Job Description

An administrator will have a certain degree of control and management over certain processes or certain system within a company, this may be computer based or a manual system. They will also provide general administration support.

Entry Requirements

There are various ways in which you can get into this job role and the entry requirements can vary depending on what you choose to do:

A college course

You could do a college course, which would teach you some of the skills and knowledge you need in this job. Relevant subjects include a Level 2 or 3 Diploma in Business and Administration.

You'll usually need:

2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course

The following local colleges offer courses in Business:

Or your local 6th form may offer a relevant course

An Apprenticeship

You could get into this job through an intermediate apprenticeship in business administration, or a business administrator advanced apprenticeship.

You'll usually need:

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship

Click here to search for an apprenticeship.

Direct application

You could apply directly to become an admin assistant.

Employers may expect you to have:

5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent qualifications, including English and maths
telephone, typing or IT skills

Career tips

Time management and the ability to prioritise tasks is really important in administration. This could be tested at interview. For example, you might be given some tasks to complete and asked to arrange them in order of importance.

Volunteering and experience
You could volunteer with a charity in an office based role to get some experience and skills that are useful for administration work.

Career Path and Progression

With experience, you could progress from admin assistant to supervisor or office manager. You could also move into other departments such as IT or accounting.

With further training, you could specialise in an area like legal, financial or medical administration.

Related careers you may be interested in:

Data entry clerk
Health records clerk
Hotel receptionist
Local government administrative assistant
Personal assistant

Required Skills

Good organisational skills
Excellent verbal communication skills
Strong IT skills
A methodical approach
The ability to work well with others
To be flexible and open to change

Salary Range

£14,000 to £30,000

Administration Assistant