Office Professional Degrees
Required Degrees and Suggested Courses
High school graduates who have basic office skills may qualify
for entry-level secretarial positions. However, employers
increasingly require extensive knowledge of software applications,
such as word processing, spreadsheets, and database management.
secretaries and administrative assistants should be proficient
in keyboarding and good at spelling, punctuation, grammar,
and oral communication. Because secretaries and administrative
assistants must be tactful in their dealings with people,
employers also look for good customer service and interpersonal
skills.
Discretion, good judgment, organizational or management ability,
initiative, and the ability to work independently are especially
important for higher level administrative positions. As office
automation continues to evolve, retraining and continuing
education will remain an integral part of secretarial jobs.
Changes in the office environment have increased the demand
for secretaries and administrative assistants who are adaptable
and versatile. secretaries and administrative assistants may
have to attend classes or participate in online education
in order to learn how to operate new office technologies,
such as information storage systems, scanners, the Internet,
or new updated software packages. They may also get involved
in selecting and maintaining equipment.
Secretaries and administrative assistants acquire skills
in various ways. Training ranges from high school vocational
education programs that teach office skills and keyboarding
to 1- and 2-year programs in office administration offered
by business schools, vocational-technical institutes, and
community colleges.
Many temporary placement agencies also provide formal training
in computer and office skills. However, many skills tend to
be acquired through on-the-job instruction by other employees
or by equipment and software vendors.
Specialized training programs are available for students
planning to become medical or legal secretaries or administrative
technology specialists. Bachelor’s degrees and professional
certifications are becoming increasingly important as business
continues to become more global.
This site contains all original Content.
Some data sourced from: Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS)
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