Administrative Services Managers Job Description

Administrative Job Descriptions - Comments

Job descriptions for administrative professionals usually involve more than answering the phone and filing documents. There are responsibilities that separate administrative professionals from the typical student working at a summer job, doing basic clerical tasks. Administrative professionals are the first point of contact for people calling on the phone or entering a business. This initial contact can set the tone for a client's relationship with the company from that moment forward. An administrative professional's job involves working with computers and staff alike. A working knowledge of office software, including spreadsheets, word processing, calendar systems, and some accounting software is often required.

Whether an administrative job involves assisting a single executive, a department, or a whole office, administrative professionals benefit from having natural organization skills and a generally positive, helpful attitude. Organization skills are emphasized particularly if the administrative job description involves assisting traveling executives. Assuring that everything is arranged for a successful business trip is a common task for administrative professionals, who also often act as an executive’s liaison during business travel. Through effective organization, an administrative professional helps things run smoothly so that those within a company, department, or on an individual basis will be able to maximize their professional productivity.

Administrative job descriptions vary when it comes to education requirements. Some jobs may only require a year or two of general office experience. Positions for legal administrative professionals may require training as a legal secretary or paralegal. And administrative professionals working as high-level executive assistants may need a bachelor's or master's degree depending on the nature of the job. In salary surveys conducted by PayScale, one of the largest determining factors in the Salary of Administrative Jobs is years of experience. Other salary reports show that Annual Job Salaries are affected by education level, but those with master's degrees don't necessarily earn the highest salaries.

For another example of an administrative job description, read "Secretarial Careers: Administrative Assistant Profile," an interview with an administrative professional in South Africa. If you’re just starting out as an administrative professional, find out what salary is fair based on your job title, experience and location by taking the PayScale Salary Survey.