What does a general assistant do?

General Assistants are responsible for providing administrative assistance to department teams and executive management of an organization. Their duties include organizing meetings and event schedules, book meeting rooms, answer incoming phone calls, reply emails, and respond to queries. They are responsible for replenishing office supplies and undertaking clerical tasks such as printing, scanning, and photocopying. General Assistants also liaise with contractors and building managers to ensure maintenance work is handled promptly without inconvenience.
General assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real general assistant resumes:
- Manage branches providing information technology support, logistics, training and operational support.
- Improve and prepare visual presentation materials for executive-level meetings using PowerPoint.
- Handle VIP arrangements, coordinate all interdepartmental meetings and correspondence, compile and produce reports for internal and external management.
- Create personalization with customers through``Facebook"uploading various photos and upcoming events.
- Maintain I9's and EEO's for multiple job units.
- Schedule outside radiology testing, requesting prior authorization when necessary.
- Process purchase requisitions through PeopleSoft system.
- Update PeopleSoft with regard to employment information.
General assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 17% of General Assistants are proficient in Customer Service, HR, and Payroll. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Writing skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of General Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Customer Service, 17%
Answered phones and scheduled appointments Provided top-notch customer service Maintained a clean work environment Sold products for company and gained commission
- HR, 12%
Managed HR agent relationships and conducted candidate screening.
- Payroll, 7%
Reviewed and submitted weekly report to payroll company for payroll preparation.
- General Assistance, 6%
Provide case management services and supports to families and individuals receiving general assistance benefits
- Dental Procedures, 6%
Experienced in dental procedures for oral examination and routine restorations.
- General Maintenance, 5%
General maintenance of the entire facility including electric repairs.
Most general assistants use their skills in "customer service," "hr," and "payroll" to do their jobs. You can find more detail on essential general assistant responsibilities here:
Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for a general assistant to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what general assistants do because "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Additionally, a general assistant resume shows how general assistants use interpersonal skills: "provided customer service to students demonstrating excellent verbal and interpersonal communication skills"
Writing skills. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling general assistant duties is writing skills. The role rewards competence in this skill because "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." According to a general assistant resume, here's how general assistants can utilize writing skills in their job responsibilities: "bank deposits, writing checks, reconciled bank accounts, credit card accounts. "
Organizational skills. This is an important skill for general assistants to perform their duties. For an example of how general assistant responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a general assistant: "maintained and updated company organizational charts, phone directory and other requested reports as needed. ".
The three companies that hire the most general assistants are:
- Target28 general assistants jobs
- Billings Middle School9 general assistants jobs
- Soliant7 general assistants jobs
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General 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 a general assistant are more likely to require skills like "payroll," "general assistance," "dental procedures," and "general maintenance." 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, general assistants make the biggest average salary, $34,445, in the hospitality industry.clerks's assistant/administrative assistant tend to reach similar levels of education than general assistants. In fact, clerks's assistant/administrative assistant are 3.5% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% less likely to have a Doctoral Degree.General assistant vs. Assistant secretary
An assistant secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of various departments and management personnel and ensure the efficiency of business functions. Assistant secretaries usually assist in business communications, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, reaching out to existing clients to schedule appointments, welcoming guests on the office, and routing calls to the appropriate department. They also handle data entry procedures, updating customer information on the database, as well as creating reports on business and financial transactions.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that general assistant responsibilities requires skills like "customer service," "general assistance," "dental procedures," and "general maintenance." But an assistant secretary might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "direct calls," "word processing," "federal agencies," and "administrative tasks."
Assistant secretaries earn similar levels of education than general assistants in general. They're 1.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.8% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General assistant vs. Operations administrator assistant
An operations administrator assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks while overseeing the operations within a company or organization. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around answering inquiries within the workplace, responding to clients' calls and questions, managing schedules, arranging appointments, and maintaining accurate records of all transactions among employees, clients, and vendors. There are also instances where one must assist senior administrators with their travel arrangements and help staff with complex issues. Furthermore, as an assistant, it is essential to implement the policies and regulations of the company.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from general assistant resumes include skills like "hr," "general assistance," "dental procedures," and "general maintenance," whereas an operations administrator assistant is more likely to list skills in "data entry," "provides administrative support," "purchase orders," and "word processing. "
Operations administrator assistants make a very good living in the energy industry with an average annual salary of $38,966. On the other hand, general assistants are paid the highest salary in the hospitality industry, with average annual pay of $34,445.Most operations administrator assistants achieve a similar degree level compared to general assistants. For example, they're 2.8% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 1.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.General 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.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between general assistants and administrative assistant/technicals, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a general assistant might have more use for skills like "customer service," "general assistance," "dental procedures," and "general maintenance." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of administrative assistant/technicals require skills like "patients," "data entry," "access database," and "purchase orders. "
Administrative assistant/technicals enjoy the best pay in the manufacturing industry, with an average salary of $42,925. For comparison, general assistants earn the highest salary in the hospitality industry.The average resume of administrative assistant/technicals showed that they earn similar levels of education compared to general assistants. So much so that theyacirc;euro;trade;re 2.7% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree by 1.3%.Updated January 8, 2025











