So You Want To Be An... Office Manager
The Office Manager has the important role of ensuring that everything in the office runs smoothly, overseeing staff training and duties, overall office efficiency and streamlining the companys functions.
The typical Office Manager role would suit someone who strives for organisation and efficiency, and who can work well under pressure. Because the role involves leading an often large team alongside other management duties, you need to be a leader with a level head.
Think it might be the career move for you? Then keep reading! In this article we will look at the fundamentals of the office manager position, including roles and responsibilities, typical salaries and benefits, and the career training and experience needed to progress in this profession.
The Ideal Candidate
If you arent sure if the job is for you, then take a look at some of the key characteristics that companies categorise as ideal for someone interested in becoming an office manager:
- Excellent spoken and written communication skills
- The ability to work well under pressure
- The ability to lead and delegate
- Excellent people skills
- Excellent organisation skills
- Computer literate
What Does The Job Entail?
- Office managers have varying roles and responsibilities, and some may vary depending on the company and the team you work with. Here are some of the tasks you can expect to perform as part of your job:
- Delegating and organising workloads
- Managing staff and helping them to organise and prioritise workloads, meet deadlines, etc.
- Use a range of computer software packages including Microsoft Office Suite
- Answering calls/emails/faxes from clients
- Interviewing potential candidates for office-based positions
- Manage office spending budgets
- Managing general upkeep of the office facility (carrying out health & safety checks, arranging repair work, etc.)
- General admin work
Qualifications and Career Training
Becoming an office manager does not require a university degree or equivalent, but it is advisable to gain some form of training and education that can aid you in the administrative tasks during the job.
At Pitman Training Swords we offer a range of different courses for getting into the secretary profession:
Business Documentation Production - As creating business documents is something your admin staff will take care of, it is essential that as the office manager you are able to support them in this task.
Communication at Work A vital part of managing an office is being able to communicate clearly and in a professional manner with your team and your management. This course will enable you to improve their written and verbal skills in a work environment.
Microsoft Word 2010 Proficient Understanding how to use the software included in the Microsoft Office 2010 suite is one of the vital requirements of office management positions. If you arent confident at all with it, then start off with this Proficient course and progress to the Expert course.
Microsoft Word 2010 Expert For those who already have a good understanding of Microsoft Word 2010, the Expert course will help you to use the software to its full potential, outlining how to use the advanced tools it offers.
Microsoft Outlook 2010 As dealing with emails plays a large part in the office manager role, it is important to have an in depth understanding of the email software used in the office, and all its features.
Microsoft Excel 2010 Proficient Spreadsheets are one of the fundamental skills required by office managers, and so becoming proficient in Excel is a must. This course will take you through the complex features of the software at an easy to follow pace, ensuring everyone can understand and comfortably use the software.
Microsoft Excel 2010 Expert When you have mastered the basics of the Excel spreadsheets software and have an understanding of its uses, the Expert course will take a more in depth look at how to use its features to perform tasks at an advanced level.
Working Hours, Salaries and Benefits of Office Managers
Now for the juicy bit! The typical full time office manager will work Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm as office hours dictate. However, there are often times where it may be required for the manager to come in early and/or stay late during busy periods.
The starting salary of an office manager with under 5 years experience is between 25,000 and 40,000 per year depending on location. As experience grows past 5 years the top end salary can be up to 55,000.
Benefits typically include pension schemes, health care plans and depending on size of the company there may be a shares and savings option.
So if you think an office manager position might be the one for you and you would like more information about getting training and qualifications in this profession, dont hesitate to call us on 01 8404075 or email swords@pitman-training.net. Alternatively you can drop into our training centre in the Chamber Buildings on North Street, Swords and one of our helpful support team will be able to advise you on whats best for you.
SWORDS
