Today's Administrative Professionals Do More
Administrative and support professionals have come a long way from the days of taking dictation and buying gifts for the boss's wife. Whether working as receptionists, executive assistants or office managers, admins have become experts in a career that has grown in breadth and stature, to be celebrated this year during Administrative Professionals Week.
This year's theme is "Innovation Advances Administrative Professionals," which acknowledges the critical role new technologies play in enabling admins to move forward in their careers.
In 2006, admins run sophisticated office software, plan big events, prepare business communications in many media and sometimes even train their bosses and co-workers to use new technologies. What's their career ceiling? With these professionals rising to meet greater challenges each year, there seems no limit.
Administrative professionals need a variety of technological skills to thrive in the business environment of the 2000s. Beyond the basics of word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation software, today's admins are making advanced use of scheduling and calendaring software, project-management programs, and desktop and Web-publishing packages. Sometimes they're using specialised office applications like Visio, a flowcharting program, and shepherding collaborative documents through complex review processes. Many administrative professionals are applying their detailed knowledge of software, including human resources information systems and statistical analysis programs.
"It's not just typing and filing; it's information management," says Rick Stroud, a spokesman for the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). For example, a substantial part of an executive assistant's role is to manage the flow of information between the executive, the rest of the organisation and the outside world.
Riding the technology wave is a proven way to advance through the ranks of admin professionals. "I've always taken the initiative to learn the new software as it comes out," says Cathy Hoke, an executive assistant with a health insurer. "It's now understood that admins are capable of using software, so they're being given more projects that require in-depth knowledge."
Admins also frequently distinguish themselves by developing expertise in industries that currently are creating jobs, like finance, healthcare, tourism and construction. Particularly well-paying subject-matter specialties for admins include medical, legal and government.
Equally critical to admins are soft skills and qualities -- interpersonal communications, customer service excellence and reliability. Administrative professionals are spending less time on clerical tasks, which have been streamlined by information technology, and interacting with people more, so their soft skills are arguably more important than ever.
Increasingly, admins in positions such as office manager are taking on tasks that require a combination of hard and soft skills, such as negotiating for the purchase of a copier or other office equipment.
As the work of administrative employees has been professionalised, companies that want to retain valued admins have created careers for them. "The best employers have well-defined career paths, so employees know what's required to move up," says Stroud.
Sheila Dotson, an administrative assistant, is already more than halfway up the ladder. Dotson supports the directors, and her job duties include serving as a personal assistant, maintaining office supplies and creating administrative databases.
"In five or 10 years, I can see myself moving up to the president's office," says Dotson. "They have mapped out what the steps are" on the administrative professional career path, she adds.
To work for one of the top executives, Dotson would progress to the positions of assistant to department head, administrative coordinator and finally, senior administrative coordinator. In that job, her responsibilities would include analysing and developing admin functions, training and evaluating support staff and resolving highly sensitive and confidential administrative matters.
Have your say! Visit our Admin and Customer Support Forum
