Administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative and clerical tasks to assist professional staff members and to maintain smooth and efficient office operation.
They monitor day-to-day office operations and set up and maintain schedules. In addition, they operate a variety of office machines and equipment to process and facilitate internal and external correspondence.
Graduates in this field may be required to:
perform a variety of clerical tasks
prepare letters, memos, invoices, legal documents and manuscripts using computerized equipment and software
answer telephones, take messages, schedule appointments, greet visitors
open and classify mail
take and transcribe dictation
take notes during business meetings and conferences
maintain business files
make travel, restaurant and other reservations as needed
operate office machines
may supervise other clerical workers
Graduates in this field commonly experience:
work inside; office environment
work under direct supervision
work in cooperation with other people
perform a variety of duties
work under stress to meet schedule deadlines
generate considerable paperwork
may require some overtime / night / weekend hours
sedentary
general moving about an office environment
light lifting (boxes of papers, files, etc.)
Graduates in this field should have:
ability to make generalizations, evaluations or decisions
ability to deal well with people
ability to work well within established guidelines / policy
ability to change from one task to another while maintaining composure and efficiency
ability to handle stress
ability to resolve conflicts competently
ability to do what is necessary to get the job done
good communication skills - writing and speaking
ability to work with machines (computers, etc.)
ability to "catch on" quickly
ability to follow directions
attention to details
good motor coordination (hand / eye coordination, manual dexterity, accurate and swift movement)
flexibility and adaptability
self-discipline; self-motivation
ability to think independently
Employment statistics for 2009 - 2011 PTC graduates, who found jobs in this field, are as follows:
salary average: $20,700 per year
salary range: $15,000-30,000 per year
59% placement rate
experience may lead to advancement within a company
entry level positions: administrative assistant, legal secretary, medical secretary, bookkeeper, teller, data entry clerk, typist, librarian, office manager, accountant assistant, telemarketer, office assistant, customer service representative
employment in cities and towns of all sizes
self-employment
secretarial services / "temporary" agencies
Some recent graduates have found work at:
Ala's
AnMed Health
Greenwood Internal Medicine
Greenwood Music
Greenwood Surgical Associates
M & M Income Tax
Montgomery Eye Associates
Piedmont Cardiology
Pinner Clinic
Town of Calhoun Falls