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Could You Be A Great Administrator?

Good Administrators are the backbone of any successful commercial organisation. Managers expect a lot from their admin teams, and flexibility is paramount!

You might be looking at clerical work for the first time. Perhaps you've had a break and would like to retrain to get back up-to-date. Or would you like to develop admin skills to bolster your existing skill-set? You'll find a terrific range of training and re-training options are available to fulfil all these needs.

Just Starting Your Career? Learn Excel & Word...

We refer to a whole spectrum of staff members as administrators - from the office temp to the senior PA. The first essential for this type of work is a competent understanding of how to use a computer.

Therefore you'll need to show you can use various packages such as Word and Excel, and handle emails professionally.

If you need to polish up these skills, look at the various colleges who supply both in-centre and distance learning training programmes. To discover which will be best for you takes a little research (and a little filtering!) Start off with one or two from this page. For handy reference you can Bookmark this webpage and find it again easily in future.

Alongside good computer skills, a newcomer to clerical work will need additional organisational skills. It's always worth honing up your telephone skills for the business environment, and there are excellent training programmes available.

Further Advancement

If you wish to progress your career quickly, then it's advisable to retrain for additional certifications alongside building your work experience. Focus on training that adds value to the work you do to support others. Learning how to prioritise and compartmentalise your work will pay dividends, especially when your time is divided between a number of managers. Your written work must also be of a high standard, as what you send out represents how people view the company. Short courses on commercial writing skills can be very beneficial.

Practice Makes Perfect...

Those aiming for top jobs in administration must be prepared to embark in on-going training whilst building up their working experience. To become indispensible you have to have something that most others don't have. Add extra skill-sets alongside the standard clerical options, and study hard to get distinctions. If you can deal smoothly and efficiently with a broad range of tasks your salary and value to a company will reflect that.

"All the so-called 'secrets of success' will not work unless you do." - Anon.

Additional Progress

Senior corporate managers expect increasingly high administrative support, therefore more complex knowledge can be needed. Start by considering the following training options:

Working Under Pressure

Study proven systems for handling on-going pressure and working to tight deadlines. Increase your ability to solve complex issues and be more productive each day.

Avoid Time Wasting

Study the various elements of time management theory and how to apply them to your working life. Ascertain the best working methods for both your everyday tasks and random assignments. When you learn how to more efficiently work through your tasks, you'll reduce backlogs and have a greater capacity to diary in last minute requests.

Handling Difficult People

Get involved in practical, hands-on exercises for managing difficult customers and work colleagues. Find out how to calmly work through conflict and deal effectively with other people's frustrations. Master the win-win situation.

Communicate With Success

Learn the key elements of communication that are necessary in business today. Understand how to tune-in to what other people really want from you. Use body language and good eye contact to establish rapport. Become a professional in the art of precision written work.

You might also think of specialising as your career progresses. Professional certifications are available in many areas, e.g. Human Resources, Event Management, Project Management etc.

Inactivity Serves No Purpose

Therefore ACT NOW, and start your research! Hopefully you've read enough to know that administration covers a whole range of careers and options. It could very well offer a good working life for you. You'll have a head start if you adopt the attitude of a winner and grasp the metal now.