Updated June, 2021.

Don't think office assistants need specific training to do their jobs well? Think again! This role is increasingly important—and increasingly complex.

Office assistants are needed in businesses and organizations of every stripe and size. From non-profits to start-ups to multi-national corporations. No professional team can survive without skilled administrators keeping the wheels turning.

So, it's no surprise that trained, talented office admins are highly sought after. In Winnipeg, the Government of Canada Job Bank is predicting steady demand for office administrators straight through to 2026.

What exactly will you need to take advantage of those job opportunities, and build a successful career as an office assistant?

Start with the top 5 skills taught in quality office assistant training. These are the competencies absolutely every employer is looking for.

Can you guess how many emails the average business person sends and receives in a single day?

Market research from the Radicati Group says we've reached about 124 emails per day. And that number keeps getting higher every single year.

Even before Covid-19, there was a growing number of people working remotely.  And since the pandemic, work-from-home has become the new normal.

That's a lot of emailing!

If you're considering becoming an office assistant, you can rest assured that one of your primary tasks will be to sort through, respond to, and send out emails. 

Consider this: there may be certain colleagues and clients you never even meet face-to-face, and only communicate with over email.

Their impression of you (and the company you represent) will be formed entirely on the basis of your emails. So it's worth taking note of a few do's and don'ts!

Start with this list of six golden rules of email etiquette for administrative assistants.