Office Administrator 

An office administrator will provide administrative support in an office environment. An office administrator may work on computers to type or word process documents, such as letters and reports. An office administrator may receive the information to be typed in several ways.

The work of an office administrator may involve copy typing - working from a rough draft to be corrected by the typist, or a corrected copy which must be accurately transposed.
An office administrator may also be responsible for audio typing - listening to a voice recording through headphones and typing what is being said.

An office administrator may need shorthand typing experience - typing up shorthand notes made from dictation.

An office administrator is also likely to fulfil a range of other administrative functions, which may include typing letters, memos, agendas and meeting minutes, presentations and reports.  An office administrator may also co-ordinate the maintenance of office equipment and order stationery supplies.  An administrator may need to cover reception dealing with visitors and answering telephone calls.

An office administrator may be responsible for updating databases, maintaining filing systems, providing services for teams and managers, providing hospitality for guests and sending and managing emails.

The role of an office administrator is likely to involve interaction with as clients and other people outside of the company.

Starting salaries an office administrator are around £10,000 to £14,000 a year.

An office administrator may work around 35 hours a week, from 9am to 5pm, Monday to Friday. Larger companies may offer flexitime schemes for office administrators. Some international companies may require 24-hour office administrators to cover and operate a shift scheme for employees. An office administrator may be able to work on part time and temporary contracts.

Although the work of an office administrator may be varied, much of it is carried out in front of a computer screen and an office administrator may spend long periods of time sitting.

Personal appearance is important for an office administrator, particularly if the job involves receiving visitors, and smart dress may be required.