When I first started in academia, I admit I wasn’t fully aware of how it all worked. However, after spending years in this industry in an administrative role, there are a few tips I wish I thought of sooner. If you’re an administrative manager, administrative coordinator, or administrative assistant in schools, this blog post is for you!
My goal is to go over the unspoken considerations and responsibilities that are important in this role! Some of these tips might sound familiar because they are essential administrative elements that I believe strongly in, but there are other helpful tips for this specific role as well.
Understand your School Department’s Big Picture
In order to be successful, it’s important that you’re on the same page as your department and manager. It’s also important to know what your company’s goals are and how you can help them achieve those goals.
It’s easy for people to get lost in the day-to-day tasks of their job and forget about the big picture. Take a step back every once in a while and check in with your manager or team lead to see if you’re still on the same page as them. If not, it might be time for a change of focus.
Reevaluate Your Administrative System
If you are an admin, it is important to reevaluate your administrative system. Not only should the system be efficient and reliable, but it should also be flexible for the needs of your team.
The administrative system that you have in place may not be working for you and your team. It is important to know what would you change if you could so that your admin life can improve.
As an admin, you are always looking for ways to increase efficiency and productivity. But is your system working for you?
A successful system needs to be flexible and be able to readjust to changing circumstances. If you find that your current system is not working for you, then it’s time to reevaluate.
Ask Students What They Need
In order to make sure that the department is actually helpful to students, we should ask them what they need. Students don’t want to feel like they are bothering their professors with these questions. Also, students may not always be comfortable asking or giving faculty members for feedback. They might be afraid that the faculty member will become annoyed, offended, or frustrated with them.
But everyone wins when students give feedback. So, as an administrative assistant in schools, we need to build rapport and develop trust directly with students. When students feel like they are being taken seriously and we truly value their input, they are more likely to provide consistent constructive criticism and feedback.
Ultimately, it’s the student experience that makes or breaks departments and organizations in schools. If a program or department is bad, word of mouth will inevitably grow and will keep students from selecting that major, or might not attend the school all together. Understanding what students like and being able to offer them as much as you can in order for them to have an enjoyable experience is mutually beneficial.
Also, being a voice for the students can also be a powerful position when you want to implement new ideas. Often, faculty voices seem to have more “weight” than staff voices, but student voices can still be more powerful than faculty.
So, instead of guessing what a student needs, try asking them what they need in order to be successful. Asking helps us to know how they feel about themselves, your department, and their studies and role within your department.
Put Yourself in the Students’ Shoes
Whether you’re a recent graduate or graduated eons ago, trying your best to put yourself in students’ shoes is important. It can help you make better decisions regarding:
- timing, frequency, and tone of emails,
- timing, frequency, and activities for events,
- timing and expectations of commitments
Students are busy people, and they are all different people with different interests. They have to balance their school work with other responsibilities, such as extracurricular activities and friends/family time.
You should consider what students need so that they can keep up with their busy schedules and help them stay on top of things. You might find that this can help you be more successful in carrying out your tasks and getting the results you want for your department.
Offer to Help a Colleague
Let’s face it. Working alone can be lonely and difficult work. Some days, you may feel you are the only one working hard or that no one is noticing your efforts. It can be difficult to get a fresh perspective on a project, or get help with a tough task when working alone.
Well, you’re not alone in feeling alone.
So, to combat this, if you have the time and willingness, offer to help a fellow colleague when you see they are struggling. While you’re helping them when they are in need, you are simultaneously building your own team. If you’re a solo admin, then you know how helpful it is to receive help when you really need it.
By helping your fellow admin colleagues, you’re:
- Building your team
- Creating a positive work environment
- Increasing your work network
- Making a positive difference in another person’s life.
These perks are very important to me. So important that on bad days, the ability to say I made a positive difference in someone else’s day makes the day not a complete loss. You can’t do everything and help everyone, but doing one friendly act can be enough.
Here are some ideas to offer your help:
- Teach them a program or process that can save time and headaches.
- If they have events, show up physically in the room and offer to lend an additional set of hands.
- Offer to be a second set of eyes on emails or marketing materials (posters, marketing emails, etc.).
- Drop a treat off at their desk if you see they are having a rough day.
Conclusion
Being an administrative assistant in schools can be stressful. It is important to know the big picture of the department so you can make informed decisions. You should also reevaluate your administrative system and ask students for their opinion. Putting yourself in student shoes will help you understand what they need and how you can help them. Finally, it is important to be a team player and help your colleagues when you are able.
Successful administrative assistants in schools have a lot of things to do and are an integral part of most organizations.
I hope you find these five tips helpful!
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