Administration Work: Key Features, Tips, and Jobs

Administration work refers to the provision of services that support essential company operations. For example, workers in admin may answer telephones as receptionists, perform clerical work as information clerks, assist managers as senior executive assistants, or help customers make purchasing decisions as virtual assistants. Most jobs that can be categorized as admin work involve multiple responsibilities and require professionals who are efficient at multitasking. Several features distinguish this type of work, such as:

• It involves collaboration: Admin workers are usually required to collaborate to achieve their objectives as opposed to working independently. For example, a quality coordinator must work with external suppliers, the finance department, and the production department to fulfill their tasks. Similarly, a receptionist must work with colleagues, customers, and managers to gather and provide information, represent the employer, arrange activities, and solve problems.
• It requires great communication skills: Administrative support professionals talk to customers, employers, and co-workers regularly in the performance of their job duties. Consequently, having stellar verbal, written, and nonverbal communication skills is essential to succeed.
• It involves navigating the corporate structure: Due to their job duties, admin professionals must know how the company works in relation to key processes, employee politics, managerial politics, and organizational protocols in order to collaborate effectively with others and fulfill their responsibilities.

Learn more: Key Critical Thinking Skills and Examples

You can use the following tips when seeking or improving your performance in an admin job:

• Use your observation skills: Each organization has a unique culture that influences the behavior and morale of managers and subordinates. Admin workers must be savvy professionals in relation to company culture and internal politics. Observing how your coworkers and supervisors interact and achieve tasks can help you gain the information you need to improve your productivity in an admin job.
• Go above and beyond as often as possible: As workers in administration perform essential services, effective employers value admin workers who go the extra mile in fulfilling their job responsibilities. Going above and beyond at work can help you to advance professionally. For example, identify opportunities through which you can further your employer’s interests by doing more than simply completing your responsibilities, and develop methods to utilize them effectively. Then, use these methods to show your worth.
• Be responsible for your mistakes: Despite trying your best to perform your duties well, you’re likely to make mistakes. To be successful at an admin job, do not hesitate to take responsibility for any errors you make with your supervisor and your co-workers. This will enable you to manage the consequences of your mistakes and win the trust of others.
• Take credit when you deserve it: If you have worked hard on a project and see the outcomes of your labor, do not hesitate to take credit for your work. Being informed of your contributions to company operations will enable and motivate your employer to see you as an asset. Additionally, keep track of your achievements, develop relevant metrics that show the organizational impact of your work, and document them in your resume. Then, use this data when negotiating for a raise, applying for an internal promotion, or making a job application to another company.

Learn more: How to Be a Team Player at Work

You can use the following list of types of administration work to find a job that fits you:

Administrative support

Administrative support professionals provide clerical duties and are essential to most industries. Occupations in this admin work category include the following options:

• Secretary: A secretary answers phones, manages office supplies, handles correspondence, makes travel arrangements, and schedules meetings. Some professionals may also do the bookkeeping. To become a secretary, you will need at least a high school diploma. In addition to skills in computer software, you will require aptitude in customer service, typing, organization, and teamwork. Most entry-level secretaries learn the necessary skills through a few weeks of on-the-job training.
• Administrative assistant: An administrative assistant performs basic secretarial duties as well as more complex clerical tasks such as organizing and maintaining company files and handling the office budget. To become eligible for this job, you usually need a high school diploma and a suitable skill set gained through work experience as a secretary.
• Executive secretary: As an executive secretary, a professional provides secretarial services to a member of the company’s senior management. This position is usually accessible to mid-level workers with a few years of relevant experience.
• Administrative manager: This position involves supervising, training, and recruiting admin staff and developing and implementing the operational budget. For this position, you will need a bachelor’s degree and occupation-based work experience.

Learn more: How to Improve Your Attention to Detail Skills

Finance

Admin workers in the finance industry provide clerical, accounting, and billing services. You can choose from several jobs in this administration work category, such as:

• Financial clerk: A financial clerk provides finance-based administration services such as keeping financial records, performing monetary transactions, calculating charges, and helping clients. For this occupation, you can obtain the necessary training while working, and you need at least a high school diploma. There are various types of financial clerks such as billing and posting clerks, loan clerks, gaming cage workers, brokerage clerks, credit authorizers, payroll and timekeeping clerks, insurance claims and policy processing clerks, and procurement clerks.
• Accounting clerk: Also called a bookkeeping clerk or an auditing clerk, this professional develops an organization’s financial records, monitors them, and maintains accuracy in financial data. While you do not need a degree to get this job, you usually need some college experience in addition to essential skills in math, computer software for bookkeeping and spreadsheets, and attention to detail. Due to the increased computerization of financial records, these professionals must deploy computer technologies to handle databases, accounting software, and reports.
• Bill and account collector: A bill and account collector attempts to collaborate with customers to collect their payments for overdue bills. You usually need a high school diploma for this position and will require a few months of training while working in your first job.

Information technology

As an admin worker in the IT field, your work will involve using various computing technologies to handle data. Options for this type of administration work include the following jobs:

• Information clerk: An information clerk performs clerical services to handle company information by collecting data, using computer software, writing claims and reports, and maintaining records in paper and digital formats. You can get this job with a high school diploma, but some employers may require an associate degree or some college coursework. There are different types of information clerks, such as correspondence clerks, human resources assistants, hotel clerks, eligibility interviewers, file clerks, interviewers, travel clerks, municipal clerks, order clerks, and license clerks.
• Data entry keyers: A data entry keyer enters information into various types of computers, checks their entries, verifies data, and prepares printing materials. Typing, accuracy, and attention to detail are some of the skills you need for this job. Jobs are available for professionals with a high school diploma and relevant abilities.

Learn more: Becoming More Computer Literate

Legal services

In the legal industry, admin workers provide clerical and research services. You can consider the following administration jobs:

• Paralegal or Legal assistant: A paralegal supports lawyers by providing administrative support services such as typing, case law research, data entry, electronic database organization, court document procurement, and other forms of logistical support. Generally, you need a certificate in paralegal studies, an associate degree, or a bachelor’s degree to work in this profession. Some employers may offer on-the-job training for promising candidates who have no legal education or experience.
• Judicial law clerks: A judicial law clerk provides clerical services to assist members of the judiciary in law courts. While you usually need a bachelor’s degree and a law degree to work for a judge in the federal courts, you can work in the state courts with a bachelor’s degree and at least one year of law school.
• Legal secretary: These professionals have the same duties and qualifications as a secretary, but they may need a longer training period to learn legal industry-specific terminology.

Administration work is a great career path for those looking for fast-paced and varied tasks in their job.

Get a free, personalized salary estimate based on today’s job market