Office Assistant

Office assistants, also known as secretaries and administrative assistants, are responsible for performing a variety of administrative and clerical duties which are necessary and integral to running an efficient organization. They serve as information and data processors and communication managers for an office, often disseminating information to other employees by phone, fax, and/or email. In addition to that, they often plan and schedule meetings and appointments, organize and maintain bookkeeping and electronic files, manage projects, and conduct research and analysis. They also may handle travel and accommodation arranging. Secretaries and administrative assistants use and understand a variety of office equipment: fax machines, photocopiers, scanners, and videoconferencing and telephone systems, to name a few. In addition to this, in recent times secretaries and administrative assistants have been called on to use computers to do tasks previously handled by managers and professionals, such as: create spreadsheets and powerpoint presentations, compose correspondence, manage databases, and generate reports and documents using desktop publishing software and digital graphics. There are many demands that office assistants must fulfill, and a variety of methods they must employ to work in a modern office.