How To Leverage Administrative Job Experience to Grow Your Career in Lancaster, PA

Administrative professionals are some of the most versatile individuals in the workforce today. Oftentimes, they are handling project management duties, scheduling meetings, managing communications, creating documents and presentations, along with various other tasks. Because people in administrative jobs handle so many important responsibilities day to day, they are valuable members of any team they join.

Following several years as an administrative professional, many employees find themselves wanting to make the next step in their careers. Thankfully, working in an admin job provides you with plenty of skills and experience that prove to be useful in various industries and positions. Knowing how to leverage that experience in a meaningful way is the key to growing your career.

There are a number of ways you can use your job experience as an admin to find new job opportunities for yourself. From auditing your skills to working with a local recruiting agency, here are a few tips for administrative job seekers looking to make their next career move.

Why Is An Administrative Job A Good Steppingstone to a Professional Career?

As mentioned above, administrative professionals typically have a number of transferable skills that are useful in various lines of work. That isn’t the only thing that makes admin jobs a good launching pad for a professional career. When you work in an administrative position, you connect with nearly everyone in the office. This gives you a networking advantage.

On top of that, there are specific skills and characteristics administrative professionals have that other job seekers may not. For instance, many admins have impeccable organizational skills. They will also typically have excellent communication skills and the ability to see the big picture. Admins can take a large project and break it down into manageable tasks. Most importantly, they help the workflow of the entire organization. Having this ability can lend you a helping hand when you decide it is time to move up in your career.

How To Use Administrative Experience To Move Up in Your Career

Now that you know why an admin job can be a good stepping stone in your career, how do you leverage it to make your next move? Take a moment to examine the job description of your current role as well as your skills, experience, education, and professional training or certification. This will help you know what you can use to help launch you into your next career move.

You also need to highlight the experience that will showcase your most valuable transferable skills like problem-solving. For example, if you came to the rescue regularly or solved a particularly difficult problem, talk about your ability to straighten it out in your cover letter.

Another way to stand out and move up in your career is by sharing ways in which you went above and beyond in your admin role. Here is where you want to mention projects where you saved your company money and time with your efforts. Again, talk about this in your cover letter or during an interview. Here are several more tips for job seekers in the Lancaster PA area to help get started on your journey to finding your next career.

Identify Your New Target Job Title

First and foremost, put some thought into what kind of job you might want to pursue. Common career moves for administrative assistants include billing specialists, administrative services managers, medical administrative assistants, medical billing coders, operations managers, and project managers. Once you have pinpointed a potential career path or job title, start researching what the necessary skills and experience are to reach your goals. Make a list of transferable skills as well as skill gaps to address.

It is a good idea to consider the common career moves that administrative professionals make. However, don’t limit yourself to those positions. You can talk with a recruiter or staffing agency like TriStarr to learn more about how your skills might transfer to a new position or title. Sometimes it takes an outside perspective to see how all of your skills might be used in a new career.

Add Transferable Skills To Your Resume

Once you have listed out all of your transferable skills, be sure they are mentioned on your resume. You can highlight them in a “skills” section or mention them underneath your responsibilities for various positions. Whatever way you decide to showcase them, make sure that they stand out. When you interview with a potential employer, talk about how these skills can be useful in your next job. Don’t forget to talk about how they’ve been helpful in your current or most recent position too.

When you are adding your transferable skills to your resume, be sure to sure the keywords that are used in the job description. For example, if the employer is looking for a certified medical billing assistant, make sure you include the words “Certified Medical Billing Assistant” in your CV. Similarly, if they are seeking someone who is a rockstar with Microsoft Excel and Powerpoint, those are things you should specifically mention on your resume. This will help it get picked up in job search engines.

Once again, recruiters can help you polish your resume to make it more search engine friendly. Job seekers in the Lancaster, PA area can work with the team at TriStarr to ensure their hiring materials are the best they possibly can be.

Identify and Close Potential Skill Gaps

If you recognize any gaps between your skill set and what is needed for your target job, do what you can to close the gap before seeking out new employment. However, some employers are willing to work with you on training, certifications, and on-the-job learning opportunities. During any interview, if there are skill gaps that come into question, be prepared to address them. You should also express interest in continuing your learning or training to excel in your job field. This can help the employer be more willing to hire you and provide some training to help you further your professional career.

Consider what actions you can take to close potential skill gaps before you ever interview for a new job. You might be able to update certifications online or take additional training courses to improve your industry knowledge. Research what is required of people in the position you are seeking out as well as what is needed to continue to move up in your career.

Lean on Your Network To Find a Great New Professional Job

Networking will go a long way when it comes to changing careers. As mentioned above, being in an administrative job often puts you in touch with various different people within an organization. Tap into those connections when you are thinking about making your career change. See what positions might be available and who might be willing to refer you for a promotion or new job. You will be surprised at how the smallest connection within your network can lead to great new opportunities for you professionally.

Partner With A Recruiter to Grow Your Professional Career

Last but not least, partnering with a recruiter can make your professional career change go smoothly. Changing careers can seem daunting. However, working with a professional recruiter can make the task much more manageable. A recruiter will go over your resume and help you highlight your most relevant experience. Once your hiring materials are polished, they will then go over possible jobs that will help you break into your new career field.

When you work with a recruiter, you also get the advantage of working one-on-one with someone locally. They will get to know you and connect you with employers in your area that suit your needs.

Ready For A Career Change? Contact TriStarr Today

That said, recruiters can serve as valuable resources if you are trying to make a major career change. Working with a staffing agency can help you identify potential skill gaps, work on your resume, and connect with employers seeking people with your talents. Best of all, you won’t have to submit endless applications. Instead, the staffing company will tap into its resources and help you make connections in the new field. They will act as a reference as well.

If you are ready to get started, it’s easy to find recruiters in your area. For instance, if a job seeker in Central PA was looking for a staffing agency to work with, they may search for “Employment Agencies in Lancaster, PA.” Searching locally can help you find a job faster and it can also help you find a position that truly utilizes your skills and experience.

Job seekers in the Lancaster and Central PA area should contact TriStarr for assistance in their search. TriStarr is a staffing company in Lancaster, PA. We specialize in placing business professionals in administrative jobs and assisting individuals with their career changes. Our team of recruiters can help you find the perfect position to further your career and meet your goals. If you are ready for a career change, contact our recruiters in Lancaster, PA.