What is an Administrative Assistant?
An administrative assistant within an organization is one who has to take care of various tasks that assist other activities. Basically, in an administrative assistant job, one has to ensure that there is proper scheduling, efficient recording of the tasks, etc. They are required to carry out a number of tasks which make for a smoothly working organization.
What does an Administrative Assistant do?
For an administrative assistant job, one has a lot of tasks to be performed in order to ensure that the organizational operations are running smoothly. Their duties and responsibilities include anything from filing of the documents to answering the phones, from helping the customers to return mails.
They work as a support for the rest of the staff that makes their job easier. Their assistance proves to be really helpful in the organizations that have them. With such a job, the administrative assistant skills of any candidate must align with their role within an organization.
Administrative Assistant job duties
- Handling the day-to-day tasks that arise at the workplace
- Checking in with the team members for sharing of information
- Taking care of clients when they visit or call the office
- Answering and routing calls to the various relevant team members
- Taking care of filing of reports
- Maintaining communication well on the phone, mail, etc.
- Assisting the visitors after greeting them properly
- Making reservations for various team members for hotels, flights, trains, etc.
Job brief for Administrative Assistant
For an administrative assistant job, one must be a multi-tasker. It is impossible for them to perform their tasks otherwise. There are a lot of responsibilities for administrative assistant job that they must perform on a daily basis. These include answering the phones and emails, scheduling meetings, assisting the clients with their issues, and much more.
The requirements or scope of their job can vary from organization to organization. However, there is a basic skill set that they must be aware of while preparing themselves for a job role like this.
Administrative Assistant Job Responsibilities
A few of the responsibilities for an Administrative Assistant Job are listed out below:
- They are entrusted with making the various arrangements for the whole office staff as and when required.
- They must maintain a good communication with the team and their various clients
- They should be able to help the visitors for whatever they requirements might be
- They are supposed to file the various reports, generate presentations, etc.
- They are the ones in charge of keeping up to date office supplies
- They have to ensure a positive work environment by identifying various needs of the other members of the organization and getting them fulfilled.
- They are also entrusted with doing some due research as per the requirements of the organization
- They should be able to book appointments as and when required by the employees or their seniors and bosses
- Assigning projects to their team members is part of their job
Also read: Administrative Officer Job Description, Key Skills & Requirements
Requirements for Administrative Assistant Job
There are a few requirements that one must adhere to in order to get the job of administrative assistant. These are:
- They must be graduated with a relevant degree or any related one
- They must be proactive with their duties
- They should have a prior experience in the field or at least a similar one
- They must be good with their computer skills.
- They should be knowledgeable about various computer software that come in handy for them in doing their job
- They must be good at communicating
- If they are multilingual, then that is an added bonus
Average Salary for Administrative Assistant
The average salary for administrative assistants in the Gulf region varies significantly based on factors such as location, industry, experience, and company.
Average Salary Overview
Cities Wise Comparison
| City | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Dubai | AED 139,000 |
| Abu Dhabi | AED 134,000 |
| Doha | QAR 124,000 |
| Riyadh | SAR 112,000 |
| Manama | BHD 10,600 |
Industries Wise Comparison
| Industry | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Finance | AED 154,000 |
| Healthcare | AED 147,000 |
| Technology | AED 141,000 |
| Education | AED 129,000 |
| Hospitality | AED 117,000 |
Experience Wise Comparison
| Experience Level | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Entry-Level (0-2 years) | AED 103,000 |
| Mid-Level (3-5 years) | AED 129,000 |
| Senior-Level (5+ years) | AED 165,000 |
Top Companies Comparison
| Company Name | Average Salary |
|---|---|
| Emirates Group | AED 165,000 |
| Qatar Airways | AED 155,000 |
| Saudi Aramco | AED 147,000 |
| Etihad Airways | AED 141,000 |
| Gulf Bank | AED 134,000 |
The salaries for administrative assistants in the Gulf region reflect the economic landscape and demand for skilled professionals. Higher salaries are typically found in finance and healthcare sectors due to their critical nature and higher operational demands.
Key Skills for an Administrative Assistant Job
Just having a good command over their hard skills is not enough. A candidate for Administrative Assistant must also have a few soft skills. Below are a mix of both that the recruiters majorly look for:
- They must be able to communicate effectively
- They should have the skills to make the necessary arrangements on behalf of their seniors
- They should have a positive attitude and help bring that in others as well
- They are required to have the most basic computer skills
- They should be able to be good with customers while helping them or visitors while assisting them
- They must think things on their feet, especially about the things that are under their jurisdiction
- They have to be able to prepare several documents as well as file them
- They are required to have some common knowledge about a few of the basic software
- They must have quick learning skills
- They are supposed to be patient
- They must be good at organizing stuff, for themselves as well as their team
Also Read: 50 DOT NET Interview Questions and Answers
Why pursue a career an Administrative Assistant?
When one has acquired an administrative assistant job, there are many doors that open for them. They are now able to build a network with many people within the industry. This is due to the fact that their administrative assistant job required them to get in touch with a lot of people.
This also gives them the opportunity to learn the various secrets or inner workings of a particular industry that may come in handy for their future endeavors. The job is one that allows them to develop their practical skills, which only get better as the time passes.
When one does their job with full dedication as an administrative assistant, it is only going to pay them back in the future. With the help of their whole team, a candidate with the job of administrative assistant can ensure that they are learning along the way. This will all be worth it in their career at a later stage.
How to become an Administrative Assistant?
If you are someone who wants to go for the Administrative assistant job, then you must take a majority of the following steps:
- You must graduate in the relevant field as per the industry you want to go into
- You may go on for some diploma and or technical certifications
- You must go through your resume, and build your skills as per the job description
- You can go on having a relevant work experience
- A high school graduation is a must for the job
- You should be accurate with whatever you do, even if it is typing words in a computer
- You should develop your people skills
- You have to go through the very fundamentals of an industry that you are preparing to enter and get ready
- Finally, take advice from a professional in the similar field to get their notes and work on them
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