Rapid growth in the health, legal services, data processing, management, public relations, and other industries have created many new job opportunities for administrative assistants. This course will help you discover and master the essentials of managerial and staff support, information and records management, communications technology, travel and meeting coordination, space planning, and office ergonomics. You will become an indispensable member of your team by identifying opportunities and implementing solutions to turn your office into a high productivity machine.
This course and its follow up (Administrative Assistant Applications) may help you prepare for the internationally-recognized Certified Administrative Professional® (CAP®) exam offered by the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).
Note: This course is not affiliated with, nor has it been endorsed by, the International Association of Administrative Professionals® (IAAP®).
Becky Swaim has taught since 2000, focusing on Administrative Assistant Fundamentals, Administrative Assistant Applications, and Individual Excellence. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communication from California State University, Long Beach. Her experience includes managing large staff in medical billing and collections and as a program manager to various medical practices.
Tony Swaim has helped many clients, colleagues, and students reach their professional and personal goals. He has been an online instructor since 1998 and has taught at colleges and universities across the United States since 1981. His focus areas are project management, Six Sigma, and supply chain management. Tony manages a successful consulting firm, and his industry experience includes 20 years of supply chain management. He earned a Doctorate in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University and holds professional certifications in six disciplines, including the Project Management Professional (PMP)® certification from the Project Management Institute (PMI)® and Certified Six Sigma Black Belt (CSSBB)® from the American Society for Quality (ASQ)®.
The instructional materials required for this course are included in enrollment and will be available online.
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Lesson 1
Introduction
In the first lesson, you will learn why organizations need administrative assistants and explore the types of work that they perform. You will be introduced to the different administrative specialties and look at an overview of their varied duties and requirements. You will learn about the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), and the professional certification—Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)—that IAAP offers.
Office Planning and Layout
As an administrative assistant, you frequently participate in office planning. This lesson will help you to understand that an office is an interdependent system where everything works together. You will see that creating an office environment requires bringing many components together.
Information Management
In today's fast-paced world, organizations move very quickly and make split-second decisions that have far reaching implications. In this lesson, you will learn how to effectively use information management to create a successful office operation and help increase your value to your organization.
Communications Technology
Telecommunications, communications, and technology fit together like a hand in a glove. This lesson will show you how telecommunications technology enables you to access information, share knowledge, and communicate without boundaries.
Records Management
In this lesson, you will learn how to productively use reprographics and manage records, two duties that are frequently handled by administrative assistants. You will also discover that records management is the management of paper documents, micromedia, and other documents.
Hardware and Software
As an administrative assistant, you spend a lot of your day inputting and storing data, retrieving and analyzing information, and producing presentations, newsletters, numerical reports, graphs, and charts. To better help you focus on computer hardware and software in this lesson to help you better understand the properties of your office computer system.
Meetings, Conferences, and Travel
This lesson covers scheduling and coordinating meetings, conferences, and business travel. As an administrative assistant, you play an important role in helping co-workers arrive at the right place at the right time. You also provide them with information and materials that enhance their effectiveness while they travel and participate in meetings.
Policies and Procedures
A critical responsibility of administrative assistants is coordinating numerous office activities. This lesson examines how to create practical policies and procedures. You will focus on the use of policies and procedures that meet organizational objectives and create order in your day-to-day activities.
Business Documents
As an administrative assistant, you spend much of your time reading and composing business documents. This lesson's objective is to enhance your business writing skills. After you finish this lesson, you will have an increased ability to write high-quality business documents.
Grammar and Punctuation
This lesson bridges the subjects of written and verbal communication by discussing the principles of grammar and punctuation. It's likely that you need to help others with their written communication, so you will also review the mechanics of proofreading.
Interpersonal Communication
As an administrative assistant, you practice interpersonal communication in a variety of ways, ranging from one-on-one to communicating in a group. This lesson will explain how your desire to share thoughts and ideas creates the first part of communication and how you create the second part when you listen, interpret, and react to feedback.
Research and Presentations
This final lesson will teach you how to perform basic research—something administrative assistants are often asked to do. It also discusses the steps you take to create a meaningful and memorable presentation, including strategies for starting your preparation and the software that can help you create a polished piece.
Lesson 1
Introduction
In the first lesson, you will learn why organizations need administrative assistants and explore the types of work that they perform. You will be introduced to the different administrative specialties and look at an overview of their varied duties and requirements. You will learn about the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP), and the professional certification—Certified Administrative Professional (CAP)—that IAAP offers.
Office Planning and Layout
As an administrative assistant, you frequently participate in office planning. This lesson will help you to understand that an office is an interdependent system where everything works together. You will see that creating an office environment requires bringing many components together.
Information Management
In today's fast-paced world, organizations move very quickly and make split-second decisions that have far reaching implications. In this lesson, you will learn how to effectively use information management to create a successful office operation and help increase your value to your organization.
Communications Technology
Telecommunications, communications, and technology fit together like a hand in a glove. This lesson will show you how telecommunications technology enables you to access information, share knowledge, and communicate without boundaries.
Records Management
In this lesson, you will learn how to productively use reprographics and manage records, two duties that are frequently handled by administrative assistants. You will also discover that records management is the management of paper documents, micromedia, and other documents.
Hardware and Software
As an administrative assistant, you spend a lot of your day inputting and storing data, retrieving and analyzing information, and producing presentations, newsletters, numerical reports, graphs, and charts. To better help you focus on computer hardware and software in this lesson to help you better understand the properties of your office computer system.
Meetings, Conferences, and Travel
This lesson covers scheduling and coordinating meetings, conferences, and business travel. As an administrative assistant, you play an important role in helping co-workers arrive at the right place at the right time. You also provide them with information and materials that enhance their effectiveness while they travel and participate in meetings.
Policies and Procedures
A critical responsibility of administrative assistants is coordinating numerous office activities. This lesson examines how to create practical policies and procedures. You will focus on the use of policies and procedures that meet organizational objectives and create order in your day-to-day activities.
Business Documents
As an administrative assistant, you spend much of your time reading and composing business documents. This lesson's objective is to enhance your business writing skills. After you finish this lesson, you will have an increased ability to write high-quality business documents.
Grammar and Punctuation
This lesson bridges the subjects of written and verbal communication by discussing the principles of grammar and punctuation. It's likely that you need to help others with their written communication, so you will also review the mechanics of proofreading.
Interpersonal Communication
As an administrative assistant, you practice interpersonal communication in a variety of ways, ranging from one-on-one to communicating in a group. This lesson will explain how your desire to share thoughts and ideas creates the first part of communication and how you create the second part when you listen, interpret, and react to feedback.
Research and Presentations
This final lesson will teach you how to perform basic research—something administrative assistants are often asked to do. It also discusses the steps you take to create a meaningful and memorable presentation, including strategies for starting your preparation and the software that can help you create a polished piece.
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