Office Clerk

Will perform duties too varied and diverse to be classified in any specific office clerical occupation, requiring knowledge of office systems and procedures. Clerical duties may be assigned in accordance with the office procedures of individual establishments and may include a combination of answering telephones, bookkeeping, typing or word processing, stenography, office machine operation, and filing.

Sample of reported job titles: Administration Assistant, Administrative Assistant, Clerk, Office Manager, Receptionist, Secretary, Office Assistant, Office Clerk, Customer Service Representative, Office Coordinator

-Operate office machines, such as photocopiers and scanners, facsimile machines, voice mail systems, and personal computers.

-Answer telephones, direct calls, and take messages.

-Maintain and update filing, inventory, mailing, and database systems, either manually or using a computer.

-Communicate with customers, employees, and other individuals to answer questions, disseminate or explain information, take orders, and address complaints.

-Open, sort, and route incoming mail, answer correspondence, and prepare outgoing mail.

-Compile, copy, sort, and file records of office activities, business transactions, and other activities.

-Compute, record, and proofread data and other information, such as records or reports.

-Type, format, proofread, and edit correspondence and other documents, from notes or dictating machines, using computers or typewriters.

-Complete work schedules, manage calendars, and arrange appointments.

-Review files, records, and other documents to obtain information to respond to requests.

Knowledge

Clerical — Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

Customer and Personal Service — Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

English Language — Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Skills

Active Listening — Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Reading Comprehension — Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Speaking — Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Social Perceptiveness — Being aware of others' reactions and understanding why they react as they do.

Time Management — Managing one's own time and the time of others.

Writing — Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Service Orientation — Actively looking for ways to help people.

Critical Thinking — Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.

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Abilities

Oral Comprehension — The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Oral Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Speech Clarity — The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Written Comprehension — The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Speech Recognition — The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Written Expression — The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Near Vision — The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Category Flexibility — The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Deductive Reasoning — The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Information Ordering — The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).