Office Clerk

Office clerks (also known as administrative clerks) usually do general clerical work and can be employed in a variety of work settings, including commercial companies, private businesses, educational organizations (e.g., colleges/universities), or healthcare facilities (e.g., hospitals). If you are an office clerk, you will have some clearly defined and repetitive tasks (e.g., typing up reports or copying documents).

Education

This job will require a high school diploma and/or a GED certificate. Some employers may require an associate’s degree. If this is the case, they will specify this requirement in their job advertisements.

Previous Experience

Previous experience doing similar work (e.g., sorting) is preferred. Although many employers prefer that you have previous experience in the same or similar area of employment setting, it is strongly encouraged that you apply anyways.

Job Duties

• Type up and proofread documents such as reports, memos, statements, invoices, forms, and presentations using computer word processing programs.
• Copy, collate, or fax documents using office photo copiers, faxes, staplers, and hole punchers.
• Distribute documents as needed to the appropriate personnel.
• Send out electronic mail as needed, including memos, meeting reminders, or other office business.
• Receive incoming mail such as letters, packages, and parcels.
• Sort and categorize mail and place mail into personal mailboxes or distribute to the appropriate personnel.
• Receive outgoing mail, weigh letters using postage meters, and attach proper postage.
• Hand off outgoing mail or packages to delivery personnel.
• Monitor and order office supply inventory.
• Your employer may also ask you to carry out additional duties than those listed here.

What’s Your Scene?

This job requires that you are able to work ‘Out of the Scene’. If you are working as an office clerk, you will not be working with the public on a regular basis.  However, you may be required to speak with and interact with co-workers (e.g., office staff) or take direction from supervisors.

Skills / Abilities

Oral Expression - You will be required to speak clearly and effectively.

Written Expression - You will be required to write and spell correctly.

Reading Comprehension - Demonstrated ability to read, and follow written instructions and ideas.

Oral Comprehension - Demonstrated ability to understand and follow verbal instructions and ideas.

Manual Dexterity - This job requires the repeated and coordinated use of your hands, wrists, and fingers to use and type on a computer keyboard, requiring the use of fine motor skills.

Computer Knowledge - You will need to have some knowledge of computer usage and word processing programs as you may need to type of reports and other documents.

Organization and Prioritization - This job requires the ability to clearly organize and categorize work priorities to complete your work.

Environmental Demands

Location - If you work in an office, you will be indoors in a climate-controlled setting. > Noise Level - The noise level will usually be low. Lighting Level - Offices usually use florescent lighting, and if there are windows, there will also be natural lighting. Work Hours - This job may have part-time or full-time shifts. Most businesses or offices are open from 9am to 5pm. You will need to check with your supervisor for the schedule. Amount of Movement - This job typically requires that you sit.  You will need to be able to sit, stand, and walk for this job. For example, you may need to type up a report and walk to the photocopier to make several copies. Cleanliness and Odors - This job setting is generally clean. You will also want to make sure you keep your work area and surrounding areas neat and tidy. Work Attire - Work attire will typically be business casual clothing. Structure and Predictability - This job will typically have a higher degree of structure and predictability.  This means that you will usually complete the same tasks each day and you may be able to complete these tasks in the same order each day (e.g., sorting through and categorizing mail).  You will probably know how long each task should take you to complete.  You may work in the same area each day, and you will probably interact with the same people each day. What's the Pace? Steady:  In most cases, the work pace will be steady, which means that you will always have some work to do.  When the work pace is steady, you are working at a level “5” on a scale of “1” (nothing to do) to “10” (extremely busy, rushed pace).

 
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