Administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative duties in organizations and businesses. They typically work with office managers or human resources administrators to accomplish their responsibilities, but they also have contact with clients, customers and vendors. Administrative assistants help organize meetings, prepare agendas and materials for meetings, answer phones and respond to email inquiries from outside parties, provide clerical support for projects such as sales presentations or conferences (such as taking meeting minutes), coordinate travel arrangements for employees going on business trips or trade shows as well as order supplies for the company office (such as pens).
Colleges That Offer Administrative Assistant Degree
What Degree Do You Need to Become an Administrative Assistant?
What is an Administrative Assistant?
An administrative assistant, or secretary as they were once called, is a professional who works for an individual or organization. They are responsible for performing clerical tasks such as answering phones and creating appointments. A secretary may also be in charge of delegating duties to other staff members and managing office supplies. In many cases, secretaries work remotely from their employer’s main location—from home or from another office within the company itself.
In addition to their regular responsibilities, administrative assistants are often asked to perform special projects that require advanced skills or software knowledge in order to complete them successfully. It’s not unusual for an administrative assistant position to require computer literacy since most tasks involve working with computers on a daily basis; other positions may require knowledge of accounting software programs like QuickBooks or Microsoft Office products such as Word and Excel.
You can gain an associate’s degree in administrative assistant from many community colleges throughout the country.
Many community colleges throughout the country offer an associate’s degree in administrative assistant. The major prepares students to work with secretaries and other administrative assistants in offices. You’ll learn how to use word processing programs, spreadsheets and databases, as well as send e-mails and complete spreadsheets.
A bachelor’s degree program in office administration or a closely related field can prepare you to work in a variety of administrative environments.
A bachelor’s degree program in office administration or a closely related field can prepare you to work in a variety of administrative environments. The education you’ll receive will not only help you develop the skills needed for entry-level positions, but it can also prepare you for more advanced roles.
Bachelor’s degrees offer more career options than associate degrees, which often only prepare students for one specific job function. Because of this, many employers are looking for candidates with bachelor’s degrees who have demonstrated that they are capable of handling responsibilities beyond those associated with their specific position.
Having a bachelor’s degree gives you more professional credibility and makes it easier to find employment opportunities in your chosen field and earn promotions within your company or organization.
While most positions require at least some postsecondary education, there are some entry-level roles available to applicants without college experience.
Some administrative assistant positions require a bachelor’s degree, while others require an associate’s degree. Most jobs also require applicants to have at least some postsecondary education or experience in the field. In addition to academic requirements, some employers will also be looking for specific certifications or licenses in your chosen industry. Below are some additional factors that can increase your chances of being hired as an administrative assistant:
- High school diploma or GED (General Education Diploma)
- Certificate in a relevant field such as business administration or secretarial science
- Experience in similar roles
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree may help you qualify for more jobs as an administrative assistant.
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree may help you qualify for more jobs as an administrative assistant. As a general rule, employers prefer applicants with a bachelor’s degree to applicants with only an associate’s degree because they are more qualified to handle higher-level responsibilities.
An administrative assistant can find both entry-level and higher-paying positions in many fields, including business management, education and training, government, health care administration, insurance and real estate services.
Closing
A bachelor’s degree in administrative assistant or office administration can help you find employment as an administrative assistant in a variety of settings. This degree prepares students to work with clients and customers, manage their schedules, and handle correspondence. A bachelor’s degree program may include coursework in business management, human resources management and organizational behavior. Some programs include an internship component that gives students hands-on experience working at an organization before graduation.