Navigation for Administrative Office Systems:

Career Information

blocks

Nature of Work

The U.S. Department of Labor states that secretaries and administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative and clerical duties necessary to run an organization efficiently. They serve as information and communication managers for an office; plan and schedule meetings and appointments; organize and maintain paper and electronic files; manage projects; conduct research; and disseminate information by using the telephone, mail services, web sites, and e-mail. As the reliance on technology continues to expand in offices, the role of the office professional continues to evolve.

Typical Jobs

Office personnel can be found in almost any type of industry. They work in corporate America, law offices, hospitals or the medical field, schools and government agencies.

Jobs range from beginning receptionist and clerical positions to experienced corporate administrative assistants and department managers.

  • Senior Executive Assistant
  • Administrative Assistant
  • Human Resource Assistant
  • Executive Assistant
  • Office Professional
  • Project Coordinator
  • Customer Service
  • Call Center
  • Office Clerk
  • Receptionist

Salary Range

Each year Office Team conducts extensive research with company surveys to gather salary data.

This year's Office Team guide lists salaries up to $57,000 for senior Executive Assistants and beginning ranges of $21,000 for general clerical positions. Final salary figures can be increased for multilingual abilities and professional designations such as CAP, or MOS certifications. Salaries vary with employee responsibilities, skills, and experience levels.

Visit officeteam.com to receive your free copy of the 2008 Salary Guide.

Job Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor Web site lists the following information.

Employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is expected to grow about as fast as average for all occupations. Secretaries and administrative assistants will have among the largest numbers of new jobs arise, about 362,000 over the 2006-16 period. Additional opportunities will result from the need to replace workers who transfer to other occupations or leave this occupation.

Employment of secretaries and administrative assistants is expected to increase about 9 percent between 2006 and 2016.

The Future of the Profession

The International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) Web site states:

Administrative Career Offers Bright Future
With businesses operating in a global economy, administrative professionals will have opportunities to interact via e mail, audio- and video-conferencing, and even face-to-face with customers and associates from around the world. The winners will be those professionals who master technology, effectively use their interpersonal and communication skills, who have the ability to track and organize and be creative in solving problems, and most importantly, who have the willingness to learn and grow, and accept challenges. For those administrative professionals, there is a world of opportunity waiting for them!

Resources

 
 
 
College of Lake County, 19351 West Washington Street, Grayslake, IL 60030-1198    (847) 543-2000