How to Learn More About Administrative Careers

One of the problems I remember encountering in high school and college was finding good information about different careers. This article is the second in a series where I've researched basic information about careers, in this case administrative positions. I hope you find the information useful and helpful.

1) First, there is some research on accounting careers that you can do at home or at school. A good place to start is the Occupational Outlook Handbook.

I've included links to areas of the site you may find useful specifically for administrative careers at the end of this article. Feel free to explore the site yourself as well, which is operated by the U.S. Department of Labor. You can find information such as average salaries, educational requirements, typical working conditions, and expected future growth of many careers.

2) If you're still in high school or college, see if you can arrange an internship where you can work with an administrative assistant or manager.

This will help you test drive the career and see if you'd actually like it long-term.

3) If you can't find a long-term opportunity, an alternative is getting permission to spend a day with someone.

While you won't get the same amount of experience out of it, it's better than leaping into the career without knowing what to expect.

More Tips:

• Administrative positions vary widely, so if possible while you're planning or attending college you may want to research the different areas that interest you the most. This way you can pursue those options and not spend as much time on aspects you don't enjoy.
• Realize that your career is a process and that you don't have to know everything in your late teens and early 20s. Having an idea of what to expect however can help you decide if something interests you or not.

Resources:

Occupational Outlook Handbook
Secretary and Administrative Assistant Information
Occupation Search