Break into an administration role!
Administration plays a crucial role in the operation of nearly every business, though few people have a deep understanding and appreciation of what goes into the job.
What are the responsibilities of an administrator? What kind of qualifications and skills should you have to land the job? What are companies looking for when hiring for an administrative role?
We’ll answer all of these questions in this article. We’ll also walk you through the eight common duties of an administrator and give you our best resume tips for when you apply.
What is an office administrator?
Office administration is often an entry-level role, and it is integral to the day-to-day operations of many businesses.
Office administrators assist with a variety of clerical tasks, such as answering phone calls and emails. They work closely with their sales and operations team colleagues to ensure the company runs smoothly and efficiently.
Office administrators can work in basically any industry — from finance to education to health care.
What does an office administrator do?
An office administrator's role can be quite diverse. In many offices, recurring tasks (such as monthly reporting) tend to be assigned to specific admin staff members.
For example, one administrator may be responsible for processing supplier payments, while another may manage incoming payments from customers.
In addition, office administrators typically complete specific tasks requested by their leader, who is typically the office manager, or by their colleagues in other departments.
Administrator job responsibilities
Let’s take a more detailed look at the eight most common administrative duties:
1. Answering phone calls and emails
A large part of your day as an administrative staff member involves answering incoming phone calls and emails.
These inquiries might come from customers, suppliers, or a staff member from another branch.
An office admin is responsible for either resolving the query or redirecting the person to someone more suitable to assist them.
2. Managing incoming and outgoing mail
Yes, snail mail still exists in the business world.
Part of the administrative support job description is to receive and distribute incoming mail and send outgoing mail where appropriate (such as posting proof of payment or checks).
3. Maintaining and ordering office supplies
In most offices, someone on the administrative team is responsible for keeping office supplies (like staples, paper, and pens) stocked up and for buying new supplies as required.
4. Scheduling meetings and events
Office admins are often involved in scheduling meetings and events for their team.
This might include putting together a monthly staff lunch or scheduling a Zoom meeting for their branch manager.
5. Processing of sales and receiving payments
One of the common job duties of an office administrator is to process new sales on behalf of the sales team.
This typically involves creating an invoice, sending it off to the customer, working with the operations team to fulfill the order, and processing payments with larger accounts that might pay on a monthly basis.
6. Managing supplier payments
Similarly, part of the administrative assistant job description often involves processing payments to suppliers.
In most companies, this is a monthly activity and is most regularly assigned to one administrator.
For example, an admin responsible for invoicing and receiving payments from customers is typically not the same person responsible for managing payments to suppliers.
7. Preparing reports and presentations
Office administrators regularly create reports and presentations for their leaders, utilizing tools such as Microsoft Office Excel and Powerpoint.
8. Making travel arrangements
An office administrator is often required to make travel arrangements for members of the office, such as booking flights and accommodation for a senior leader going out of town for a conference.
Administrator skills and experience requirements
It’s important to bear in mind that every office administrator job description will be slightly different, as organizations’ needs naturally differ.
However, for most companies, the ideal candidate will possess the following skills and experience:
Previous experience in a similar role
Understanding of typical office procedures (such as the use of filing systems)
Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and verbal communication)
Experience using MS Office and other word processing software
Familiarity with typical office equipment, such as printers and scanners
Time-management skills
Bookkeeping or accounts experience is a plus
Understanding of process management
Strong problem-solving abilities
Most admin roles don’t ask that applicants have a bachelor’s degree. However, a high school diploma is often required.
Administrator salary and employment rates
The typical wage of an office administrator ranges from $12.55–$23.95 per hour, with the average wage being $16.89.
For most roles, it takes around four years of experience to achieve the average hourly pay for an office admin.
Administrator resume tips
Are you ready to get your resume prepped and polished to apply for an office admin role?
Take note of these tips to make your resume stand out:
1. Highlight previous administration experience
If you’ve worked in an admin role before, be sure to put this front and center. Office managers are always looking for experienced hires.
2. Describe a time when you’ve implemented a new process
A major element of administration is process management, which often means implementing new processes. If you’ve done this in the past, then it’s a good idea to describe this experience in your resume.
3. Show you understand the requirements of the role
Review the job description or advertisement and seek out key attributes the employer is looking for (such as familiarity with Excel). Then, if you have them, mention these attributes specifically on your resume.
4. Remove general skills and focus on specific administration skills
Use the skills section of your resume to focus on admin-specific attributes (such as knowledge of office equipment and accounts receivable procedures) rather than general skills such as punctuality.
5. Be meticulous in your attention to detail
You should always pay close attention to detail when crafting a resume.
However, this is more important than ever when applying for an admin role, as one of the requirements of an administrator is close attention to detail. If possible, have a friend read over your resume to check for errors.
Administrator jobs hiring right now
Do you think an administration role might be a good fit for you?
If so, you can find jobs hiring administrators on Jobcase.
Becoming an office administrator
Office administration roles are highly suited to people who pay close attention to detail and who thrive on putting repeatable processes into action.
Does that sound like you?
Get started today by applying for administration jobs on Jobcase.
