All organizations need timely and effective clerical and administrative support to operate efficiently. Administrative support professionals are found throughout every area of the economy.

Administrative services managers are employed throughout the American economy, and their range of duties is broad. They coordinate and direct support services, which may include: secretarial and reception; administration; payroll; conference planning and travel; information and data processing; mail; facilities management; materials scheduling and distribution; printing and reproduction; records management; telecommunications management; personal property procurement, supply, and disposal; security; and parking.

Clerical supervisors and office managers oversee administrative support personnel. They can be found in nearly every sector of the economy, and perform administrative tasks to ensure that their staffs can work efficiently. To do this effectively, they must know the strengths and weaknesses of each member of the staff, as well as the required level of quality and time allotted to each job. They must make allowances for unexpected absences and other disruptions, and adjust assignments or perform the work themselves if the situation requires it.

Secretaries are responsible for a variety of administrative and clerical duties necessary to run and maintain organizations efficiently. Secretaries are often the information clearinghouse for the office. They schedule appointments, provide information to callers, organize and maintain paper and electronic files, manage projects, and produce correspondence for themselves and others. They may also type letters, handle travel arrangements, or contact clients. In addition, secretaries operate office equipment such as facsimile machines, photocopiers, and telephone systems.

General office clerk is usually an entry-level office job. Since the duties of general office clerks may include a combination of bookkeeping, typing, office machine operation and filing.

Information clerks and receptionists greet customers, guests and other visitors. They also answer telephones and/or elicit information from the public. Most information clerks use general office equipment such as multiline telephones, fax machines and personal computers. Receptionists answer questions from the public and provide information about the organization. In addition to traditional duties such as answering telephones, routing calls and greeting visitors, a receptionist may serve a security function within an organization, such as monitoring the access of visitors (see also Law Enforcement/Security, Medical Administration, and Travel and Hospitality).

Record clerks maintain and update records, ranging from payrolls to information on the shipment of goods to bank statements. Organizations of all kinds—businesses, government agencies, unions, health care facilities, and colleges and universities—must keep accurate records (see also Accounting).

Typists and word processors usually set up and enter reports, letters, mailing labels and other text material. Typists make neat, typed copies of materials written by other clerical, professional or managerial workers.

Electronic research technicians specialize in accessing information electronically, identifying pertinent research and formatting it for situational analysis. They search the Internet, online public and proprietary databases for information, news, other research, and data. Service tasks range from performing electronic clipping services to more comprehensive research services that access major databases worldwide for information and research relevant to a specific client’s needs and business objectives (see also Information Technology).

Bank tellers interact with the majority of bank customers. Tellers generally handle a wide range of banking transactions, such as cashing checks, accepting deposits and loan payments, and processing withdrawals.

Loan clerks, often called loan processing clerks, prepare loan applications for underwriters. They review loan applications, contact credit bureaus and reporting agencies for applicant records, and contact employers, banks, and references to verify personal and financial information.

Court reporters and stenographers take verbatim reports of speeches, conversations, legal proceedings, meetings, or other events when written accounts of spoken words are necessary for correspondence, records, or legal proof.

Court clerks perform clerical duties in courts of law; prepare docket of cases to be called; secure information for judges; and contact witnesses, attorneys and litigants to obtain information for court.

Paralegals generally do the preparatory work for lawyers involved in closings, hearings, trials and corporate meetings. Paralegals investigate the facts of cases, ensuring all relevant information is uncovered. They conduct legal research to identify the appropriate laws, judicial decisions, legal articles and other materials that are relevant to assigned cases.

Customer utilities service representatives interview applicants for water, gas, electric, or telephone service. They talk with customers by phone or in person and receive orders for installation, turn-on, discontinuance, or change in service.

Duplicating machine operators operate one or a variety of duplicating machines to make copies of printed and other information.

Mail clerks and messengers help businesses, institutions, and government agencies run efficiently by moving and distributing information, documents, and small packages.

Mail machine operators operate machines to emboss names, addresses and other matter onto metal plates for use in addressing machines; to print names, addresses and other similar information onto items, such as envelopes, accounting forms and advertising literature; to address, fold, stuff, seal and stamp mail; and to open envelopes.

Medical transcriptionists translate and edit recorded dictation by physicians and other healthcare providers regarding patient assessment and treatment (see Medical Administration).

Municipal clerks draft agendas for town or city councils, record minutes of council meetings, answer official correspondence, keep fiscal records and accounts and prepare reports on civic needs.

Proofreaders and copy markers read transcript or proof of type setup to detect and mark for correction any grammatical, typographical or compositional errors.

Real estate clerks perform duties concerned with rental, sale and management of real estate, such as typing copies of listings, computing interest owed or penalty payments, holding collateral in escrow, and checking due notices on taxes and renewal dates of insurance and mortgage loans.

Statistical clerks compile and compute data according to statistical formulas for use in statistical studies. They may also perform actuarial computations, using algebra and trigonometry, and compile charts and graphs for use by actuaries.

Transit clerks sort, record, proof and prepare transit items for mailing to or from out-of-city banks to ensure correct routing and prompt collection.

These examples are only a small sample of the careers available in this field. The many other office and administrative support occupations are too numerous to mention. However, apart from the differences in their industries, almost all of these workers require the same basic skills.

 

Colleges Offering Degrees in Administrative Support/Office Technology Programs

 

• El Paso Community College
• New Mexico State University

 

Administrative support and office personnel work in every kind of business throughout the world. While working conditions vary for each industry, most of these professionals work in clean, comfortable, well-lit surroundings, usually corporate, government or administrative offices. Most work a regular 40-hour work week, although shift, night, weekend, overtime and part-time work is common.

 

Computers are everywhere in today's offices. Computer literacy and fast, accurate keyboarding skills are an absolute necessity for most office and administrative support workers. Today's office personnel must keep up with technological advances in equipment, software and procedures, including such new technologies as the Internet and computer networks, to advance in these careers.

Office workers and administrative personnel must project a professional, business-like image at all times. Appropriate business attire, conservative makeup, and meticulous personal grooming are only the beginning. Business professionals must be mature, articulate, personable and able to work with grace under pressure. Those who deal with the public must have excellent interpersonal skills. These professionals must be able to take direction and criticism, and work well as part of a team. They must pay a great deal of attention to detail and accuracy, and their work must always be neat and well-organized. Some administrative support personnel must also obtain additional skills relevant to their industry.

 

Careers in office technology and administrative support are evolving rapidly, due mostly to technological advances in the workplace. New technologies like scanners, fax machines, voice recognition software, computer networks and digital information exchange are rendering some occupations obsolete, while creating new opportunities in others. Those professionals who keep up with new technology, especially in their computer-related skills, will advance very quickly in this new playing field.