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Are you searching for a clerical assistant job description? Get to know about the duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and skills requirements of a clerical assistant. Feel free to use our clerical assistant job description template to produce your own clerical assistant job description. We also provide you with information about the salary you can earn as a clerical assistant.

 

Who is a Clerical Assistant?

A clerical assistant is a person whose job is to carry out a range of typing, administrative, and clerical tasks to keep business offices running efficiently. They may advance to roles like administrative assistants or office managers and are also known by a range of other names, including office clerks and clerical workers.

 

What is the Work Environment of a Clerical Assistant?

Work environments for clerical assistants include corporate offices, governmental institutions, and nonprofit institutions. Although they frequently work a standard 40-hour work week, they occasionally have to put in extra hours to meet deadlines or finish challenging tasks. Typically, clerical assistants work in a welcoming, well-lit office. They may spend a lot of time sitting down, but they usually have access to breaks and the freedom to move around throughout the day. Some secretaries may need to lift heavy objects, such as boxes of paperwork or supplies.

 

Clerical Assistant Job Description

What is a clerical assistant job description? A clerical assistant job description is simply a list of duties and responsibilities of a clerical assistant in an organization. Below are the clerical assistant job description examples you can use to develop your resume or write a clerical assistant job description for your employee. Employers can also use it to sieve out job seekers when choosing candidates for interviews.

The duties and responsibilities of a clerical assistant include the following:

• Answer and direct calls, take messages, and place calls on behalf of the business.
• Organize package pickups, send bills, and sort and distribute the daily mail.
• Check emails, send faxes, create copies, and update computer databases using office equipment.
• Type forms, letters, notes, and other materials.
• Complete tasks and projects following supervisors’ directions.
• Oversee and support new hires, temporary employees, or part-time students.
• Provide administrative assistance to the executive management, such as calendar management, meeting scheduling, and trip planning.
• Perform clerical duties including mailing list preparation, document filing, supply ordering, and phone answering.
• Assemble the information from papers like firm reports, legal filings, or financial ledgers.
• Bring meetings together by planning event specifics like catering, space layout, and speaker arrangements.
• Process loan applications, insurance claims, and other requests for financial assistance.
• Oversee office activities such as procuring supplies, upkeep of machinery, and inventory control.
• Prepare reports for supervisors about departmental activities or processes by organizing files.
• Aid in the creation of rules and guidelines for how technology is used inside a company.

 

Qualifications

1. Education: Typically, clerical assistants must possess a high school diploma or its equivalent. An associate’s degree or certificate in business administration or office administration is preferred by some employers. Business communication, computer applications, business law, accounting and finance, and management are among the relevant courses.
2. Training and Experience: The majority of clerical assistant positions call for applicants to have at least six months of clerical or office support experience. The initial few weeks of a new work frequently include on-the-job training, which may include instruction on the particular computer systems and software the organization employs.
3. Certifications and Licenses: Although certificates are not required for employment as a clerical assistant, individuals pursue them to boost their employability and develop their abilities.

 

Essential Skills

1. Exceptional Organization Skills: Clerical assistants sometimes oversee several duties at once, therefore they must be well organized. This can involve managing calendars, keeping track of files, and scheduling meetings. You can be more productive and become a great asset to your organization by being able to keep track of every little aspect of your work.
2. Information Technology Proficiency: Computer proficiency is now a requirement for any clerical position. Clerical assistants must be proficient typists who can type quickly and accurately. They should be conversant with Microsoft Excel and other data entry applications since they are frequently expected to perform some data entering. Additionally, they must be knowledgeable about other Microsoft Office programs like Word and PowerPoint. Any additional computer expertise, such as the capacity to create or modify web pages, would be highly valued.
3. Keen Attention to Details: Working as a clerical assistant entails attending to office routines that others might ignore, like responding to emails, keeping track of appointments, and checking paperwork. A clerical assistant must pay attention to these particulars and make sure nothing is overlooked.
4. Effective Communication Skills: Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential for clerical assistants while dealing with bosses, coworkers, and clients. Typically, they will greet clients and customers, create memos, send emails, and answer phones. They must be able to communicate effectively and intelligibly both orally and in writing. Every day, clerical assistants interact with a wide range of people, so being able to communicate successfully with them will make the difference between a long-term career and a short-term one.
5. Time-management Abilities: Due to a large number of activities, you’ll be required to perform each day in this field, having excellent time management skills is quite helpful. Utilizing technology to assist you to plan your chores ahead of time could reduce stress and help you better prepare for the responsibilities that lie ahead. Additionally, punctual workers in general and clerical assistants, in particular, are preferred by businesses.
6. Ability to Draft and Follow up on Plans: You must be an excellent planner if you want to work as a clerical assistant because you’ll probably be in charge of organizing an administrator’s daily duties. This frequently implies that you will be attending their numerous appointments or modifying their calendar as necessary. You won’t overbook them with overlapping appointments if you are a good scheduler.
7. Productiveness: Your responsibilities could alter at any time, so it’s critical to be resourceful as well as adaptable. You’ll have to multitask and fill in for others as necessary. You should think about several approaches to problem-solving when they occur.
8. Strong Mathematical Skills: Numeracy is a component of clerical support employment, which necessitates the mastery of fundamental mathematical concepts. Among other numerical responsibilities, some clerical assistants are also somewhat in charge of a company’s bookkeeping and/or accounting. Clerical assistants who possess the necessary speed and efficiency will excel in these positions.
9. Outstanding Problem-Solving Skills: To handle clerical tasks and problems as they come up successfully, one must have good problem-solving skills. Depending on the extent of your responsibilities, you may need to handle conflicts with coworkers, with customers, or with technology. The best result will always be obtained if it is done promptly and under pressure while maintaining composure.

 

Clerical Assistant Skills in the Workplace

• Practice empathy: Your verbal communication abilities can be put to good use by being sympathetic. Consider the perspective of the people you are communicating with, pay close attention to what they have to say, and comprehend their worries.
• Make use of a Planner: Use a physical or digital planner for your duties to demonstrate your organizing abilities at work. This will enable you to view what is on your daily agenda and aid in work prioritization.
• Set reminders: Utilize your phone or a digital app to be reminded of daily duties that must be accomplished by a specific time. To help you stay focused, you can also establish deadlines for doing specific activities.
• Copyedit your correspondence: Make sure there are no grammatical or spelling mistakes as you write emails or other types of correspondence. Make sure each sentence is well-written and has a purpose.

 

Some Proven ways to Improve Clerical Assistant Skills

• Speak with boldness: Practice speaking with confidence if you want to get better at verbal communication. This is being aware of your speech inflection, maintaining eye contact, paying attention to your body language, and remaining upbeat and aggressive.
• Practice active listening: With your friends and family, practice active listening to improve your verbal communication skills. Don’t interrupt others, think before you speak, and be aware of your body language.
• Classify your tasks: Determine which of your everyday duties needs to be finished first once you are aware of them. This will enable you to complete the most crucial activities on schedule.
• Draw up your responsibilities: Create a schedule for your numerous responsibilities to improve your time management. This will ensure that you stay organized while you plan out your day and complete your tasks on schedule.
• Apply Brevity: Try to use shorter sentences as you try to get better at written communication. Your correspondents will comprehend what you’re trying to communicate more clearly as a result.
• Take classes: Consider taking a class if you need to improve your technical skills. You can choose from a range of courses to increase your practical proficiency with word processing or data entry systems.
• Get adequate rest and sleep: You need to get some sleep if you want to be good at anything. Your brain will be able to remain attentive all day long if you do this.
• Adopt Mental Exercises: You must train your brain to think creatively if you want to increase your problem-solving abilities. Playing word games, brain games, or even learning math can help you achieve this.

 

How to Become a Clerical Assistant

It’s crucial to be organized and have a responsible attitude if you want to work as a clerical assistant. Even though this would be an entry-level career, you might have to work in a highly structured, professional office atmosphere where you’d be required to go by standards like being on time for shifts.

Any prior work experience in an office setting is beneficial if you wish to work as a clerical assistant. It’s essential to have good keyboarding, computer, and communication abilities. You might be able to locate employment in this industry by delivering resumes to offices and telling people you know who work in an office setting that you are looking for assistant clerical work.

Clerical assistance may be required when a business is understaffed due to multiple staffers being absent due to illness or vacation. This extra job frequently entails at least a few simple activities, such as filing, data input, or material organization. If your goal is to become a clerical assistant, even a successful short-term assignment might be a valuable experience to add to your resume. Additionally, you should improve your computer and communication skills. You might distinguish yourself from other candidates for clerical assistant positions by earning a credential in an officer training school.

Making the rounds by meeting with receptionists in nearby workplaces and creating a professional-looking but truthful résumé with your purpose clearly stated as “clerical assistant” may help you obtain employment. To be able to frequently check in to see if there are any openings, you can ask each receptionist for the name of the person to contact in the human resources department. When calling human resources departments, being respectfully persistent can pay off because they could have learned that overflow work is required in another corporate department. It’s best to ask people you know who work in an office building if they know of any openings because, in many instances, friends or relatives of regular clerks may be summoned to fill in. If you want to start working as a clerical assistant, it’s, therefore, a good idea to ask them.

When you are called in for a job interview as an assistant clerk, dress appropriately, sit comfortably, and maintain eye contact. Be ready to briefly describe your interests and abilities if asked why you want to work as a clerical assistant for the company. Instead of rambling, spend a moment getting the question so you can respond with clarity and conviction. Don’t forget to write a thank-you message or email after the interview and to prepare a few questions of your own about the position or business.

 

Where to Work as a Clerical Assistant

• Law firms
• Medical offices
• Government agencies
• Schools
• Hospitals
• Private enterprises.

 

Clerical Assistant Salary Scale

The pay of clerical assistants varies according to their degree of education and experience, the size of the company, and the location.

Median Annual Salary: $31,500 ($15.14/hour)

Top 10% Annual Salary: $60,500 ($29.09/hour)

Over the next ten years, fewer clerical assistants are predicted to be employed as automation restricts job development for this group of workers. Employers can process an increasing number of jobs through automation more quickly and precisely than they can with clerical staff. Additionally, some clerical jobs have been offshored to nations with lower costs, which has decreased the demand for workers in some US companies.

Based on 5 salaries, an entry-level clerical assistant with less than one year of experience can expect to make an average total pay of £16,027, which includes gratuities, bonuses, and overtime pay.

Based on 21 salaries, an entry-level clerical assistant with 1-4 years of experience receives an average annual salary of £17,159.

Using 22 salaries for a mid-career Clerical Assistant with 5 to 9 years of experience, the average total salary is £17,206.

Based on 25 salaries, the average total salary for a clerical assistant with 10 to 19 years of experience is £18,709. Employees who are in their late careers (20 years or more) make an average total annual salary of £18,240.

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