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Must Know Software for the Administrative Assistant

From the Administrative Arts blog “Must Know Software for the Administrative Assistant”

These days, with companies reorganizing and downsizing, more and more is being expected of the Administrative Assistant role. We’re not just expected to take care of the boss anymore, we’re also expected to design databases, manage websites, produce newsletters and a plethora of other duties we weren’t expected to do in the past. As such, more and more software knowledge is expected of someone applying for an Administrative Assistant position over and above the usual Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook. I’ve put together a list of software that could be beneficial for you to learn. Needless to say, you should also be expert at the aforementioned software.

Database

While many of you may have worked with Microsoft Access, you probably have done simple work like adding and updating records and running predesigned reports. More and more these days, companies are wanting Administrative Assistants to be able to handle everything from the design phase of the database to building it, designing forms and reports, and managing security. If you have the opportunity, I highly recommend taking an advanced Access class that talks not only about the specifics of the software, but the concept of relational database design.

Website Editors

One very common theme I’ve seen in job ads recently is the requirement to be able to manage a website. You’ll find a variety of website editors that companies use to manage websites. The most popular ones, though, are Microsoft FrontPage and Adobe Dreamweaver. FrontPage seems to be the one must requested, probably because it was included in Microsoft Office Professional starting in 2003. However, FrontPage is being phased out by Microsoft, so there are other web authoring tools being offered. Dreamweaver is considered the industry standard for web design, but it’s a very expensive program, so you see it less often in your run of the mill office setting. I’ve found, though, that if you understand the concepts in one program, you can apply it to the other program. You just need to learn the mechanics of the new program.

Again, I recommend taking a class that includes not just the mechanics of the programs, but the concepts of web design. It’s not just about looking good, but functioning well and loading fast.

Next: Tools for Graphic Design →

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