Article by Amanda Pavis
A role in administration used to be often misunderstood. It was perceived to be a role that is pretty boring and very officious, often a rather menial role. But boy, have those days changed now! Admin jobs are seen very much as being integral to the smooth running of a company or organisation: almost like the oil that keeps the wheels turning.
But if you are contemplating a job in admin, you may not quite know what the role entails, so here is a quick guide to admin roles.
Basically administrative roles are the ones that support the running of the company. They provide the procedures and the mechanisms for the buying, selling or advising that any company does, which is why they are so important. If, for example, you may be working in an admin role for a company that buys and sells goods, then you may input data into sales ledgers or be responsible for issuing or paying invoices or helping with the accounts. Even answering the phone or doing the photocopying is important, because having dedicated staff doing these functions, means that the more senior personnel can get on with the business of making money or securing contracts.
Admin is therefore the backbone of any company. But due to the advent of computers it is also much more varied than it used to be. You may find yourself taking notes in minutes, handling the storage of electronic data, answering the phone and sending out invoices; all before lunchtime. So you don