New job - Office admin - not sure how to Perform different task

Braintrain1000 on 02/08/2017 - 14:17
Last edited 02/08/2017 - 22:12 by 1 other user

Hi all site or office admins out there.

Can you please share some info about what your typical day is like at work? Do you find it enjoyable or hard to look after mutiple tasks. I have been offered this job eventhough I have very a little experience in this field therefore, I am a bit confused about the range of duties performed by office admins.

Thanks to all who left a comment and grilled me here. English isn't my first language and I was in a bit rush at the time I posted this on Ozb. Made a mistake, Apologies.

Education & Work

Comments

  • angusngon9 on 02/08/2017 - 14:20
    +16

    Why would you ask ozb strangers on how your office functions?

  • angelkulit025 on 02/08/2017 - 14:22
    +2

    get off from this site as you wouldn't have time to do much organisation on your new job.

  • teacherer on 02/08/2017 - 14:26
    +5

    What

  • slow on 02/08/2017 - 14:29
    +14

    First tip is to proofread what you write, and correct basic grammar, typos and spelling mistakes.

  • Gunther on 02/08/2017 - 14:34
    +4

    Wow!

  • Braintrain1000 on 02/08/2017 - 14:40

    Oh it is being offered to me but i have experience in a different role. Sorry for the typos and grammar.

    • scrimshaw on 02/08/2017 - 14:48
      +5

      Are you being internally promoted or transferred? You should ask the people who work in Admin to give you a job tour. They'll typically ask you to shadow (follow) somebody for a day and see if you are up to the task

  • [Deactivated] on 02/08/2017 - 14:44

    dumb question is dumb

  • dollarmenu on 02/08/2017 - 14:47
    +1

    hand in your resignation and i'l tell you

  • Fergy1987 on 02/08/2017 - 14:49
    +1

    ……….maybe ask management for further information……I'm pretty sure if it was any kind of business it would already have processes in place to manage the things you speak of…….Unless they walk around in circles all day just banging into each other.

  • DarthAntz on 02/08/2017 - 15:09
    +5

    You win at your job as office admin if you dont ask 'how to do my job' questions.

    either google templates for stationary and accounts, find existing templates (excel or word documents) or make your own. Best option is to find whats already there, and then build on it as the need arises.

    Set small tasks every morning and afternoon, so you are constantly busy in the job, and you become a resource of information, and eventually the person who can answer the question you are asking here now. Lots of 'find out how to' tasks that you can explore google or asking the right person as you network in the role. write as much of it down and keep a diary, even if its a simple word document.

    and if you feel overwhelmed by not knowing what to do on the job, read A message to Garcia every day until you understand it. its about 8 minutes to read. theres a few summary versions of it, and its on youtube too.

    tl;dr You are there to do the job. Do it without needing help.

    Resource: I was once mentored into a similar position where i had to create the role, and I had an excellent director who i worked for who could properly develop staff. plus years working in education helped too. And i wouldnt have hired you based on your grammar/proofing ability, let alone asking a question no one wants to hear. But you can do it. Ganbatte!

  • pikapika on 02/08/2017 - 15:26
    +1

    ….

    LOL

    ….

  • bobbified on 02/08/2017 - 15:33

    How did you get this job in the first place?

    You should speak to the people around your office. Any advice you take from here is based on other people's experiences and every office is different. What works for one office isn't necessarily going to work for yours.

    You need to find out what your manager's expectations are and go from there.

  • Rumbaar on 02/08/2017 - 15:50
    +5

    Just say "It's my first day" for the first few months, you'll learn by then.

    • Braintrain1000 on 02/08/2017 - 19:57

      Hah. Best comment. Thanks mate.

  • Diji1 on 02/08/2017 - 17:20

    Hi gaiz ne networtk admins out there?

    Can you please guve some info about how organize different things in this role. Like how do you do comoputers, printers and the moosepads. Basics would be nuch appreciated.

    • D C on 02/08/2017 - 19:23

      You put them on the desk and plug them in.

      Glad to help.

    • Braintrain1000 on 02/08/2017 - 19:56

      Glad you liked the curry.

  • edwardcr on 02/08/2017 - 17:26

    Could you please tell us who you work for, so that we know not to deal with them?

    If they promoted/employed you, I can only imagine what their customer service must be like!

    • D C on 02/08/2017 - 19:17

      We could be seeing the 'Peter Principle' in action.

    • Braintrain1000 on 02/08/2017 - 19:56

      Customer service is the least imp thing i bother about.

  • tsunamisurfer on 02/08/2017 - 18:17
    +1

    OP must be smoking hot….because I cannot see any other qualities that would make a good office admin.

  • Ughhh on 02/08/2017 - 18:32
    +1

    Watch 'The Office', you'll learn a lot!

  • [Deactivated] on 02/08/2017 - 20:34

    Re your original post

    Maintaining accounts - I assume you mean accounts payable and receivable with some other minor bookkeeping tasks like bank reconciliations. You would certainly be following a system already in place, in in doubt check how a particular transaction was recorded last time. For someone inexperienced it's probably better starting in this kind of role and environment where you have the breathing space to work through problems and learn autonomously (compared to high volume corporates where you'll burn out quickly)

    Equipment - Again there should be a system in place for you to follow. Most places will have an asset register (often within the accounting system).

    Stationery - Keep it under lock and key to keep the pigeons from stealing it. I wouldn't bother recording who takes what, you'll know if someone is asking for way more than anyone else. Also don't let the staff get carried away with expensive things they don't need, nothing will annoy your bosses like a cost blow out.

    Re new post, to be honest these sort of roles can be very different so it's hard to say without knowing specifics. Forget questioning yourself as to whether you can do it, it requires common sense and good communication more than anything else. If this role will help you get to where you want to be in 5 years time then go for it, you'll work it out

  • Aussie Smurfette on 03/08/2017 - 09:42

    If you have been offered the position, they have faith in you to be able to do it. Take it on don't stress and you will learn as you go.
    I have been an office admin before but there is no generic instructions for the job, each position is totally different.
    Embrace the opportunity given, you will learn as you go.

  • iamagirl1969 on 03/08/2017 - 11:24

    Hey it's not called Stealing, its called appropriating…………(permanently)

  • iamagirl1969 on 03/08/2017 - 11:27

    Get with the new world older on politically correct terms to use in the workplace……

    aka stealing is now…..misappropriating or inappropriately appropriating goods that you didn't remember to return'
    Fraud is now mistaken accounting
    Smoko's are now mental health breaks
    Lunch is a dirty word………

    you get the picture???

  • theridge on 03/08/2017 - 12:41

    No 'job description ' given to you?

  • iamagirl1969 on 03/08/2017 - 20:59

    '
    I think maybe her uncle, sugardaddie or boyfriend gave/got her the job, so I am guessing under these circumstances a job description is not mandatory.

  • Brendoo on 04/08/2017 - 02:14

    Fair dinkum, a lot of you people are harsh! :)

    Not many actually answered the OP's question, which was for anyone employed as an office admin to share some info on what the day to day job entails.

    I'm not employed as an admin, but I can give some useful info based on the admins that work in my office. About 700 people in my office, so quite a few admins in the various depts.

    Typical tasks:
    - Booking meetings and managing the calendar (like MS Outlook Calendar) for dept managers
    - Taking phone calls for dept managers
    - Collecting and sending dept mail (physical mail/packages)
    - Turning notes/numbers from managers into Powerpoint Presentations or Excel Spreadsheets that look slick and fancy to make the managers look good.
    - Arranging and booking all travel for dept staff
    - Holder and manager of petty cash for the dept (which nowadays means holder of the Dept AMEX/Visa cards and controlling who can use them).
    - Keeping dept stationary supplies and other office supplies replenished.
    - Organising admin activities with other depts
    - Managing simple accounts (not accountant level stuff) and paying bills (i.e. checking and approving dept invoices and paying small ones or passing on to accounts payable dept, depending on your office processes)
    - Knowing company processes and being the general go-to person who knows about 'everything' related to the company and can answer just about any question.
    - Organising food/beverage catering for meetings with clients or large dept meetings.
    - Keeping asset and people information for the dept up to date.
    - Coming up with 'fun' events for staff to do to boost morale etc (most older managers are not so good at this)
    - Managing any physical books, publications that belong to the dept, keeping them in order.
    - Managing the dept intranet (if applicable) and keeping the information up to date, adding information provided by managers/staff
    - Being a 'gopher' for the managers.
    - Having good computing knowledge to know how to fix all the most common problems people may get on company computers, printers, photocopiers or at least who to contact.
    - Knowing inside out how the company telephone system works, how meeting room electronics work, how all the A/V equipment works - because you will be the person everyone comes to for help when it doesn't work and clients are waiting.
    - As an admin grows in their job they will also continuously improve processes and implement new processes and ideas that help efficiency and add value to the company.

    This can be a very busy role. The person must be highly organised and able to multi-task constantly and work under pressure.

    Of course the tasks and pressure can vary greatly depending on the size of the company. In a company like mine, most of the office admins have university degrees and this is a long term career path. They are paid extremely well as the role is critical and complimentary in keeping hundreds of other people operating smoothly.

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