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Administrative Professional Duties and Responsibilities

The role of administrative professional involves a variety of duties and responsibilities. We analyzed several administrative professional job descriptions to put together a list of the most relevant duties and responsibilities:

Answer Phone Calls and Take Messages Administrative professionals serve as the first point of contact for the executive they work under. They screen calls, making sure priority calls go through to the executive immediately. One must have the ability to actively listen and take accurate notes.

Maintain an Event Calendar Administrative professionals maintain both office calendars and the personal calendars of their executives. This requires mastery of digital calendar software, such as Google calendar.

Schedule Daily Tasks Administrative professionals create the daily task list for their executives each morning. They are responsible for analyzing the main event calendar and prioritizing daily tasks based on immediacy and importance.

Sit in on Meetings and Take Notes Executives are too busy participating in or running meetings to catch every detail. Administrative professionals sit in on meetings and use their expert note-taking skills to document everything each participant says.

Relay Executive Directives to Office Staff In some scenarios, administrative professionals act as office managers. They are responsible for passing on the directives from the executive to the office staff and periodically reporting to the executive on employee productivity. They are also responsible for communicating the grievances of office employees to their executive.

Greet and Entertain Office Guests Administrative professionals act as the face of their employer when clients come to the office. They create the first impression of their employer, so this duty requires constant professionalism and an upbeat attitude.

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Administrative Professional Skills

The role of administrative professional is a general role that requires a fair amount of both soft skills and technical knowledge. Today's administrative professionals have to be technologically savvy. Most of their day is spent creating digital calendars, taking down meeting notes in Microsoft Word and using the other tools in Microsoft Office Suite. Administrative professionals also must be experts on their company's policies and procedures as part of their responsibility includes ensuring the compliance of office employees. When it comes to soft skills, administrative professionals have to be great communicators. They have to have great phone etiquette, as they answer all calls to an office. They also have to have good interpersonal communication skills to make a good first impression on office visitors. In addition to these qualities, the following skills are required to get a job as an administrative professional:
  • Scheduling meetings and travel arrangements based on master event calendar
  • Documenting meeting discussions using transcription skills
  • Creating a good first impression for office visitors using professionalism and interpersonal skills
  • Managing the concerns of office employees using conflict resolution skills
  • Answering and documenting information from phone calls using active listening skills
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Administrative Professional Education and Training

While it is possible to obtain employment as an administrative professional with just a high school diploma, the higher paying positions favor candidates with at least an associates degree in a field related to business administration. Some vocational schools have an office administration program that takes one year to complete, giving students a certificate upon completion.
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Administrative Professional Salary

According to Glassdoor, the average base pay for administrative professionals is $43,184. Those on the low end of the scale make $31,000, while those on the high end of the scale make $60,000.
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Administrative Professional Resources

Those who find a career in administration appealing should check out the following resources for administrative professionals:

International Association of Administrative Professionals - The International Association of Administrative Professionals was founded in 1942 on the core values of integrity, transparency, collaboration, and excellence. It puts on a national summit each year, as well as local chapter meetings throughout the country. Its certified administrative professional certification is highly regarded in the world of office administration.

The American Society of Administrative Professionals - The American Society of Administrative Professionals was founded in 2005 and has grown to have 70,000 members from around the country. It has a multitude of webinars listed on its website, both free and paid, as well as an archive of articles on the latest office administration trends and industry news.

Office Dynamics - Office Dynamics is a training company for administrative professionals that has been in business since 1990. In addition to its awesome company blog, it hosts an annual conference covering the latest strategies and trends in office administration. The Effective Admin - Founded in 2004 by Karen Porter, "The Effective Admin" is the blog associated with Porter's administrative professional training company. She updates the blog regularly with free tips and strategies backed by real-world experience.

The Administrative Professional: Technology and Procedures - Now in its 15th edition, this book is a go-to desk reference for any type of administrative professional. It was written for a college course, so it is a tough read, but packed with useful information.

Communication Strategies for Administrative Professionals - Written by Karen Porter of "The Effective Admin," this book is an excellent read for administrative professionals looking to improve their communication skills.

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