1. Administrative assistant work is fun, interesting and challenging
The typical day of an administrative professional is rarely dull and often fun. You’ll likely engage in a wide variety of activities, deal with different personalities and manage changing priorities. Since administrative assistants are taking on a far broader range of responsibilities than they formerly handled, you may find yourself planning company events, managing social media accounts, making purchasing decisions and helping colleagues get up to speed with new software and technology.
And speaking of technology, employers increasingly seek tech-savvy administrative professionals who can use AI, chatbots and other advanced technologies. In fact, in some organizations administrative assistants are helping pave the way into AI. Robert Half research reports two of the top uses for AI across the enterprise are streamlining internal processes and improving operational efficiency, both of which fall naturally within an administrative assistant's role. You may be able use AI platforms that help you:
Guide new hires through their onboarding process, answering common questions and providing interactive training modules tailored to individual learning needs
Create personalized email templates that automatically adapt to different clients based on their history, preferences and relationship with the company for you or your manager to use with clients
Eliminate repetitive tasks, allowing you and your team members to focus on higher-value work
Create visualizations of complex data, making insights more accessible for executive decision-making
While AI can manage these tasks handily, the human touch you provide is still critical. Your empathy, awareness of your company’s organizational culture, ethical judgment and interpersonal skills create value that technology alone cannot replicate. That makes the partnership between you and advanced technology truly powerful.
3. You can get your foot into the door of almost any industry
Just as admin assistant work exists in virtually every geography, it also cuts across nearly every industry. If, for example, you want to work in the advertising or legal industry, you can begin with an entry-level administrative assistant position while building up your resume and learning the business.
Once in the door, you can observe the industry up close, start to build your professional network, and find out if it offers the kind of career track you want to follow.
4. Administrative assistant work can provide a lot of job satisfaction
Administrative assistants find their work satisfying for many reasons, from the variety of the tasks they perform to the satisfaction that comes from helping colleagues do their own jobs better.
Support staff roles can be very rewarding, especially with increasing responsibilities and opportunities for administrative assistants. Employers appreciate professionals who can multitask while paying attention to detail and those who are able to demonstrate grace under pressure.
