Topic 1 Tasks, Skills and Qualities of an Administrative Assistant. N4/N5 Administration & IT

Transcription

1 Topic 1 Tasks, Skills and Qualities of an Administrative Assistant N4/N5 Administration & IT 1

2 Learning Intentions / Success Criteria Learning Intentions Administrative Assistant Success Criteria By end of this topic you will be able to describe the tasks, skills and qualities of an administrative assistant. 2

3 Administrative Tasks Word processing business documents Using the Internet and emerging technologies, e.g. blogs and podcasts Sending and receiving s and making diary appointments Using database and spreadsheets to store information Using the photocopier and fax machine Using technology to prepare and communicate Organising events Answering the telephone and working in reception 3

4 Skills and Qualities Skills A skill is the ability to do something well, either through practising it or by gaining knowledge in the skill, for example IT. An admin assistant may have gained skills in customer care or customer service, meaning that they know how to treat customers well. Other skills include literacy skills, numeracy skills, communication skills, IT skills, etc. Qualities A quality describes the type of person the job applicant is, for example: If they are organised If they can use their own initiative If they are dependable and reliable If they are patient, calm and tactful. 4

5 Skills (a personal skill is the ability to do something) Analysing information Playing sports Reading a map Communicating Designing/making Recalling facts Caring for others Repairing machines First aid Drawing/painting Singing Solving problems Estimating Gathering evidence Taking photographs ICT skills Managing money Mental arithmetic Planning own work 5

6 Qualities (a personal quality is a characteristic) Calm Confident Sensitive Punctual Responsible Conscientious Strong minded Team worker Determined Hard working Trustworthy Well organised Enterprising Friendly Enthusiastic Leadership Adaptable Patient Considerate Polite Imaginative 6

7 Example in an Advert Task Skill Quality An Administrative Assistant would be responsible for keeping customer and supplier information (telephone numbers, addresses or addresses) up-to-date and accurate. They will be confident in using , word processing, spreadsheet and database applications. The Administrative Assistant would need to have up-todate ICT skills. 7

8 Advertising Jobs When an organisation is looking to appoint a new member of staff, they will draw up a job description and a person specification. 8

9 Job Description Details relating to a specific job are usually found in a job description. 9

10 Person Specification From the job description, the organisation can prepare a person specification. 10

11 Identifying Gaps in Skills Most people find it difficult to assess their own skills and qualities. The following two methods could be used: Skill scan SWOT analysis 11

12 Skill Scan A skill scan is a statement describing an individual's skills, knowledge and qualities to date. For example, consider the skills in the table below. For each, a rating of 1-4 is used where 1 indicates that the individual is very good at this skill and 4 indicates that the individual has no knowledge or experience of this skill. 12

13 Very good No knowledge 4 Ability to prioritise workloads in order to meet deadlines. Excellent verbal and written communication skills. Excellent organisation and communication skills. Awareness of health and safety issues. Ability to deal with ICT equipment effectively. Confident at using and the Internet. Ability to use initiative and work unsupervised. Ability to work as part of a team. Ability to organise small-scale events. Having completed a skill scan, the individual will be able to analyse their own level of skill and knowledge. Columns 3 and 4 will highlight areas in which the individual needs further training and development. 13

14 SWOT Analysis This approach can be used to identify an individual s strengths and weaknesses plus any opportunities and threats that they may face. Skills, knowledge and qualities that require improvement will be highlighted under weaknesses and threats. 14

15 Strengths - What positive characteristics does the individual have? - What is the individual good at? - Do other people compliment the individual on certain skills or qualities? Opportunities - What are the promising prospects facing the individual? - Is the individual doing all that they can to ensure success in their studies and secure a job in the future? - What more could they be doing? Weaknesses - Are there things that the individual does badly? - What skills and abilities need improvement? Threats - How are things likely to change in the future, especially with regard to IT? - Will the individual be able to adapt? - Are there any obstacles that could threaten their success on this course? 15