What are the duties and tasks of an Office Administrator?
An Office Administrator carries out various duties, including:
- organising files;
- answering telephone calls and responding to e-mails;
- sorting mail;
- assisting with inventory (stock) control;
- providing secretarial duties;
- supervising and coordinating activities of staff;
- overseeing junior staff;
- interacting with clients.
What skills and abilities are required to become an Office Administrator?
The person must:
- be able to supervise others;
- have good oral and written communication skills;
- have the ability to work with computers;
- have good organisation skills.
Office administrators should be capable of using the following office equipment:
- Computers;
- Filing systems;
- Voice messaging systems;
- Fax machines;
- Photocopier machines.
What are the minimum entry requirements to study Office Administration?
At a TVET College, the normal entrance requirements for the Office Administration course are:
- NC(V) Programme in Office Administration: Grade 9 Certificate + college requirements set per programme.
- NATED Programme in Management Assistant: Grade 12 Certificate or NC(V) Level 4 Certificate in Office Administration.
What should I do if I want to become an Office Administrator?
- Visit or contact a TVET College nearest to you to enquire about the entrance requirements to do the Office Administration or Management Assistant course;
- Visit companies to gain more knowledge about the field and what it entails;
- Contact DHET Career Development Services to provide you with free quality career in formation, advice and counselling services on 086 999 0123 or e-mail: [email protected]
- Go for an aptitude test to help understand if a career as an Office Administrator is for you;
- Attend Career Exhibitions in your area to liaise with higher learning institutions and obtain application forms.
Students who complete the Office Administration course at a TVET College can be employed as an:
- Administrative Officer/Clerk;
- Personal Assistant (PA);
- Receptionist;
- Secretary;
- Transport Administrator;
- Hospital Administrator;
- Inventory and Supply Officer.
