What does an Office Support do?
Published 3 min read
An office support worker is responsible for a wide range of clerical and administrative tasks. They may work in a variety of settings, including corporate offices, government agencies, medical facilities, and schools. Duties often include answering phones, filing documents, managing schedules, and preparing reports.
Office Support job duties include:
- Answering phones and routing calls to the appropriate person or taking messages
- Answering inquiries from clients in person, via telephone, or email
- Ordering office supplies and maintaining inventory
- Maintaining filing systems, both electronic and paper
- Scheduling appointments and managing calendars
- Arranging travel plans and itineraries
- Processing expense reports
- Creating presentations and spreadsheets in Microsoft Office or other software programs
- Assisting with event planning and coordination
- Performing general office duties such as copying, faxing, and scanning
Office Support Job Requirements
An Office Support worker will need at least a high school diploma, although some jobs may require postsecondary education, and computer skills. Certification is not typically required, but may be helpful. Previous experience in an office setting is often required or preferred. An Office Support worker must be able to perform clerical and administrative tasks, as well as have strong customer service skills.
Office Support Skills
- Communication
- Customer service
- Organization
- Multi-tasking
- Time management
- Attention to detail
- Problem solving
- Flexibility
- Teamwork
- Computer skills
- Typing
Related: Top Office Support Skills: Definition and Examples
How to become an Office Support
Office support staff are the backbone of any office. They keep the office organized and running smoothly. Without them, the office would be a chaotic mess. If you have good organizational skills and enjoy keeping things running smoothly, then a career in office support could be for you.
Here are a few tips on how to become an office support staff member:
1. Get a degree or certificate in office administration or a related field. This will give you the basic knowledge and skills you need to be successful in an office support role.
2. Start out as an intern or entry-level employee in an office environment. This will give you first-hand experience of what the day-to-day duties of an office support staff member entail.
3. Be organized and detail-oriented. These are two essential qualities for any successful office support staff member.
4. Have good people skills. You will be interacting with a lot of different people on a daily basis, so it’s important that you have good people skills and can handle difficult situations calmly and professionally.
5. Be adaptable and flexible. Things can change quickly in an office environment, so you need to be able to adapt and be flexible to changes in plans or schedules.
Related: Office Support Resume Example
Related: Office Support Interview Questions (With Example Answers)