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3 Actionable Administrative Skills You Can Improve Right Now

21st November 2016

There is a range of administrative skills that you will need to have an understanding of and be competent with when applying for a role. Whether you are applying for an administration, customer service, finance, marketing or any other office role, then you will expect to be comfortable with a computer, have a good telephone manner, keyboard skills and in some instances, basic bookkeeping.

To get you heading in the right direction, we've pulled together a range of free resources that can help you improve these areas.

Administrative Skills You Can Improve Right Now

Excel, Word and Other MS Packages

There are a number of online ‘schools’ that offer free Excel and Word courses. Some even include a Diploma Certification that you can display on LinkedIn or present to employers. ALISON, for example, offers a free Microsoft Excel course that includes a certificate of completion. The majority of the offices in the world use Microsoft Office suite so freshen up your skills to boost your hire-ability.

Recommended resource: ALISON

Learn to Touch Type

It is almost guaranteed that keyboard skills will be required in your office role. Don’t get left behind, there are plenty of touch typing software available freely on the internet. While you are looking for an office role, spend an hour each day practising, improving and mastering the art. Our recommendation for free, easy to learn touch typing software is typingstudy.com With a list of free lessons and resources, everyone can improve their keyboarding skills.

Recommended resource: TypingStudy

Basic Bookkeeping

Although not every office role will require you to perform bookkeeping procedures, it will certainly be an advantage and a selling point that will make you stand out from the crowd! Accruals, debits, assets, liabilities; there are many confusing terms in the field of accounting, so get your head straight and focus on the areas you need to know. Once again there is an abundance of free online resources to get started. You don’t need an AAT qualification to understand the basics of accounting. Our preferred resource is OpenLearn ‘Introduction to bookkeeping and accounting’ course. Created by The Open University outlines the rules of double-entry bookkeeping and how to apply them to a daily role.

Recommended resource: OpenLearn

Whether you are just starting a career in office admin or are an experienced office manager, brushing up your skills will pay dividends in your near-future success. What other skills or resources have you taken advantage of? Share with us in the comments below.