Office Administration Courses

Why Should I Study Office Administration Courses?

Studying Office Administration Courses might sound rather boring but it is actually a very good idea. There are many more advantages to this kind of course than you might think at first. So what’s the big deal about Office Administration courses and what do you need to be a successful Office Administrator? All that information and more can be found right here. 

What are the Advantages of Studying Office Administration Courses?

One of the best things about studying Office Administration Courses is the fact that you learn a wide range of skills. What makes this so good is the fact that you will be able to use these skills in many different jobs. This means that you can easily shift into a different position or job thanks to all the skills that you have gained.

Another advantage is that the skills that you get from one of these courses are up to date, modern, and very much in-demand. Office Administration Courses make sure to give you the latest information and skills meaning that you will immediately be able to go into the job market. 

If you like dealing with all sorts of people while you work then this is another thing that makes this right for you. Even though you may be focused more on a specific department, you will work with all the departments in the company to some degree. 

Where can I Study Office Administration Courses

There are many different Office Administration Courses that you can study. From short courses to longer diploma courses, there is something to suit everyone. Most of these courses are classroom-based courses but there are also distance learning courses available from various colleges and companies like Skills Academy.

Skills Academy is a dedicated distance learning college that doesn’t offer any classroom courses. All their courses are distance learning based which means that you study from home at a time that suits you. 

Skills Academy Office Administration Courses

Skills Academy offers accredited diploma courses from the Institute of Certified Bookkeepers (ICB). One of the ICB study streams that are on offer is the Office Administration stream. This stream consists of three separate courses. These are:

These three courses will not only equip you with the best skills possible but the qualifications that you receive are internationally recognised. 

Skills Academy Office Management Courses

Skills Academy also offers three Office Management short courses. These are non-accredited provider programmes that give you excellent skills in a short space of time. These courses are:

These courses do not require you to have matric if you want to study them. You only need to have Grade 10, be at least 16 years of age, and be able to read and write in English. 

What’s the Difference Between Office Administration and Office Management?

You might be wondering what the difference between Office Management and Office Administration is. While these two terms are sometimes used interchangeably, there is a very important difference. Office Administration focuses on the more technical side of things while Office Management focuses more on the ‘people’ side of things. 

To put it very simply, Administration is on top and makes the decisions while Management is below it and executes the decisions. This means that when it comes to a project or process, Administration makes the decisions about the entire thing while Management only makes decisions based on the rules and structure given to them by Administration. 

What are the Duties of an Office Administrator?

Office Administrators have a wide range of duties and responsibilities. These duties are all aimed at helping to make an office run smoothly and more efficiently. Some of the general Office management duties include:

  • Ordering office supplies and equipment.
  • Making sure that all office equipment is maintained on a regular basis.
  • Helping with the hiring of new staff members.
  • Making travel arrangements, accommodation bookings, and setting up travel itineraries.
  • Planning and develop events with other departments.
  • Setting up meetings.
  • Answering phone calls.
  • Dealing with emails.
  • Creating reports and presentations. 

These are just a few of the duties of an Office Administrator. As you can see, the focus of an Office Administrator is very broad and needs many different skills. 

What are the Duties of an Office Manager?

An Office Manager also assists with many of these duties. However, an Office Manager is much more focused on the people-related side of things. Some of their duties include:

  • Managing Payroll.
  • Managing office support staff.
  • Negotiates contracts.
  • Sorts out problems between employees.
  • Trains new staff members.
  • Answers phone calls to the main office.
  • Plans meetings and events.
  • Managing the office budget.
  • Presenting, as well as creating, reports.

As you can see, the roles of an Office Manager and Office Administrator are very closely linked. 

What Careers Can I go Into With an Office Administration Qualification?

One of the best things about an Office Administration qualification is the fact that there are so many possibilities when it comes to careers. This is because of the many different skills that you learn during your studies. Some of the career options you can go into are:

  • Receptionist
  • Administration Assistant
  • Personal Assistant/Executive Assistant
  • Virtual Assistant

Receptionist

A receptionist is the first person you meet when you walk into a company. Receptionists do things like greet clients and visitors, direct phone calls, directing emails and normal mail. They might also need to do things like arranging meetings and meeting venues, data entry, and even making travel arrangements.

Administration Assistant

This is one of the more flexible career options as what an Administration Assistant does, depends on what the company needs. They could be doing anything from filing, sorting mail, and answering phones to managing stock, communicating with clients, or even preparing documents. 

Personal/Executive Assistant

A Personal Assistant (PA) or an Executive Assistant (EA) works directly with an executive of a company. In this career, there is not so much of a focus on the general office. The main focus of their job is to arrange the schedule and diary of the executive. However, they will also do things like check and organise the executive’s emails, make travel arrangements, do research, prepare agendas, and much more. 

Virtual Assistant

A Virtual Assistant (VA) is very similar to a PA or EA. The main difference, however, is that a VA works remotely. This means that a VA could be anywhere in the world. Most VA’s work freelance or on a part-time or contract basis. Some VA’s get paid a monthly or weekly salary or they might be paid for a certain number of hours per week. Most of a VA’s tasks are things that can be done online or via email. This includes things like processing payments, organising email, creating documents, and creating reports. 

There are also other specialised fields that you can go into. These are things like Legal Secretary or Medical Office Receptionist. As you can see there are so many different options that you can go into with an Office Administration qualification. 

Why is Office Administration Important?

Office Administration is more important than most people realise. The main reason for this is because without proper administration an office cannot function properly. There are also many other reasons why it is important. 

Part of an Office Administrators job is to help to make sure that good employees stay with the company and to teach everyone the company culture. They also help to manage any changes in the company. Change can be difficult so Office Administrators make sure that changes are brought in at the right time, and helps to make the transition easier for staff. 

Another important function of an Office Administrator is minimising costs and getting the most out of the resources that are available in the office. This means putting rules in place to make sure that there is as little waste as possible. 

The main function of Office Administration is to make sure that an office runs smoothly. Making an office run smoothly helps to improve the efficiency of the work that gets done in the office. Simply put, the more smoothly an office runs, the more efficient it is, the more work gets done and the better it is. 

What are the Advantages of an Office Administration Career?

Many of the advantages of Office Administration are personal advantages. These are things like the skills you will learn and develop during your course and your work experience. 

Organisational Skills

Your course will give you some skills but this skill will mainly be developed when you are working. As you get more and more experience you will be able to organise things better than before. 

Speed and Efficiency

The more you work, the faster you will be able to work. The faster and more efficiently you work the better. This is, again, something that you develop as you work. 

Prioritisation

Your ability to prioritise tasks helps to make sure that everything runs smoothly and that everything is done on time. Being able to prioritise well is of great advantage to the company. 

Work on Your Own

While departments all work together, Office Administrators generally work on their own because many of their tasks can’t be done by a team. This means that you will need to develop the ability to work well on your own. 

Good Communication

Office Administrators have to work with people inside the company and outside it. As an Office Administrator, you will deal with people from all different departments within the company. Depending on the size and type of company you work for this could even mean talking to people in other countries. You will also probably deal with clients and customers. Good communication skills are important in making sure that all these interactions go well and that everyone is happy. 

What are the Disadvantages of an Office Administration Career?

Like with anything else, there are unfortunately disadvantages to a career in Office Administration.

Workload

Due to the nature of the job, you might find that you have so many different things to do that you might feel overwhelmed by how much you have to do. 

Testing Patience

You might think that you have a lot of patience, but Office Administration will definitely test it at times. This is because of the fact that you will need to be able to adjust to things like sudden changes and unexpected problems.

Work on Your Own

Yes, this is listed under advantages too, but it can be a disadvantage. Some people are not comfortable with working on their own. It can feel very lonely and isolated to work on your own the whole time. 

Is There a Future in Office Administration?

As technology advances and changes, so does the workplace. Unlike many other jobs, technology is not replacing a person. All it means is that the job itself is always evolving. There will be more and more need for administrative staff who are able to use and adapt to the new technology and processes. 

Skills to be a Better Office Administrator

While there are no specific skills that make you better as an Office Administrator there are, however, some skills that are highly sought after by employers. Having these skills will make you a much more attractive candidate for possible employers. 

MS Office Suite and Google Suite

A lot of your work will require you to create and work with various types of documents such as spreadsheets, documents, and presentations. Being able to work well with the Google Suite and the Microsoft Office suite will always be an advantage.

Communication Skills

As mentioned before, you will be working with many different people both inside and outside the company. Good communication skills will help you to make these interactions more successful. 

Database Management

Businesses all make use of databases. These could be to keep track of stock or of customer information for example. Having database management skills will always be to your advantage even though each business will probably use a different kind of database software. 

Social Media Management

People spend a lot of time on social media and as such, businesses are doing more and more marketing and other communications on social media too. Social Media Management has to do with making the company more active and identifiable on social media. Having experience in Social Media Management will be of great value to your company. 

There are many other skills that will be of benefit as an Office Administrator but all of these skills are easy to get through short courses and similar courses. 

What Qualities Make a Person Right for Office Administration?

As with any job, there are some personality types and certain qualities that make someone more suited to a specific job. Here are some of the most important qualities you will need.

Flexibility

Things can change at a moment’s notice and problems or crises can happen at any moment. Being able to adapt and handle these changes and being able to easily handle new processes will make employers take a definite interest in you.

Approachability

As an Office Administrator, you deal with many different people. People will need to feel comfortable around you and comfortable to come and talk to you. If you aren’t approachable it will make your job much more difficult. 

Detail Oriented

When you are working on a lot of different things all at once, it is easy for mistakes to slip through. However, any mistake, even a small one, could have quite serious consequences. This is why it is so important to pay attention to every detail. 

Problem Solver

As mentioned earlier, problems can arise at any moment. Whether these are problems with other staff members, problems with something in the office, or a problem with a project, it is important that you can come up with a solution. 

There are many other qualities which can help you to be a more successful Office Administrator but having the qualities listed will help you stand out from the rest. 

How can I Become a Better Office Administrator?

If you want to get a headstart on your Office Administration career or even just want to sharpen your skills but don’t know where to start, the following three tips will help you.

Improve Your Communication Skills

As you have probably noticed in this article, communication skills are of the most important things you will need for your job. Making sure you have the best possible skills will never fail you. 

Improve Your Management Skills

Taking a management course will always be a good idea. Office Administrators need to manage many people and things at all times. Management courses will teach you things like leadership and how to be confident. 

Always Keep Learning

Technology and information changes constantly and it happens fast. This is why you should always keep learning and improving your skills. Keep an eye out for short courses and other training programmes which can help you to improve your skills. Staying on top of the latest information will help you to become and stay the best possible Office Management. 

Interested in Skills Academy’s Office Administration Courses?

You can go to Skills Academy’s website and fill in the online form on the page. One of their consultants will call you back. Don’t want to wait? You can also call Skills Academy yourself on their toll-free number 0800 39 00 27 and speak to one of their consultants. Their consultants can help you with all the information you might want about their Office Administration courses or any of their other courses too. 

 

Written by: Clifford Ekron
Last Updated: July 15, 2019