The administrative assistant job description continues to evolve over time as new technologies emerge and roles in the office change to match the needs of modern customers and clients. The traditional administrative assistant role with which most people are familiar involves making coffee and scheduling appointments, but professionals in today's offices do so much more. Understanding what is expected of you can make it easier to land a position as an administrative assistant or achieve more in your current career.
The administrative assistant role has changed in many offices as a matter of expediency. Assistants are now responsible for ensuring that busy staff members can review important notes from meetings or conferences. This includes both written and electronic recordings of events and presentations. The administrative assistant job description has merged with that of the receptionist in many cases. Assistants greet new clients entering the office and pull the files and information that upper-level staff or managers will need for upcoming meetings. This part of the administrative assistant job description allows administrative assistants to function as intermediaries between clients and staff.
Assistants do not just ease interactions between managers and clients. They also work as intermediaries with employees. Many consider coordinating office services and employee interactions as part of the administrative assistant job description. According to Lori Reed, hiring managers often look for assistants who are knowledgeable and excited about how the role affects the company and its employees as a whole. As an assistant, you are perfectly placed to listen to employee feedback and provide suggestions. Employees who do not wish to trouble executives with questions, complaints, or suggestions may see you as a sounding board or an important step before pursuing agendas with top staff.
Technology has also driven changes to the administrative assistant job description. Assistants may now find themselves tasked with screening incoming telephone calls, emails, social media messages, and other forms of communication and determining what needs immediate executive attention. Their employers may rely on them to handle common situations with a minimum of input from supervisors, and more and more assistants take on part of the duties of the executives they assist. This can become a very beneficial situation for all parties involved.
As times and roles in the office continue to change, administrative assistants continue to evolve to take on a greater amount of ever-changing tasks in the workplace. The switch to technology that makes it easier to schedule events and track notes has made some aspects of the job easier, but more responsibilities have appeared on the to-do lists of skilled assistants over time. The job description of an administrative assistant may still include taking dictation and preparing coffee for the office, but in many modern settings, it goes much further.
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