Administrative Jobs on Wheels

When I think of administrative jobs, my mind goes immediately to a picture of a man or woman seated behind a desk with a phone and computer, answering calls and emails, typing letters and other correspondence, processing invoices or other office-related tasks. For decades, that was the stereotypical position, person and duties. I was surprised when I read an article that the top administrative jobs with the highest growth rate in the past year were in the Transportation Industry, with driver, delivery driver, material handler, UPS package processor and dispatcher heading the list. In fact, demand for these jobs rose a whopping 125%!

What’s driving this incredible growth? More people are shopping online. The growth of sites such as EBay, Craig’s List, and the incredible number of websites offering a variety of products which have to be shipped has caused companies like FedEx and UPS to expand. Etsy.com, a website which offers free online shops for crafters of homemade products, is an example of new opportunities for shipping products around the world. With a global marketplace, the need for reliable shipping services is greater than ever and growing.

This information gave me a whole new perspective on the range of administrative opportunities and how a shift in skills and experience for those jobs will impact job training and the search for talent to fill those positions. It is limiting to think that administrative jobs are only available in an office setting. The skills you need for “office work” vary greatly from those needed to fill the transportation jobs above. While the typical administrative assistant is female, the majority of transportation and delivery positions are held by males. Those who hold fast to the past will miss the opportunities of the present. Here are some of the skills and abilities that put you “in the running” for jobs in this fast-growing segment:

1. Clean driving record. When I was an HR Director at a destination hotel/resort, we always had a difficult time finding qualified employees. Since we were located on a small island, just about all our employees had to get around the island on golf carts. Since they were gas powered vehicles, the drivers had to have a driver’s license. Many people either didn’t have one, it was suspended, or their driving record made it impossible them to be covered under our company’s insurance. Having a driver’s license is the one most important qualification for many of these new administrative jobs.
2. A negative drug screening. This goes for any job, but especially for those hired to drive company vehicles. Drug screening is more sophisticated, and companies are using a variety of screening methods to ensure that a candidate doesn’t try to falsify a screening. Analyzing hair samples, blood and alcohol screenings are joining the urine test for ensuring the candidate is drug free.
3. A Clean Personal Record. Drivers, material handlers, and those who work in warehouses and distribution centers handle all types of merchandise. Companies look very closely at criminal background checks to weed out those with convictions that are related to the job. They also have a responsibility to their customers to hire reliable, trustworthy people to handle their merchandise. A company may be found guilty of “negligent hiring” for bringing on an employee with a past criminal record.

Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a workplace consultant, blogger, motivational speaker and freelance writer for Administrativejobs.com. Based in Savannah, GA, her work has appeared in Training magazine, Training & Development magazine, Supervision, BiS Magazine and The Savannah Morning News. When she’s not writing, she enjoys singing Alto II with the Savannah Philharmonic Chorus and creating original gift items available on http://www.etsy.spoolhardy.com/. You can read more of her blogs at administrativejobsblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.