Career overview

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

O*NET-SOC 43-6014.00

Median pay / yr$46,290

OutlookNumerous Job Openings

Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.

What it takes

The skills, knowledge, and credentials employers look for in Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive.

Skills employers look for

Active ListeningGiving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
SpeakingTalking to others to convey information effectively.
Reading ComprehensionUnderstanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
WritingCommunicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Service OrientationActively looking for ways to help people.

Knowledge areas

AdministrativeKnowledge of administrative and office procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and workplace terminology.
English LanguageKnowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, and rules of composition and grammar.
Computers and ElectronicsKnowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Customer and Personal ServiceKnowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Administration and ManagementKnowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.