Administrative Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

This post provides detailed information on the administrative assistant job description, to increase your knowledge of what they do.

What Does an Administrative Assistant Do?

Administrative assistants are responsible for providing different kinds of administrative support to groups and people in business enterprises.

The term “administrative assistant” could sometimes be a formal title, or a general description of an employee’s job in an office.

It depends on the kind of work a person does; there are many kinds of job descriptions that fall under this category.

Depending on the organization one is working for, the job description for the position could vary.

Administrative assistance and administration support are key to the effective operation of a unit or department of any company.

Administrative assistants’ roles are quite common in the employment market and employers are found in a wide variety of industries.

The responsibility of the staff holding this covers a wide range of administrative and office support activities for the managers and supervisors to fast-track the efficient operation of the organization.

Besides typing, filing, scheduling, other duties in the administrative assistant job description include payroll, financial record keeping, and coordination of conferences and meetings.

It also involves coordinating direct mailings, receiving and taking stock of supplies, and participating in special projects.

Administrative assistants also answer non-routine correspondence and assemble sensitive and highly confidential information.

They deal with a diverse group of clients and visitors, including all levels of staff members and management in the organization they work in.

Independent judgment is required of them to plan, organize diversified workload, and recommend changes in office procedures.

Administrative Assistant Job Description Example/Sample/Template

The job description of the administrative assistant below consists of major duties, tasks, and responsibilities most employers would want employees working in this position to carry out:

• Organizes and schedules office activities, including meetings, travels, and conferences, as well as department activities for members of the department
• Creates and develops visual and digital presentations for the vice president and performs desktop publishing
• Establishes, maintains and updates filing system for the department and vice president
• Retrieves needed information from files. Establishes, maintains and updates magazines and library of trade journals
• Organizes, arrange and prioritize information and calls
• Sorts and distributes mail. Checks mail on behalf of the vice president. Drafts written responses by phone or e-mail when needed. Responds to regularly requests for information
• Answers phones on behalf of the vice president and marketing department
• Collaborates with other office assistants in attending to phone calls and mails
• Acts as a middle-man between other departments and outside agencies, including high-level staff such as senior vice presidents, presidents, CEOs, and chief executives. Handles confidential cum non-routine information and explains policies when necessary
• Works independently and in conjunction with a team on special nonrecurring and ongoing projects. May act as project manager for special projects as requested by the vice president, which includes: disseminating information, planning and coordinating multiple presentations, creating brochures, and coordinating direct mailings
• Types and designs correspondences, memos, graphs, tables, charts, and business plans
• Proofreads copy for spelling and grammar, then make appropriate changes
• Directly responsible for clarity and accuracy of final copy of document
• Supports market data analyst in the maintenance of the department finances. Activities also include: copying check requests, taking record of expenses on corporate credit card to corporate finance and sending to accounts payable travel reimbursement
• Screens, answers and transfers inbound phone calls.

Administrative Assistant Job Description for Resume

To prepare an effective resume to send to employers when seeking the position of administrative assistant in any organization, the job description example above can serve as a valuable source of information.

Administrative Assistant Requirements: Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities for Successful Career

Administrative assistants are usually required to possess the following skills, knowledge, and attributes to be effective and succeed on the job:

• Must be a graduate
• Must have computer skills and knowledge of some relevant software
• Must have knowledge of operation of office equipment
• Must possess strong knowledge of clerical and administrative systems and procedures, such as filing and record keeping
• Must have knowledge of basic office management.
• See top 16 administrative assistant skills to be best on the job.

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