Career Profile: Administrative Assistant	Home	Español
		Informal perspective of what an occupation might be like.

What I Do: I work for a big company as the administrative assistant to the Vice President of Human Resources. (Some companies refer to administrative assistants as executive secretaries.) I have many responsibilities besides typing letters and memos. For example, I schedule weekly conference calls between my boss and her division managers. I write up the minutes of various meetings and distribute them to attendees. My boss travels a great deal, so I make all of her travel arrangements. I prepare any material she needs for presentations, and I keep her calendar up-to-date.

Best and Hardest Parts of My Job: I have a great boss who appreciates the effort I put into my job. She treats me as a professional and never asks me to do personal errands for her, like buying her husband's birthday present! Working for a vice president is demanding, however. The work is fast-paced with routinely short deadlines. I've worked late many times, but that's just part of supporting a top-level executive.  

How I Got Started: I attended secretarial school when I graduated from high school and then was hired for an entry-level position with my company. Over the years, I've worked my way up by developing my skills and asking for additional responsibility. I attended computer classes on my own time to learn new programs. Believe me, job opportunities abound for good secretaries and administrative assistants!