Find out which skills an administrative assistant needs for the effective performance of duties
An administrative assistant is required to perform various tasks in an office which mean they need to have an extensive variety of skills. Their duties may include various office tasks, bookkeeping, taking minutes, managing records, filling, sending mail and keeping the office running. To perform the functions and more efficiently, an administrative assistant needs to possess some skills. These include:
Technological skills
Some of the roles of an administrator assistant require the use of equipment such as projectors, fax machines, computers and video conferencing facilities. Therefore, it is essential that one should have good technological skills to handle the equipment. You should know how to send an email, research from the web, type content, set up video conferencing equipment, and format a presentation among other related tasks.
Scheduling skills
An administration assistant is often tasked with scheduling appointments for the executives, organizing the calendar and making travel arrangements. To perform these tasks efficiently, one needs to have scheduling skills and ability to use associated scheduling programs such as the Microsoft Office and Lotus Notes.
Management skills
Often, an administrative assistant is involved in some of the managerial roles such as supervising clerical personnel, making decisions, planning office procedures and handling requests from other employees. These require an administrative assistant to have management skills for easy performance of the tasks. The skills can be acquired through learning and attending courses.
Problem-solving skills
An efficiently performing administrative assistant should solve some of the problems occurring at the office. Some of the issues may involve knowing how to deal with a sudden change of the boss’s schedule, resolving conflict in the office, dealing with an irate customer or confirming if a vendor has been paid.
Communication skills
An administrative assistant relays most of the communication in the office. From explaining to clients about products or services and taking customers queries to informing colleagues about office operations and giving directions to clerical staff. The information relayed needs to be clear and understandable which means that an administrative assistant needs to possess excellent communication skills both oral and written.
Time management skills
A slight delay may cause chaos in the office. For instance, failure to set up video conferencing facilities on time may delay an executive’s schedule, arriving late to work and not working on schedule can affect many functions in the office. An administrative assistant is in charge of managing both his time and that of the executive to ensure that the events and activities are running smoothly. The assistant should know how to use electronic means to set up meetings, request other parties to attend and to coordinate their responses.