Index
Intro
Administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative duties in support of managerial and professional employers. They are employed throughout the private and public sectors.
Main Duties
Administrative assistants perform some or all of the following duties:
- Prepare, key in, edit and proofread correspondence, invoices, presentations, brochures, publications, reports and related material from machine dictation and handwritten copy
- Open and distribute incoming regular and electronic mail and other material and co-ordinate the flow of information internally and with other departments and organizations
- Schedule and confirm appointments and meetings of employer
- Order office supplies and maintain inventory
- Answer telephone and electronic enquiries and relay telephone calls and messages
- Set up and maintain manual and computerized information filing systems
- Determine and establish office procedures
- Greet visitors, ascertain nature of business and direct visitors to employer or appropriate person
- Record and prepare minutes of meetings
- Arrange travel schedules and make reservations
- May compile data, statistics and other information to support research activities
- May supervise and train office staff in procedures and in use of current software.
- May organize conferences
Employment Requirements
- Completion of secondary school is usually required.
- Completion of a one- or two-year college or other program for administrative assistants or secretaries
or
Previous clerical experience is required.
All Titles
- Administrative assistant
- Administrative assistant – office
- Administrative secretary
- Appointment secretary
- Church secretary
- Contracts secretary
- Executive secretary (except legal and medical)
- Finance secretary
- Human resources administrator
- Human resources administrator – Canadian armed forces
- Human resources secretary
- Loans and grants administrative assistant
- Office administrative assistant
- Personal secretary
- Private secretary
- Recording secretary
- Sales secretary
- School secretary
- Secretary (except legal and medical)
- Secretary-clerk
- Taxation service secretary
- Technical secretary
Exclusions
- Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations (12110)
- Executive assistants (12100)
- Legal administrative assistants (13111)
- Medical administrative assistants (13112)
- Office managers (See 13100 Administrative officers)