What Does an Administrative Assistant Do?

Administrative assistants are often the glue that holds an office together. This “jack of all trades” job handles tasks like outgoing mail, scheduling meetings, arranging travel and ordering office supplies. An administrative assistant must be an organized, effective communicator to do their job well.

Administrative assistants may not have the flashy title or the corner office. But these talented individuals often ensure an office — and sometimes an entire company — thrives. The best administrative assistants can answer any employee question, from where to find the paper clips to what to do when someone breaks the coffee machine.

What Is an Administrative Assistant?

An administrative assistant handles routine clerical and organizational tasks within an office setting. They may work directly with an executive or take requests and tasks from the entire office.

Administrative assistants work in many kinds of offices. Some administrative assistants perform more specialized tasks. These include the following workers:

• Executive administrative assistants provide high-level support for offices and top executives. Their responsibilities are complex. They may review documents, conduct research and prepare reports for their supervisors. They may also oversee clerical staff, including other administrative assistants.
• Legal secretaries have a high degree of expertise in the legal field. They often prepare documents or conduct research under the supervision of attorneys or paralegals.?
• Medical administrative assistants transcribe dictation and prepare reports for doctors or medical scientists. They may occasionally take simple patient histories, arrange for hospitalization or process insurance. A good understanding of medical terminology and procedures is necessary for this role.

Why Are Administrative Assistants Important?

Administrative assistants keep a business running at a steady pace. They provide much-needed administrative support to executives. In addition, long-tenured secretaries and assistants often have a wealth of institutional knowledge.

Job Responsibilities

What does an administrative assistant do? Job responsibilities differ based on proximity to the C-suite. Still, most administrative assistants often have a handful of duties on any given day. Some of their most pressing work includes the following tasks:

Schedule Meetings

Many executives have busy schedules that require constant juggling. Administrative assistants — particularly those who work in the C-suite — schedule meetings for their bosses. Administrative assistants may also have the responsibility of scheduling all-company meetings and events.

Answer Phone Calls, Emails and Other Messages

Administrative assistants often answer phone calls from external parties and direct them to the appropriate destination. They also devote energy to email correspondence. They forward messages from their managers to recipients or follow up on items others may be too busy to take care of.

Receive and Send Mail

Many companies still maintain paper correspondence. Administrative assistants handle incoming and outgoing mail and faxes. They deliver those items to the appropriate destinations within the office. They also ensure postal workers pick up outgoing mail.

Arrange Travel

Administrative assistants often book travel for executives and other members of the team. They make hotel reservations, book flights and coordinate schedules.

Prepare Memos, Invoices and Reports

When executives or other stakeholders must prepare internal communications, they often turn to their assistants. In smaller companies, administrative assistants may also send invoices to customers or vendors. Finally, assistants have a hand in creating documents like slide decks and other presentations.

Edit Documents

Administrative assistants often proofread or edit documents on behalf of their immediate supervisors. They seek out grammar mistakes and make notes on items that may be unclear.

Update Documents and Data Systems

Information entry and updating documents often fall under the purview of administrative assistants.

Create Budgets

Some companies ask their administrative assistant(s) to develop office budgets. This helps ensure that companies avoid cost overruns. Because many administrative assistants review invoices and purchase office supplies, they know how to allocate funds within the office.?

Basic Bookkeeping

Larger companies may hire a controller or a dedicated accounting team. Small firms may not have the budget. In this case, they often place basic bookkeeping tasks on the shoulders of an administrative assistant. The administrative assistant records all financial transactions and reconciles bank accounts, among other details.

Maintain Inventory of Office Supplies

Administrative assistants know where to find products like toner, pens, notebooks, paper and other necessities. In addition to guiding employees to these items, they are often in charge of ordering replacements when supplies run low.

Skills and Education

What does it take to be an administrative assistant? Some assistants come to the field via community college. Others develop their skills in other careers before transitioning to the office.

High School Diploma or GED

The minimum level of education needed for an administrative assistant role is a high school diploma or GED. Even though a college degree is not required, many administrative assistants or secretaries hold associate’s or bachelor’s degrees. Typical areas of study for administrative assistants include business, education or communications.

Time Management

Administrative assistants often handle several tasks at once, so being able to prioritize which tasks to do and when is key to success. Many assistants must balance not just one calendar but several. That means staying on top of a schedule and blocking time to accomplish tasks.

Organization

Administrative assistants must be organized to function well. This work is a balancing act, especially as assistants manage calendars, documents and budgets. For this reason, detailed note-taking is often a function of the role.

Wearing Multiple Hats

In smaller organizations, an administrative assistant might be responsible for solving problems, answering questions, training new employees and advising their supervisors on difficult issues.?

Communication

Clear communication is critical. Administrative assistants can act as a buffer between executives and other members of an organization. A good administrative assistant is articulate in verbal and written communication. They excel at active listening to ensure they understand expectations and needs.

Proficiency with Microsoft Suite

Most organizations use the Microsoft 365 productivity suite. This includes Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Administrative assistants will likely live in these programs to perform many of their daily functions, so they should have excellent hands-on knowledge of each.

Still, trying to figure out where to start? Consider using online learning platforms to take a crash course or a refresher.

Money Management

Because administrative assistants often purchase office supplies and other necessities, they must effectively manage a company credit card or petty cash for incidentals.?

How to Be an Effective Administrative Assistant

Becoming a great administrative assistant takes diligent work. Because all administrative assistants focus on different aspects of the job, they may rely on some skills more than others.?

One of the best ways to become an effective administrative assistant is to focus on communication and technology skills. The former will help the professional work with other people. The latter will allow them to streamline processes and free up time to perform other tasks, including staying organized and coordinating the efforts of the whole office.

Top Takeaways

• Administrative assistants perform many tasks within an office to help things run smoothly.
• These team members must have excellent communication and organizational skills.
• There are different administrative assistants whose responsibilities vary based on the type of organization they work for.
• Excellent administrative assistants handle details that other roles may not have time for, like ordering office supplies and coordinating travel for executives.

(Reporting by NPD)