The main resource of any organization is its employees. They contribute to the growth and prosperity of production. Competent bosses value their employees. Among other significant posts, the assistant manager is especially notable. Duties and the importance of which is difficult to overestimate. This is the right hand and main adviser, event organizer and meeting coordinator. Without a good assistant, it will be very difficult for a top manager to manage an enterprise.
Distinctive features and specifics of the assistant
There is no such position that would be so contradictory and ambiguous in terms of requirements as an assistant manager. The responsibilities of employees engaged in this type of activity include quite a few points. In addition, personal assistants are often confused with secretaries or office managers. Although they are similar, they are different types of activities.
Functional duties of the assistant manager:
- Ensuring the boss’s working day - schedule, meetings, signing documents and business trips;
- providing a comfortable workplace for a top manager - taking care of the microclimate, cleanliness and comfort of the room;
- work with documents of the head, in particular with incoming letters and calls;
- ensuring the psychological comfort of superiors;
- initial negotiations;
- transfer;
- providing leadership stationery, etc.
This list is much wider than secretarial and administrative duties. However, the specifics faced by the employee in the position of "personal assistant to the head", the responsibilities and nuances of the activity will be different for different employers.
It happens that this is mainly secretarial work. Or the assistant is exclusively engaged in ensuring the comfort and order of the boss. Some assistants are full-fledged deputies and have subordinates of their employees.
The employer's professional inquiries for the candidate for the position of “assistant manager”, duties and requirements for education
Requirements for basic education and work experience will vary, depending on management perceptions. Most often, this vacancy is considered as a starting career. However, a serious top manager will look for oneself as assistants to a person with a certain professional and life experience.
The minimum requirement is secondary education related to administration or jurisprudence. In addition, employers expect the following professional qualities from applicants:
- ability to work in all office programs;
- high speed printing;
- literacy;
- knowledge of at least one foreign language, most often English;
- knowledge of the basics of programming, and non-standard computer programs;
- ability to conduct paperwork and correspondence in accordance with regulatory requirements;
- knowledge of the basics of current legislation;
- competent, delivered speech.
This is the minimum requirements for the applicant for the position of "personal assistant to the head." Responsibilities can also be supplemented, depending on the scope of the organization. At some enterprises, a prerequisite for admission to such work is profile or related education. In addition, additional business education or continuing education courses is considered a big plus.
Assistant Personal Attributes
In addition to professional, a number of personal requirements are presented to the assistant managers.The specifics of the “assistant manager” position, duties and work features require a special character warehouse.
First of all, it is:
- stress resistance - after all, an assistant often has to take the anger of his bosses first and listen to the discontent of his subordinates;
- multitasking - the ability to perform several tasks simultaneously is the most valuable quality of a good assistant;
- positive thinking - without this character trait, the assistant manager will not cope with additional responsibilities, because his activities often go beyond the scope of standard business cooperation;
- high learning ability - the desire to learn new things and to get a good understanding of the workflow should be present in every good assistant.
These are just the basic, basic character traits necessary for each assistant manager for a successful professional career. But the most important personal requirement - the temperament and behavior of the boss and assistant should not dissonate, but ideally complement each other.
General Responsibilities
The assistant works directly with the management of the organization, performing both personal tasks and professional duties. They usually include:
- conducting office work of the head, and in some cases the entire organization. At individual enterprises, assistants manage the organization's secretariat;
- management coordination. Schedule business meetings, remind superiors about events and activities of various kinds;
- conducting correspondence on behalf of the organization;
- reception and redistribution of incoming phone calls;
- providing the head with all the necessary information upon request.
Additional responsibilities of the assistant to the head of the organization
A personal assistant to the head with additional responsibilities and functions is the most common vacancy for this field of activity. Most often, management is looking for a fairly diverse employee, capable of expanding responsibilities.
The most common additional responsibilities are:
- translation from a foreign language, including during negotiations. Not always management can fully trust outside workers, and knowledge of at least English will be very useful here;
- the organization of trips of the head and accompaniment in trips. Such an activity assumes that the assistant will take care of all domestic moments: moving, ordering a taxi and hotel, catering and paperwork;
- escorting superiors to protocol events;
- household services.
This list is far from complete. Most often it’s quite difficult to unambiguously answer the question of what is the responsibility of an assistant manager? This activity is very diverse. Each boss makes his own demands, the main thing is to ensure that all of them are within the law.
Personal Assistant Mode
One of the main features of this activity is the dependence of the employee's working hours on management. Of course, a working day of eight hours is normatively prescribed. In fact, the assistants compare their regime with the bosses.
This “blurring” of working time, and the need to always keep in touch with management, often scares graduates from these vacancies. In fact, you have to work no more than in any other place. It's just that the time of rest and work becomes unstable.
Job Description Assistant Manager
The structure of the post "assistant manager", duties, requirements for education and work experience should be spelled out in the job description. This is a document that provides transparency of management requirements and easy control over the performance of employee duties.
The job description is normative and binding.This document spells out all the subtleties of the work of an assistant manager. This is practically a guide to action. The document includes not only duties, but also rights, responsibilities and features of the resolution of labor disputes.
In connection with the specifics of the activities of the assistant manager, the preparation of his job description should be treated with special attention. Be sure to prescribe the features of work, the nuances of organizing the time of work and rest, compensation for processing.
It is necessary to distinguish the job description of the assistant from the same document for the position of “assistant project manager. ” The duties of the latter are often temporary, as is the work itself.
In addition, the job description should clearly state the name of the position. Most often indicate “secretary”, “secretary-referent”, “direction manager”. Carefully ensure that this entry is consistent with current regulations and is up to date.
What to indicate in the executive assistant resume
The position of personal assistant is a great start for a graduate career. Thus, you can get your first job and get incomparable professional experience. However, for job seekers with experience this vacancy may seem interesting. Especially if you plan to change the scope of activity.
Knowing the main responsibilities of an assistant manager, it is not difficult to write a resume. This document assumes that you have read the theoretical part of the question and are ready to start work. Carefully study the requirements for the applicant and start writing the text.
Data that must be indicated in the resume for the vacancy “assistant” or “personal assistant to the head”:
- The full name of the surname and patronymic, in the resume for a foreign company, only the first two are permissible.
- Family status. This is a mandatory point - the position of assistant assumes often irregular working hours. One must be sure that such a schedule will not adversely affect family responsibilities.
- Education. Indicated in chronological order. If you are still studying, be sure to check how long it will take to complete. Often, employers take as final assistants students of the last courses, followed by career advancement. Here also indicate the knowledge of a foreign language and the level of proficiency in it.
- Experience. Indicate from the last. If not already, then list your volunteer projects, participation in community activities or professional organizations, training practices, and other suitable activities. If you can’t provide anything, take a characterization at the graduating department and write that you are ready to provide it.
- Personal characteristics. Give yourself the most truthful assessment. Describe the character in terms of classical psychology and be sure to note your strengths and weaknesses.
- Additional information. Here you should write why the employer should choose you from other applicants. In addition, be sure to indicate additional skills, such as having a driver’s license. Even at this point it will be useful to write about the availability of additional education, continuing education courses, business education.
- Contacts. Leave as many ways as possible to contact you: cell and home phone, email address, skype, link to a page on a social network. Indicate only current data.
A correctly compiled resume will not go unnoticed by the employer.
Responsibilities of the Assistant Head of Unit
Typically, job seekers are looking for a job as a personal assistant manager. But it’s easier to start promotion in this career niche, with the position of “assistant manager sales department". The duties of this employee are not so voluminous, but the experience and prospects are incomparably greater.
The main difference between assistant managers of departments in their more specific and narrowly focused activities. They perform work related to a specific area of production or management. This experience is invaluable for further career advancement.
The duties of the assistant to the head of the unit include all the same as those of the head of the enterprise. But there is a special specificity:
- the need to thoroughly know the essence of the production, management or trading process of the unit;
- contact with assistants from other departments and an assistant to the general director;
- keep specific documentation of the unit.
Career prospects of a personal assistant
Young people see this post as a career start. However, you must distinguish what kind of promotion you want. Horizontal or vertical? At this enterprise, or is this just the starting line in a future resume? The strategy for further actions depends on the answers to these questions.
The management appreciates good assistants, and this, unfortunately, is bad for their career growth. The boss does not want to let go of the ideal employee, agrees to raise his salary and gives additional benefits - this is an option for a horizontal career. Most common among personal assistants.
The easiest way is to move up the career ladder in a particular organization from the position of assistant head of unit. Such positions are often taken with the prospect of knowing the employee better and training. If you want a vertical career, then this is your way.
The position of assistant manager is not visible to the outside eye, but very significant for the organization. A competent assistant is able to improve the efficiency of the bosses and thereby provide more profit to the enterprise.
