Looking for admin jobs...advice?

ianpwilliams

Will do, thanks.

19lottie82

agreed, get registered with some agencies. from my experience the best way into a perm admin role is through a temporary contract.

Savvy_Sue

gibson123 wrote: »

The adminstrator is the MOST IMPORTANT person in my office, without him/her we are all headless chickens. Attributes are organised, assertive, good attention to detail and a completer finisher. I do not want my administrator to leave ever!

:rotfl: FANTASTIC! someone who 'gets' administration! Now, shall I come and work for you, or will you come and sort out some of my colleagues who don't quite share your views of my importance?

nyc_451

Savvy_Sue wrote: »

:rotfl: FANTASTIC! someone who 'gets' administration! Now, shall I come and work for you, or will you come and sort out some of my colleagues who don't quite share your views of my importance?

Could you tell a bit more, please...

I personally was told that admin work is easy but boring, therefore paid well... In my job I like all the admin tasks the most and do it with pleasure, but thanks to this thread I realised I'm not good enough for this role.......yet!!

westv

blue_mango wrote: »

Could you tell a bit more, please...

I personally was told that admin work is easy but boring, therefore paid well... In my job I like all the admin tasks the most and do it with pleasure, but thanks to this thread I realised I'm not good enough for this role.......yet!!

Are you referring to admin work or secretarial work (often confusingly called "admin" work too?

Mischa8

ianpwilliams wrote: »

I'm in Liverpool. I've found an Office Angels so far. So I would arrange to go in and see them (in a suit) with my various CV's, and ask them what they can do to help me find admin work?

Just a quick reply.

I saw you're in Liverpool. Why not apply (I know a lot of competition but HEY you never know what's there for admin jobs in places like Beatles experience (or other Beatles type jobs), or for the Tate Gallery there etc? Don't the Persil company (Port Sunlight) have a museum? I just think with your creative and music side you'd be best off undertaking admin roles in fields which actually interest you and the employer would know you find their industry appealing too. Would hate to see you bogged down in some IT company - believe me - boring as hell.

Mischa8

ianpwilliams wrote: »

I like to think that my admin skills are pretty good. The office work (old I know, but I believe still the same), included:

Project planning and scheduling (creating my own deadlines for my programming projects, getting the deadlines approved by my boss, and then working to them)

Arranging and hosting meetings via Microsoft Outlook

Working with Word, Excel, typing out letters in Word, managing and arranging data in Excel etc

Producing company reports for directors

Typing up documents, photocopying, filling etc

My more recent academia included things like:

Leading groups of people, or working in teams on projects (communication)

Delivering Powerpoint presentations

Working with Word, Excel, typing out letters in Word, managing and arranging data in Excel etc

There's a lot more experience apart from that. I would say my Office skills are probably Intermediate to Advanced. In Excel I can go as advanced as formulas and graphs/tables, but not the really advanced stuff (although I could certainly learn it)

I also have a pretty good knowledge of PC software (from IT support) and hardware (from academia and personal life), so I can usually solve the most common software and hardware problems.

So if I can make some agencies aware of my abilities then hopefully I can find something. Might still have to look at voluntary to begin with though.

Some of the skills you list here although they are *admin based* aren't necessarily focussed that way for an employer.

What about Microsoft Access or other databases? Other document file storing software? Both of those programmes are crucial for me - in an admin based role which I am not in now.

and also, from the creative side - what are your skills there? Mac based presumably with Quark, Publisher or whatever thrown in there?

nyc_451

westv wrote: »

Are you referring to admin work or secretarial work (often confusingly called "admin" work too?

I don't know, to be honest....I was just talking to some people about leaving my current job and doing something more 'office' type because I like it, and that's what they told me - admin, data input.....didn't seem that difficult from their side. Well I admit I couldn't compete with British people, I was just day dreaming about leaving my job Really want to go somewhere where I wouldn't need to sell, but can't go to a lower position as it would look bad on my CV (from finances to cleaning, for example).

Savvy_Sue

blue_mango wrote: »

Could you tell a bit more, please...

What would you like to know? I was responding to gibson's view that the administrator is the most important person in the office, and I agree. In a school, you need an excellent head and good teachers, but if your admin team aren't up to scratch then everyone else will waste a lot of time.

blue_mango wrote: »

I personally was told that admin work is easy but boring, therefore paid well... In my job I like all the admin tasks the most and do it with pleasure, but thanks to this thread I realised I'm not good enough for this role.......yet!!

I see part of it as doing the things which aren't anyone else's job, so that they can all do their jobs. Photocopier jams? I can 'tease' the paper out. Toner's run out? More underneath. Now, you'd think that any fool could do these things, but not everyone can be trusted to do so. With the toner, I'll check that there IS another one left, and order more if there isn't. No-one will notice this, but if no-one orders more when the last toner goes in then EVERYONE will notice, and not in a good way ...

I get a buzz from that kind of thing, and where I am now I know it is appreciated, but not everyone enjoys being behind the scenes.

blue_mango wrote: »

Well I admit I couldn't compete with British people, I was just day dreaming about leaving my job Really want to go somewhere where I wouldn't need to sell, but can't go to a lower position as it would look bad on my CV (from finances to cleaning, for example).

Have to say that there's nothing wrong with your written English from your posts here. OK, so you don't want to drop too far, but plenty of us do take a drop in salary because the higher level jobs don't suit us too well!

Evilm

Administrators will not only be young - there are a significant number of professional administrators and, has others have said, its a critical role to the business.

There are enough trained, professional Administrators out there that the likely way you will get a look in is by a temp role. Register with lots of agencies in your area and they might come up with a reception/administration role that just needs someone with a brain to do it. If they happen not to have other people you might get a chance to do it.

As for the computer skills I hate to be harsh but "so what?" most of the sub 35yr old (ish) workforce can say "well I'm quite good with computers". We were trained in school in moderate Excel skills, typing reports etc. The IT support work is good but you don't present it above in a way that suggests you feel its relevant or extends your skills and understanding of systems etc.

Whilst employers won't be creating a 'lottery' to pick random people they will be rating the applicants and to be honest it is likely they will be wanting industry experience as well as very high computer skills and extensive admin experience.

Honestly I haven't seen your CV but you are presenting yourself here as a "person who needs a job and how hard can this admin stuff be?". I'd expect this does show through in your CV too which will be putting employers off.

I would be turning to see if you can find something project management or something IT support/programming support etc to be honest.