What does a work study office assistant do?
A work-study office assistant is a student who works part-time at campus offices where they are primarily in charge of performing clerical support tasks. Their responsibilities often include handling calls and correspondence, preparing and processing documents, disseminating documents, gathering document signatures, greeting office visitors, setting-up facilities, and running errands. Depending upon their office of employment, they may also participate in conducting research, grading the students' quizzes and tests, making learning materials such as handouts and presentations, and organizing equipment.
Work study office assistant responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real work study office assistant resumes:
- Manage operational FedEx relationship through order fulfillment, shipment tracking, and communication with parties involve in shipment transaction.
- Prepare PowerPoint presentations for advisors classes.
- Develop a PowerPoint slideshow used for new applicants.
- Learned interpersonal communication and organization.
- Learned interpersonal communication and organization.
Work study office assistant skills and personality traits
We calculated that 20% of Work Study Office Assistants are proficient in Work-Study, Customer Service, and Data Entry. They’re also known for soft skills such as Customer-service skills, Detail oriented, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Work Study Office Assistants that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Work-Study, 20%
Awarded Assistant to English as a Second Language office contract position based on work-study accomplishments and department value.
- Customer Service, 18%
Developed communication skills through customer service Created new, more efficient mail-sorting system for offices in Athletics Association
- Data Entry, 13%
Provided administrative support to faculty through office reception, answering and redirecting phones while filing confidential records and performing confidential data entry
- Financial Aid, 9%
Assisted Financial Aid and Counseling personnel while utilizing general office equipment.
- Front Desk, 6%
Communicated with students and co-workers to answer questions and disseminate information at the front desk and on the telephone.
- Phone Calls, 6%
Assisted data manager by scheduling orientation attendees, making reminder phone calls, and creating individualized education plans.
"work-study," "customer service," and "data entry" are among the most common skills that work study office assistants use at work. You can find even more work study office assistant responsibilities below, including:
Customer-service skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a work study office assistant to have is customer-service skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "general office clerks often provide general information to company staff, customers, or the public." Work study office assistants often use customer-service skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "assisted in scheduling appointments and meeting with customers. "
Detail oriented. Another essential skill to perform work study office assistant duties is detail oriented. Work study office assistants responsibilities require that "general office clerks perform many clerical tasks that require attention to detail, such as preparing bills." Work study office assistants also use detail oriented in their role according to a real resume snippet: "assisted students and provided detailed information on class schedules. "
Organizational skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of work study office assistants is organizational skills. This skill is critical to many everyday work study office assistant duties, as "general office clerks file and retrieve records." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "required computer and organizational skills through utilizing microsoft excel and microsoft office programs to file confidential documents. "
The three companies that hire the most work study office assistants are:
- Guilford Technical Community College8 work study office assistants jobs
- University of Florida6 work study office assistants jobs
- Bridgewater State University5 work study office assistants jobs
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Work study office assistant vs. Office worker
An office worker is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of the business. Office workers assist in receiving calls to respond to the clients' inquiries and concerns, as well as welcoming visitors, verifying their appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel and department for their business needs. They also do data processing, sorting mail, and filing documents for easy retrieval and reference, especially during meetings and company activities.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a work study office assistant are more likely to require skills like "work-study," "financial aid," "phone calls," and "office support." On the other hand, a job as an office worker requires skills like "payroll," "computer programs," "credit card," and "computer software." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Office workers earn the highest salaries when working in the education industry, with an average yearly salary of $40,267. On the other hand, work study office assistants are paid more in the education industry with an average salary of $25,852.office workers tend to reach similar levels of education than work study office assistants. In fact, office workers are 0.7% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to have a Doctoral Degree.Work study office assistant vs. Office clerk
Office clerks are administrative employees who handle clerical activities for the organization. They are in charge of managing company records, organizing and storing documents, filing and sorting hard copies of documents, and liaising with other departments or external partners. They are also in charge of handling and scheduling meetings and appointments, managing the reservation of office meeting rooms, and manning telephone lines. Office clerks may also be in charge of ordering office supplies, preparing purchase requisitions for office needs, sending out and receiving official company documents, and other correspondences.
In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, work study office assistant responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "work-study," "financial aid," "phone calls," and "office support." Meanwhile, an office clerk has duties that require skills in areas such as "payroll," "hr," "bank deposits," and "purchase orders." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.
Office clerks earn a higher average salary than work study office assistants. But office clerks earn the highest pay in the transportation industry, with an average salary of $31,504. Additionally, work study office assistants earn the highest salaries in the education with average pay of $25,852 annually.office clerks earn similar levels of education than work study office assistants in general. They're 0.7% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Work study office assistant vs. Office support specialist
An office support specialist is in charge of performing clerical tasks to help offices maintain a smooth workflow. Among their responsibilities include preparing and processing documents, answering calls and correspondence, disseminating and organizing files, monitoring the inventory of office supplies, and processing procurement requests should there be any. They may also assist staff with projects and programs, greet visitors, and coordinate with different company departments. Furthermore, an office support specialist must enforce the company's policies and regulations.
There are many key differences between these two careers, including some of the skills required to perform responsibilities within each role. For example, a work study office assistant is likely to be skilled in "work-study," "financial aid," "scheduling appointments," and "bulletin boards," while a typical office support specialist is skilled in "provides administrative support," "human resources," "office procedures," and "payroll."
Office support specialists earn the best pay in the finance industry, where they command an average salary of $41,711. Work study office assistants earn the highest pay from the education industry, with an average salary of $25,852.When it comes to education, office support specialists tend to earn similar degree levels compared to work study office assistants. In fact, they're 1.7% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.2% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Work study office 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.
Types of work study office assistant
Updated January 8, 2025











