Senior Administrative Assistant Career Path

To become an administrative assistant at the entry-level, you'll be required to have a minimum of a high school diploma or your General Education Development certificate. Requirements will vary by employer, however, and some may require an associate's degree or even a bachelor's degree in any field. Some employers prefer a specific discipline related to the administrative assistant field, such as finance or government relations.

If you have a high school diploma but wish to continue your education, you can take technical courses related to administrative assistant responsibilities. These include documentation, business writing, data processing, filing and organization, and bookkeeping. This experience may be satisfactory for the replacement of educational requirements when entering the job field.

After you've gotten the necessary education to enter the field, you can begin applying for entry-level jobs as an administrative assistant. Prepare your resume to include your highest level of education and any relevant work history. List your previous job responsibilities and any achievements you've earned.

Questions in an administrative assistant interview may include:

• How do you organize your daily work to maximize your time?
• How have you improved upon your time management skills?
• What is an important goal that you've reached within the last year?

Employers will be looking for potential employees with the following qualities:

• Great communication skills
• Attention to detail
• Ability to manage time efficiently
• Ability to create and maintain professional relationships
• Have good problem-solving skills
• Ability to learn quickly

As an administrative assistant, there are specific certifications you can obtain to make you more valuable to your current or future employers. Two common certifications teach and test the professional skills needed as an administrative assistant:

• Certified Administrative Professional. This exam was created by the International Association of Administrative Professionals and covers six relevant topics. These include organizational communication, technology and information, record keeping, business documentation and writing, project and event management, and business functions. This 200-225 question multiple-choice test takes approximately three hours to complete. You can find preparation material on the IAAP website.
• Microsoft Office Specialist. This certification will assess the technical Microsoft application skills that administrative assistants commonly use. An associate-level certification is available for each specific application, including Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. To become a specialist, you must complete each exam.