You spend most of the day answering phone calls, working on your computer or writing meeting minutes. The office environment is usually a quiet workplace but can become noisy when business operations ramp up or during company events. As an administrative assistant, working from home is often an option.

Depending on your employer and the industry you work in, your colleagues might include executive assistants, customer service representatives and sales executives. You might also be working in close proximity to production managers, project managers, office managers and office administrators, as well as other specialists that could include, but not be limited to, receptionists, personal assistants, sales managers, marketing coordinators and marketing managers.

As an administrative assistant, you work 35 to 40 hours weekly from 9 am to 5 pm in a full-time position. Some companies employ part-time admin assistants, and you can work flexible hours. When business operations increase during peak seasons, you work overtime to meet deadlines and catch up with the paperwork. Some industry sectors work outside traditional business hours, so you may work weekends, holidays and night shifts. For instance, hospitals and medical offices have irregular work hours suitable for people who don't mind flexible schedules. The job also involves travelling since you have to accompany executives on various trips.

Admin assistants follow various career paths depending on their field of interest. For instance, an entry-level administrative assistant can progress to an executive assistant or office manager role. However, you should improve your qualifications and skills to join managerial positions. It is also possible to move to related departments like accounts and information technology or become a paralegal. Virtual admin assistants are becoming more common, and you can advance your career by offering remote services.

Finding your administrative assistant job through Randstad provides important advantages such as:

• a wide variety of training and development opportunities
• an experienced contact person to provide help if needed
• a range of opportunities in your area
• get paid weekly or monthly, depending on the job
• temporary and permanent contracts

Want a permanent contract? A temporary job as an administrative assistant is often a stepping stone to an attractive permanent job. Every year, thousands of people earn a permanent contract with great employers thanks to a temporary job found through Randstad. What's more, many companies recruit their permanent employees through Randstad too.

An administrative assistant performs various administrative duties in an office. For instance, an administrative assistant is usually responsible for creating and proofreading documents dictated by managers. They also perform data entry tasks to keep records accurate. Other duties include filing and archiving documents and reports according to the company policies and procedures.

An administrative assistant should possess organisational skills, which help them juggle various tasks. Problem-solving skills help you tackle issues with clients. You also need communication skills to assist in verbal communication, report writing and preparing company documentation.

Becoming an admin assistant can be challenging in a fast-paced work environment since you handle numerous tasks. You also deal with various customers, including frustrated clients, and it is essential to keep calm and help them schedule appointments or receive the necessary services.

You only need Year 10 qualifications to get a job as an administrative assistant. However, you can boost your prospects by pursuing courses like a Certificate IV in business administration and other vocational training courses. You also need work experience and technical skills in bookkeeping and office software programmes.

Administrative assistants earn attractive salaries with various benefits and generous remuneration packages. The earnings depend on the industry and specific duties.

Applying for an administrative assistant job is easy: create a Randstad profile and search our administration assistant job offers. Then simply send us your CV and cover letter. Need help with your application? Check out all our job search tips here.