Essay On Becoming An Administrative Assistant

It is without saying that earning a college degree has been one of the most challenging and rewarding endeavors of my life. It has literally taken me twelve years to complete what should have only taken four. I have grown as a technological individual since beginning school in the year 2003 when computers were only necessary for writing papers and doing some research when most research was done manually with these things we used to call books. As I approach my graduation day next Sunday, I sit here and write what will be my last paper. I am being asked how my next step as an administrative assistant will ultimately shape my career, how technology will impact that career choice, as well as how my education has shaped the employee that I will become. As the very first professor on my very first day of class as a college student once said, let us begin. As an adult, we are told that we should know exactly where we see ourselves ten years from now, the ten year plan if you will. The prompt of this paper even suggests that I should know such things. The truth is, I don’t know. As I graduate and become an administrative assistant, I know that I am becoming a person who helps the leaders of a large company to accomplish whatever will make that company successful in the future. Beyond the term, administrative assistant, I don’t know what lies ahead or how to title any job that I might find myself being promoted to as a result of my diligence and intelligence, possibly even my good looks with the way the man who was interviewing chose to flirt. I do know, however, that my education has helped immensely in shaping the person that I am. I’ve even admired how this class has done that as well. From time management and prioritizing to communicating with another individual so as to create a final product that meets the needs of all parties involved, I have become marketable to an organization that see me as an asset more than a liability. Let us take a closer look at what exactly an administrative assistant does so we can verify that claim. The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes an administrative assistant as an individual who “performs routine clerical and administrative duties; organizing files, drafting messages, scheduling appointments, and supporting other staff” (Occupational Handbook, 2014, pg. 2). Quite honestly, I thought that receiving a degree in Sociology was a waste of money until reading that description. As it turns out, with all of the communication we find ourselves doing with our professors, organizing and making comprehensive pieces of written work, managing our time between extra jobs and the array of assignments due, clarifying information via email with our professors, and using the internet to retrieve necessary information, I have become a great candidate for my chosen profession. I’ve …show more content…
The Occupational Handbook does a nice job of explaining what technological skills are pertinent to this position. I will be required to, “create spreadsheets, manage databases, and prepare presentations, reports, and documents” (Occupational Handbook, 2014, pg. 2). Using a phone, I will be expected to “negotiate with vendors and corporate libraries, videoconference, and fax” (Occupational Handbook, 2014, pg.2). This class has taught me the extent to which, both the phone and the computer can enhance as well as deter from my experience within this