what is an office assistant?

An office assistant helps organize an office's relevant documents. As an office assistant, you’re also the face of the company, taking phone calls, greeting visitors, and delivering messages to the proper personnel. Your additional responsibilities include delivering mail to the company's employees, entering data, printing reports and even running routine errands when necessary. Depending on the company, you could have to order supplies and distribute those supplies around the office.

Office assistants work in a variety of fields, everywhere from law firms and hospitals to entertainment companies. As such, your responsibilities depend directly on what services the company performs. In a law firm, you may assist the paralegals in printing contracts. At an entertainment company, you could distribute call sheets. In most companies, however, you have the responsibility of bookkeeping, updating files and records, and sending out correspondence. You’ll use your excellent typing skills to write up correspondence, letters, and documents for companies. Since answering phone calls is often necessary as well, your phone demeanor is important.

Would working as an office assistant suit your skills in negotiation and networking? Then read on to find out what competencies and qualifications you need to thrive in an office assistant role.

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average office assistant salary

Would you like to know what an office assistant earns? Where the highest salaries are paid for an office assistant? Then check out this salary page and find out all about the salary of an office assistant in the USA.

Wondering what you can earn as an office assistant? Find out immediately with the Randstad salary checker! You can quickly and easily see what the average salary of an office assistant is.

Two smiling female working on their laptop.
Two smiling female working on their laptop.
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types of office assistants

Being an office assistant can mean taking on a variety of responsibilities, as there are different types of office assistants. The type of company you work for determines your exact job requirements. In a law office, you would be a legal secretary, and your job would be helping the lawyers at the firm organize their legal cases. On the other hand, if you work in a financial firm, your tasks would be maintaining financial records. There are also hospital office assistants, real estate office assistants, dental office assistants, and architectural office assistants. In fact, most companies need an office assistant to help them run their day-to-day activities.

Most office assistants work in healthcare, education, scientific, and technical services.

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working as an office assistant

As an office assistant, your responsibilities will vary depending on the company you're working for. However, there is some overlap.

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office assistant skills and education

Most office assistant positions require a high school diploma or a GED. Although some employers may prefer a college degree, this is not a necessity.

There are soft skills and technical skills that are necessary, however. These may include:

  • organizational and time-management skills
  • proficiency in computer software programs, such as Microsoft Office and Google Suite
  • strong written and verbal communication skills
  • attention to detail
  • excellent customer service skills

If you want to strengthen your resume, there are additional certification programs you may want to pursue. For example, you can obtain the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) credential from the International Association of Administrative Professionals. This provides you with a higher level of proficiency in administrative skills. Other certification programs you may want to pursue are software programs, such as Microsoft Excel.

Continuing education courses related to the field you want to work in can be helpful, too. If you are interested in working at an accounting firm, for example, taking an accounting course could help familiarize you with the lingo you may see in many of the documents.

skills and competencies

If you are looking to advance as an office assistant or even move up in the company, there are several skills that are useful.

  • leadership skills: As you move up the ladder, you may need to manage other employees. Having strong leadership skills can be essential.
  • problem-solving skills: As an office assistant, you may encounter some challenges and problems. How you tackle these problems shows your ability to solve problems and find workable solutions.
  • project management skills: In instances where you are responsible for multitasking or putting together complicated tasks, having strong project management skills will help.
  • technical proficiency: Technology continues to advance, and it is your job to stay up to date with software and any new computer technology that emerges.
  • communication skills: As an office assistant, your job is to interact with anyone who steps into the office. Having strong communication skills is essential. Part of this responsibility is to listen well, express your thoughts clearly, and communicate well with all employees and visitors.
  • time-management skills: You may have a large workload. It's important to learn how to prioritize tasks and manage a variety of deadlines.
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FAQs about working as an office assistant

Here you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions about office assistants.

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