A Look at Business Administration
Of all the careers that you could find yourself choosing, selecting one in business, or more specifically business administration, will require you to possess a set of skills that is just as vast as many other careers. While it may seem simple at first, that you will just be sitting at a desk answering phones, this post will demonstrate that this idea could not be further from the truth. The business admin role requires you to be an organisational guru and also one who is adept at dealing with customers both happy and annoyed. Business administration is also quite an accessible job, with it only requiring a certificate level qualification to get into, which can be completed conveniently online. So let us get down to brass tacks and explore all there is about the world of business administration.
Organisation is key
Perhaps the most important skill to master for you to be successful in business administration, is that of organisation. Without being able to organise yourself, you will find that your workday will devolve into chaos and nothing that you want to get done, will be. You will also be relied upon to organise meetings for your co-workers. Organising both yourself and others is not a simple task and so one of the things to assist in doing so, is to create a detailed and efficient schedule of tasks to be completed each day. This will give a clear guide for you to fall back to and follow if you find yourself struggling to allocate time and people to tasks that you are in control of. Time management is another key skill and ties in greatly with being organised, as it is a big part of the schedule that you will write to help you stay organised. While multi-tasking is important, limiting it so as not to spread yourself too thin, is also a key factor in staying organised and on top of your workflow and schedule.
Everything for the customer
A business is nothing without its customers and in the business administration role, you will be the first port of call for any customer queries and complaints that will be brought to the business. You must be prepared to answer anything a prospective or current customer might throw your way. The best way to be prepared is to get to know every aspect of the business inside and out. Also, get to know the right people to ask if you are not sure, or who to forward the customer on to if the question is beyond the scope of your responsibility and knowledge. The most important aspect in dealing with customers is that they have a positive experience with the business with whatever it is that they have contacted about.
Whether it be a positive or negative issue that the customer is wanting to discuss, it is your job to ensure they go away feeling as if that issue was dealt with in a positive and respectful manner. Even if they are not, the basic rule of thumb for customer service is that the customer is always right. So having the customer go away from their interaction with you and the business feeling as if they were listened to and respected, that they were right to bring their problem/question to you, is the goal you want to achieve. In your dealings with a negative customer, it is necessary to know not to take anything personally. You just need to exercise patience and to keep calm while dealing with the annoyed or dissatisfied customer. Having said this, should the annoyance turn to abuse or outright hostility, you should follow your company’s policy on dealing with such an escalated customer interaction.
The technology of business administration
The skills so far discussed are vital, but there are further skills which are in demand when looking to work in a business administration role. The first of these is being able to type quickly and accurately, which is useful for things such as writing documents for colleagues, transcribing minutes from a meeting or for when you have to take down details of a new client or customer. You must also have an in-depth knowledge of the various software and technology that your company uses. The main software to be competent in is the Microsoft Office suite of software, which includes programs such as Excel, Word and PowerPoint. If you find yourself lacking skill in any of these, there are various tutorials online that can be utilized to bring yourself up to speed. Another facet of technology which you may be called upon to use, and one which you would be all too familiar with in your personal life, is using social media platforms to promote the business and to communicate important messages to customers. The final piece of technology to have an excellent grasp of, is the humble telephone. As the one who will be receiving the first call from a new client, it is imperative to have a professional phone persona and to follow a strong telephone etiquette. A friendly and knowledgeable voice on the other end of the phone, that is respectful and listens, is key in landing a new customer and ensuring you keep the ones you have already.
How to get qualified
While some individuals possess all these skills already, many of us do not, and so we need a way to develop them and gain a sound knowledge base for taking the first steps into a business administration job. One of the ways to do this if you are already in a role, is to ask those that have been there for an extended amount of time and have experience for guidance and tips. If you do not already have a job in the industry, a pathway into it is to complete an online course such as this online Certificate III in Business. A course such as this allows you to develop the foundational skills required in a structured and guided environment, that also lets you go out and complete supervised work placement, giving real world business experience. Completing the course online allows you to continue to maintain employment, to keep a work life balance and to study when it suits you.
Close of business
Working in business administration means you are the face of the business to the customer. You may also be the first one on hand when problems arise internally, and so you need to be able to think critically and be bale to problem solve or to know who to contract immediately to have the issue sorted. It is a job that requires you to combine a broad variety of skills and apply them to many different situations, both internally and externally. In the business administration role, you will play an important part in many facets of the business, from organizing everyone and everything, to making sure even the most difficult customer goes away happy.
