How Do I Become a Front Office Assistant?

There are a number of various skills needed to become a front office assistant, including administrative, clerical, and secretarial skills. You will likely report to an executive, office manager, or some sort of office services personnel, and professional dress and a positive and congenial attitude will serve you well. Other abilities that may prove helpful are data entry, filing, handling mail, deliveries, and proper handling of records. Front office assistants may also be called upon to organize and oversee certain office events or functions. Depending on the company, duties may vary greatly, but general duties will likely be similar from place to place.

To become a front office assistant, administrative skills needed include providing assistance in organizing, scheduling, setting up and communicating the details of various in-office activities, like organizing personnel birthday parties, setting up meeting rooms for business or social functions, and handling communication between various executives and departments within the organization. Professional posture, personal charisma, an ability to work with all types of people are required. Making travel arrangements and having a basic knowledge of how to find the best travel deals may be included in your duties for a front office assistant.

Certain clerical skills are also important if you want to become a front office assistant. A working knowledge of the common Office® computer programs like Outlook®, Word®, and Excel® will likely be a requirement for this position. The ability to type quickly and for long periods of time while answering phones, handling visitors, and other clerical duties is critical. Multitasking and maintaining a pleasant and unflappable demeanor will be your biggest asset because there will likely be several tasks that need to be completed or handled simultaneously. Other clerical duties that may be required include handling a calculator, scheduling appointments for multiple individuals, and a working knowledge of office equipment like photocopiers, scanners, printers, fax machines and even 10-key adding machines.

If you want to become a front office assistant, you will need a variety of secretarial skills. Having a basic knowledge of office telephone systems and good telephone skills are one of the most important functions of this position. The way in which you handle callers can set the tone for any future dealings with an individual. The same goes for reception duties which will likely be a big part of this position. Keeping an accurate sign-in log and greeting customers or visitors in a friendly manner are highly desirable skills.