Administrator Job Description
As an administrator, you’ll be responsible for ensuring your company runs efficiently. As well as coordinating and implementing office procedures, you’ll be responsible for specific projects and may even be in charge of a team.
Although the role varies according to the sector, levels of responsibility and the size of the firm, all administrator jobs involve the ability to multi-task. If you are an extremely organised individual and want to take this skill into the workplace, read on to see if a career as an administrator is right for you.
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What are an Administrator’s main duties?
First, we must reiterate the point that your precise duties will depend on where you work and who you work for. However, you can expect to take responsibility for the following:
What is life as an Administrator like?
The role of the administrator is almost entirely office-based no matter which company you work with. Travel may occasionally be required but this depends on the sector you work in. It is still primarily a female dominated area as most new administrator hires tend to be women.
In the vast majority of cases, your work will be typical weekday hours totalling around 40 hours a week. However, there are also flexible working arrangements in place, and smaller businesses are more likely to take on part-time administrators.
What are the different administrator roles?
As every company needs some form of organisation, administrators have their pick of sector. The following is not an exhaustive list but it should give you some idea of the jobs on offer.
Admin Office Support
This is an entry-level role, and daily tasks include handling queries by the phone, email and on social media, typing reports, and letters, photocopying & printing, ordering supplies, setting up meetings & taking minutes.
You are also responsible for updating the company’s computer records, making travel arrangements for staff and greeting visitors at the reception. As well as requiring excellent organisational skills, employees in an Admin Office Support role must excel in English and Mathematics. After several years’ worth of experience, you may be ready to progress to the role of Office Manager or work in a new department such as IT or Accounting. Admin Office Support Jobs
Business Administration
In this role, you are responsible for leading, controlling and organising a firm’s activities. Other duties include recruiting staff, managing income, approving office budgets, attending official functions, helping the company to close deals and handling public relations.
To become a Business Administrator, you need to display an excellent understanding of business matters and possess outstanding motivational skills. Also, successful candidates are expected to show evidence of occasions when they created/enhanced products and helped increase a company’s sales. Business Administration Jobs
Personal Assistant
As a PA, your job is pretty simple; make sure your boss has everything they need! Duties as a personal assistant include managing an executive’s diary, taking calls & messages and managing junior office staff.
As you gain more experience and have the trust of your boss, other tasks might including writing reports, managing budgets or researching projects. If you excel at multitasking, enjoy the challenge of meeting deadlines and demands and can strike up a good rapport with people, a career as a PA could be right up your alley. Personal Assistant Jobs
Senior Administrator
When you achieve the position of senior administrator, you are at the top of the food chain in your field. Typical duties include working with senior staff such as Directors to plan the agendas of meetings, building relationships with important clients and overseeing the company’s administration team.
It will take several years of experience as an admin assistant before you can work your way up the ladder but if you have a degree in a relevant subject, you can speed things up. Senior Administrator Jobs
Human Resources Administrator
In this role, you will complete the required data entry tasks, update personnel files and prepare the requisite documentation for employees and management. As well as communicating with state authorities, you must support HR projects and initiatives, and enter data about new hires to the company’s HRIS. You must also ensure your firm is in compliance with the regulatory framework regarding personnel documentation. The job requires excellent computer skills along with outstanding HR and communication skills. Human Resources Administrator Jobs
Investment Administrator
If you decide to become an investment administrator, you will be responsible for servicing and managing a fund. This involves a group of investors placing their money in financial assets such as shares. As funds are treated as companies, your job is to prepare and publish annual and interim sets of accounts.
Other duties include processing dividend payments, processing paperwork for trades, reconciling daily cash accounts and ensuring the fund is in compliance with anti-money laundering procedures. Necessary skills include excellent numerical & analytical ability, good communication skills, the desire to work long hours and the ability to thrive under extreme pressure. Investment Administrator Jobs
What is the best thing about the role in Administration?
If you enjoy planning things and are extremely organised, becoming an administrator is your chance to make a living doing what you love. There is something very satisfying about going through your To-Do List for the day and ticking every box. You liaise with staff at all levels and the hours you work means you get to enjoy a healthy work-life balance.
What is the worst thing about the role in Administration?
The starting salary for administrators is not particularly high although that changes as you climb the career ladder. It is irritating when staff members don’t understand or appreciate the work that goes on behind the scenes. Finally, the role usually involves supporting colleagues rather than taking control of a project. This is frustrating for anyone who enjoys leading from the front.
Administrator salary expectations
Here is a quick look at the salaries of the different administrator roles mentioned earlier.
| Intermediate | Senior | |
| Admin Clerk | R 11 020 | R 12 481 |
| R 14 166 | R 15 306 | |
| Personal Assistant | R 16 726 | R 23 158 |
| R 20 729 | R 28 134 | |
| Data Capturing | R 9 800 | — |
| R 12 450 | ||
| Secretary | R 16 727 | R 19 967 |
| R 20 696 | R 25 067 | |
| Switchboard & Recepetion | R 9 824 | R 10 400 |
| R 11 093 | R 12 300 | |
| Client & Customer Support | R 15 302 | R 15 865 |
| R 18 713 | R 20 054 | |
| Call Centre Operator | R 14 508 | — |
| R 17 145 | ||
| Human Resources Officer | R 20 065 | R 24 796 |
| R 24 199 | R 31 025 | |
| Health, Safety & Enviroment | R 19 683 | R 24 767 |
| R 24 189 | R 30 606 |
Educational institutions such as Damelin College offer part-time courses in Office Administration and other related subjects. The South African College of Business also offers CIS Professional Qualifications in Business and Management. You can help your cause by earning a professional qualification or by joining an organisation such as the Chartered Secretaries of South Africa.
Again, the employer and sector combination you choose dictates the qualification requirements. While some firms in South Africa will only hire administrators with specific formal qualifications, others are more concerned with experience. If you intend on progressing through the ranks quicker, a Bachelor’s Degree in Law, Secretarial Studies, Business or Management will hasten your ascent.
Certain firms are more impressed with candidates that have relevant work experience than ones with qualifications but no real-world experience. An established work history is essential for senior roles as employers look for maturity. You also need to type extremely quickly; a minimum of 45 words per minute in most roles.
What skills do successful administrators need?
Important skills include:
What are my opportunities for career progression?
One of the best things about a career in administration is the variety of roles on offer. It is a diverse field, so the following employers will need your services:
There is a number of ways to develop your career as an administrator. For example, you can specialise in a field such as law or work as a personal assistant to a company director. Your organisational skills also make you an ideal candidate for a job as an office manager. You can even move into different fields within a company such as Sales and Marketing. In simple terms, qualified, experienced and ambitious administrators in South Africa have little holding them back.
If you liked the information provided in this administrator job description from responsibilities to salary and career path, then the job role in administration be a good fit for you.
