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The Office Workers Career Centre
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365 Bloor Street East,
Suite 1802
Toronto, Ontario
M4W 3L4
Phone: (416) 925-7155
Fax: (416) 925-4621
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Click AREA MAP to enlarge
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"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has." |
Margaret Mead
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About Administrative Work
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Labour Market Information
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"Every day around the world millions of women get up, pull on pantyhose, pack lunches, take kids to daycare and go to work as support staff in offices. They are someone else’s secretary, receptionist, teller, word processor, administrative assistant or perhaps just the temp. Their income pays the rent, puts food on the table, pays for childcare, healthcare, pensions, clothing, education, transportation and if there is anything left over, leisure. They are an important part of the economic and social well-being of their society. And they are now in the midst of a revolution that is changing their work world forever. It doesn’t matter which sector they work in --- law, banking, insurance, public service, universities, high-tech --- if they’re in an office, their experience is that of a changing workplace."
(From "Women in the Office: Transitions in a Global Economy"
by Ann Eyerman, 2000)
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This quote from Ann Eyerman’s insightful book still holds true today. For the past 10 years, administrative professionals in the Canadian workplace have experienced a multitude of changes in job responsibilities and career prospects.
According to various surveys conducted in Canada and the United States by recognized organizations such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) and the Bureau of Labor Statistics, overall employment of administrative assistants and general office support staff is expected to grow more slowly than average for all occupations during the next 10 years. But this projected employment statistic varies by occupational specialty and sector. For example, job prospects for Legal Secretaries and Medical Office Assistants who have the required college credentials are rated higher than general administrative assistants or receptionists also with a college education.
The reasons job prospects for administrative professionals have changed are complex and include the integration of the Internet into the workplace, cost effective organizational restructuring, technological advancements and computer programs and message systems which allow many managers to handle much of their own correspondence rather than submit the work to support staff. As others employees assume traditional secretarial duties such as keyboarding, filing, photocopying and bookkeeping, there is a trend in many offices for managers to replace the conventional arrangement of one secretary per manager with administrative assistants who support the work of whole departments. This approach often means that office workers assume added responsibilities and are seen as extremely valuable members of a team, but it also contributes to the projected decline in the overall number of administrative assistant positions.
However, since many administrative support duties are of a confidential and interactive nature, they cannot be easily automated. Responsibilities such as planning conferences, organizing projects and instructing staff require tact and communication skills. Because technology cannot be a substitute for these skills, administrative professionals will continue to play a key role in most organizations. An increase in branches of administrative work such as Conference Planners, Professional Organizers and Virtual Assistants, often hired on a temporary contract basis, will also continue to increase and subsequently continue to change the career prospects for general administrative workers.
For more labour market information and details on the job prospects for all occupations in Canada visit: www.jobfutures.ca
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Trends
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Changes in the labour market bring changes to career trends for administrative professionals. In the last 10 years technology has transformed the workplace and office workers at all levels and in all sectors, need to maintain or increase their employability by focusing on life-long learning and keeping abreast of current trends. In the year 2000, the Conference Board of Canada revised “Employability Skills 2000+” which lists the emerging trends in skill sets that all occupations need in order to enter, stay in, and progress in the world of work. For administrative professionals, some of the fundamental trends to consider are the development of communication strategies, the importance of applying critical thinking skills when making decisions and learning how to work with others to participate successfully in team projects.
In addition to these emerging trends and skills wanted by Canadian employers, for office support staff specifically, a survey was conducted by the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), which highlighted the most significant issues affecting the administrative profession in the next 5 to 10 years. These include:
- Keeping up with changing technology
- Increased workload
- Doing more with less financial resources
- Balancing work and family
- Need for more managerial training
- Corporate downsizing
- Corporate offshoring and outsourcing
Many of these trends require an increase in training and professional development. Some of the trends that might involve upgrading or training include:
- Computer software applications
- Technology applications such as web conferencing
- Supervisory and management skills
- Project management
- Public speaking and presentation skills
- IT systems, hardware systems/networks
- Time management skills
- Organizational skills
- Negotiating skills
- Meeting planning and special event planning
- Business writing and editing skills
- Teamwork and conflict management skills
All of these trends and changes in responsibilities for administrative professionals have created a new definition of office work summarized as: 'a professional occupation which demands a multitude of advanced computer skills and communication skills'. Today, it can be common for one office support position to be a combination of 3 roles traditionally held in the past by 3 people: receptionist, secretary and accounting clerk.
This new definition of office work has created another trend: a change in job titles. For example, the title of "Secretary" has evolved into titles such as "Project Associate", "Office Coordinator", or "Administrative Specialist", depending on the sector or company. Additional common trends for administrative professionals include:
- working for a sub-contracted company instead of being on the company payroll of one large organization
- working as an entrepreneur or independent administrative assistant from a home-based business
- an increase in post secondary education such as a university degree and/or college diploma in specific areas that pertain to the job or industry that is being targeted
- being recognized for joining professional associations such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), the Association of Administrative Assistants or Toastmasters International
- working as, or with, a Virtual Assistant
The development of virtual work is a significant trend in the administrative assistant profession. Virtual Assistants (VA's) perform administrative and business services as entrepreneurs in their homes for various companies or clients, and because they communicate through email, fax and telephone, they can work for clients all over the world. According to the International Association of Virtual Office Assistants, "the true VA attempts to find several clients that they can partner with. They become familiar with their client base, know how the company maintains market position…handling virtually all areas of the client's administrative needs."
Since more companies are hiring virtual assistants or virtual bookkeepers, working with a virtual worker is becoming a common trend. Some of the services provided by VA's include: presentation preparation, editing and proofing, event planning and internet research.
Further trends for administrative professionals include recognizing that career planning and job searching takes time and preparation. Methods that might have worked successfully 10 years ago may no longer produce results. For example, the traditional image of having one office job for 20 years and securing it through loyalty to the company has changed to a new pattern of possibly having more than one source of income and more than one career plan, using marketability and self-leadership skills.
In summary, trends for administrative professionals include more than becoming aware of the advancement of technical and communication skills. Trends include a change in the traditional job search of applying to job ads and pounding the pavement, to job-researching by connecting to others through the art of networking and building relationships.
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What Employers Want
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What do employers want when they hire an Administrative Assistant? When researching job ads it might seem like they want a person who is a magical multi-tasker because today employers definitely want more than someone to answer the phone and type a letter.
Today some of the basic skills for administrative professionals in almost all sectors are:
- Intermediate to advanced computer skills and Internet research skills
- Excellent communication skills: verbal customer service skills and written business skills
- Appropriate professional image and a positive attitude
- Understanding of technology with an interest in being the office technical specialist if required
- Dedication to life-long learning and professional development
- Ability to adapt to change
- Awareness of suitability and an understanding of why and how employers want a profitable team player
There are many more skills in addition to these basic ones that office support staff should be aware of. For example, according to the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP) abilities that pertain to day-to-day job responsibilities and tasks include juggling multiple priorities, dealing with difficult people and personalities, serving multiple supervisors and adapting to organizational changes.
The IAAP has also compiled a list of the "Qualities of a True Administrative Professional". Four important points are:
- Administrative professionals are skilled in new and emerging technology, computer software applications, and Internet and Intranet communications.
- Administrative professionals are skilled in acting autonomously which means having less direct time with bosses and more time with clients or customers, using an ability to make decisions independently.
- Administrative professionals are skilled in providing a broader range of skills than that of the traditional secretary, such as having a combination skill set of accounting, interviewing, hiring, training and coordinating office activities.
- Administrative professionals are skilled in using educational opportunities and continuous learning by attending relevant training sessions and learning as much as she/he can on the job, or when job searching.
In summary, in today's workplace administrative professionals need computer skills, communication skills and organizational skills as the foundation of a marketable skill. Also highlighted on the resume and cover letter of an administrative professional should be a willingness to adapt to change, a dedication to acquire problem-solving skills and the ability to wear many hats for multiple roles. As an administrative professional who is unemployed or underemployed, it is important to know what hat you are wearing and if you need to find a new one.
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Useful Links
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- www.iaap-toronto.org
Internationa Association of Administrative Professionals
- www.aaa.ca
Association of Administrative Assistants
- www.deskdemon.com
United Kingdom’s Office Professional Association
- www.omsa-hca.org
Ontario Medical Secretaries Association
- www.adminassist.ca
The administrative assistants’ assistant. Various resources including information on VA’s, event planning and networking
- www.officeproletter.com
The Office Professional is a favorite resource for administrative skill-building
- www.enterprisetoronto.com
Located at Toronto City Hall, this service conducts free breakfast seminars and provides information on how to become an entrepreneur
- www.canadianva.net
The Canadian Virtual Assistant Network
- www.virtual-professionals.com
International Association of Virtual Workers
- www.iavoa.com
The International Association of Virtual Office Assistants
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