Office Support: Schools and Careers

About Office Support

Office and Administrative Support occupations are an important part of nearly every sector of the economy and encompass a vast range of positions, all of which are administrative in nature (from low- to high-end) and play a vital role within an organization. Positions include, but are not limited to: Secretary and Administrative Assistant; Customer Service Representative; Office Manager or Supervisor; Proofreader; Clerks (e.g., brokerage, insurance, mail, file, court, municipal, license, new account).

The role of the office support professional has evolved significantly over the years, owing its growth and expansion to office automation, technological advancements, and organizational restructuring. As a result, these professionals, depending upon the specific occupation and education level, have taken on responsibilities once handled by management or other professional staffers.

Office support professionals share much in common, including: supporting management in making a business run smoothly and efficiently; using a wide variety of office equipment, computers, and software in their daily tasks; working on tasks, projects, and programs with deadlines; and, supporting or managing processes.

Most individuals work in clean and well-lit offices. Workweeks range from part-time to full-time (40-hours) to long and irregular that, depending upon the role and nature of the business may include evenings, weekends, and holidays.

Some of the more common characteristics and traits that are required and shared in office support roles include:

• effective communications and interpersonal skills
• loyalty and dependability
• oral and written skills
• time and project management abilities
• aptitude for working with office equipment, computers, and software (varies)
• ability to function both independently and as a team member

Office and Administrative Support Education

Education requirements vary greatly and are dependent upon the specific role, specialty area, and at times, the specific industry. While the majority of office support jobs do not require formal education, they do typically require a minimum of a high school diploma; on-the-job training is fairly common under close supervision of an experienced colleague or supervisor.

Some occupations require post-secondary, formal education along with specialized skills and knowledge. Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Desktop Publishing: Generally requires a two- or four-year college degree in graphic arts, graphic communications, or graphic design. Individuals are expected to keep their skills sharp and know how to use the latest graphic design software.
• Brokerage Clerks: Prospective employers generally seek individuals with a two- or four-year college degree more often over those without. Clerks with a Series 7 brokerage license are always more valuable to a current or prospective employer. To obtain a Series 7 license, one is required to pass the General Securities Representative Exam, which enables an individual to become a Registered Representative of a broker-dealer in the U.S.
• Legal, Medical, or Other Specialized Secretaries and Administrative Assistants: In general, those with a college degree are more sought after by prospective employers. Specialized areas require one to attend training programs focused on the industry and its language. Where applicable, specialized certifications may be sought by those with a certain level of experience or who have completed approved training.

Schools for Office Support are listed in the column to the left.

The Subcategories tab lists career specialties for Office Support, each of which has a full page profile on the site.

The Find Schools tab lets you search for schools by field of study, degree level, and location.

The Videos tab lets you watch videos describing many of the career specialties for Office Support.