How to get your Administrative & Accounts Assistant Career started in Kerry - Pitman Training Career Plan Q & A Series

Admin and Office Assistant roles are well suited to candidates who would like to start off with a general background while they decide which area in a business they would be most suited to. Very often the job description of an admin assistant overlaps with that of an accounts assistant, in fact depending on the company and the job titles used by them, they are often one and the same thing. Most careers in accounting usually start with entry level positions in roles such as Accounts Assistant or Accounts Administrator.

From a personality point of view it is essential to have strong office and numerical skills, work well within a team, along with excellent organisational skills and attention to detail. In terms of professional skills needed, strong Microsoft Office and typing skills are needed along with good business communication. Additional skills which are often to your advantage particularly if you are leaning towards an accounting career would be Payroll, Advanced Excel and Accounting skills. Equally these skills also help should you decide to progress to a more secretarial or office management role.

Read on for some commonly asked questions and answers about these careers and hopefully you will be armed with the knowledge you need to make your decision about venturing down this path!

Q What qualifications would you need?

A While you won’t need a degree, you will need foundation qualifications and certification such as a Diploma to get started. Highly regarded courses in Kerry such as the Administrative Assistant Diploma, Office Skills Diploma or Secretarial Diploma with Pitman Training are widely recognised in Industry throughout Ireland.

Q What types of salaries are you look at?

A The average salary using this guide from Payscale for Office Admin staff is currently €25,329 or an Accounts Assistant €27,342 annually. Salary range rises once years of experience rise along with any specialist skills acquired in Payroll, Sage Accounts and Accounting.

Q What does your average day look like?

A An average day will always be different depending on the role however at a high level it could consist of drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, file and document management, taking phone calls, sending emails, general office and team support. If your role was more accounts orientated then carrying out a number of routine tasks such as payments processing, balancing accounts in accounting software, preparing payroll and reviewing transaction history for errors and accuracy.

Q What is the Kerry jobs market currently like for admin assistant and accounts assistant jobs?

A With employment on the rise across all sectors in 2018, administration is certainly no different. Examples in the past few days alone for jobs in Kerry being advertised are these Office Assistant, Junior Office Assistant and Accounts Assistant roles. Demand for professional and well qualified admin and accounts staff will most certainly always be high.

Q Is work experience or volunteer work a good idea?

A If you have no prior office work experience or office skills from a previous job, then it is an excellent idea to volunteer in an office setting. Work experience combined with your formal training certification will certainly give you the best chance when searching for a job.

Q What is the opportunity for Career Progression?

A Starting off in this career is an excellent all round foundation for learning about business in general. There are several specialities one can focus on gaining experience in as interest blossoms in a particular subject, such as Payroll, Bookkeeping, Office Management and Accounting Technician. Along with more advanced training such as these to add to your skills, there are many different avenues and lots of career opportunities along the way.

Educational Training centres such as Pitman Training are regularly contacted by businesses looking for office and administration graduates to place in either a work experience setting or indeed with a view to interviewing for a paid position. If you are looking for career advice about jobs and training in these areas, one of the best steps you can take is to check out your local Pitman Training centre.

We offer over 400 flexible learning, full and part-time Kerry courses in a wide range of subjects from IT, Technical training courses, Programming to Web Design, Management courses, Digital Marketing, Accounting, Event Management, Medical Secretarial and Legal Secretary training.