Become a Executive Secretary or Administrative Assistant.

Generally speaking, executive secretaries and administrative Assistance

provide high-level administrative support for top executives of an organization and/or office staffs. They are distinguishable from secretaries in that they typically handle more complex responsibilities, performing fewer clerical tasks and more information management. Specific duties might include bookkeeping, managing budgets, maintaining websites, making travel arrangements, preparing agendas and making arrangements for meetings, preparing meeting documents for review, and even taking minutes at meetings. In some cases, they are also responsible for conducting research and preparing statistical reports. Executive secretaries and administrative assistants typically work in settings such as schools, hospitals, corporate venues, government agencies, or legal and medical offices. The majority of them are full-time employees who work a standard 40-hour week.

Education, Certification, Licensing

To be successful today, an executive secretary/administrative assistant should possess at least an associate's degree, although a 4-year bachelor's degree is highly preferable. A degree related to the business or industry in which the person can yield a significant advantage in the process. The broad level of skills required for the occupation include proficiency in word processing, writing, communication, and a high degree of creativity. Knowledge of software applications such as desktop publishing, project management, spreadsheets, and database management is extremely useful.

Certification for proficiency in office skills, while not a hard requirement for most employers, can be very helpful to prospective executive and administrative assistants. Certifications are available through organizations such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals, which awards the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) and the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) designations. These prominent certifications can be earned by meeting certain experience or educational criteria and passing an examination.

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