When people think of administrative assistants, receptionists, and secretaries, they have a tendency to think, quite inaccurately, that all these people do is answer phones and greet guests. In truth, administrative assistants are a critical pillar of any functional organization.
Succeeding in the role of administrative assistant requires a blend of sharp technical skills, keen organizational tendencies, and systems-oriented strategy. As a resource to our job-seeking readers, our expert staffing agents have recognized 7 proven strategies to becoming a top-performing administrative assistant:
1. Keep Your Tech Skills Razor Sharp
A significant portion of any administrative assistant’s job is going to be performed on a computer, whether it is basic data entry or oversight of an entire Customer Management System (CRM). Office standbys include:
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- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Outlook
- Slack
- Zoom
2. Perfect Your Verbal & Written Communication
An effective administrator can communicate with multiple department heads at once without losing clarity of the message. They might also be required to handle customer communications. In either case, every bit of outgoing communication needs to be thoughtfully formatted, promptly delivered as polite and direct as possible.
3. Be a Master of Organization
In many cases, the administrative assistant will be the de facto organizational czar, coordinating schedules, data, events, and files between multiple departments and individuals. Having strong organizational systems is an absolute must.
4. Become the Most Detail-Oriented Person in the Building
From data entry to communications, there is a staggering amount of critical information that passes through the hands of an administrative assistant on its way to customers, partners, or employees. The most effective administrators act as a filter for errors, omissions, and inaccuracies in all company correspondence.
5. Manage Your Time Strategically
Most administrative assistants are utilized by multiple departments and/or executives, and as such, it can be easy to lose track of time. Every workday needs to be thoughtfully structured, and every task prioritized.
6. Get Creative with Problem Solving
As it is with any job or position, an easy way to get noticed by management is to be solution-minded. Administrative assistants will often need to think on their feet to solve time-sensitive problems, as managers and bosses are not always available in-the-moment.
7. Anticipate the Needs of the Workplace
With all the data, communications, and files that are passing through the desk of the average administrative assistant, there is perhaps no person in the company better suited to make predictions about workplace needs. Catching a problem before it occurs is a guaranteed way to garner the favor of management and team leaders.
Find Your Next Job Today
If you’re looking for a position as an administrative assistant, the staffing professionals at Top Notch Personnel can help. Give us a call at 316-425-4501, or visit our website for more valuable resources that can aid you in your job search.
