Receptionist/office admin skills courses?

RuthnJasper

CharlieRabbit01 wrote: »

I'm an administrator and have levels 2 and 3 NVQ in Business Administration which I did through a local college.

These courses are usually work based courses I got my first full time job as a apprentice administrator and worked full time with 1 day a week at college to do Level 2, on completion of my course I was put onto a proper salary (apprentices get paid a pittance).

I was given the option to do level 3 which I took since it is free.

Most employers looking for administrators or receptionists look for people with transferable and relevant skills and usually ask for you to be computer literate.

I would suggest looking for temp work with an agency to build up some experience, if you don't have any computer qualifications or work based experience you could do the ITQ or ECDL the ECDL (European Computer Driving License) is very well known and recognised by employers.


Look up some jobs on https://www.reed.co.uk they usually give you an idea of the kind of experience or qualifications employers are looking for.

Good advice here and on the other posts. But, to judge from your original post, earthbound_misfit, you seem intelligent and articulate. In particular, your apostrophes are correctly used - which is one of the things that I look for when dealing with job-applications, to quietly sort the "wheat from the chaff". The post from Mimi Arc en ciel echoes my own experience, both in job-seeking myself and when recruiting others.

I don't think that a course could really teach you anything that you don't already know and, as worthy (and sometimes essential) as qualifications CAN be, they are not necessarily the be-all and end-all.

For example - I think that, apart from basic competency in the relevant MS Office software, the most important quality in a receptionist or general office admin. bod is a friendly and pleasant manner. Something, incidentally, which cannot be taught - you've either got it or you haven't.

Given the choice when recruiting someone for the general office/reception area, I would happily turn down a person with each and every relevant and most up-to-date highly-scored qualification, but who was a sour-faced, rancid old trout with a sarcastic and unfriendly demeanour, in favour of a bright, friendly, jolly individual with fewer qualifications but a good sense of (appropriate) humour and an eagerness to do well. Enthusiasm and an easy-going personality count for a great deal - most of all in a reception or general office, as this is often the place that visitors/clients/customers see first and thus where they form their initial impressions of the company as a whole. The office skills will be quickly picked up 'on the job' (so to speak ).

Here's an idea for something to throw in at interviews (tailored to suit your own manner of expression, obviously!):-

"I know I don't necessarily have the formal qualifications, but I am capable and quick-learning. I also get on well with people from all walks-of-life and backgrounds and would appreciate the opportunity to bring my personal skills to this job, in order to present a friendly and welcoming, professional, environment for visitors and make a positive first impression of "RuthnJasper Limited", as well as supporting my colleagues with their ongoing workloads."

Whatever you decide, OP, I am sure that with your skills you won't be out of work for long. Very best wishes to you. xx

LondonDiva

RuthnJasper wrote: »

apostrophes are correctly used - which is one of the things that I look for when dealing with job-applications, to quietly sort the "wheat from the chaff".

I second this. I have good written English and attention to detail written into all the jds I recruit to and will cull on this alone.

GCSE's - GCSEs
your - you're
their - there

pretty basic., but a good sign of the reliability of the applicant's written skills.

Sasha101

To earthbound_misfit

If the course is free for you to do then I would definitely go for it. What have you got to lose?

My own experience was back in 2003 I'd had enough of working part time evenings at a supermarket. I didn't want to work in retail for the rest of my life and whilst my children were still small so I made the decision to attend College during the day (and work at night) to do a one year NVQ Level 2 Business Administration course.

The course taught me the basics such as how to set out letters (correct spacing, correct use of faithfully and sincerely etc), writing memos, typing up agendas, insert pictures, text into documents, the use of spreadsheets, formulas and using charts. I didn't have much experience of using computers back then. I used to type with two fingers only!

I also had to do a two week work experience placement just before Easter as part of the course. I attended a local primary school, luckily for me one of the admin team was retiring in July and well let's just say that September I joined the school as their new Clerical Assistant.

I have worked my way up from a part time low grade Clerical Assistant just answering the phones and doing small mundane but important admin tasks like photocopying, filing, faxing etc. Over the years I went on various courses including finance and the CSBM. I am an Office Manager at a different school now and am working towards becoming their School Business Manager.

I would never have got where I am today if it hadn't have been for that College course. Go for it Misfit because you just don't know what doors will open and where it could take you.

Good luck

marybelle01

sugartooth wrote: »

Admin courses are all worthless unless it's a proper degree.

And this is based on your professional skills and experience as - what exactly would that be? I am sure that all those people with NVQ's and other professional qualifications in business administation will be glad to know they wasted their time getting them.

Savvy_Sue

FWIW I've worked in admin for the last (insert large number here) years, and the only relevant qualification I have is an audio typing qualification, which I took because the Uni I worked for told me that the lack of a relevant qualification might be what was holding me back in changing depts. I couldn't bear the thought of taking just a typing qualification, because I had done a course at school so I did know what I was doing, I just didn't have a piece of paper to prove it.

This was in the days when we used typewriters rather than computers for everything ...

I did use audio typing a little tiny bit in a later job, but very rarely.

mboro

sugartooth wrote: »

Admin courses are all worthless unless it's a proper degree.

What is that supposed to mean???
Alot of us on here would very much disagree with you!

ohreally

Sasha101 wrote: »

What have you got to lose?

The will to live.

earthbound_misfit

Thank you to everyone for the replies and tips.
The reason I wanted to do a qualification was so that I had something to show potential employers as well as actually learning how to use certain programs. The voluntary work is a bit more restricted as I am not well enough to work at the moment (certainly not set hours, hence liking online courses!)
As for Mimi's suggestion of working in a call centre - I'm glad it worked for you but I couldn't bear it, I have severe depression and that would tip me over again if I ever manage to crawl out of this pit. This is why I am trying to find something I may be able to do one day.

Racheldevon

re: the depression, many places are now offering mindfulness based cognitive therapy for depression, especially for recurrent depression/relapses. There's centres in Oxford, Bangor, Exeter University (all in partnership with the NHS), so they are free. There's probably lots of other places offering this, so it's worth googling, and/or considering asking your GP for a referral.

earthbound_misfit

Racheldevon wrote: »

re: the depression, many places are now offering mindfulness based cognitive therapy for depression, especially for recurrent depression/relapses.

I've been told I'm not suitable for CBT (and I agree) as my depression is caused by life expereinces/traumatic issues etc so therapy needs to dig deep. Am on the waiting list... knowing I am capable of making a living would really help though...