What is an administrative assistant?

An administrative assistant performs clerical tasks that are vital to an efficiently run office. As an administrative assistant, your job duties affect the daily operations of the office as a whole. You provide administrative support for other employees, such as filing paperwork, handling email communications, and preparing documents and presentations. You’re responsible for data entry, including looking up records when necessary and maintaining a well-organized records system. You also answer telephone calls and direct callers to the right person. Although much of your administrative assistant job requires sitting at a desk, you need excellent interpersonal and communication skills.