Are you looking for more than a job but a career? Getting the training you need to be an effective administrative assistant is an ideal way to start a new career. And the good news is that Ģ����ý and Institute offers an Administrative Assistant program that can prepare you for entry-level positions in many unique industries. So, where do administrative assistants work?

Where Do Administrative Assistants Work?

While many industries rely on administrative assistants, your skillset and interest may help you direct your job search to one of the following fields.

Healthcare

As an administrative assistant in healthcare, you will spend part of your day organizing client files. You will likely be exposed to private information as an administrative assistant so it is important to study HIPAA restrictions, which will give you a deeper understanding of general professional security and patient privacy.

With each task you take on, you will have the chance to build your professional skills. If your job includes answering phones, you will learn to manage patients who are distressed, unwell, or in pain. The ability to be supportive, gentle, and direct can help you in many aspects of your career and, indeed, your life.

You will understand the certifications and licensure requirements of others in your current office. You may work with certified medical assistants, licensed practical nurses, registered nurses, and nurse practitioners. You will also get the chance to work with physician assistants and physicians. Occupational and physical therapists may also be among the professionals you support.

A detailed understanding of the breadth of these positions may be possible to learn over time. If you intend to continue your career in administration, you may be called upon to schedule additional training for any of these professionals so they can maintain their licensure. If you plan to get more schooling in the world of healthcare, these professionals can give you pointers on your educational goals.

Part of your work will be to support the office administrator. By supporting aspects of their work, such as basic bookkeeping, you can increase your skills and make yourself a more attractive employee. Each time you tackle this assignment, do your best to understand better where it fits in the overall framework of the bookkeeping process.

Education

An administrative assistant in the educational field may have the pleasure of working with administrators, teachers, students, and paraprofessionals. Part of your work will include scheduling staff meetings or parent/teacher/administrative meetings.

You can use this time to invest in your skill in greeting “customers” as you may be dealing with busy parents, overloaded teachers, and troubled students. Staying consistent with your presentation will take focus; any organization that serves young people, especially very young people, will require you to remain flexible.

When you work in education, you will take care of filing and document design. You may help teachers design parent notification documents, including documents that need to be viewed, signed off on, and returned to the teacher and school. Tracking tools, such as spreadsheets, will help you  design effective documentation management, and your skills can be of great help to teachers and administrators.

Employees in education will also need to stay abreast of legal and regulatory changes. Even those who work at private colleges will still need to follow state and federal regulations. Creating a process for storing copies of grades, student correspondence, and syllabi may be part of your workload.

Professional Services

As an administrative assistant, you will support sales personnel or engineers. Accountants and financial advisors also need administrative assistants. Each professional industry serves as a draw for different personality types; if you are a quiet, reflective person, supporting a dynamic sales team in the automotive industry may be challenging. A person who loves action and change may not thrive as an assistant to a tax professional.

Never stop looking for a way to build your skills. Data entry is a simple skill, but helping car shoppers apply for an automobile loan may require you to work quickly and handle detailed information.

Stay open to input, but make sure you check in with your supervisor. Many salespeople are carefully focused on their clients; they may check in at odd times or have tasks that need to be addressed quickly. Clients can also change your work requirements; if a client is out of town when their tax return is complete, you may need to prepare a lengthy fax.

Be aware that your industry may also impact your hours. If you work for a public accountant, March and April will be busy. If you support a team of sales professionals at a car dealership, your days off may not include the weekend. Each of these features of your job will have pluses and minuses; just be aware that flexibility may be required.

Scientific Services

As an administrative assistant for a scientific services firm, you may be given the chance to learn a great deal about the regulatory world. For example, you may work for a lab that supports the petrochemical industry, and you may be tasked with direct communication, such as phone calls and memos, to the professionals in your firm.

Knowing which professional handles what documentation will take time. It will also require you to understand document content to direct it properly. For example, the head of Research and Development may need immediate access to documentary changes in product content. In contrast, the Head of Manufacturing might need all incoming information on regulatory changes in packaging.

If you plan to continue your science education, your administrative assistant position may help you see the scientific process from the ground up. The life of a scientist is one of endless curiosity; after all, the scientific method is all about asking questions and conducting experiments. Part of your job will include taking care of the database where results are tracked. As you work with the numbers and information, the compilation of data can pique your curiosity.

Technical Services

The world of technical services is far-reaching and may offer you the opportunity for tremendous growth. You may work for a firm that does testing for other industries. Your tasks will include detailed tracking of lab work dedicated to measuring fluids, weights, or even measuring tools.

This is the field for those who are detail oriented. If you can work independently, you can quickly become even more valuable to your direct supervisors and your firm. In such cases, you must learn to manage your capacities.

As an administrative assistant in technical services, you will need to learn jargon and acronyms. To avoid an embarrassing or costly mix-up, carry a notebook to consistently remember which acronym or jargon is specific to different clients.

The ability to quickly enter numbers into a spreadsheet is a skill that you can build. You’ll also need to learn the following:

• Asking for a deadline so you can manage your tasks
• Take a break when you need one so you can stay focused
• Coming up with design changes if a database can’t be easily manipulated

As you build your time management skills, you may be given more opportunities to work autonomously. This is an ideal way to increase your skills, support more people, and grow within your firm.

Final Thoughts

A quality administrative assistant will find ways to grow at almost any organization. Keep your eyes open for new ways to learn. If you’ve been assigned a database clean-up that could benefit from an updated layout, go ahead and finish the clean-up task, then offer to create a sample layout change.

Administrative Assistant Program

The trains Ģ����ý College students to seek entry-level positions in the office administration or secretarial field. Graduates may work as a secretary, receptionist, executive assistant, or administrative assistant after coursework is completed. The school’s  Administrative Assisting program externship will allow Ģ����ý College students to apply the skills learned during the classroom training.

Contact Ģ����ý & Institute today to learn more about becoming an administrative assistant

One of the best ways to become a sought-after employee is to build strong computer skills. Effective use of Microsoft Office can help you make strong connections with co-workers and stand out as a support system for business leadership.

What is Microsoft Office?

Microsoft Office is a collection of software that makes communication within an office possible. Some of the programs under the Microsoft Office umbrella include:

Word

With Word, you can communicate, format letters, create newsletters, and provide other structural support. Word can also mesh well with Excel to run mail merges. Once you learn to create templates and mail merges in Microsoft Word, you can generate mass documents to share information with clients.

As you work in Word, make sure you pay attention to shortcuts. Word will automate a lot of formatting if you let it. Need a numbered list? Create one in the control ribbon. It may be faster to type “1” and start your first point. Word will automatically generate a “2” and continue. Hitting enter can break the numerical formatting chain; using the Tab key can help you build an outline with multiple points within the numeric structure.

Find a printed page that contains a detailed outline and practice. How many ways can you create a numbered list? What if you want to avoid numbers? Can you find bullet points that will help you match the style and produce easy-to-read documents? Coming up with the proper formatting with as few keystrokes as possible is a terrific skill.

Excel

Excel is primarily a spreadsheet program, but even if you never need to generate a single equation, you can get a lot of use out of this program. In Excel, you can

• Sort quickly and effectively
• Pull portions of text from other cells
• Remove duplicates from a mailing list
• Create formulas like vlookup

Sorting is quite simple. If you’ve got a mailing list and want to ensure that old addresses have been pulled, you can sort it by name. Setting up your mailing list with an eye toward detailed sorting is a good idea. Instead of including First Name, Middle Initial, and Last Name in one field or cell, you may get more use out of your spreadsheet if you split this content using “text to column.”

You have many options to pull information from other cells. You can choose to split a cell on spaces or commas. This is the first step in separating the information for more effective manipulation if you have a very long list of consolidated addresses. You can also use the “LEFT” and “RIGHT” commands to remove several characters from an adjacent cell. For example, if you need to review five-character zip codes, you can pull them with this command.

When you’re practicing mailing lists or database manipulation, creating a new spreadsheet and keeping it in your personal work folder is a good idea. You can name it something simple, such as Mailing List Practice. Next, create multiple tabs in your practice spreadsheet to copy, extract, and play with the data until you’re confident.

If you need to learn to use the calculation features in Excel, finding an old checkbook or ledger is a good idea. You can learn to add, subtract, and insert lines with this. As you need more equations, you can practice those skills.

Excel offers many automatic features—practice building a calendar. Type in the number 1, then move right and type the number 2. If you highlight these two cells and pull them to the right, you’ll see 3, 4, 5, etc., fill in automatically. The same will happen on Monday and Tuesday.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is the flashiest feature of Office and allows you to create presentation projects. Presenters can use PowerPoints and print them into booklets. Each PowerPoint page can be uniquely laid out, though this can be overdone and start to look busy.

Your firm likely has a basic PowerPoint template that includes your logo. The primary template may also include bio information for presenters. Again, save yourself a copy of the document to practice on.

Learn to insert breaks that allow you to change the formatting. Play with the available fonts for quick recognition. Keep your work in visible mode so you can see the page breaks you’ve installed, the layout or text boxes at work in your document, and how the images are formatted.

Find a paper copy of a PowerPoint with a lot of variety and get in the habit of working to manipulate your practice document until making changes in the document is easy. When you’re invited to produce a PowerPoint, you don’t want to struggle to figure out how to change layout features or add a text box. You want the process to be seamless.

Access

Access is another database software. It uses tables like Excel, but that’s where the similarities stop. Access is the ideal place to create a unique database. In your access table, you can make a primary key. This key is unique to the record and cannot be duplicated.

If part of your job is to help arrange bids and each bid has a unique code or number, tracking those bids in Access can reduce the risk that you’ll present a bid to your supervisor more than once. You can also track the materials needed for the bid and the supplier contact information on this database.

It’s important to note that Access doesn’t do calculations. You can import from Excel to Access and do the same in reverse but be very careful when designating your primary key.

Outlook

Outlook is Microsoft Office’s calendar and email feature. The staff members you support may give you access to shared calendars. You can also add group events to these calendars. Take your time as you work through these calendars and do your best to avoid distractions when setting up such events; one poorly booked meeting can create a lot of commotion.

Set up your email folders with care as well. If you get regular notifications from the local Business Journal, create a folder for yourself and move new messages until you have time to review the latest information. The same folders can be used for local office supply store flyers.

Finally, the drag-and-drop feature for specific emails can be used to mark items on your calendar. If you need to print an agenda for a meeting and someone sends you a link to an agenda they’re working on, move it to your calendar and set the notification for a few hours before the event. That way, you can be sure you’ll print off the newest version of the agenda.

Final Thoughts

Microsoft Office has undergone some significant changes in recent years, and updates are continually offered. If you know the basics but are concerned about using the latest tips, it’s a good idea to take a Computer Operations program at Ģ����ý College.

Computer Operations Program

The  provides college students job-related training in various computer fields.  Ģ����ý College students will complete computer training courses on the various Microsoft Office applications relating to word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation creation.  The Computer Operations diploma program also includes administrative office procedures and accounting training.

 today to learn more about our Computer Operations program at Ģ����ý Institute.

The career of an entry-level office administrator, accounting clerk, and document processor is an excellent choice. If you are a person who likes organization, helping other people, and getting important work done, consider the benefits included with an administrative or accounting assistant position. You can enjoy job stability, good work/life balance, and opportunities for promotion within your company and across a wide variety of companies and industries. Every business in every industry has the need for people with administrative and accounting assistant skills. Furthermore non-profit, governmental, educational, and religious organizations hire energetic, dedicated problem solvers to work in their offices.

Be Prepared as You Begin Your Job Search

To improve your chances of landing that perfect job, there are a few qualifications that will work in your favor. A positive attitude, confidence, and effective communication skills are always impressive. Taking a course to learn more about office procedures in the twenty-first century will always be in your best interest. Learning about taking messages, composing memos, and workplace safety will help you succeed in any administrative job. Many of these same standards are in place across many organizations and industries.

In this day and age, however, it is also important to demonstrate that you have the technology skills that will benefit your new employer and help guarantee your success on the job. Microsoft Office is recognized around the world as the standard for administrative software. A Microsoft Office Certification shows the world that you have the technology skill set to get the job done and that you have the initiative and talent to take and successfully pass a very strict screening.

What are the Microsoft Office Certifications?

There are two levels of Microsoft Office Certification. The first one is an Associate level certification. To earn this certificate, you must show proficiency in three of these four Microsoft Office products: Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook.

The second level of Microsoft Office Certification is Expert level. To earn this level certificate, you must earn the Associate certification as described above and, also, pass two of the three following exams: Word Expert, Excel Expert, Access Expert.

By passing the examinations, you demonstrate that you can use the software applications and will benefit your hiring organization by using these tools to solve problems and promote communication.

Which Microsoft Office Certifications is Best?

The Expert level requires the demonstration of additional skills, so as you look for a job, a potential employer will recognize your additional value with the higher-level certificate. Because the Associate Certificate is a prerequisite to the Expert one, you have to achieve that milestone in order to test for and move up to the higher certification.

Let’s explore in detail each of these core Microsoft applications and how it would be used on the job by an administrative or accounting assistant.

Microsoft Word

First introduced in 1983, Word has gone through many changes over the decades. The most general way to describe Word is that it is a word processor. Some of its most beneficial aspects are:

• The screen displays what will print on paper
• Text can be copied and pasted into other formats or programs
• It has a built-in dictionary
• Formatting of words and pages is easy to achieve

Microsoft Word is used in a business or organization setting to write letters, emails (that are then copied and pasted into email products like Outlook), and preparation of announcements printed and displayed. It is also used to document speeches and produce mailings to customers. There is also a design feature that allows users to create their own forms and documents. Inserting tables, charts, and pictures into a letter or document is a simple process with Word.

Microsoft Excel

Excel is a spreadsheet application. Cells are arranged into columns and rows to manipulate and organize data. Basic calculations, such as addition, subtraction, division, and multiplication can be applied to the data. The manipulated data results can then be handed off to an additional calculation. Other simple uses include finding the maximum, minimum, and average of a large volume of data. Macros, pivot tables, and graphing tools.

Some of the best uses of Excel in business are in the accounting area. Excel is a great platform for creating a budget and manipulating data so it can be used in an accounting application. For example, an outside payroll company can provide the detailed data needed to book the weekly or bi-weekly payroll. After manipulation in Excel, the data in the form of a journal entry can upload into an accounting application such as QuickBooks. Data from a bank on the checks that have been deposited and cleared an account used by the accounting payables group can download it into Excel and check it against the cash ledger to streamline the bank account reconciliation process. This is a quick and easy way to identify any discrepancies that need investigation.

Microsoft Access

In the broadest terms, Microsoft Access is a database management system. Since it can only link or import data stored in other databases and applications, it creates a second home for a large amount of data. From here, the data can be organized and stored. In general, Access can handle more data than Excel, and the data is more secure because direct data modifications can be prevented in Access. A retail business might use Access to track its inventory, sales, and receipts of products.

Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint is a presentation software that enables the user to prepare sophisticated presentations using slides and other multimedia. Not only can it interface with Excel and Word, but it can also capture video clips, pictures, and audio can accompany a presentation. Here are just some of the activities that PowerPoint support to enliven any presentation.

Narration over a slide. A PowerPoint slide with text, numbers, or a chart can be brought to life with the addition of narration or music incorporated into the slide.

Animation. This feature also lets you make a presentation more interesting by having information appear, fade, or fly in among other lively choices.

Embed a YouTube video into a presentation. With a few mouse clicks, you have the world of YouTube to enhance your PowerPoint presentation.

An assistant with the ability to create information, attention-grabbing slide presentations brings a lot of value to any organization. One of the roles of an administrative assistant may be to produce PowerPoint presentations for a Marketing team when they visit a potential client. Educational facilities and training departments often use PowerPoint to put together not only an informative but entertaining training package.

Microsoft Outlook

Outlook is the Microsoft software that handles emails and task management chores, which facilitates a user’s need for writing, sending, receiving, reading, and managing one or more email accounts. Although primarily used as an email manager, it can also coordinate calendars, contacts, activities, and a personal journal.

As an administrative assistant working within an organization, you might have access to not only your own but also officer’s and director’s email accounts. Outlook allows an assistant to set up meetings, track calendared events, and receive or respond to emails for the organization leaders to whom they provide support.

The Best Preparation for a Microsoft Office Certification

You can advance your career or go into your next job interview with a key to success in your hand, a certificate that highlights your training and skills in the fleet of Microsoft Office products. Before you sit down for the online test, however, completing a course in the Microsoft products will help you pass the certification tests. If you sign up for these courses at a vocational school with a Computer Operations diploma, you will also have demonstrated that you have successfully completed the requirements for the courses as well as passing the certification test. Attending a vocational school also gives you the opportunity to interact with instructors and other students. You can develop your professional network that will be there to support you throughout your career.

Final Thoughts

Are you ready to take the next step into your rewarding future as an administrative or accounting assistant? With training and skills certification in email, spreadsheet, presentations, database, and word processing, you can be a successful contributor your first day on the job in a high-tech office. Not only across the country but also around the world, Microsoft products are recognized as the standard in office software applications and technology. With these skills in your toolbox, we will help you ensure that you have the knowledge and training to be successful in an office administration role.

Want to Learn More?

The is designed to provide college students with job-related training in a variety of computer fields.  Ģ����ý College students will complete computer training courses relating to the various Microsoft Office applications relating to word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation creation. The Computer Operations diploma program also includes training in administrative office procedures and accounting.

Contact us to learn more about the Computer Operations program today.

Are you’re hoping to get an office job, but wondering what qualifications you need? Are you asking yourself if there is a certification for Microsoft Office? If so, what steps do you need to obtain this certification?

Is There a Certification for Microsoft Office?

Yes, there is an for Microsoft Office. To earn the certification, you must pass three out of four Associate exams and two out of three Expert exams. The Associate Exams cover Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, while the Expert exams focus on Word, Excel, and Access.

What Software Programs Are Covered Under This Certification?

This certification focuses on the Microsoft Office suite of software programs. If you decide to get certified, you can expect to learn about the following:

Word

Microsoft Word is a basic word processing software system. It’s ubiquitous, convenient, and easy to use. Although even first-timers can usually grasp the basics, the system includes several features that appeal to experienced writers and computer professionals alike.

In addition to its built-in spell checker, dictionary, and thesaurus, Word offers users the ability to designate their own formatting templates. Text layouts, margin defaults, titles, and headers can all be customized according to user preference.

One of Word’s greatest assets is a program called WordArt. This feature allows the user to add formatting effects to their text, thereby creating a more visually striking document. Instead of simply underlining or bolding the text, users can apply shadowing, reflection, beveling, or even sophisticated three-dimensional effects.

Excel

Excel is an electronic spreadsheet program that allows users to store data with tables and cells. This program is an important asset to businesses because it eliminates the need for paper spreadsheets, which are both messy and space-consuming.

With Excel, you can store several worksheet pages in a single file. A group of pages is called a workbook. You can access any of the pages in the workbook without closing and opening numerous files, another convenient time-saving benefit.

A cell in Excel can hold numbers, text, dates and times, or formulas. This makes the program useful for calculations. Enter the numbers and let the system take care of the Math.

PowerPoint

PowerPoint is Microsoft’s premier presentation program, and a standard element of the Office Suite software package. If you’re hoping to land a job that relies heavily on presentations, such as an insurance company or investment firm, then it’s in your best interests to learn more about PowerPoint.

While PowerPoint is an essential tool in the business world, it also comes in handy in educational settings. The program uses a slide format to convey information in a way that’s both entertaining and easy to understand. Plus, it’s fully integrated with other programs in the Microsoft Office Suite, so you can import your info from Word or Excel into your presentations.

Outlook

Outlook is an email client that is used to send and receive messages through Microsoft’s Exchange Server. In addition to relaying messages, you can use Outlook for access contact, calendars, and task management.

Like PowerPoint, Outlook is a component of the Office Suite. It’s also part of the Office 365 system, you can however use it as a standalone application. The system can also be integrated with SharePoint for the purposes of project collaboration.

Outlook’s basic features consist of email service, search functions, flagging, color coding, and preview pane options. You can use its calendar function for scheduling and staff communication, which eliminates the need for a separate calendar-sharing program. With 99 gigabytes of archiving data, the system should be able to handle all your communication and scheduling needs.

Access

The Access application is included on the Expert certification list because it’s a more sophisticated version of Excel. That’s right, it’s a spreadsheet like program, that’s capable of handling more data at one time and offers advanced searchability compared to Excel.

Access is part of Microsoft’s 365 family of applications. While Excel is used primarily for simple calculations and individual projects, Access is designed to store and manage much more information. The system also makes it easy to retrieve and apply the data in various applications with the aid of pre-made forms and questions.

Access can be connected to many other applications. When other apps generate useful data, it can be automatically imported to the Access system. This is a handy time-saving feature that makes Access a great asset to large enterprises.

What Jobs Might Be Available To Certificate Holders?

Most jobs benefit from Microsoft Office knowledge but specific jobs should get Microsoft Office certification. Jobs like administrative assistant, office manager, data analyst, and desktop publisher use Microsoft Office in almost everything they do. Having the certification can capture the eye of employers to your knowledge of Microsoft Office and commitment to learning.

Job #1: Administrative Assistant

Also known as an administrative aide, this individual is responsible for helping administrative professionals stay on task. With the administrative assistant taking on organizational tasks, the administrator is free to focus on their advanced responsibilities.

Duties and responsibilities may vary, depending on the role of the professional. However, the job of an administrative assistant can include answering phones, greeting visitors, organizing meetings, scheduling appointments, composing and editing documents, collating and distributing mail, filing, and managing business accounts. Most of these tasks benefit from the knowledge of Microsoft Office.

The tasks you’ll be responsible for as an administrative assistant may shift from day to day, even within the same company. The job requires strong multitasking skills and plenty of attention to detail. If you’re looking for an entry-level position that offers plenty of variety, this could be the job for you.

Job #2: Office Manager

This position represents a step up from administrative assistant duties. While you may still be responsible for scheduling appointments and meetings, greeting visitors, and providing basic administrative support, you’ll also serve as the point person for the office.

What does this mean? In essence, you’ll be the person that makes sure everything is running smoothly on a day-to-day basis. This could mean contacting maintenance when there’s a problem with the building, running errands, procuring groceries and general supplies, light bookkeeping or paying vendors. You may also need to maintain a close relationship with the human resources department to stay up to date on the latest company policies.

To fill this role, you’ll need experience with several software applications. Many companies look for candidates who are proficient in Excel and Outlook. As with the administrative assistant role, you should have a keen eye for detail and superb communication skills. It helps immensely if you’re able to think creatively and work well with others. Strong organizational skills are also a must.

Job #3: Data Analyst

As a data analyst, you’ll use automated tools to gather data from primary and secondary sources. While that might sound dry on the surface, data analysts need the ability to transform this raw information into insights that can be used to shape the future of the company.

Job duties include maintaining and developing databases, removing corrupted data, and fixing errors whenever necessary. As the job title suggests, you’ll be analyzing the data to assess its quality and identify its meaning. With the aid of statistical tools, you can identify and interpret trends that could have important ramifications for the business. A certification in Microsoft Office shows your proficiency in Excel and Access programs for data analysis.

Job #4: Desktop Publisher

Desktop publishers create documents and products, such as business proposals, financial reports, and newspapers, with the aid of publishing software. Tasks include formatting and combining text, photos and illustrations, data, charts, and other visual elements to create a cohesive whole.

To succeed in this role, you’ll need an artistic mindset and strong proofreading skills. The ability to think creatively and to adapt well to rapid changes will serve you well as a desktop publisher. Knowledge of Microsoft Office is sure to come in handy, particularly the Word and PowerPoint programs.

How Do You Prepare For The Microsoft Office Certification Exams?

An easy way to prepare for the Microsoft Office certification exams is to enroll in a vocational school that offers a diploma in computer operations. You’ll gain a practical understanding of Microsoft Office that will serve you far beyond the exams. Since your goal is to become an asset to whatever business you join, these classes are a worthwhile investment.

What Are The Benefits of a Formal Education?

Attending a vocational school allows you to acquire the skills you need get an office job. However, landing a job is only the first step. You will want to stand out as a skilled and knowledgeable member of the staff. By taking coursework in computer operations, you’ll have a significant advantage over competitors who’ve received only on-the-job training.

Learn a Complete Curriculum

These courses cover much more than the basics. Instead of learning only the bare minimum, you’ll dig in to the intermediate and advanced functions of Microsoft Office. When you learn on the job, you may only learn what you need to know to perform certain everyday tasks. Enrolling in a computer operations program will provide you with a comprehensive knowledge of the entire Microsoft Office suite.

Industry Experienced Instructors

Instead of teaching you the basics, you’ll be guided by industry experienced instructors that can answer questions and offer one-on-one attention. This can play a role in your eventual job success, especially if you’re a hands-on learner.

Lean How Microsoft Office Programs Work Together

The best classes will teach you how the various Microsoft Office programs can work together to make your tasks easier. These are details you might miss out on if you attempt to learn about the Microsoft Office yourself. After all, you might not discover some of these features, especially if you don’t know what to look for.

Take Practice Exams

When you enroll in a computer operations program, you’ll also have the opportunity to take practice exams. If you don’t perform at your best when put under pressure, these exams are a great way to demystify the process. You can also identify any potentially problem areas and work harder to understand the questions with incorrect answers.

Career Services

Once you’ve completed the computer operations program, the vocational school will provide career services to ensure that you find the right job. That’s another benefit that you would miss out on if you tried to teach yourself Microsoft Office. Career services help you build a resume, prepare for interviews, and identifies jobs that match your knowledge and passion.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know which jobs are available for those that attain a Microsoft Office certification, the sky’s the limit. Take the first step toward a career as an administrative assistant, office manager, data analyst, desktop publisher or one of the many office jobs available in many different industries and Ģ����ý College will be with you every step of the way.

Want to Learn More?

The is designed to provide college students with job-related training in a variety of computer fields.  Ģ����ý College students will complete computer training courses relating to the various Microsoft Office applications relating to word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation creation. The Computer Operations diploma program also includes training in administrative office procedures and accounting.

Contact us to learn more about the Computer Operations program today.

Are you interested in an office job and wonder if there is a certification for Microsoft Office? The good news is yes, there is. Microsoft Office certification may be one of the most valuable credentials that you attain, and it is most important if you are considering an office or executive assistant position. Whether you are looking for your first job, or you already hold an office position, the certification can help distinguish you from your peers and help you earn the career that you deserve. With the Microsoft Office certification, your resume becomes stronger. Instead of just stating that you are “proficient”in Microsoft Office products, you can announce that you are accomplished, and the certification proves it.

What are the Different Types of Office Jobs?

One of the nice things about training for an office assistant job is that you can use your Microsoft skills in just about any work environment. Here are just some of the industries that are currently looking to fill office positions:

• Energy
• Real Estate
• Medical and Dental
• Education
• Retail
• Travel and Entertainment
• Communications Technology
• Legal and Law Enforcement

Who Uses Microsoft Office?

Whether you are an accountant who uses Microsoft Excel as a tool for bank and account reconciliations or a human resources specialist that gives PowerPoint presentations that help employees get the most from their company benefits, you can be more efficient with additional training and certification in the Microsoft Office suite. A certification in Outlook will help you organize your contacts, calendar, and email better, resulting in more production. Microsoft Office is the lifeblood of any office.

What Are Other Microsoft Office Certification Benefits?

There are many benefits to getting a certification in Microsoft Office. Some of those benefits include:

A Competitive Advantage

When you and another applicant are going for the same position, your certification will give you the competitive advantage. Not only are you proficient in Microsoft Office but you also have a certification. This means you are well versed in the basic, intermediate, and advanced functions of the software. Employers know that you are fully trained on Microsoft Office and can skip that part of the training.

Filling Knowledge Gaps

In addition to improving your resume, taking coursework leading to Microsoft Office certification helps fill in any gaps you might have in your knowledge of Microsoft Office programs. You may be using one or more of the applications already, but taking a course focused on the software will help you be aware of gaps in your training so you can become proficient in functions of the program that you may not even be aware of. Also, every release of the Microsoft software package offers new features. This coursework will help you to understand and use the latest attributes and put them to work toward your best interest. Furthermore, knowing that you have a specialist’s knowledge of the most-recent Microsoft capabilities is sure to boost your confidence and value on the job.

What is Included in Microsoft Office Software?

Microsoft Office is a collection of productivity applications that launched over 30 years ago. In that time, it has grown to include more applications, be more efficient, and become a staple in most offices. It started with the three programs: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Access and Outlook have been added to the suite to round out the function of Microsoft Office. In addition, the applications have been enhanced to interact with each other and use common utilities like spellcheck. Here is an overview of the five applications that are part of Microsoft Office:

Microsoft Word

Word is a word processor and one of the most widely used of the Microsoft applications. Its purpose is to assist you in creating, editing, and storing letters, documents, contracts, and reports. It has robust features to format and edit. Word is used throughout the business world, government, and education. An office assistant would use Word to create a letter for mailing, record office minutes, or create a press release for a new product offering.

Microsoft Excel

Excel is a spreadsheet application offered by Microsoft. It start with a matrix of columns and rows like a sheet of graph paper. While Word is designed for verbal creations, Excel uses numbers. It has the power to store number data and make calculations. Graphing capabilities and pivot tables are some of the more advanced features of Excel. Keeping track of petty cash expenditures or company equipment that has been assigned to employees are just two examples of how an office assistant could put Excel to work for them.

Microsoft PowerPoint

PowerPoint is an application for creating slideshow presentations. The slides can include text, images, and charts. PowerPoint presentations can be shown on a computer display screen, printed on paper, or converted to slides. PowerPoint integrates with other Office products, including Word and Excel. Assisting the boss with a presentation on upcoming business plans or this year’s budget, an executive assistant could turn to PowerPoint for help creating the visuals for this meeting.

Microsoft Outlook

Most people may think of Outlook as an email platform, but it has some powerful features for performing other tasks. These features include a calendar, scheduling, note taking, and contacts modules. An office assistant may use Outlook to not only send and receive their emails but also to schedule meetings and communicate important information throughout the company. An executive assistant may have access to several calendars, giving them the power to coordinate between schedules.

Microsoft Access

Access is a database management tool for users to manage data in a database. While Excel is great for computations, calculations, and logical functions, data is easier to manipulate in Access. Filtering, inputting, sorting, and grouping are some of the tasks that Access can lend a hand with. It can accommodate thousands of records at a time. It also integrates with many of the other Microsoft Office applications. For example, the marketing department may want to know the customers in a specific area code or zip code. Loaded into Access, the administrative assistant could quickly sort the data and provide the information to the marketing team. If you have too many data sorts to comprehend, then Access is the software you want to use.

How is the Microsoft Office Certification Exams Administered?

The certification exam is designed to test how skillfully you apply the Microsoft Office software to create business solutions. Not only is the exam timed, but the number of keystrokes is also taken into consideration as a measure of your efficiency.

Are There Different Certification Levels?

There are two levels for the Certification: Associate and Expert. To attain the Associate level, you must pass three of the four exams that cover Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. For the Expert level, you must pass two of the three exams for Word Expert, Excel Expert, or Access Expert. Furthermore, the Associate Certification is a prerequisite for taking the Expert level exams.

How Can You Prepare for the Microsoft Office Certification?

Some people may think that they can learn all they need to know about Microsoft Office on their own. The problem with that approach is that they don’t know what they don’t know.

Whether you have some, a lot, or no experience with the Microsoft Office programs, attending a computer operations program is a good way to learn about business duties including the use of Microsoft Office. This approach can ensure you are fully prepared for the Microsoft Office certification exams. Many students have found it is beneficial to take the certification exam shortly after completing their training. This way the material is still fresh in your minds. With the certification in hand, you are qualified for administrative jobs in all industries, government, and non-profit organizations. In addition, your personal schedule, communications, and records will benefit from the organization and skills you learn from the certification.

What are the Benefits of a Formal Education?

There are many benefits to getting a formal education to prepare for the Microsoft Office certification exams. These benefits include:

A Complete Curriculum

The first benefit of a formal education is that you learn all the Microsoft programs from start to finish. Classes are taught in progression, each lesson building on the prior. This way you lay a foundation that you can build upon throughout the computer operations program.

The Latest Microsoft Office Software

Microsoft Office software can be expensive but taking a computer operations program will allow you to learn on the latest and most advanced software that Microsoft offers. It is important to learn on the actual programs you will use when you start working in an office. Plus, you will get to learn the latest and greatest functions that are offered by the newest Microsoft Office version.

Industry Experienced Instructors

It is hard to learn by yourself. You can watch a bunch of YouTube videos, but will you really learn everything you need to pass the Microsoft Office certification exams? Attending a vocational school program allows you to learn from an industry experienced instructor that can offer one-on-one attention, while tailoring the curriculum to your learning style.

Practice Exams

A great benefit of a formal education is that you can take practice exams that are offered by the vocational program. Are you ready to take the certification exams? Once you pass the practice exam, you will know what is on the exam, how the questions are asked and what you need to know to pass. It also builds confidence for exam day.

Career Services

One of the best benefits of attending a vocational school is the career services that we offer. We will help you build your resume, practice for interviews, and find the job that fits your passion. A vocational school has ties with the community, and we may even hear about jobs before the general public. Regardless of the industry you want to work in or the type of office job you are looking for, Ģ����ý College will help you find the right fit for your career aspirations.

Final Thoughts

Now that you know more about the Microsoft Office certification exams, ready to learn more about Ģ����ý College’s computer operations program. Prepare for the Microsoft Office certification and your first day at your new office position. You bring the passion, and we can supply the curriculum.

Want to Learn More?

The is designed to provide college students with job-related training in a variety of computer fields.  Ģ����ý College students will complete computer training courses relating to the various Microsoft Office applications relating to word processing, spreadsheets, and presentation creation. The Computer Operations diploma program also includes training in administrative office procedures and accounting.

Contact us to learn more about how you can become a medical assistant today.

Interested in learning more about the role of an office administrator? Some of your experience will come while on the job, but you will need to convey that you have the drive and persistence to complete whatever you take on. This can be illustrated by completing a degree in business technology. By completing a business technology degree program and gaining the skills to be an office administrator, you can prove that you are serious about the opportunity to work for a company that is hiring office administrators. You will also create the confidence needed to succeed in this role.

What Does an Office Administrator Do?

An office administrator performs many clerical duties that are essential for an office to run efficiently. An officer administrator’s role is at the center of the company. They work across a variety of different industries, from medical offices to insurance companies, real estate to engineering and everywhere in between. Some of the typical day-to-day activities an office administrator’s role includes:

• Answering phones
• Scheduling appointments
• Updating calendars
• Setting schedules
• Creating and maintaining a filing system
• Entering data into a computer
• Greeting visitors
• Responding to emails
• Preparing documents
• Coordinating project deliverables
• Performing light bookkeeping
• Drafting presentations, documents, and billing invoices
• Sending and signing for deliveries

Other Office Administration Duties

The knowledge that an office administrator must have is often company and industry specific. For example, an office administrator that works for a real estate agent must be competent in geography and know a lot about different areas of the country; while the office administrator in an internet marketing firm may require basic knowledge of web design and social media. Some office administrators may even manage inventory or stockrooms.

Light Bookkeeping Duties

Office administrators may handle clerical duties, including data entry, sorting mail, and other functions necessary for the bookkeeping to operate efficiently. They must possess skills required to prepare invoices, handle company deposits, plan budgets, prepare financial reports, process payments, and submit tax forms.

Have the Right Hard Skills

Hard skills are those traits that an office administrator will need to be successful regardless of industry or role they work in. These hard skills include knowing how to write business correspondence, taking minutes, record management, filing systems, various computer applications, word processing, and email management.

Since every industry is different and may have their own process to complete these tasks, it may be possible to learn these on the job. However, having a basic understanding and ability to perform these skills is beneficial and can be learned during a business technology degree program.

Have the Right Soft Skills

The desirable soft skills to be successful as an office administrator include the ability to make decisions, and good communication skills, both written and verbal. It takes a special kind of person to succeed in the role of an office administrator. Assisting management in a business setting requires specific knowledge of the field, a combination of personal traits, and the ability to work well as a team member.

An office administrator must be conscientious and have a strong will to succeed. A successful office administrator takes their role in an office seriously. They have excellent organizational skills and have an orderly approach to business.

Individual Skills Required to be an Office Administrator

There are many different skills that will be required to ensure a person is successful in their role as an office administrator. The following is a list that can be applied to many different industries. However, specific businesses and industries have unique skills that will be learned on the job.

Skill #1: Communication

Much of what an office administrator does is speak with customers, colleagues and management. They must be well versed in writing and verbal communication. The ability to convey a message is imperative. Office administrators will also deal with customers, so it is important for them to communicate effectively with the customer to ensure a positive experience and create repeat customers.

Skill #2: Typing and Word Processing

An office administrator’s duties can include taking minutes or inputting data. They use Microsoft Office to write documents, memos and billing. Having typing skills is a must. A conscientious office administrator has excellent grammar and spelling skills and can interpret their manager’s notes, even if their handwriting is challenging to read.

Skill #3: People Skills

Being an office administrator can be the central contact for customers and employees within the company. They will interact with many different people throughout the day. Having people skills, and a positive attitude, will allow the office administrator to be a successful communicator.

Skill #4: Organization

Office administrators must stay organized and know where everything is at all times. Files should have a certain location on their desk depending on the file’s need. Office administrators that are in charge of scheduling appointments should know what times are available and have access to that information.

Skill #5: Teamwork & Collaboration

An office administrator is part of a team that manages the entirety of the office. Typically, the office administrator is the center of the office and is the go-to person for administrative help or clerical duties. An office administrator must be a team player in order to get the work completed on time and successfully. The office administrator should be willing to collaborate, work well with a team, and doesn’t quibble about small details that are counterproductive.

Skill #6: Customer Focused

The office administrator always possesses a pleasant demeanor when greeting clients. Since they represent the company and their manager, it’s essential to be customer focused. Professionalism is vital to the office administrator who must always possess a positive attitude in the office. Personal problems must stay at home.

Skill #7: Multitasking

An office administrator will be expected to handle many different tasks and duties. Being able to handle more than one task at a time is a good skill to have and will ensure that the office administrator is able to accomplish their goals and complete tasks on time. Multi-tasking is part of the job in any successful business. An office administrator who wants to succeed always keeps up to date with their skills and is willing to learn new procedures quickly.

Skill #8: Time Management Skills

In addition to having many tasks that need to be handled throughout the day, an office administrator will need to determine the priority of each task. The ability to do this will ensure that everything gets taken care of in a timely fashion.

Skill #9: Flexibility

An office administrator’s priorities may change throughout the day. The report that was due at the end of the week could get pushed up or someone might need tickets to an emergency business meeting. By being flexible, an office administrator will be able to change their priorities without getting unduly stressed or anxious about the situation.

Skill #10: Light Bookkeeping Knowledge

Office administrators may help with light bookkeeping including payroll, bank deposits and other bookkeeping tasks. Having some experience with bookkeeping will help increase an office administrators job options and give them an advantage over the competition. Having knowledge of QuickBooks and other bookkeeping software can also come in handy.

Skill #11: Work Independently

An office administrator must be a self-starter and know how to perform tasks autonomously. While an office administrator may be given certain tasks by coworkers or supervisors, they should be able to keep themselves busy without being told what to do.

Skill #12: Professionalism

An office administrator will interact with customers and office staff. They must be professional as they conduct business with others to gain their respect. Not only will the office administrator have a professional and positive attitude, but they must dress appropriately. Wearing appropriate clothing and practicing good hygiene will increase the respect others will have for the office administrator.

Skill #13: Reliability

A successful office administrator must possess a strong work ethic. They must be well-organized and be able to manage their time effectively to complete tasks on time. The office administrator must be reliable. A busy office doesn’t have time to deal with a person who is consistently late for work and makes excuses. Punctuality is an essential skill to assisting in an office.

Skill #14: Ability to Use Various Office Equipment

In addition to using a computer, many office administrators will be required to use copy machines, scanners, and fax machines. While this knowledge can be learned on the job, it may give a person a better chance of standing out from the competition if they are equipped with these skills beforehand.

Is There a Demand for Office Administrators?

Currently, there is a need for office administrators that have office skills in a variety of different industries and roles. The most demand is in the medical field. As the population grows older and lives longer, they will need medical care, and to meet the demand, more medical offices will be hiring medical office administrators. Medical facilities will need to be staffed with skilled individuals who can take on a variety of administrative tasks and keep the office running smoothly and efficiently. Other places that may see an increased demand for an office administrator include schools, legal offices, and government offices.

Why Attend a Vocational School’s Business Technology Degree Program?

Vocational schools offer business technology courses allowing you to gain essential skills and training to achieve entry-level positions in management, as computer operators, executive assistants, and in accounting offices. Business technology programs teach you the role of clerical and administrative duties. Vocational schools have small class sizes that offer one-on-one attention from industry experienced instructors. Obtaining a business technology degree from a vocational school will be the first step to starting your career as an office administrator.

What Will You Learn During a Business Technology Degree Program?

Students will have the opportunity to apply skills learned in business accounting, finance, Microsoft Office, information management, and other areas of business to add value in many types of offices.

Business Accounting: At smaller companies, office administrators may need to handle bookkeeping, manage payroll and drop off bank deposits. Have a knowledge in basic bookkeeping is important to managing an office.

Finance: An office administrator will need to be familiar with the concepts of cash flow, debt management, credit terms, revenue, taxation, depreciation, payroll, petty cash, and operational expenses.

Microsoft Office: As the premier business productivity software in the world, MS Office proficiency is an important skill. Microsoft Office programs learned during a business technology degree program include Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.

Information Management: This is an important skill. An office administrator will need to be proficient in managing information and communications platforms such as messaging apps, Voice over Internet Protocol systems, email, content management systems, and cloud platforms.

General Business Practices: An office administrator will need to understand corporate structures, procurement, basic HR procedures, compliance, and legal correspondence. Depending on the industry an office administrator joins, there may be additional business practices learned while on the job.

Final Thoughts

For many people, the role of an office administrator is incredibly appealing. It gives them a chance to use a variety of different skills, work in different industries, and interact with different people. The job requires specific skills but also general knowledge, so it’s something that anyone with a desire to do can be successful at. If you are interested in playing a role in an office setting, have good communication skills and enjoy administrative tasks, becoming an office administrator may be the right career path for you.

Do you like to be the central person on a team or at an organization? Ready to become an office administrator? The is designed to provide Ģ����ý College students with the knowledge and practical skills to function in the ever-changing business world. Students will be exposed to concepts in accounting, business administration, finance, the legal system, and management. Additionally, students will acquire the practical skills necessary to function in today’s business world.

today to learn more about the Associate of Science Degree in Business Technology at Ģ����ý Institute.

Are you a self-starter? Have you been furloughed, and need to find a job that you can do from home? Work from home employment is on the rise– even Twitter has said that their employees can work from home permanently. As working from home becomes mainstream, so to will virtual administrative assistants. Many administrative assistants have the opportunity to work remotely with services like Upwork, but recently many small and large companies and almost all employment sites have embraced virtual administrative assistants.

With the ease of high-speed Internet, video conferencing tools and document sharing apps, becoming a virtual administrative assistant has become easier than ever. Companies are embracing virtual workers not only due to the pandemic but also due to lower fixed costs and increased flexibility. So are you asking yourself, “What does a virtual administrative assistant do?”

What Does a Virtual Administrative Assistant Do?

Virtual administrative assistants perform routine clerical and administrative duties from a remote location. They can support a company, team or individual executive. According to the , administrative assistants typically do the following:

• Answer telephones and take messages or transfer calls
• Manage email, blogging and social media
• Manage travel arrangements
• Schedule appointments and update event calendars
• Prepare memos, invoices, or other reports
• Edit and review documents
• Maintain databases systems
• Perform basic bookkeeping
• Conduct research
• Support teammates with project-based work

How to Become a Virtual Administrative Assistant

When you are ready to become a virtual administrative assistant, there are a few steps you should take to prepare yourself. Starting as an entry-level assistant can be tough without work experience. The way to bypass experience is with a diploma in administrative assisting from a vocational school. During an administrative assistant program, you will participate in an externship that will allow you to get real world experience to add to your resume. You will want to dedicate a home office space for working, and create profiles with different employment websites. These steps will help you become a virtual administrative assistant.

Step #1: Obtain a Diploma in Administrative Assisting

Vocational schools offer administrative assisting courses allowing you to gain essential skills and training to achieve entry-level positions. Administrative assisting programs teach you the basics of clerical and administrative duties. Classes include basic accounting, office administration skills, Microsoft Office, business math and English, and advanced keywording. Vocational schools have small class sizes that offer one-on-one attention from industry experienced instructors. Obtaining a diploma from a vocational school will be the first step to starting your career as a virtual administrative assistant.

Step #2: Create a Home Office

It will be important to find a place in your home where you can work distraction free. Find somewhere to comfortably set up a desk for your computer and office supplies — this place should be quiet in case you have to take a phone call or join a meeting. Make the space your own to improve productivity and reduce stress.

Step #3: Sign Up Profiles with Employment Websites

The most well-known freelance platform for virtual work is Upwork, however you don’t need to be a freelancer to be a virtual administrative assistant. With the current work at home model, many direct hires will allow you to work virtually.

– a competitive platform of projects and opportunities to work virtually. Upwork has a wide variety of talent and many different levels and pay scales. It is a platform that reaches around the world. This platform allows you to take tests to prove your knowledge in specific areas. After taking on a few projects, you will start to build a reputation that can open up new doors and opportunities. Freelancers have the tools they need to communicate with clients, using video chat, digital asset delivery and mobile phone access. All payments are held in escrow, so freelancers are paid on time. Using Upwork saves you the time of finding your own clients.

Employment Platforms – there are many different employment platforms that offer administrative assistants the ability to get hired for virtual work. The most common are , , and . They offer opportunities for both in office and at home employment. Most employment platforms charge the employer a fee to use the service, so it is usually free for you to find a virtual job as an administrative assistant.

Social Media Job Platforms – one of the most important resources you can use is . LinkedIn offers you the ability to create a profile with everything that would go on a resume. You can get reviews from previous employers or colleagues. They can also attest to some of the skills you have mastered. The bigger your community, the more opportunities you will have to network and find virtual employment.

Benefits of Working from Home

There are many benefits to working remotely. The most cited by virtual workers is a better work/life balance. It is important to note that administrative assistant skills are transferable between industries. Also, working from home offers increased productivity and lower stress levels. These are only some of the most common benefits of working from home.

Better Work/Life Balance

We all hate to commute. As a virtual assistant, you can get out of bed and you’re already at work. You can manage children or elderly family members. You can take a walk in the middle of the day to take a break. When you are done working for the day, you are already at home so no sitting in traffic. Virtual work offers an important work/life balance, as long as you set strict boundaries between work and life. Make sure you set time aside for work and create a designated area for getting work done. Once you leave the workspace, focus on the life side of the balance.

Skills are Transferable Between Industries

Being a virtual administrative assistant is universal across most industries. Although each industry will have its own terminology and nuances, virtual administrative assistant skills are transferable. Whether you are responding to emails or doing any one of the many clerical duties you are tasked with, your work will be very similar regardless of what industry or company you work with.

Increased Productivity

There are many distractions at work, especially with the open floor office atmosphere. Someone is always on the phone or talking to a colleague. Working from home allows you to focus on your work and increase productivity. When you sit down in a home office, you are ready to work and won’t have the distractions and meetings that can bog you down. Working from home improves productivity and this is something your employer will also benefit from.

Lower Stress Levels

Not having a commute can reduce your stress levels, and many other aspects of virtual work can too. While working from home, you can create an atmosphere that is conducive for relaxation. Whether you improve the lighting, listen to Smooth Jazz or have your favorite tea available for a break, working from home can lower your stress level offering you a better mood when it is time to clock out for the day. Working from home can lower stress levels and allow you to look forward to starting work in the morning.

Final Thoughts

Whether you decide to become an independent contractor or full-time employee, becoming a virtual administrative assistant has many benefits. The steps are easy to take and they start with the knowledge of administrative assisting so you can break into the industry without prior work experience. If you are a self-starter, need little direction and can work productively from home, becoming a virtual administrative assistant may be the right career path for you.

Did learning about becoming a virtual administrative assistant interest you? The is designed to train Ģ����ý College students to seek entry-level positions in the office administration or secretarial field. The Administrative Assisting graduate may work as a secretary, receptionist, executive assistant, or administrative assistant. Ģ����ý College offers career services to graduates and alumni. Becoming an administration assistant is achievable if you are ready to take on the challenge.

Contact us to learn more about becoming an administrative assistant.

Have you ever considered a career in accounting? If so, then this field has many rewarding opportunities for you. The accounting field is one of those industries that can offer a variety of career paths for your consideration. From taxation to cost accounting, auditing or general accounting, this field of study provides many career choices based on your core area of interest. Want to learn more? If so, below is additional information about the benefits of working as a small business accountant, the roles and responsibilities required, and what you can do to prepare for a career as an accountant.

The Benefits of Working as a Small Business Accountant

There are many benefits associated with working as a small business accountant. For example, this field offers both a specialized expertise focus, as well an opportunity to work in a wide array of industries. There are plenty of industries and businesses that solicit the help of accountants, including restaurants, healthcare organizations, non-profits, retailers and more. Many corporations and small businesses must maintain adequate financial records, so there’s always a need for a well-trained accountant. These small businesses and corporations must also adhere to federal and state regulations by reporting and paying monthly, quarterly or annual taxes, paying estimated taxes, collecting and paying payroll taxes, and other industry specific requirements. That’s where you come in. As a well-trained small business accountant, there will be a demand for your services at many small businesses.

What Does a Small Business Accountant Do?

Once you’ve acquired the skills and education needed to perform small business accounting services, you can either work for a small company, or work for yourself by starting your own accounting firm or implementing your accounting skills in a business that you already operate. The job of a small business accountant involves analysis, sorting, posting, accounts payable, accounts receivable, collections, reconciling the bank statements, creating financial reports and reporting, recording and paying tax liabilities and a combination of other tasks.

Analysis and Sorting

Before any accounting work can begin, the accountant is responsible for analyzing and sorting the daily financial activity. This includes analyzing physical or online receipts, invoices, bills, purchase orders and other financial documents. The accountant must first determine what each document is, and which accounts are associated with them. After analyzing each document, the accountant will need to sort them and place them in the proper categories. Having the proper training in advance will allow the small business accountant to determine if their daily financial documents consist of regular monthly expenses, capital expenditures, purchases associated with the cost of sales, general and administrative expenses, reimbursement expenses and so forth.

In addition to sorting through the financial documents that are associated with expenditures, they will also need to analyze the various sources of revenue that flows into the company and record the information accordingly. Most income received is associated with sales, but there are exceptions, such as credits, bank adjustments, interest and gains received from investment accounts or the sale of assets.

Posting

After a small business accountant has analyzed and sorted through all the financial documents received daily, they will enter the information into an accounting system, placed in the correct accounts. However, to do this adequately, they will need to ensure that the chart of accounts have been set up appropriately based on the industry that the small business accountant, their client or their employer operates in.

Although the chart of accounts may be set up before a small business accountant come on board, they will need to become familiar with it and make sure that it’s consistent with the industry as well as the typical activities that take place on a regular basis.

Having the right understanding of these fundamentals will allow the small business accountant to use this information to create the building blocks needed to perform additional accounting activities.

Accounts Payables

Accounts payables is another common task that a small business accountant would normally perform. They would be responsible for making sure that not only are the bills paid on time, but that any payment terms are fully taken advantage of. For example, invoice terms such as 2%/10, Net 30 can save the company money. What this term means is that the total invoice is due in 30 days, but if it’s paid within 10 days a 2% discount will be given.

Accounts payables consist of paying bills that are due regardless of the type of expenditure, such as loan repayments, ongoing monthly expenses, payments to independent contractors, and invoices associated with purchase orders used to fulfill sales orders.

Accounts Receivables

Small business accountants are often responsible for accounts receivables. This task involves invoicing customers, receiving and often making bank deposits for money received from customers for sales made.

Collections

Collections, another form of accounts receivable, is also a task that a small business accountant may take on. This task involves making an attempt to collect past due payments that have been sitting on the books for a significant period of time.

Reconciling the Bank Statements

Bank reconciliations are another common task that accountants perform on a monthly basis. Bank reconciliation is performed for each bank account that a company may have. This process involves comparing the bank activity to the activity that took place on the books and making any adjustments accordingly. Basically, the reconciliation would be between the activity that took place in the cash account and the corresponding bank account.

In addition to reconciling bank statements that are associated with cash accounts, there’s also the reconciliation of credit cards that must take place as well.

Creating Financial Reports and Reporting

Financial reporting is a very crucial part of accounting. In the first section we talked about analyzing and sorting daily financial records as well as posting that information into the accounting system– this process is the initial part of building financial reports.

The financial reports are very important because they will be needed by management at any given time. They are used to help management make important business decisions. For example, financial reports help managers decide on which bills to pay, who owes them money, and how much may be owed in payroll taxes, sales taxes, income taxes.

Financial reports also allow managers to identify various financial trends that take place either from month to month or from year to year. These patterns or trends also help managers make specific business decisions. For example, because of the financial reports that have been prepared, a business owner or manager may notice an increase in sales between October and December each year. Being armed with this information helps managers plan better. They may need to increase their inventory to fulfill more orders during this time period, purchase or lease new equipment or hire extra staff.

The main financial reports that accountants create consist of the income statement, the balance sheet and the statement of cash flow. However, there is a wide array of customized reports that may be requested as well.

A small business accountant would also take on the task of reporting. This consists of becoming aware of how daily financial activities impact the cash accounts, and other important elements and pointing it out to management. For example, if a company spent more money on marketing during a specific period, the small business accountant can observe how it impacts sales and the bottom line in general. The accountant can make recommendations based on whether the company earned a return on their investment as a result of spending more on marketing.

Another critical point that a small business accountant is responsible for as it relates to reporting is monitoring the cash account and any changes that create a negative cash flow. For example, if a company is generating sales but most of their customers pay on terms, say for 30, 60 or even 90 days after the sale is made, this can have a significant impact on the cash account. It’s important for the accountant to report this information to managers so they can make alternate decisions accordingly.

Recording and Paying Tax Liabilities

Many companies are responsible for paying a wide variety of taxes including sales taxes, income taxes, property taxes, and city taxes. It’s important for small business accountants to maintain their financial records so that business owners can estimate their tax liabilities.

In addition to maintaining a company’s financial records, accountants are also responsible for paying estimated taxes to the IRS, which typically is required on a quarterly basis.

Combining Tasks

The combined tasks associated with working as a small business accountant are many. A variety of assignments need to be juggled and multiple deadlines need to be met. The best way to tackle this is to segment the workload into daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly or annual tasks.

Obtaining an Accounting Degree from a Vocational School

One of the best ways to acquire skills to become a small business accountant is to obtain an accounting degree from a vocational school. It offers all the fundamentals and accounting principles that are required to work as a successful accountant.

Skills Needed to become a Successful Small Business Accountant?

If you’ve developed an interest in becoming a small business accountant, you will need specialized skills that will prepare you to work in this capacity. However, you will need to have great attention to detail, communication skills, a basic understanding of college math, and basic business skills. Also, participating in an accounting externship program can significantly contribute to becoming a successful accountant.

Interested in learning more about small business accounting? The at Ģ����ý College is designed to prepare college graduates to seek entry-level positions in the accounting and bookkeeping fields.  The college graduate may work as an accounts’ receivable or accounts payable clerk, bookkeeper, payroll clerk, accounting assistant or inventory control clerk.

The Ģ����ý College accounting vocational diploma training programs trains college students to prepare financial statements and perform common accounting tasks with accounting computer applications. The computer applications include bookkeeping software, spreadsheets and databases. The accounting diploma training program covers fundamental accounting concepts, that include journalizing, posting, adjusting, closing, cost accounting, assets, liabilities, amortization, depreciation and tax liability. Also included in the courses are reconciliation of income statements, balance sheets, accounts receivable, accounts payable and general ledger.

to learn more about how you can become an accountant or bookkeeper today.

Finding the right career is something that many people take their time to get right. They want to do something that has meaning but also pays decently. They want to be challenged, but often don’t want to be so busy that they can barely think straight. When considering the various options that exist in the world, a person might consider becoming an office administrator.

This position is an integral part of making sure that different companies run smoothly and efficiently. Office administrators may have a variety of different tasks and duties that they have to conduct, so having the right skills is imperative.

What Does an Office Administrator Do?

An officer administrator is the center of the company. They are needed across a variety of different industries, from medical offices to insurance companies to real estate to engineering and everywhere in between. Some of the typical day-to-day activities that an office administrator might engage in include answering phones, making appointments, setting schedules, creating and maintaining a filing system, and entering data into a computer.

Depending on the company that a person works for, they might also have other duties that they take care of throughout their day that might include the following:

• Greeting visitors
• Directing visitors to appropriate offices or conference rooms
• Responding to emails
• Preparing documents
• Coordinating project deliverables
• Performing accounting tasks, which might include budget tracking and invoicing
• Scheduling meetings or making travel arrangements for other employees

Work Environment

In general, a person will be in an office setting to fulfill their role as an office administrator. They may share a space with others who perform similar duties, or they may have their own space. They will more than likely have their own computer and phone. Depending on their job, the office administrator may have other equipment such as a copier or fax machine.

Skills Required to be an Office Administrator

There are many different skills that will be required to ensure a person is successful in their role as an office administrator. The following is a basic list that can apply to all industries. However, depending on what industry a person goes into, they may need some specific skills for that industry.

Organized

Being expected to do many different tasks throughout the day will require that an office administrator can stay organized and know where their items are. If they have things that need to be filed, those should have a certain place on their desk. If they are in charge of scheduling appointments, they should know what times are available and access that information quickly and easily.

Everyone is different when it comes to what they consider to be organized, but having this skill is a great way to ensure that a person will be successful as an office administrator. They will also be able to quickly and effectively grab information for others in the office if they request it.

Able to Multitask

An office administrator is expected to handle many different tasks and duties. Being able to handle more than one task at a time is a good skill to have, and it will ensure that an office administrator is able to accomplish their goals and get everything they need to take care of taken care of.

Able to Prioritize

In addition to having a lot of tasks that need completion throughout the day, an office administrator will need to determine which ones have priority over others. Being able to do this will ensure that things don’t slip through the cracks and everything gets taken care of in a timely fashion.

Flexibility

It’s more than possible that an office administrator’s priorities will change throughout the day. The report that may have been due at the end of the week could get pushed up or someone might need tickets to an emergency business meeting. By being flexible, an office administrator will be able to change their priorities without getting unduly stressed or anxious about the situation.

Typing Skills

Since some of an office administrator’s duties might be to take minutes or input data, having typing skills is a must. Many office programs are currently automated and having computer skills is also imperative for an office administrator.

People Skills

Being an office administrator means that a person is often the central contact for customers and employees within the company. They will interact with a lot of different people. The people skills an office administrator has should be for both in-person conversations and over the phone. Having people skills, and enjoying being around people, will ensure that an office administrator is successful at their job.

Accounting Knowledge

Depending on the type of duties expected, an office administrator may or may not need a lot of accounting knowledge. However, having some will increase an office administrators job options and give them an advantage over the competition. Having knowledge of accounting computer programs can also come in handy.

Work without Supervision

If an office administrator constantly needs to be told what to do and given tasks to complete throughout the day, then this might not be the best position for them. While an office administrator may receive certain tasks by coworkers or supervisors, they should also be able to keep themselves busy without being told what to do.

Ability to Use Various Office Equipment

In addition to using a computer, many office administrators require the use of copy machines, scanners, and fax machines. While this knowledge is learned on the job, it may give a person a better chance of standing out from the competition if they are equipped with these skills beforehand.

How to Become an Office Administrator

If being an office administrator sounds like the job you want to do, you will need to head down the path to accomplish that goal. There isn’t one way to get to become an office administrator, but there are some basic things you will need for the job.

Have the Right Hard Skills

Hard skills are those traits that a person will need to be successful no matter what industry they are working for. These include knowing how to write business correspondence, taking minutes, record management, filing systems, various computer applications, word processing, and email management.

Since every industry is different and may have their own process for how they want these tasks completed, it may be possible to learn these on the job. However, having a basic understanding and ability to perform these skills is beneficial.

Have the Right Soft Skills

When it comes to desirable soft skills to be successful as an office administrator, these include the ability to make decisions, being good at customer service, and having great communication skills, both written and verbal. There are many ways to acquire these skills and perfect them.

Who Can Become an Office Administrator?

The role of an office administrator is an important one, and they are often the central part of many companies. This position is great as an entry-level position, but it can also be ideal for individuals who are more experienced.

Anyone who exhibits the right skill sets and abilities has the opportunity to become an office administrator. However, since office administrators work in various industries, a person might decide they want to narrow down their choices to specific places.

Is There a Demand for Office Administrators?

Currently, there is a need for people who have office skills in a variety of different industries. Companies staff their offices with skilled individuals who can take on a variety of administrative tasks and keep the office running smoothly and efficiently.

Making the Decision

For many people, the role of an office administrator is incredibly appealing. It gives them a chance to use a variety of different skills, work in different industries, and interact with different people. The job requires specific skills but also general knowledge, so it’s something that anyone with a desire to do can be successful at.

Did learning about how to become an office administrator interest you? The is designed to train Ģ����ý College students to seek entry-level positions in the office administration or secretarial field. The Administrative Assisting graduate may work as a secretary, receptionist, executive assistant, or administrative assistant.

Contact us to learn more about becoming an office administrator.

Interested in getting a job that is at the center of a small business? The administrative assistant is the glue that holds the small business together. An administrative assistant may have the title of the secretary, receptionist, or executive assistant. The fundamental job is the same. Usually small business administrative assisting duties consist of making sure that co-workers have the information they need to complete their daily tasks and managing the day-to-day activities in the office. Additional duties may include:

• Greet customers and clients
• Act as a customer service representative
• Answer phones
• Maintain document and file system
• Take memos
• Send emails and faxes
• Operate a variety of office machines
• Manage inventory of office supplies
• Send invoices
• Coordinate and schedule events, meetings, and interviews
• Perform basic bookkeeping

The first person a client or customer interacts with when they enter a small business is the administrative assistant to the manager. It’s essential for the person assisting management to make an excellent first impression since their treatment of visitors reflects on the business.

The person who assists management in a small business must handle a variety of tasks and must always maintain a professional and pleasant demeanor, especially when dealing with clients and customers. It’s vital that the administrative assistant keeps up with business correspondence. The administrative assistant must reply to letters and emails and re-route incoming mail.

Administrative assistant duties require you to be proficient with computer applications including spreadsheets, databases and word processing programs. Many vocational programs train administrative assistants on Microsoft Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access.

One of the essential qualifications of an excellent small business administrative assistant is the ability to schedule meetings and conferences, special events and interview applicants for positions in the company.

Virtually every business or industry has the need for qualified administrative assistants. Small business administrative assisting is an essential position in:

• Government agencies
• Hospitals
• Law firms
• Medical offices
• Schools

Small business administrative assisting requires specific tasks depending on the specialty of the administrative assistant, their experience, and their job title.

What an Administrative Assistant Does

An administrative assistant performs an array of clerical duties that are essential for an office to run efficiently. Small business administrative assisting involves all the daily operations in an office from preparing documents and keeping files organized to scheduling appointments.

An administrative assistant must be flexible and well organized because the job provides different challenges each day. The administrative assistant may have to schedule appointments or meetings and update calendars of the management staff accordingly. The minutes of meetings and accompanying notes must be prepared in advance and checked for accuracy.

Another of the duties that a small business administrative assistant may perform is drafting presentations, documents, and billing invoices. Each of these tasks must be done on a schedule. The administrative assistant must be meticulous in making sure that plans are adhered to. When billing or inventory of supplies and assets is involved, the administrative assistant must have necessary bookkeeping skills.

As many as four million jobs in the United States are held in administrative assisting in virtually every industry in the country, according to the . Most workers who hold administrative positions work full-time. Depending on the sector, some may work part-time jobs. During the day, administrative assistants have interaction with executive staff, co-workers, customers, and clients.

Small Business Administrative Assistant Employers

Most administrative assistants work in offices for businesses that provide:

• Education
• Government agency services
• Healthcare
• Scientific services
• Social services
• Technical services

Examples of industry specific duties may include an administrative assistant in a law firm who must have knowledge of preparing legal documents that include subpoenas and motions or an administrative assistant in a medical practice that must process insurance claims.

An administrative assistant in a law firm may have to conduct research for a specific case and work with a paralegal to prepare all the legal documents before going to court, under the supervision of an attorney. In medical practice or research setting, the administrator assisting the doctor or scientist may take dictation and prepare articles or reports.

In school and university settings, the administrative assistant may work for a university president or the head of a department, and handle responsibilities that are complex. These responsibilities may include writing reports and managing research. The administrative assistant may be in charge of clerical staff. The person who handles duties in an educational setting must possess integrity and discretion when dealing with sensitive matters. In public or private schools, the administrative assistant may be the person who handles communications between, students, staff, and parents.

Office Administration Duties

The knowledge that an administrative assistant must have is often business and industry specific. For example, an administrative assistant who works for a real estate developer must be competent in geography and know a lot about different areas of the country; while the administrative assisting coordinator in a web design firm may require basic knowledge of web design and programming. Some administrative assistants may even manage libraries or stockrooms.

An administrative position often requires handling tasks including sending and signing for deliveries or handling invitations that aren’t directly related to work. Some administrative assisting management personnel have more duties and higher pay rates than in other businesses; in such cases, the administrative assistant may delegate specific tasks to other co-workers.

Light Bookkeeping Duties

Small business administrative assistants may handle clerical duties, including data entry, sorting mail, and other functions necessary for the small business to operate efficiently. They must possess skills required to prepare invoices, handle company deposits, plan budgets, prepare financial reports, process payments, and submit tax forms.

Core and Advanced Accounting Skills

An administrative assistant must have proficiency in software programs including Microsoft Office and be able to type at 50 words per minute. The administrative assistant must be familiar with using office equipment, including copiers, scanners, and fax machines. The administrative assistant must possess the necessary mathematical skills. They must have basic knowledge of financial principles and accounting.

Some employers don’t require advanced or preferred skills but may include them in job listings. Preferred qualifications include proficiency in QuickBooks or related software.

Skills Needed to Succeed

It takes a special kind of person to succeed as an administrative assistant. Assisting management in a small business setting requires specific knowledge of the field in which you work, a combination of personal traits, and the ability to work well as a team member.

You must be conscientious and have a strong will to succeed. Some administrative assistants tend to be conservative and take their duties seriously. They have excellent organizational skills and earn an orderly approach to business.

Other people who enter the field of administrative assisting take their position equally as serious but have a more adventurous attitude toward life and are enterprising in their business dealings. People who are ambitious and confident inspire their co-workers.

The administrative assistant who is energetic and enthusiastic about their job and is the person who often finds solutions to problems. Being assertive is a plus if you want to succeed in administrative assisting at a small business.

Top Qualities of The Successful Administrative Assistant:

• Ability to multi-task
• Collaboration and teamwork skills
• Courteous
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Customer focused
• Detail oriented
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
• Professionalism
• Productivity
• Reliability
• Strong work ethic
• Technical abilities
• Time management skills
• Well-organized

Multi-tasking is part of the job in a successful small business. A successful administrative assistant keeps up to date with their skills and is willing to learn new procedures quickly.

The assistant is willing to collaborate, can work well with a team, and doesn’t quibble about small details that are counterproductive. Presenting solutions rather than discussing problems will get the job done faster and more productively. The administrative assistant always possesses a pleasant demeanor when greeting clients. Since the administrative assistant represents the business and their manager, it’s essential that they are customer focused. Professionalism is vital to the administrative assistant who must always possess a positive attitude in the office. Personal problems must be left at home.

A successful assistant must possess a strong work ethic. They must be well-organized and be able to manage their time effectively to complete tasks on schedule. The administrative assistant must be reliable. A busy office doesn’t have time to deal with a person who is consistently late for work and makes excuses. Punctuality is an essential key to managing an office.

A conscientious assistant has excellent grammar and spelling skills and can interpret their manager’s notes, even if their handwriting is challenging to read. The person who assists the manager must always remember that everyone in the office has schedules and deadlines and should know when a problem should be brought up to their manager and when to find a solution to the problem.

Did learning about small business administrative assisting interest you? The is designed to train Ģ����ý College students to seek entry-level positions in the office administration or secretarial field. The Administrative Assisting graduate may work as a secretary, receptionist, executive assistant, or administrative assistant.

Contact us to learn more about becoming an administrative assistant.