Roles In Office Administration-

There Is A Range Of Roles In Administration. Many Companies Advertise Junior Office Administration Positions, Which Provide A Great Opportunity For High School Leavers To Gain Experience And Build A Career, Or For Students To Work In During Summer Breaks Or Part-time While Studying. Many People Enter Office Administration Roles To Get Their Foot In The Door In Competitive Industries Such As Advertising, PR Or Publishing. Office Temping Is Also A Great Gig For Those Who Are Between Jobs Or Who Just Like Working In Constantly Changing Environments.

Office Administration May Also Be A Great Option For Those Who Require A More Flexible Work Arrangement. Some Companies Have Part-time Or Casual Administration Roles, And Many More Are Open To Job-sharing Arrangements For Roles That Require Full-time Hours.

Receptionist

Receptionists Manage The Front Of An Office, Greeting Clients, Suppliers And Visitors As Well As Directing Phone Calls, Emails And Mail. Strong Organisational, Communication And Customer Service Skills Are Vital Requirements For Receptionists To Manage Their Varied Tasks. Other Responsibilities May Include Managing Appointments And Meeting Room Bookings, Keeping The Front Desk Tidy, Providing Administrative Support, Creating Documents Or Reports, Data Entry, Arranging Travel, Managing Stationery And Other Stock, And Ad Hoc Tasks.

Receptionists Are Often Considered The Face Of A Business; As A Result, Professional Personal Presentation And A Vibrant, Friendly Disposition Are Highly Favoured For This Role.

Administration Assistant

Administration Assistants Cover A Wide Variety Of Tasks And Responsibilities Depending On The Business’s Requirements. Administration Assistants May Be Required To Prepare, File Or Archive Documents, Sort The Mail, Send Mail Or Other Communication To Clients, Answer Phones Or Manage Stock, As Well As Fulfil General Office And Ad Hoc Tasks. Administration Assistants May Also Be Required To Organise And Manage Events For Staff Or External Stakeholders.

Office Manager

Generally Office Managers Are Responsible For Organisational And Other Office Duties Necessary To Effectively And Efficiently Run A Business. Tasks Include Filing And Integrating Information To Be Used By Staff And Clients, Managing Internal Staff And External Client Communications, Maintaining Office Equipment And Supplies, Taking Care Of Mail And Banking, And Managing Invoicing And Payroll. IT Skills Are Also Highly Regarded As Office Managers Are Often Required To Provide IT Support To Other Staff Members.

Office Manager Positions Usually Require Candidates To Have Strong Administration Experience And Training, And Sometimes Competency In HR and OH&S. Office Managers For Smaller Professional Businesses May Even Find Themselves Working In Areas Such As marketing or Website Maintenance.

Personal Assistant (PA) And Executive Assistant (EA)

Personal Assistants (PAs) And Executive Assistants (EAs) Provide Administrative Support To The Executives Of A Company Or Organisation. An EA’s Role Is Usually More Focused On Organising The Schedule And Activities Of The Executive Rather Than The General Running Of The Office. Tasks Such As Diary Management, Reviewing Incoming Mail, Emails, Submissions And Reports For Prioritisation, Preparing Agendas, Organising Meetings, Research, Creating Reports And Organising Travel And Guest Arrangements Are Usually Part Of The EA’s Role. Because EAs Work Closely With Executives And Are Usually Exposed To Confidential Information, This Role Requires A High Level Of Professionalism And Discretion.

At The Highest Levels, Working As A PA Or EA Can Be Extremely Lucrative – Top Executive EAs Can Earn Over $100 000.

Virtual Assistant

Virtual Assistants (VAs) Provide Remote Freelance Or Contract Administration Or Personal Assistance Support To Small Businesses. This Job Is Perfect For Experienced Administration Staff Who Want To Run Their Own Business From Home. Virtual Assistants Usually Manage Tasks Such As Invoicing And Processing Payments, Distribution Of Products, Creating Documents And Reports, Handling Email Enquiries And Any Other Administrative Tasks That Can Be Managed By Email Or Online. Proficiency With The Internet And Skype And Knowledge Of Online Filing Systems Are Necessary To Work As A VA. Business Management Skills are Also A Must For VAs To Manage Their Own Small Business, Whether They Service One Or Two Major Clients Or Numerous Smaller Businesses.

Specialist Areas

There Are Also Specialist Administration Roles Such As Legal Or medical Administration staff. These Roles Require Specialised Knowledge Of Terminology And Procedures Unique To The Law Firm Or Medical Centre Environment. Legal Secretaries May Be Required To Prepare Correspondence And Legal Papers Such As Motions, Complaints, Summonses And Subpoenas Under The Supervision Of An Attorney. Administration Staff In Medical Practices Need To Be Familiar With Hospital Or Laboratory Procedures, Record-keeping, Insurance Rules And Billing Practices.

While Many Legal Or Medical Employers Require Administration Staff With Experience Or Training In The Industry, There Are Also Opportunities For Non-industry Experienced Staff To Be Trained On The Job.

General ManagerOffice ManagerTeam LeaderHuman Resources ManagerOperations Manager

EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION

In Elementary And Secondary School Education  

Superintendent

Superintendents Are Often Referred To As The CEO Of Their School District. They Work Closely With A School Board To Establish Goals For Their District And Implement New Policies And Programs Designed To Achieve Their Short- And Long-term Plans. Superintendents Manage The Budget For Their District, Allocate Financial And Human Resources, And Often Oversee Curricula. They Also Hire School Principals And Evaluate Those Principals’ Performance.  

Principal 

Principals Oversee A School’s Daily Operations. They Handle The Budget, Establish Educational Programming, Manage Teachers And Staff, And Enforce Disciplinary Rules When Necessary. Principals Set Goals For Their School That Align With State And Federal Policies, And Strive To Create A Safe And Positive Learning Environment For Students. 

Director Of Curriculum

Directors Of Curriculum Typically Work At The District Level, Rather Than At A Single School. They Review Textbooks, Develop And Select Curricula, And Monitor And Analyze Student Performance And Test Data. Curriculum Directors Also Work Closely With Teachers, Recommending Instructional Techniques, As Well As Technology They Can Incorporate Into The Classroom. 

In Postsecondary Education  

Dean

Deans Typically Manage Faculty And Staff, Support Research Initiatives, Help Fundraise, And Set Academic Goals For Their Department. That Department Tends To Vary Depending On The School But Could Include:

• Student Affairs: Student Affairs Often Spans A Variety Of Offices, Such As Diversity And Inclusion, Residence Life, Athletics, And Student Support Services. A Dean Of Student Affairs Will Typically Develop And Assess Nonacademic Programs Aimed At Improving Campus Life And Enriching The Student Experience, As Well As Handle Disciplinary Issues And Communicate With Students And Their Parents Or Legal Guardians.
• Admissions: Admissions Professionals Establish And Oversee Recruitment Efforts For Their College Or University And Communicate With Prospective Students. They Evaluate Applications, Determine The Number Of Students Who Should Be Admitted To The School, And Decide Which Students To Accept.
• Research: A Dean Of Research Often Collaborates With Faculty To Develop A Strategy That Supports Short- And Long-term Research Initiatives. They Also Strive To Secure Research Funding, Manage The Research Budget, And Work To Establish Partnerships With Industry-leading Organizations.
• Advancement: Otherwise Known As “development,” The Advancement Office Is Responsible For Raising Money For Their School From Potential Donors, Which Range From Alumni And Corporations To Government Policy Makers And Foundations. They Then Foster And Maintain Those Donor Relationships To Guarantee All Gifts Are Being Used As Initially Intended.

Provost

A Provost, Also Known As A “vice President” Depending On The Institution, Typically Serves As The Second In Command To The President. Provosts Help Establish Their School’s Academic Vision And Work Closely With Deans And Department Heads To Work Toward Goals That Help Achieve That Overarching Mission. They Also Often Oversee Daily Operations, Such As Allocating Financial And Human Resources And Hiring And Retaining A Diverse Faculty. 

Chief Academic Officer

Chief Academic Officers Assess A School’s Academic Programs And Work To Ensure They Meet State And Federal Policies. They Typically Also Help Hire And Evaluate Faculty And Staff, As Well As Develop And Implement New Curricula And Professional Development Initiatives. 

College President

Presidents Are The Top Leaders Of A College Or University, Who Focus On Establishing And Executing Their School’s Strategic Vision. That Often Involves Maintaining Academic Standards, Overseeing All Fundraising Initiatives, Developing Key Industry Partnerships, And Meeting With Students, Deans, And Faculty To Discuss Any Challenges Or Opportunities The School Is Facing. Presidents’ Salaries Vary Depending On The Type Of Institution They Lead; Public College Presidents