Clerical & Administration

There are more clerical and administrative jobs than any other job roles across the spectrum of all occupations. About 90 per cent of clerical and administrative jobs are in industries that provide services.

The services provided by clerical staff are needed in schools, colleges, hospitals, government agencies, corporate and small businesses, medical and legal offices, art galleries, community sector organisations and many, many more.

The nature of the work involved can vary greatly depending on factors such as the type of the business, the size of the organisation, and whether the organisation is a private company or the public service.

The job roles cover a wide range of duties depending on the needs of the particular business or organisation. Some workplaces need employees who have detailed knowledge and need minimal supervision. Other companies will look for employees with a basic knowledge of functions who will be closely monitored by supervisors. 

The day to day work of someone working in a clerical role involves tasks such as answering the phone, typing and word processing, chasing up accounts, organising and filing data, addressing the needs of senior staff, briefing clients and sometimes the general public. 

Clerical jobs tend to be more entry level than those in administration. They typically involve doing basic functions under an amount supervision. Administrative roles can mean that the job is a bit more senior - you may have your own area of supervision to ensure a task gets done and require less supervision in the particular role.

Clerical occupations include:

Clerical Assistant (also called Clerk or Clerical Worker) - tasks include the routine, day-today administrative tasks in a business or organisation, or in a department within the organisation. People in these jobs are very organised, have good IT and written skills and a good telephone manner. Responsibilities include filing, dealing with post, recording and maintaining data using computer or manual systems, and other general office duties. Their work provides support to an office team.

In larger companies where you are part of a team of 'clerks', you can work your way up to Senior Clerk, Section Head or Office Manager. You can also choose to specialise in a particular area of clerical work such as Accounts Clerk, Legal Clerk, HR Assistant, or Personal Assistant (PA).

Front Office Staff

Front office staff, such as the Receptionist, play a key role in organisations because they reflect the image of the organisation in which they work. Since they are the first point of contact between the public and the organisation, either by telephone or in person, they communicate certain messages by how they look, dress and behave. 

Because of the increasingly fast pace of business life today, all clerical staff must learn how to function efficiently under pressure, and in a multiplicity of ways, in a fast changing environment. The public who interact with the organisation can be very demanding. Front office staff must be able to deal with the public in a calm, but efficient, friendly manner.

For this kind of career, you need to have good written and spoken English. It is becoming increasingly important to be reasonably proficient in at least one other European language. Qualities such as good organisational skills, keyboard and computer skills, competence in managing office requirements, good communication skills, a pleasant manner and a neat and tidy appearance are also important.

A degree is generally not necessary for entry into clerical work. An office skills training course may be useful for certain positions. 

Getting into Clerical and Administrative work

These job roles typically require strong written and spoken communication skills, together with computer skills, organisational and time management skills, and to be able to complete tasks to a high standard. 

A large number of courses relevant to careers in Clerical and Administration are run in PLC and IT colleges throughout the country. Students taking these courses gain experience in all aspects of the technology relevant to the smooth running of modern office environments.

Courses are usually one year in duration and are full-time with work experience provided as an integral part of their study.  These courses aim to equip their students with the necessary practical and computing skills and the knowledge necessary for the dynamic world of business.

[Explore the CAO and PLC/FETAC course lists available on this page]

Courses would typically include subject areas such as IT skills (Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Database), Business Law, Book-keeping, Communications and Business Calculations.

Advanced administration courses are also available for specific sector areas. See the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) for a wide range of accredited courses.

Clerical and administrative staff can work as part-time or full-time employees. Salaries for individuals in clerical and administrative jobs are wide-ranging, from a starting salary of €18,000 for a secretary, upwards depending on the type of position as well as years of experience. 

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ADMINISTRATION

Administrative jobs are generally a little more senior than clerical jobs. You may have your own area of supervision to ensure a task gets done, and will typically require less supervision in your day-to-day job.

Secretary - carries out traditional administration tasks include typing, taking telephone calls and making appointments. A secretary will not have any other major role to play and has no power to make any decisions independently. Most traditional secretarial jobs have today been absorbed into the more commonly used Administrative Assistant role. 

Bilingual Secretary - deals with administrative work in more than one language. Some bilingual secretaries are required to use their foreign languages more regularly than others, depending on the particular job or organisation. The job might involve working consistently in English and a foreign language, or more than one foreign language, or it may require only using other language skills occasionally.

A university degree is not a prerequisite for this role, but increasingly, language graduates are taking up administrative roles with large multinational companies, as a Personal Assistant for example, or as a Senior Secretary at corporate management level.

Executive Assistant - works with high-level Executives in the business or organisation to provide assistance. More elite than an entry level secretarial role, the executive assistant is trusted with high-end or complex duties. In addition to handling incoming and outgoing communication, filing and clerical work, executive assistants may be in charge of scheduling meetings, maintaining complex filing systems and databases, document review and preparation and possibly overseeing other staff. They may be privy to confidential documents that pass through the Executives desk, form personnel records, to minutes of Board meetings.

Getting into Clerical and Administrative work

These job roles typically require strong written and spoken communication skills, together with computer skills, organisational and time management skills, and to be able to complete tasks to a high standard. 

A large number of courses relevant to careers in Clerical and Administration are run in PLC and IT colleges throughout the country. Students taking these courses gain experience in all aspects of the technology relevant to the smooth running of modern office environments.

Courses are usually one year in duration and are full-time with work experience provided as an integral part of their study.  These courses aim to equip their students with the necessary practical and computing skills and the knowledge necessary for the dynamic world of business.

[Explore the CAO and PLC/FETAC course lists available on this page]

Courses would typically include subject areas such as IT skills (Word Processing, Spreadsheets, Database), Business Law, Book-keeping, Communications and Business Calculations.

Advanced administration courses are also available for specific sector areas. See the Institute of Public Administration (IPA) for a wide range of accredited courses.

Clerical and administrative staff can work as part-time or full-time employees. Salaries for individuals in clerical and administrative jobs are wide-ranging, from a starting salary of €18,000 for a secretary, upwards depending on the type of position as well as years of experience. 

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