Summary: A Career As An Administrative Assistant

As administrative assistants' responsibilities have increased. Technology is changing the way a business works, and administrative assistants are feeling the effect. Some of the skills employers look for today when seeking an administrative assistant include, but are not limited to, strong communication skills, broad technical skills, advanced proficiency in Microsoft Word, and working knowledge of social media.

Administrative assistants are expected to stay up-to-date on current technology to properly carry out tasks. Supervisors give administrative assistants growing responsibilities in the areas of social media and data management. The proper technological tools are necessary to keep up with growing demands. (Krause, 2014) Technology

Having the ability to verbally express one’s self in a professional manner is very important. Administrative assistants interact constantly with a range of people, including vendors, clients, and staff. Being able to write in a professional manner is also very important. Working as an administrative assistant requires constant communication, whether it be writing an email, preparing a proposal, or any official document. Professional writing and strong verbal communication skills are a must. According to the blog, Five Qualities Every Successful Administrative Assistant Needs, written by Robert Half, knowing the three T's of the business are a definite must know for administrative assistants. They include terminology, trends, and technology. Terminology is knowing the language of a business. It means an administrative assistant new to the company can keep up with and add to conversations in the workplace. Trends are what today's administrative assistants should be knowledgeable about industrywide. Administrative assistants should also be thinking proactively about how these trends could theoretically impact the company. Technology means that employers prefer administrative assistants who are not only tech-savvy but also well-versed in the company's most-used technology. They look for individuals who stay up-to-date through training, so they can exploit these tools. A knowledgeable

Mobile applications allow more workers to work from any location. Administrative assistants need to be ready to interact with people all over the globe. Although it is not usually part of the job description, administrative assistants often receive questions about changes in technology. Staying on top of new applications gives an edge and increases value to the team. New technology tools make it easier to collect, organize and analyze data than ever before. More data makes it easier to make decisions, and the job of data organization often falls to the administrative assistant. Do not be afraid to explore all available tools when working with data to create forms and charts for company presentations. Offsetting the rapid growth in technology for administrative assistants is a trend toward user-friendly devices and software. Being up-to-date on design and layout software, web based tools, and having excellent internet search capabilities are essential in a technology-driven workplace. Administrative assistants have had to expand their skills to keep up with the times. Microsoft Office is used in almost all administrative assistant positions. Having the knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint are necessary for administrative assistant jobs, but they are just one piece of a larger set of skills which are