What does a department assistant do?
A department assistant is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support and ensure the smooth operations of an entire department. Department assistants manage meeting calendars, book travel appointments, assist with company events, respond to clients' inquiries and requests through phone calls or personal visits, update customer records, organize electronic files, create business proposals, and monitor supplies. A department assistant must have excellent organizational and communication skills, as well as the ability to multitask under minimal supervision.
Department assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real department assistant resumes:
- Manage and develop the daily clinical schedule for the in-patient rehabilitation staff taking into consideration Medicare guidelines and staffing ratios.
- Team player/adaptable HIPPA compliant, CPR certify.
- Maintain and process Kronos time and attendance records for department employees.
- Perform CPR and assist in critical care room with traumas and arrests.
- Clean windows, glass partitions, or mirrors, using soapy water or other cleaners.
- Prepare and submit time to Kronos system biweekly and Lawson swift maker schedule for staff.
- Repair or replace windows, doors, window screens and frames, including glass and hardware.
- Complete all POS opening and closing procedures, including counting the content of the cash register.
- Examine and answer interrogatories and information subpoenas.
- Process bi-weekly payroll forms for union eligible employees and maintain departmental personnel files.
- Communicate effectively with numerous coordinators worldwide via email/phone for their respective trauma education needs.
- Help put together a PowerPoint presentation being used at registration informing new patrons of policies/procedures.
- Perform registration and admission process for patients and maintain confidentiality of patient's records and communications.
- Greet and assist patients, supervise patient registration and scheduling and handle insurance and financial services.
- Collaborate with other department coordinators and building and district administrators to communicate and implement policy to teaching staff.
Department assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Department Assistants are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, and Writing skills.
We break down the percentage of Department Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 15%
Performed registration and admission process for patients and maintain confidentiality of patient's records and communications.
- Customer Service, 15%
Excelled in customer service through floral department oversight which included inventory monitoring, product maintenance and garden consulting to customers.
- Data Entry, 8%
Received a one-time bonus for continuing to ensure accuracy of financial transactions entered by support staff in data entry department.
- Word Processing, 6%
Researched and analyzed qualitative and quantitative information, and performed word processing for the IMF World Economic Outlook publication.
- Purchase Orders, 5%
Analyzed data and determined additional handling - assisted department bookkeeper with generating and posting purchase orders, and reconciled invoices
- Payroll, 4%
Provide administrative and coordination assistance to the Research/Grant Department, Development Department, Payroll Department and Clinical Department.
"patients," "customer service," and "data entry" are among the most common skills that department assistants use at work. You can find even more department assistant responsibilities below, including:
Interpersonal skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a department assistant to have is interpersonal skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Department assistants often use interpersonal skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "general office duties as assigned skills used microsoft office suite 2010 customer service interpersonal skills"
Organizational skills. Many department assistant duties rely on organizational skills. "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently.," so a department assistant will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways department assistant responsibilities rely on organizational skills: "assist professor jocelyne kolb with organizational and clerical tasks * organize departmental events and presentations second hamburger frauenhaus, hamburg, germany"
Writing skills. department assistants are also known for writing skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to department assistant responsibilities, because "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." A department assistant resume example shows how writing skills is used in the workplace: "work included teller duties, administrative ad-hoc projects, hr record keeping, compliance, loan underwriting and financial analysis. "
The three companies that hire the most department assistants are:
- Kroger32 department assistants jobs
- McDonald's7 department assistants jobs
- Cleveland Clinic7 department assistants jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable department assistant resume templates
Build a professional department assistant resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your department assistant resume.
Compare different department assistants
Department assistant vs. Administrative assistant/communications
An administrative assistant for communications is responsible for handling administrative duties to ensure that corporate communications and announcements are disseminated across the organization and media platforms appropriately. Administrative assistants for communications review documents and files to check for accuracy and conduct revisions as needed before publication. They also manage media relations, create promotional campaigns, and coordinate with clients for any important updates regarding business performance. An administrative assistant for communications must be highly reliable and organizational to work under minimal supervision and meet strict deadlines.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a department assistant are more likely to require skills like "patients," "customer service," "patient care," and "sales floor." On the other hand, a job as an administrative assistant/communications requires skills like "office management," "calendar management," "press releases," and "community outreach." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Administrative assistants/communications tend to reach similar levels of education than department assistants. In fact, administrative assistants/communications are 0.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.6% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Department 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.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, department assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "patients," "payroll," "patient care," and "sales floor." Meanwhile, a clerk's assistant/administrative assistant has duties that require skills in areas such as "dmv," "direct calls," "quickbooks," and "bank deposits." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
In general, clerks's assistant/administrative assistant achieve similar levels of education than department assistants. They're 3.1% less likely to obtain a Master's Degree while being 0.6% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Department assistant vs. Program and administrative assistant
The Program and Administrative assistant work alongside a company's admin to manage all administrative tasks and activities. The program and administrative assistant work in both clerical duties and organizing files and storage. Included are making and receiving calls, setting, reminding, and following-up appointments, meetings, and events. The program and administrative assistant acts as the primary contact person of the administration and may be tasked to do a lot of clerical work. If you are interested in this position, you can start now.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from department assistant resumes include skills like "patients," "customer service," "patient care," and "sales floor," whereas a program and administrative assistant is more likely to list skills in "database management," "routine correspondence," "program support," and "background checks. "
When it comes to education, program and administrative assistants tend to earn similar degree levels compared to department assistants. In fact, they're 1.2% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Department 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.
Types of department assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
