Look at any job specification for the role of business administration and the same words crop up time and time again – organisational skills; communication skills; initiative; attention to detail and so on.
Indeed at the time of writing there are scores of business administration apprenticeship roles on the Asset Training website. Among the desired skills and personal qualities listed are those mentioned above, as well as other employer favourites – team working, analytical skills, admin skills and patience.
There is a reason for this – the business administrator’s role is pivotal in any company. One of the main purposes of business administration is to oversee the daily operations of an organisation to ensure everything is running efficiently. The smooth running of the company is the business administrator’s key responsibility – that’s everything from ordering stationary to organising away-days.
What is Business Administration?
It’s a broad field that is relevant to many sectors including marketing, local government, human resources, finance, operations management, information systems, food service management, healthcare administration and office management.
The actual role is as equally broad. Business administrators have a highly transferable set of knowledge, skills and behaviours that can be applied in all sectors. Nicola Harris is a case a point.
She has enjoyed a fulfilling career as a business administrator working for various organisations in different fields including inward investment, business support, shipping, fundraising and marketing.
Nicola who currently works for a south of England charity says: “Good communication skills, time management, quick learning, good spelling, an ability to proof read and to think on your feet are essential, as is having a friendly but professional disposition, given that you are often an organisation’s first point of contact to the outside world.”
She adds: “You must be happy to take orders and in some cases be micro-managed, but that doesn’t often happen and really depends on managers and the culture of the organisation. It’s a given that a business administrator can also be expected to show initiative, as Nicola says: “Some administrators can be left to manage themselves and sometimes manage their own projects.
The role though is very broad and it can vary from one organisation to another and tends to involve a wide range of tasks.
“These might include being the first point of contact in an office, emailing or phoning clients, updating the CRM (customer relationship management) system, filing, raising purchase orders, organising meetings, updating websites, researching information, ordering stationery. The list goes on…”
Springboard to career progression
The behaviours and key skills that business administrators develop as they progress are the very ones that can mark them out for management responsibilities. Some of the rock stars of the business world started out in business administration. As Nicola says: “The role is very important but can be overlooked, yet it’s a role that is at the heart of every business or organisation.”
The administration role may be a gateway to further career opportunities, such as management or senior support roles. “As administrators often carry out a wide range of tasks it can be a good springboard into specific areas of an organisation”, says Nicola. “Managing projects could be one area that administrators are good at, given that good administrators need good time management skills and the ability to prioritise their workload.”
Asset Training’s business and administration qualifications are designed to meet the needs of an individual looking to break into office life or meeting the needs of a business which wants to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of its operations.
Our Level 3 qualification is nationally recognised and enables apprentices to develop skills that meet industry standards while providing a flexible programme through tailored units to meet the needs of both employer and employee.
So, whether you’re interested in landing that business-critical job or climbing the career ladder within an established organisation or even one day looking to set up your own business, having business administration skills is a sure way to improve your chances of success.