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Administrative Assistant |
Career OverviewThe job description of an administrative assistant or clerk varies widely from one healthcare facility to the next. Basically the administrative assistant is responsible for completing a variety of tasks to help the administrator or manager of the various departments within a hospital or healthcare facility.
Some of the responsibilities of an administrative assistant may include:
- Training and orientation for new staff
- Record keeping and small amounts of data entry
- Knowledge on informational technology used in the office or facility (computers, telecommunications, etc)
- Communicating messages between various individuals and agencies
- Booking meeting
- Managing interoffice communication
- Scheduling travel arrangements
- Conducting some components of research
- Maintain office budgets
- Manage contracts
The administrative assistant may find that the scope and range of tasks assigns increases as the administrative assistant becomes more familiar with both the administrator and the healthcare facility.
An administrative assistant must be self-motivated, highly organized and very structured. They should be very current on technology, especially those used within the various facilities. An administrative assistant must be able to multitask as well as keep excellent notes and journals or logs of all communication in and out of the office.
The administrative assistant must be an effective communicator and must be comfortable speaking in front of small and large groups as well as facilitating meetings or handling complaints.
An experienced administrative assistant is often the liaison between various committees and groups and the administrator, especially in very large facilities where there are multiple sub-committees and boards working within the management team.
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Career RequirementsAn administrative assistant requires at least a high school diploma and many have an Associates or Bachelors degree in a related field such as English, Information Technology or Arts. The administrative assistant should be familiar with the various computer programs including word processing, databases, Excel, PowerPoint and Access.
Many administrative assistants are choosing to complete voluntary certification through the International Association of Administrative Professionals where they are completing the CAP or certified administrative professional. Employers in the future may start to require this, or some equivalent designation for more senior level administrative assistants.
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Job OutlookA well-qualified and experienced administrative assistant in the healthcare field is in high demand, however administrative assistants tend to retain their jobs longer and not move between jobs once they reach seniority levels.
This means that there is a steady demand for entry level administrative assistants but that it is not as great as other careers within the healthcare profession. As more hospitals and care facilities open there will be a slight increase in the demand for entry level administrative assistants.
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Career TrackAdministrative assistants usually stay within their given job for long periods of time, usually working for the same manager or administrator and developing an outstanding working relationship.
Some administrative assistants choose to move into administration themselves by returning to school either on a full-time or part-time basis to complete their Masters in Business Administration or other related program.
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CompensationAn administrative assistant with less than one years experience often earns between $23,000 and $28,000. With more experience an administrative assistant can earn between $32,000 and $46,000. In large facilities the top 10% of administrative assistants are reported to earn in excess of $56,000.
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