Administrative Assistant Job Description

An administrative assistant or admin assistant is a person who manages clerical office tasks that include correspondence, scheduling, typing, preparation of documents, and filing.

This administrative assistant job description template includes a detailed overview of the key requirements, duties, responsibilities, and skills for this role. It's optimized for posting on online job boards or careers pages and easy to customize this template for your company.

Updated on:     
October 7, 2022

Job Brief

We're looking for an Administrative Assistant to help with a variety of tasks, including scheduling appointments, answering phone calls, and preparing documents. This is a great opportunity for someone who is responsible, organized, and detail-oriented, and who enjoys working in a fast-paced environment.

Administrative Assistant Job Duties‍

  • Assist with the preparation of budgets, financials, and reports.
  • Perform general administrative and clerical duties.
  • Manage and maintain the office, including inventory, supplies, and records.
  • Maintain office equipment and facilities.
  • Handle all customer inquiries.
  • Keep accurate records and files.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Administrative Assistant Responsibilities

  • Assist in scheduling and coordinating meetings and events, and oversee the scheduling of conference rooms.
  • Conduct administrative tasks, including managing and updating calendars, filing, and handling correspondence.
  • Support the general manager in overseeing the hiring, training, and development of staff.
  • Represent the company at company-sponsored events, such as trade shows, conventions, and industry events.
  • Maintain and update the company’s internal processes, policies, and procedures, including assisting with the creation of training manuals and standard operating procedures.
  • Coordinate employee and customer onboarding and termination.
  • Know how to use a multi-function printer

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Requirements And Skills:

  • Bachelor’s degree or equivalent work experience.
  • Skills in office administration.
  • Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Experience with accounting software (e.g. QuickBooks).

Our [company name] is committed to building a diverse and inclusive team. We encourage applications from people of all races, religions, national origins, genders, and ages, as well as veterans and individuals.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the daily duties of an Administrative Assistant?

Bookkeeping

In some offices, administrative assistants may be responsible for keeping track of and tracking expenses. Spreadsheet creation and expense reporting to the office manager are only two examples of such tasks. As a result, some administrative assistants can be expected to be familiar with Microsoft Excel or another office bookkeeping software.

Scheduling and preparation

Administrative assistants may also be in charge of organizing meetings and luncheons. This can entail looking into vendor pricing or making inquiries regarding participant availability. Making presentation materials and setting up appointments are examples of additional responsibilities.

Documentation

Administrative assistants can assist office staff with documentation. Assistants may also need to type, edit, and proofread documents in addition to maintaining, organizing, and keeping files. Some assistants could be required to take dictation or record meeting minutes.

They also have specialized job duties. In some industries, having substantial professional expertise may be a requirement for administrative assistants. As a result, these assistants' tasks could be more specialized. For instance, administrative assistants in the legal field might need to have a solid grasp of legal terms and practices, whereas medical assistants could also need to be proficient in liaising with insurance companies and comprehending medical records.

How can you determine if a candidate is qualified as an Administrative Assistant?

  • List the duties that your administrative assistant must be capable of performing.
  • Review the highlighted talents for the position in your job description.
  • To establish compatibility, compare the abilities listed on their résumé to those in your job description.
  • Look at the section about work experience. Previous work experience as an Administrative Assistant or in a related role like a Receptionist or Office Assistant can be helpful.
  • Identify any potential benefits from their educational background for the position of administrative assistant.
  • One candidate who claims their eligibility has an associate's degree in business administration and certificates in Outlook, Excel, and professional assistance. ‍

What is the difference between Receptionists and Administrative Assistants?

Receptionists and administrative assistants can share similar functions. Many of their core responsibilities revolve around maintaining and optimizing the workflow of the departments in the company.

Here is where they vary:

  • Receptionists work at the front desk. Administrative assistants mainly work in the back office.
  • Receptionists usually stay at the front desk to greet visitors. Administrative assistants may move throughout the office to perform their tasks.
  • Receptionists can perform some administrative tasks when needed alongside their front desk work. Administrative assistants work primarily on administrative tasks.
  • The workload of receptionists becomes heavy during days with a large volume of visitors. The workload of administrative assistants becomes heavy depending on how busy the back office gets.

Who do Administrative Assistants work with?

Unless they are assigned directly to the CEO or another executive, administrative assistants normally report to a managing director. In smaller businesses, the majority of administrative assistants serve all of the office personnel as well as the managers and employees of various departments.

What are the top skills of an administrative assistant?

First of all, strong written communication skills, verbal communication, and organization. Administrative assistants typically have full to-do lists and must be able to effectively manage their time to finish their duties by a set deadline.  It’s important to be familiar with Microsoft Office software like Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and more. It’s also not uncommon for admin assistants to help input data into a customer relationship management (CRM) system, customer service platform, or virtual help desk. 

What are employer expectations from an administrative assistant job?

Employers need candidates with expertise, a diverse skill set, character qualities, and attitudes. They consist of:

  • Being well-organized.
  • Being courteous.
  • Reliability.
  • Strong work ethic.
  • Productivity.
  • Professionalism.
  • Problem-solving and critical thinking skills.
  • Good technical, interpersonal, and communication skills.
  • Customer focus.
  • Discretion.
  • Multitasking ability.
  • Teamwork and collaboration skills.
  • Time management.