Admin Jobs

Dovah_diva

shop-to-drop wrote: »

An entry level admin job probably wouldn't involve writing letters to customers

The application form would though - as would any test that was part of the application process. Where I work, the very basic admin role demands a written and maths test.

This idea that people currently in admin jobs write poorly, so it is OK for everyone else is alarming. Everyone who has to write letters, reports, etc. should have excellent English. I certainly correct staff members that make mistakes.

Bennifred

Dovah_diva wrote: »

The application form would though - as would any test that was part of the application process. Where I work, the very basic admin role demands a written and maths test.

This idea that people currently in admin jobs write poorly, so it is OK for everyone else is alarming. Everyone who has to write letters, reports, etc. should have excellent English. I certainly correct staff members that make mistakes.

:o:o:o:o:o:D

mumcoll

I type letters and reports etc. for my manager, that he has hand written, often with spelling mistakes or words left out (as his brain works faster than his pen!) I feel part of my job as his admin, is to make sure the spelling and grammar are correct.

I have recently seen a company publication go out to a few thousand people with glaring spelling and grammar mistakes - I can't believe it was missed before it went to print. (Not my typing!)

Podge52

It's a sad indictment of the work program though that they have not picked this up as a barrier to employment.

Also, the CV should be fit for purpose, it will have been messed about with by a few people in various CV workshops.

Op if you feel you could do it, go for it. I work in customer support on the telephones and the other week was asked to work in correspondence as there was a backlog. The role only involved replying by email to customer queries and complaints.

I know I have great difficulty structuring a sentence let alone a letter, and made my reservations about taking on the role quite clear to my manager. She was quite happy for me to take it on until the backlog had cleared.
I hated every minute of it and thankfully I wasn't doing it very long. I take pride in my work, and, producing what was in my opinion far short of professional standard I was very uncomfortable.
Fortunately I'm now back on the phones and much happier.

FBaby

Of course you can apply to anything, even teaching, nursing, police force jobs, but if you are only going to be wasting your time, is there a lot of point. You would be much better off focussing on the jobs you are more likely to get because of being able to justify some experience, or ability. Once you do any job and you still want a position in admin, you will be positioned to find ways to justify that you are involved in some administrative duties within your current position, even it is not your main role.

Have you ever asked your supervisor why HE/SHE thinks you are not getting anywhere? What did they say?

AP007

I had a CV template from the WP many moons ago where

Current Interests was written as 'Current interets'

With this as an example of the INTERETS you may have



Music reading, films, cinema, socializing with friend and meeting new people.


and..........................

Under an example of work experience thee was



During employment at Primark, I was responsible for:

• Organised products neatly and quickly

Where I think they meant
During employment at Primark, I was responsible for:
Organising products neatly and quickly


and..................

the job centre sent me a job spec for a role at the council and this was the first spelling mistake I saw.

Experienced in cutsomer interviewing techniques

These may sound and look trivial but for the WP who are meant to be helping people who are out of work to have such spelling mistakes it's laughable. Also for an employer (and I have seen a lot of specs badly written) to make mistakes to it makes you wonder. I saw one advert a few weeks ago saying attention to detail a must where they had made 3 bad errors in the advert!

starrystarry

scooby088 wrote: »

Well that comes down to vocabulary rather than grammar, not everyone has a thesaurus in the workplace.

Yes, that's why I said it's not about grammar.

A person shouldn't need a thesaurus to know the difference between "they" and "their".

shop-to-drop

Dovah_diva wrote: »

The application form would though - as would any test that was part of the application process. Where I work, the very basic admin role demands a written and maths test.

This idea that people currently in admin jobs write poorly, so it is OK for everyone else is alarming. Everyone who has to write letters, reports, etc. should have excellent English. I certainly correct staff members that make mistakes.

I'm not saying OP shouldn't try to improve, just that he shouldn't dismiss the idea of applying for or aspiring to work in an admin role.

gay_guy

starrystarry wrote: »

Yes, that's why I said it's not about grammar.

A person shouldn't need a thesaurus to know the difference between "they" and "their".

I do know the difference, here is 2 examples:

1) They - A fridge is over they in the Warehouse

2) Their - My friend of lost their mobile phone.

scheming_gypsy

gay_guy wrote: »

I do know the difference, here is 2 examples:

1) They - A fridge is over they in the Warehouse

2) Their - My friend of lost their mobile phone.

Baby pandas have just killed themselves after reading that.