What does a Program Assistant do?
Program assistants are usually entry-level or junior employees assigned to a department that handles a specific program in the organization. They assist the team they are assigned to in the implementation of the programs. They usually take care of administrative or clerical activities while also getting exposure to actual program management. Program assistants get trained to handle agendas from inception, to sourcing, to implementation, to evaluation. They may also handle documentary support for business cases or other presentation materials that the team may need for a specific part of the program management cycle.
Program assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real program assistant resumes:
- Lead classes in anatomy/physiology, medical terminology, transcription.
- Manage oversight of budget/finance, personnel and continuous program improvement.
- Assist in achieving and maintaining DoD certification and national accreditation where applicable.
- Instruct students in C++ and Java programming, robot design and construction.
- Introduce students to various computer pro- gramming languages (HTML, CSS, JavaScript).
- Present information about RSVP to community organizations.
- Learned many specialize USDA computer programs to create contracts and other require documentation.
- Provide technical assistance to loan closing participants regarding FSA procedural requirements for loan closing.
- Plan and implement the AmeriCorps program.
- Develop and write code in Java.
- Train staff and customer providing hands-on care and compassion.
- Work with the GIS system for the mapping of farm locations.
- Assist in the creating, editing and proofreading of committee reports.
- Create scripts and programs for GIS data manipulation and automate map generation.
- Educate youth k-12 on a variety of classes in and outdoor classroom.
Program assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Program Assistants are proficient in Patients, Customer Service, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Compassion, Problem-solving skills, and Time-management skills.
We break down the percentage of Program Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Patients, 12%
Transition Coordinator Assistant supporting the Program Transition Coordinator assisting on correspondences when dealing with patients transitioning to the adult care.
- Customer Service, 9%
Provide administrative support and customer service related to enrollment and assist the Director and Assistant Director with program administration.
- Data Entry, 8%
Conducted intake and interviewed clients; maintained agency records and Welfare Management System; ensured accurate documentation for data entry.
- HR, 6%
Performed HR functions including entry of payroll and monitoring of staff certification requirements.
- Excellent Interpersonal, 6%
Utilized excellent interpersonal skills during daily parents meetings to discuss the on-ice progress of their children.
- Data Collection, 4%
Enhance data collection processes by developing efficient compilation methods, strict guideline adherence and maintain initiative for gathering all pertinent information.
Common skills that a program assistant uses to do their job include "patients," "customer service," and "data entry." You can find details on the most important program assistant responsibilities below.
Compassion. The most essential soft skill for a program assistant to carry out their responsibilities is compassion. This skill is important for the role because "social and human service assistants often work with people who are in stressful and difficult situations." Additionally, a program assistant resume shows how their duties depend on compassion: "cited for excellence in interpersonal communications, teamwork, compassion, flexibility and reliability. "
Problem-solving skills. Another essential skill to perform program assistant duties is problem-solving skills. Program assistants responsibilities require that "social and human service assistants help clients find solutions to their problems." Program assistants also use problem-solving skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "help build programs; data entry; form creation; student/faculty/staff service; problem resolution; clerical support"
Time-management skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of program assistants is time-management skills. This skill is critical to many everyday program assistant duties, as "social and human service assistants often work with many clients." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "maintain supervisor and bureau calendars for scheduling appointments, deadlines, arrangements for meetings, travel and program / project responsibilities. "
Interpersonal skills. program assistant responsibilities often require "interpersonal skills." The duties that rely on this skill are shown by the fact that "social and human service assistants must make their clients feel comfortable discussing sensitive issues." This resume example shows what program assistants do with interpersonal skills on a typical day: "maintained cpr and first aid certifications and participated in ongoing sensitivity and interpersonal workshops to meet the clients' needs. "
Communication skills. Another common skill required for program assistant responsibilities is "communication skills." This skill comes up in the duties of program assistants all the time, as "social and human service assistants talk with clients about the challenges in their lives and assist them in getting help." An excerpt from a real program assistant resume shows how this skill is central to what a program assistant does: "provided support to department as necessary (phone, communications, scheduling appointments, specified projects within office and studio. )"
Organizational skills. Lastly, "organizational skills" is an important element of what a program assistant does. Program assistant responsibilities require this skill because "social and human service assistants must often complete lots of paperwork and work with many different clients." This resume example highlights how program assistant duties rely on this skill: "created dynamic organizational literature, from flyers to advertising, to press releases, covering a variety of topics. "
The three companies that hire the most program assistants are:
- Johns Hopkins University201 program assistants jobs
- Brookdale Senior Living99 program assistants jobs
- ChildServe77 program assistants jobs
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Compare different program assistants
Program assistant vs. Assistant technology coordinator
An assistant program coordinator performs administrative support tasks and assists in organizing programs and activities under a program coordinator's supervision. Their responsibilities typically include monitoring the expenditures and schedules, preparing and processing documents, handling calls and correspondence, creating requests and proposals, communicating with vendors and suppliers, and updating records. They must also assist staff in various tasks and resolve issues promptly and efficiently. When it comes to employment opportunities, an assistant program coordinator may work at learning institutions, government agencies, and private companies.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a program assistant are more likely to require skills like "patients," "customer service," "data entry," and "hr." On the other hand, a job as an assistant technology coordinator requires skills like "crisis intervention," "windows," "staff training," and "medicaid." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Assistant technology coordinators tend to make the most money working in the government industry, where they earn an average salary of $40,524. In contrast, program assistants make the biggest average salary, $41,993, in the government industry.On average, assistant technology coordinators reach similar levels of education than program assistants. Assistant technology coordinators are 0.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Program assistant vs. Assistant program coordinator
An assistant program manager takes supervision of the employees within an organization. Assistant program managers provide help in projects' practical management systematically. They plan and monitor project budgets and work calendar. Part of their job is to work on projects with cross-functional teams. They manage and deliver the application programs of the companies. Also, they make an arrangement of program activities based on the set deadline. Skills necessary for this job include customer service, program management, and communication skills.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real program assistant resumes. While program assistant responsibilities can utilize skills like "patients," "customer service," "data entry," and "hr," assistant program coordinators use skills like "mental health," "professional development," "crisis intervention," and "community agencies."
Assistant program coordinators earn a higher average salary than program assistants. But assistant program coordinators earn the highest pay in the government industry, with an average salary of $41,967. Additionally, program assistants earn the highest salaries in the government with average pay of $41,993 annually.assistant program coordinators earn similar levels of education than program assistants in general. They're 4.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.2% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for Program Assistants in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Sheying Chen Ph.D.
Professor of Public Administration/Social Policy, Pace University
Program assistant vs. Assistant program manager
Assistant program leaders are skilled professionals who are responsible for assisting program leaders in executing activities related to the goals and objectives of an organization. These assistant program leaders must train employees about the daily operations and quality performance to achieve improvements in their productivity. They are required to provide outstanding customer service to develop relationships and earn a reputation for increasing customer satisfaction. Assistant program leaders must also lead the assigned team to communicate the organization's sales goals that drove maximum results.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, program assistants are more likely to have skills like "patients," "data entry," "excellent interpersonal," and "word processing." But a assistant program manager is more likely to have skills like "program management," "apm," "kids," and "mental health."
Most assistant program managers achieve a similar degree level compared to program assistants. For example, they're 4.8% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.4% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Program assistant vs. Assistant program leader
Types of program assistant
Updated January 8, 2025
