• Administrative Assistant -

  Priorities

  • Relieve management of administrative detail, all projects
  • Coordinate work flow
  • Update and chase delegated tasks to ensure progress to deadlines
  • Take initiative in manager’s absence
  • Keep projects on schedule
  • Maintain procedures manual to ensure consistent performance of routines

  Communication

  • Compose correspondence/reports for own or manager’s signature
  • Arrange essential mail in priority action order for boss
  • Check deadlines on incoming requests and put preliminary work in play
  • Process replies on own initiative or from bosses’ dictation or notes
  • Research, draft or abstract reports

  Phone

  • Handle all inquiries within my capacity
  • Arrange "callbacks" to protect boss’s time
  • Provide back-up materials for callbacks
  • Route calls elsewhere as needed
  • Do phone surveys/inquiries as needed

  Appointments/Meetings

  • Maintain calendar; ascertain which events require boss’s presence
  • Fix commitments to maximize boss’s time efficiency; Allow decision/desk time
  • When boss chairs meetings:

  -Prepare agenda in advance

  -Arrange meeting facilities

  -Act as recording secretary; prepare action minutes

  Confidentiality

  • Perform to earn boss’s full confidence
  • Assure discreet handling of all business

  Visitors

  • Screen to control interruptions
  • Provide back-up data as needed
  • Arrange amenities as needed
  • As arranged, "rescue" boss from laggards
  • Schedule visits away from boss’s area to protect priority/private tasks

  Travel

  • Arrange travel through internal or outside agents
  • Arrange travel cash in advance
  • Prepare itinerary, trip file and supplies
  • Prepare expense report tools for boss
  • Complete expense reports after trip

  Data Management

  • Improve/tighten storage/retrieval systems
  • Update and manage index

  Routines

  • Update secretarial/clerical desk manual
  • Set up "ticket” system
  • Set up "exception reporting" system to handle routines without supervision
  • Routinely re-order department supplies
  • Update mail/phone directories
  • Make these available to trainees

  Projects

  • Handle administrative detail, all projects
  • Seek greater role in projects within administrative and other areas of competence
  • Seek training on projects outside my range

  Supervision

  • As required, recruit, hire, train and supervise part-time or full-time, paid, or unpaid/volunteer secretarial or clerical staff

  At the advanced levels, office administration is about METHODS for handling work; it requires a constant audit of the way a company does things, and willingness to rock the boat for greater economy and efficiency in getting work done. Here are some typical tasks:

  • Study and review company or department procedures
  • Recommend management action to improve standard operating procedures. Present comparisons on costs, risks, and benefits
  • Develop and test new procedures
  • Take part in any administrative meetings to assure secretarial follow-through
  • Take initiative on requests and inquiries of administrative nature, especially when bosses’ specialty is not administrative
  Prepare and control administrative budgets

Must possess valid Texas drivers license with clean record.