Featured Career: Administrative Assistant

Secretaries and administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative and clerical duties necessary to run an organization efficiently. They serve as information and communication managers for an office; plan and schedule meetings and appointments; organize and maintain paper and electronic files; manage projects; conduct research; and disseminate information by using the telephone, mail services, Web sites, and e-mail. They also may handle travel and guest arrangements.

All administrative work takes a great deal of dedication, motivation and tact. It also calls for a comfort with technology and openness to training. When figuring out if becoming a legal secretary is the best fit for you, ask and answer the following questions:

• Can you keep close track of confidential information?
• Can you multitask with great accuracy and attention to detail?
• Do you like greeting and helping people? In person and over the phone?
• Are you willing to learn technical and office terminology?

Median Salary
$30,029

Education Requirements
An Administrative Assistant must have a high school degree or equivalent certification. More than ever, however, employers are demanding advanced degrees from potential administrative assistants. Two options are earning either your Associates Degree or Bachelors Degree. The most popular tracks are Office Skills or Business Administration.

Job Outlook
In 2006, the Bureau of Labor Statistics cites that there were 1,618,000 administrative assistants and executive assistants in the U.S. By 2016, this number is projected to grow by 15% or 239,000 jobs to 1,857,000 administrative assistants. This is faster than the average for all jobs in the U.S., which means the opportunities in this area are plentiful.