Information for administrative professionals, executive assistants and administrative assistants


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Featured Administrative Professional Job Description:  Landscape Architecture


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Current job title:  Administrative Assistant

 

Industry:  Landscape Architecture Firm

 

Department: 

 

Years worked in this industry:  8

 

Years worked in this department:  6

 

Special training or attributes needed or helpful to get job in this industry (or specific department):  The ability to multi-task is critical when working as support staff for many project managers, as well as knowing how to prioritize work requests.

 

Number of managers and/or staff supported:  5

 

Typical work hours:  7:30-4:30 M-TH, 7:30 –1:30 F

 

Weekends or overtime hours:  Not often, and I am not paid overtime

 

General salary range (Note: This is a general figure or range provided by survey respondent and may NOT be an exact salary in order to give survey respondent some privacy. Also you must take into account that the number of years worked in industry/department may contribute to this salary as well as criteria such as level of position and person reports to, required hours and geographical location.):  $27,00 - $33,000

 

Benefits (direct or indirect):  The greatest benefit this position offered me – why I returned to it is FLEXIBLITY! It is a small firm owned and managed by two lovely folks who understood what my goals were. Tangible benefits: I have health insurance, a contribution by the company via profit sharing as retirement (not much), the ability to participate in a 401 K plan, A flex health plan and a generous sick leave and vacation plan.

 

Lingo you might hear in this industry: 

Master Planning – planning the overall use of a site.

 

Storm water runoff studies – studies of water that runs after rains and where it goes.

 

Agency Terms: the Corp= U.S. Army Corp of Engineers

DWQ= Department of Water Quality

 

A typical day on the job:  Hike to the office from the parking lot – 3 blocks. Arrive between 7:15-7:30. Turn on the equipment, make the coffee, do what ever is in my “in” box first: typing correspondence, pulling a plant list. Outgoing mail prep. Go for the mail at 9:30 daily, this involves a three-block walk to the post office. Sort the mail. Prepare and take the bank deposit if needed. Filing to job notebooks, filing plans. Errands to the local municipal planning departments or other office errands. Data entry for timesheets, and accounting purposes. Project research via the Internet. Copy plans, Update lists: plant list, job list, product/manufacturer lists. Download and scan photos. Organize into job folders in computer. Organizing meetings and functions as needed. Primary task is to answer the phones and greet customers and vendors, and to facilitate the productivity of the landscape architects by insuring they have the resources and time that they need.

 

Positive things about being an administrative professional in this industry:  I get to see all the nifty plants available that the general public doesn’t know about. Ready access to folks who can tell you what to plant where. A better knowledge of the process for site planning and municipal approval of different types of projects.

 

Negative things about being an administrative professional in this industry:  At times there is not enough real work to do, and all my filler projects are done, it can be boring.

 

Type of workspace/office:  an open space in the reception area of the office

 

Primary responsibilities as an administrative professional in this position: 

1. Customer contact – phones and greeting walk ins.

 

2. Data entry: for correspondence or accounting purposes.

 

3. GIS & product research

 

4. Facilitate project managers’ productivity by doing whatever is required: copies, typing, inventory, research, product catalog management, and errands.
 

Top thing(s) incumbent admin would require of job applicants seeking to be her/his position replacement:  A good sense of humor, the ability to handle stressful situations as well as boredom, the ability to multi-task and prioritize work requests.

 

Office machines or equipment operated regularly:  Computer, large format copier, copier, plotter, scanner, typewriter, and fax machine.

 

Technology (hard) skills used regularly:  Typing for word processing and data entry. Graphics for photography editing. Juggling a multi-line phone system. Filing, Filing, and more Filing!

 

Critical soft skills:  Soothing impatient clients and grumpy contractors. Multi-tasking for multiple managers.

 

Pace of this position:  Average

 

Geographical region:  Southeast U.S.


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