What is an administrative assistant?

The work carried out by an virtual administrative assistants is extremely important in any type of company, since it facilitates management and organization tasks. Therefore, in this article, we will delve into what an administration assistant actually does and what are the main functions it performs.

What is an administrative assistant?

An administrative support specialist is a professional who is responsible for providing advice and general assistance in the different operational areas of a company. The assistant has the basic knowledge to carry out various tasks of planning and organizing tasks in a business. Generally, he or she has skills in handling different technological and logistical tools to create an orderly agenda of activities.

The administrative assistant is one of the most important employees within the structure of a company, since he or she contributes to maintaining the optimal functioning of various departments. In this sense, he or she is trained to carry out control and supervision tasks related to the financial, commercial, advertising and human resources fields. For this reason, it is common for most administrative assistants to have a master's degree in financial management .

Types of administrative assistants

Because you can work in different areas of labor management working as an administrative support specialist , your work can be classified into the following types:

General Administrative Assistant

This is the person in charge of carrying out all the logistical and administrative tasks of a company, from answering calls to organizing meetings. In addition to these tasks, he or she is responsible for making and receiving daily reports on the performance of each department for review by the board of directors. By working as a general administrative assistant , you also acquire the duty of directing new employees to their respective training programs.

It is one of the professional disciplines that requires the most professional preparation and one of the most in demand throughout the world. In Colombia, a general administrative assistant can earn from $900,000 to $1,300,000 pesos per month , which is equivalent to about $290 US dollars. If you have a professional degree in this area, you can work in various types of companies in the commercial, healthcare or technological fields.

Executive assistant

An executive assistance specialist is a professional who works directly with the executive body of any type of company. They usually intervene actively in matters related to the administrative functioning of the business and, in some cases, its financial areas.

Its main objective is to facilitate the fulfillment of business management tasks through the elimination of logistical obstacles. These mishaps can be, for example, the absence of certain employees or the disorganization of work schedules.

Some of the main tasks of an executive assistant are:

• Provide personal advice to business executive board leaders so they can make easier decision-making.
• Facilitate communication between the executive body and the company's clients.
• Write reports manually or by computer.
• Keep an inventory of office supplies and look for quality suppliers.
• Develop an efficient filing system.

In Colombia, an executive assistant can earn up to $2,500,000 Colombian pesos per month, which is equivalent to more than $550 US dollars. If you have a professional specialization in this field, you can access a highly relevant job position in companies dedicated to product sales, marketing , or for government organizations.

Accounting assistant

The accounting assistant is part of the financial department of a company and its main role is to record, administer and manage the available capital. It is one of the most essential types of business administration within a corporate structure, since it focuses on controlling the general use of monetary resources.

One of the objectives that you must meet as an accounting assistant is to safeguard the business's financial reserves and avoid their inappropriate use. Additionally, you are responsible for transferring specific amounts to departments that request them. On the other hand, you will have to organize a plan for organizing income from international commercial activities. This includes the management of the different currencies acquired and payment methods such as cryptocurrencies, virtual payments, among others.

In addition to the duties already mentioned, an accounting support specialist also performs the following tasks:

• Prepare short, medium and long-term investment plans.
• Calculate the annual budgets for each of the company's departments.
• Write and store a large number of accounting books manually or by using software .
• Quantify and establish employee salaries according to the role and working hours they perform.
• Monitor the different bank accounts associated with the company.
• Monitor the status of transactions made regarding payments or purchases of any product or raw material.

If you opt for this type of professional specialization in the Colombian business field, you can earn more than $1,200,000 pesos. In exchange, said salary is equivalent to more than $250 US dollars. Your income will vary depending on the company and the complexity of the tasks you must complete.

What does an administration assistant do?

The duties of an virtual administrative assistants may change depending on the market in which the company they work for operates. That is to say, the tasks of an administrative assistant in a technology company are different from those of an administration assistant in a hospital.

However, in general terms, the main responsibilities of this professional are the following:

• Give a tour of the company to new workers and clients.
• Inform employees about the various training programs available.
• Prepare and respond to emails on a daily basis.
• Keep detailed records of documents such as reports, receipts, spreadsheets, and memos.
• Carry out the collection, storage and organization of physical and digital files.
• Coordinate meetings and prepare employee travel agendas.
• Attend to and resolve any requests related to existing problems in the administrative area of ​​the company.
• Maintain constant contact with customers in order to obtain feedback and resolve complaints.

Based on what you just read, we can tell you that a job as an administrative assistant encompasses the use of physical and technological tools.

What is the profile of an administrative assistant?

As an administrative assistant you must be able to provide quick solutions to problems that arise at the most unexpected times. Creativity and analytical thinking are extremely essential when carrying out your healthcare work in the administrative area of ​​a company.

The profile of an administrative assistant must have the following aspects:

• Have fluent communication skills both verbally and gesturally. In addition, the assistant is expected to be able to handle more than one language.
• Have the necessary skills to use office tools. This includes physical items such as printers or filing cabinets, and electronic objects such as computers, smartphones, tablets, etc.
• Experience in the use of software systems used in the business field such as Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, business intelligence systems , among others.
• Ease of working under pressure and for long hours.
• Professional knowledge of project planning and organization.
• Critical thinking when evaluating the performance of employees and different departments within the company.
• Have fully established ethical and moral values ​​that align with the company's mission and vision.
• Contribute, through teamwork and cooperation, to the development of innovative projects.

What careers should I study to get a job as an administrative assistant?

Now that you know what an administrative assistant does, you need to know what careers you should study to start working in said specialization. Some of the studies that can help you access an administration assistant position in a company are:

• Business Administration . By studying this degree, you will gain detailed knowledge on how to properly manage a company in each of its aspects. You can take an online MBA to expand your level of professional preparation and obtain better employment opportunities. In addition, it is one of the highest-paid degrees in Colombia , since, by obtaining this degree, you have the possibility of earning more than $1,700,000 pesos per month.
• Marketing . This degree will offer you in-depth knowledge about how to plan digital marketing and advertising projects in general. Likewise, it will help you understand how to sell a product or service effectively.
• Finance and accounting . It is an undergraduate degree focused on teaching topics related to the capital management of a company or organization. This knowledge is highly required in both national and international companies.

We believe that, by considering everything mentioned in this text, you will be able to fully understand what the job of an administrative assistant is and why it is so important. If you want to learn more about the different types of administration or are interested in pursuing an online university degree, enter the VIU (International University of Valencia) web portal.