What does an assistant do?
An assistant intern is responsible for facilitating administrative and clerical tasks as assigned by the management. Assistant interns' duties include keeping records of meetings, receiving calls and handling customer inquiries, assisting on writing reports and data entry processing, cooperating and providing support for business events, and adhering to company policies and regulatory procedures. Successful assistant interns must have excellent time-management, multi-tasking, and communication skills. They must be a team player and fast-learner to handle various tasks in the corporate industry.
Assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real assistant resumes:
- Manage circulations, including educational textbooks and DVDS, video technology and supplies.
- Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
- Manage company's twitter account and communicate with multiple physical therapy providers around the country
- Optimize productivity in prioritizing and managing special projects, PowerPoint presentations for classes, and proctore exams for undergraduate classes.
- Assist in jewelry design and assembly, manage company Facebook page, participate in wholesale buying, and manage retail inventory
- Manage and update company Facebook page with daily updates, finding/sharing relevant and interesting information, and encouraging fan engagement.
- Market the company on different social media sites such as Facebook, twitter, and monster.
- Convert majority of inventory to a POS system along with establishing on-line purchase order input for inventory control.
- Set up inpatient and outpatient surgery.
- Manipulate photos for the website using PhotoShop.
- Sort and file papers when need for hr.
- Diagnose and troubleshoot technical issues relate to equipment.
- Tutor students in chemistry, biology, history, and psychology.
- Explain various chemistry concepts to students one-on-one and in small groups.
- Provide compassion and dedication to ensure residents well-being and quality of life.
Assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 27% of Assistants are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Patient Care. They’re also known for soft skills such as Writing skills, Interpersonal skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 27%
Received and interviewed patients, extracted and compiled data, and recorded pertinent information.
- Customer Service, 13%
Participated on team to develop procedures for customer service activities, establishing criteria that resulted in consistent operations and best practices.
- Patient Care, 8%
Perform assistant technological functions to ensure optimal diagnostic quality of patient care utilizing efficient and safe processes.
- CPR, 5%
Examined injured persons and administer first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), using training and medical supplies/equipment.
- Sales Floor, 5%
Demonstrated high organization skills including overseeing the sales floor and extracting customer information from various sources.
- Scheduling Appointments, 3%
Consulted with psychiatrist and assisted with scheduling appointments, maintained appropriate documentation, and distributed medication under supervision from psychiatrist.
Most assistants use their skills in "patients," "customer service," and "patient care" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential assistant responsibilities here:
Writing skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for an assistant to have is writing skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." Assistants often use writing skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "light bookkeeping for employees' sales totals and hours, writing weekly schedules for front desk and assistant staff. "
Interpersonal skills. Another essential skill to perform assistant duties is interpersonal skills. Assistants responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Assistants also use interpersonal skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "improved the store goal sale indexes to 100% customer service with excellent interpersonal communication and skills to identify needs. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of assistants is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday assistant duties, as "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "completed extensive database management and word processing efforts to support organizational efforts. "
The three companies that hire the most assistants are:
- Walmart589 assistants jobs
- CARE341 assistants jobs
- PacSun149 assistants jobs
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Compare different assistants
Assistant vs. Clerk's assistant/administrative assistant
A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant is responsible for supporting the company's operations and customers' needs by performing administrative and clerical duties as needed. Clerk's assistants/administrative assistants respond to customers' inquiries and concerns, acknowledging and processing orders, and posting their payments. They also sort company documents, manage office supply inventory, submit business transaction reports, schedule appointments, and operate office equipment. A clerk's assistant/administrative assistant must be very organized. They must also have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to perform office duties with high accuracy and efficiency under minimal supervision.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of an assistant are more likely to require skills like "patients," "patient care," "cpr," and "sales floor." On the other hand, a job as a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant requires skills like "data entry," "purchase orders," "financial reports," and "provides administrative support." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Clerks's assistant/administrative assistant tend to make the most money working in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $37,752. In contrast, assistants make the biggest average salary, $39,026, in the education industry.The education levels that clerks's assistant/administrative assistant earn slightly differ from assistants. In particular, clerks's assistant/administrative assistant are 1.9% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than an assistant. Additionally, they're 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant vs. Front desk administrative assistant
A front desk administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties to support daily business functions and operations. Front desk administrative assistants assist guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. They also monitor office inventories, write purchase requests, and distribute mails across the departments. A front desk administrative assistants review business and financial transactions to generate reports, update information on the company's database, and sort documents for reference.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that assistant responsibilities requires skills like "cpr," "sales floor," "scheduling appointments," and "food preparation." But a front desk administrative assistant might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "data entry," "phone calls," "front desk operations," and "check-in."
On average, front desk administrative assistants earn a lower salary than assistants. Some industries support higher salaries in each profession. Interestingly enough, front desk administrative assistants earn the most pay in the professional industry with an average salary of $34,812. Whereas assistants have higher pay in the education industry, with an average salary of $39,026.In general, front desk administrative assistants achieve similar levels of education than assistants. They're 2.5% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant vs. Administrative assistant/scheduler
Administrative assistants/schedulers schedule company appointments and meetings, answer phone calls, and forward them to relevant staff members. They take meeting minutes and notes, order and take office supplies stock, and prepare documents for business trips and meetings. Besides finding methods to enhance administrative processes, administrative assistants/schedulers also help senior staff or other teams to write and issue emails to team members and company departments. Moreover, these professionals research and book the staff's travel arrangements.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, assistants are more likely to have skills like "cpr," "sales floor," "scheduling appointments," and "food preparation." But a administrative assistant/scheduler is more likely to have skills like "data entry," "excellent interpersonal," "schedule appointments," and "surgery."
Administrative assistant/schedulers make a very good living in the construction industry with an average annual salary of $39,696. On the other hand, assistants are paid the highest salary in the education industry, with average annual pay of $39,026.administrative assistant/schedulers typically earn similar educational levels compared to assistants. Specifically, they're 2.0% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.8% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Assistant vs. Administrative assistant/technical
An administrative assistant/technical is primarily responsible for performing clerical and support tasks in a company, ensuring efficiency and timeliness. They must produce progress reports, process documentation, receive communication letters, manage schedules, and even greet visitors. There are also instances when an administrative assistant/technical has to answer calls and correspondence, respond to inquiries, address issues and concerns, and resolve them promptly and professionally. Furthermore, it is essential to maintain records of all transactions, coordinate with different departments, and adhere to the company's policies and regulations.
Updated January 8, 2025
