Clerical Jobs Overview
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Secretary and administrative assistant positions totalled about 4.1 million jobs in 2004, ranking clerical jobs among the largest occupations in the U.S. economy. Clerical and administrative workers are integral to organizations of every type and account for about 17% of all jobs with the federal government. Increasing office automation and organizational restructuring will lead to slower than average growth in overall employment of administrative assistants, but average growth is projected for legal and medical secretaries.
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Trends in Clerical Jobs
Growing industries, such as administrative and support services; health care and social assistance; educational services (private); and professional, scientific and technical services will generate the most new clerical job opportunities. As reliance on technology continues to expand in offices, the role of the office secretary has greatly evolved. Opportunities should be best for applicants with extensive knowledge of software applications.
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Responsibilities in Clerical Jobs
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Core responsibilities for a secretary or administrative assistant have remained much the same: performing and coordinating an office’s administrative activities and storing, retrieving, and integrating information for dissemination to staff and clients. Many administrative assistants now provide training and orientation for new staff, conduct research on the internet, and operate and troubleshoot new office technologies, and plan meetings and conferences.
Some administrative assistants, such as legal and medical secretaries, perform highly specialized work requiring knowledge of technical terminology and procedures. Executive assistants may perform fewer clerical tasks instead handling more complex responsibilities such as conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and hiring and supervising other clerical staff.
Office work can lend itself to alternative or flexible working arrangements such as part-time or telecommuting—especially if the job requires extensive computer use. About 19% of secretaries work part-time and many others works in temporary positions. The majority of secretaries and assistants, however, are full-time employees who work a standard 40-hour work week.
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Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2006-07 Edition
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Clerical Jobs and Office Automation Jobs
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