General Office Assistant Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

By | September 5, 2023
General Office Assistant Job Description
General office assistants also make and receive telephone calls and arrange meetings or conference calls, and respond to emails.

This post presents detailed information on the general office assistant job description, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they commonly perform.

It also highlights the major requirements that you may be expected to meet to be hired for the general office assistant role.

What Does a General Office Assistant Do?

A general office assistant is responsible for maintaining the office environment. They act as assistant to higher level administrator and provide any information needed.

The general office assistant job description entails analyzing a business and making judgments about how work is to be done, efficiently and effectively.

It also involves managing petty cash disbursements in accordance with company policies and record keeping.

General office assistants also perform data entry or filing related administrative tasks.

Their duties also entail making and receiving telephone calls, arranging meetings or conference calls, and responding to emails as needed.

In addition, the general office assistant drafts correspondence, meeting reports, and other documents relating to the business.

They are responsible for sorting and submitting claims (customer service-related or internal) to insurance companies.

It is also their job to handle incoming fax or emails and make copies of documents as needed.

The general office assistant is updated with client status, bills and any other information that need to be known by higher level administrator

They refer particular tasks to the appropriate personnel in order to ensure effective performance within defined scope of duties.

The general office assistant work description also involves inspecting the quality of services rendered or determining if the quality is maintained with the main goal: achieve desired level of customer service satisfaction.

It is also their responsibility to maintain a clean and neat work area.

The general office assistant provides assistance to their supervisor in the preparation of staff report and analysis of business data, and assists in decision making.

They will find ways to save time or money and make suggestions for new procedures that will simplify operations or improve effectiveness of the office.

General office assistants maintain a database on particularly client information and check stocks of items in stockroom, ensuring enough stock is available in storage areas.

They are in charge of keeping work areas organized (files, etc.) and ensuring all visitors are escorted to the most appropriate area.

General Office Assistant Job Description Sample/Example/Template

The general office assistant job description consists of the following duties, tasks, and responsibilities:

  • Makes sales and service calls
  • Assists the business owner with daily and weekly office related needs
  • Orders office supplies and equipment
  • Maintains office supplies inventory
  • Assists the sales representative and field management strive to achieve company goals by following the company workflow and guide them to accomplish all tasks appropriately so that they can achieve revenue targets, save time, increase revenue, improve efficiency, etc.
  • Maintains a clear, accurate and up-to-date office log of all dispatched tasks and documents
  • Performs communication to internal customers regarding new processes
  • Makes appointments, handles correspondence, and maintains the mail room
  • Maintains awareness of company’s processes, including new office workflow
  • Processes billing, sales, shipping and related activities
  • Helps out with management tasks, including budgeting, time management and human resources related issues
  • Assists in maintaining the necessary documentation of office policies, which are used to ensure that the guideline of standard operating procedures is followed during each meeting or workday/working session
  • Maintains a daily office log, including meeting schedules, issues, follow-ups, and issues to be scheduled
  • Keeps records of all incoming and outgoing calls
  • Maintains the phone directories
  • Assists in maintaining the security of office and grounds
  • Answers the phone, speaks with the caller to assist them with any questions they may have, and provides information as necessary if requested
  • Performs data entry tasks
  • Completes data entry by entering information into databases (creates reports such as invoices) or numerical keys.

General Office Assistant Job Description for Resume

If you have worked before as a general office assistant or are presently working in that role and are making a new resume or CV, then you can make a great Professional Experience section for your resume by applying the general office assistant job description example provided above.

You can express the duties and responsibilities that you have performed as a general office assistant or are currently performing in your resume’s Professional Experience by utilizing the ones in the general office assistant job description sample above.

This will show to the employer/recruiter that you have been effective in performing the general office assistant role, which can highly enhance your chances of being hired for the new position, especially if the new job that you are seeking requires someone with some general office assistant work experience.

General Office Assistant Requirements: Skills, Knowledge, and Abilities for Career Success

Here are important requirements that most recruiters/employers may want you to meet to be hired for the general office assistant role:

  • High school graduate or equivalent
  • Possess at least 1-2 years of previous experience as office clerk or administrative assistant
  • Possess strong communication and organizational skills
  • Computer literacy is essential since the office duties are handled by computer and the internet
  • Should possess a high level of integrity and should be honest, sincere, hardworking, reliable and trustworthy
  • Must be able to work independently and should have good team spirit
  • Ability to function effectively with people from different backgrounds, especially in a team environment
  • Excellent organizational skills
  • Willingness and ability to work at all times, including weekends, overtime, and holiday
  • Ability to keep information confidential
  • Must work under self-management and should have good problem solving skills
  • Possess excellent interpersonal skills, especially with foreign clients and customers
  • Should be not afraid of small talk with potential clients.

General Office Assistant Salary

According to Glassdoor, the national average compensation for a general office assistant in the United States is $42,627 per year.

Conclusion

This post is helpful to individuals interested in the general office assistant career. They will be able to learn all they need to know about the duties and responsibilities the general office assistant usually carry out.

It is also useful to recruiters/employers in making a detailed and effective job description for the general office assistant position in their organizations.