If you are looking for an administrative job, you probably start your day looking over job posting websites like http://www.administrativejobs.com/. New positions are posted every day, and having a routine that gets you in front of what’s available early in the day can help you get the edge on those still snoozing. As they say, …”if you snooze, you lose.”
Since there are so many types of administrative jobs, it is exciting to view all the possibilities where your skills can fit administrative positions in a variety of industries. Far from the norm, I found one listed on the administrative jobs website for a non-profit, philanthropically oriented company. While they are looking for overall administrative skills, there were a few specific skills listed in the job description that would give an applicant an edge.
1. “Proficient in Raiser’s Edge.” I did a search on this, since I had never heard of it before, and found that this is a software package used in the non-profit industry for fundraising and supporter database management. It is used in for organizing campaigns, extracting data, donor identification, relationship building, marketing and recordkeeping. Many jobs now require specific technical expertise. If you want to work in a specific industry, a little research will show you what their requirements are and direct you to some training you can do on your own to become qualified in that specific skill.
2. “Bi-Lingual a Plus.” This particular job posting was in California and since so many of their clients, customers and employees speak Spanish, an applicant who can communicate fluently, both speaking and writing, would have a huge advantage over one who only speaks English. There are many online and audio courses available that make it easy and cost-efficient to learn another language. You may only need to brush up what you learned in high school or college courses to meet that requirement.
3. “Email your resume in Word format.” This is a request, but it is also the first “test” for an applicant. To meet this requirement, you have to know how to produce a document in Word, format and proofread it correctly, and attach it to an email. I have a friend who is looking to fill a couple a quality administrative position in his manufacturing company, and I am gathering and reviewing resumes for him. I received one today with a grammar and a spelling error in the first sentence. What that tells me is, regardless of the qualifications, this person is not right for QA, and the resume went no further.
In your job search, look for skills that you may have or be able to acquire in a short time to make you even more marketable. Invest some time in self-training and you could open up a new world of employment possibilities.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a 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 helping clients discover what they love and spend their life on it. You can read more of her blogs at administrativejobsblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
Since there are so many types of administrative jobs, it is exciting to view all the possibilities where your skills can fit administrative positions in a variety of industries. Far from the norm, I found one listed on the administrative jobs website for a non-profit, philanthropically oriented company. While they are looking for overall administrative skills, there were a few specific skills listed in the job description that would give an applicant an edge.
1. “Proficient in Raiser’s Edge.” I did a search on this, since I had never heard of it before, and found that this is a software package used in the non-profit industry for fundraising and supporter database management. It is used in for organizing campaigns, extracting data, donor identification, relationship building, marketing and recordkeeping. Many jobs now require specific technical expertise. If you want to work in a specific industry, a little research will show you what their requirements are and direct you to some training you can do on your own to become qualified in that specific skill.
2. “Bi-Lingual a Plus.” This particular job posting was in California and since so many of their clients, customers and employees speak Spanish, an applicant who can communicate fluently, both speaking and writing, would have a huge advantage over one who only speaks English. There are many online and audio courses available that make it easy and cost-efficient to learn another language. You may only need to brush up what you learned in high school or college courses to meet that requirement.
3. “Email your resume in Word format.” This is a request, but it is also the first “test” for an applicant. To meet this requirement, you have to know how to produce a document in Word, format and proofread it correctly, and attach it to an email. I have a friend who is looking to fill a couple a quality administrative position in his manufacturing company, and I am gathering and reviewing resumes for him. I received one today with a grammar and a spelling error in the first sentence. What that tells me is, regardless of the qualifications, this person is not right for QA, and the resume went no further.
In your job search, look for skills that you may have or be able to acquire in a short time to make you even more marketable. Invest some time in self-training and you could open up a new world of employment possibilities.
Mary Nestor-Harper, SPHR, is a 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 helping clients discover what they love and spend their life on it. You can read more of her blogs at administrativejobsblog.com and view additional job postings on Nexxt.
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