To be a top-notch administrative assistant, it takes more than just showing up and looking professional. This office support position requires certain qualities and attributes that separate the cream of the crop from the average assistant. Take a look at the following tips to find out what it takes to be a "prime" administrative assistant in modern society's busy workplace.
Self-starting Personality
A good administrative assistant does not wait to be told what needs to be done; he simply supports the staff without the need for constant supervision. As good time managers, superior admin assistants can take on projects independently and achieve great results with little or no supervision. Self-starters who know when to step up and require little intervention make great administrative assistants.
Goal-oriented
Understanding the importance of goals and how to meet them is important for administrative assistants; they need to keep their own work goals in focus and also know their company's goals and ascertain the best ways to help achieve them. Unmotivated admin assistants do not live up to their full potential and could be less efficient at supporting their offices.
Flexibility
An administrative assistant could be called upon to wear many different hats in his daily work. A superior admin assistant is able to move from task-to-task effortlessly, shifting gears as needed to get the job done. Being able to meet the needs of clients, co-workers and executive staff interchangeably makes an administrative assistant much more valuable to the company, and some argue it makes them priceless.
Attention to Detail
An administrative assistant may have to process a lot of information to assist the office; a strong attention to detail ensures no detail is overlooked and every task is completed thoroughly. An admin assistant may be called upon to make critical decisions for the company, and if he is not fully aware of every aspect of the situation, he could end up making his boss look bad. A truly great administrative assistant ensures every little thing is accounted for and attended to without needing to be supervised while doing it.
Strong Communication Skills
Communication is key in any administrative role but especially in support roles. An effective administrative assistant must be able to communicate problems, ideas and solutions succinctly to his superiors, co-workers and clients. A good knowledge of current communication technologies and platforms such as social media help admin assistants become truly valuable communicators for their companies.
The role of an administrative assistant goes far beyond that of office support. Truly superior admin assistants are crucial to the success of their offices because they take some of the strain off of the executives and other workers, allowing those workers to achieve more for the company. In short, an administrative assistant needs to be ready to face any challenge at any time to be considered truly great.
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