Administration support is one of the largest occupations in the United States. According the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Occupation Outlook Handbook, in 2000 the number of the country's secretaries and administrative assistants reached 3.9 million.
Automation and organizational restructuring have significantly changed the role of the administrative support professional. In addition to the traditional responsibilities of scheduling meetings, managing office phones, and maintaining electronic and paper files, administrative support and secretarial job descriptions are now being expanded to include responsibilities such as Internet research; computer proficiency to create and maintain spreadsheets, databases, and electronic correspondence; and new-staff training. This change has created a number of different levels of administrative support roles, as well as a greater demand for highly skilled, career-oriented administrative professionals.
Many of the additional duties administrative assistants and secretaries have begun to take on were formerly the responsibilities of higher-level managerial staff. At the same time, these staff members have begun sharing responsibilities that have traditionally fallen to administrative support - such as helping to answer phones or maintaining the office supply room.
In many offices today, different tasks fall to different levels of administrative support. For example, executive support personnel may handle more complex tasks - such as preparing financial and statistical reports, training other staff, or managing other clerical workers - than other assistants in the same office.
Other types of administrative assistant roles, such as legal, medical, and dental secretaries, may call for in-depth technical knowledge or specialized expertise. Medical and dental secretaries are often required to transcribe dictation and assist physicians and dentists with reports and other correspondence. Most legal secretaries are expected to be proficient in preparing legal papers such as subpoenas, motions, and summonses.
There are a number of schools and colleges, such as Berks Technical Institute and ICM School of Business & Medical Career, offering specialized programs designed to prepare students for a successful career in administrative support.
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