What does an Administrative Assistant do? And is it a good job to start after graduating college?

Question

What does an Administrative Assistant do? And is it a good job to start after graduating college?

Answer 1

admin asst. is basically data entry.



i think it's a decent job for starters, especially when u don't have much work experience. it will gives u a better realization of how corporation works and u can always get another job afterwards.



i think, it really depends on ur future goals. ex. if u want to buy a house in the near future, u might wanna get in some furniture company so u can get a discount. if u want to go to grad school, choose companies that will reimburst the tuition. if u r not afraid of "high risk high return", be a trader and trade stocks ( u might lose money).



those were just some examples for u to think about. also, b a research assistant might help you as well since u r a science major.

Answer 2

That is a fancy name for a secretary.



Most places it is hard to use it as a stepping stone because you get pegged as a secretary.

Answer 3

Administrative Assistant is usually the term for "secretary." They provide routine clerical and secretarial assistance, including appointments, correspondence, and filing.

Answer 4

2

Answer 5

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Answer 6

It all depends on the company. Some admins do just office work, such as phones, email, faxes, shipping, bulk mailings. Other admin jobs may require more. In my current admin job, I do many different things such as payroll, accounting operations, order supplies, pay bills, assist managers in reporting, schedule interviews. It did require a bachelors degree. In other admin jobs I mainly did general office duties. I really enjoy it. It is definetely a good way to gain work experience as well as customer service skills.

Good Luck!

Answer 7

An Administrative Assistant does clerical work. Majority of the time you will have your own office space or desk space, along with a fax machine, telephone, and computer. You run errands, file paperwork, answer telephones, and things of that sort. Its not too bad, Im actually working a job similar to this as an intern at the Social Security Administration.

Answer 8

I think the real question here is what do you love to do? If you are detailed oriented and can handle taking orders from others (boss) then an administrative position may work for you.



But if you just want to make some extra money to hold you over while you go to grad school then you would be better off working for yourself, doing online marketing and working from home.



I was somewhat in the same situation as you, I love school and wanted to get degree after degree, but then I realized that I wasn't progressing in my financial life. I was doing work that I hated and finally decided to try internet marketing.



Boy did that change my life - I now work from home, on my own schedule, and do what I love to do...so if you want to just make some real money, you can order a free book on how to make money online - go to www.StephensFreeInternetBook.com - trust me, working for youself is much better than working as an assistant to someone else.



Good luck!

Answer 9

Hi,

I think it would be a pretty good move, but for better understanding I have divided my answer in 2 parts. Hope it helps you!!!!







1) What do Admis do, etc:



As they have already said, it can be as simple as answering the phone and greeting people (really an Admin/ Receptionist job - or like they call them now Director of First Impressions - no joke), or.. add clerical duties - typing, filing... all the way to..... plan international events, presentations, travel arrangements.......

A degree, even not in Business, will certainly not hurt you., but you will have to start at an entry level admin position also.



If you have not done so yet, take some online courses, (free at most local libraries) specially on MS Office Word, Outlook (a calendar-contact program widely use). Excell, Powerpoint, etc are normally used by senior Admin (generally..)



For salary info, good job descriptions, type of salary to expect in your industry/region, etc... I have found a pretty accurate site: www.payscale.com. Take a look, it is a good job research site. You can even check if the salary they are offering you is in range for your location/experience/industry.



NOTE:

Only do the FREE profile. They try to redirect you to their PREMIUM Salary Report. DON'T pay anything, you can still get ALL the information you need from all the FREE reports you are allowed to access.







2) Good Job to start: YEP!!



If you are finding it hard to find an entry level job in your field, it is not a bad idea at all ( if you don't mind starting at an entry level admin), but you would get MUCH more out of it if you try to get a position in a company in YOUR FIELD of study.



Let's say, if your degree is in chemistry/biochemistry, try for a position with a Pharmaceutical company.

If it is in earth science, try applying for a gov/state/city job at their Environmental, Geo/etc offices. etc. etc....



You can Google your state/city government employment links, and then just apply for an Admin Assistant or even a general office work with them.







Why this could be a win/win situation.



By working as an admin in a company in your industry sector :



(A) When you go into Graduate School, you will have some years of interacting, in the real vis academic world, with the type of people/personalities/office environment of your field of study.



(B) You will have (even if only from the sidelines) a peek at how other professionals in your field work/interact in actual companies in your chosen field.



(C) You can start networking!!!!

Show you are a dependable employee, then start talking to the professionals and tell them what your plans are for grad school and ask them for advice.

Do not ask them for a future job!!!! They will clam up!!

Just make sure you tell them that you have seen them work and would very much respect their advice (perhaps you can get a mentor - do not tell them his though :)

Network as much as possible, as time passes make sure the people you respect know about your degree and future studies. you never know how someone already in the field may help you or even give you a good reference in the future.

So work hard at building a good solid reputation, remember to offer these professionals assistance with their projects (even if it is filing, show interest in their work, if you have any free /downtime, they normally will remember you.



(D) All this experience may even help you confirm or decide to make some changes concerning your chosen graduate field.





GOOD LUCK !!!