Administrative assistants need to be able to multi-task and work co-operatively in a professional environment. Traditionally, this role was filled by applicants with a high school diploma, although increasingly, a Bachelors degree in business administration is preferred, especially amongst larger companies.
The main duties of this role are to perform simple but necessary office tasks to ensure the company's daily operations run smoothly. This could be drafting correspondence to clients, answering telephones, running errands, taking minutes of meeting and updating management working schedules. This position might also require tasks like filing and data entry.
The administrative assistant must priorities their workload in order of importance. This position suits individuals with strong written and oral English, and with excellent interpersonal skills. They are usually the first person clients meet within a company, and therefore must present a good image. In 2010, the salary for an administrative assistant was between C
$25,000 to C
$45,000 per year.