If you’ve recently completed your GCSEs, A Levels or university degree and have decided that you’d like to build a career in administration, business support, secretarial work or as a PA, you’ve already made an important first decision.

The next question is:

How do you get started?

You may have little or no office experience yet, and you may be wondering what employers will expect from you, which roles to apply for and whether you need additional training.

The good news is that there are plenty of opportunities to start building a career in this area. The key is understanding what employers are looking for and making sure you can demonstrate the skills needed for the roles you’re applying for.

What roles can you apply for?

There are lots of different entry-level positions within administration and business support. Depending on your interests and existing skills, you could consider roles such as:

• Administrator
• Office Administrator
• Administration Assistant
• Business Support Assistant
• Secretary
• Team Assistant
• Office Coordinator
• Receptionist
• Junior Personal Assistant

These roles can provide excellent experience and, importantly, give you an opportunity to see which areas of business support you enjoy.

If you’re particularly interested in becoming a PA, for example, you may want to look at Junior PA, Team Assistant or Administration roles as well as PA vacancies. These can provide valuable experience before progressing into more senior PA positions.

What skills do employers look for?

You don’t necessarily need years of experience to start your career, but employers will want to see evidence that you have the skills needed to work effectively in a professional environment.

Some of the most important include:

Organisation and time management

Administration and business support professionals often manage several tasks at once. Being able to prioritise work, meet deadlines and keep information organised is essential.

Communication

You’ll probably communicate with colleagues, managers, customers and external organisations, so being able to communicate clearly and professionally is important.

Microsoft Office and digital skills

Office-based roles commonly involve software such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint and Teams, alongside organisation-specific systems.

You don’t necessarily need to be an advanced user of everything, but having practical knowledge of commonly used office software can give you greater confidence when starting your first role.

Attention to detail

Accuracy is extremely important in administration. Whether you’re preparing documents, updating records, arranging meetings or entering information, employers need people who take care with their work.

Professionalism and confidence

Employers want people who are reliable, professional, willing to learn and able to communicate appropriately in the workplace.

You may be new to office work, but you can still demonstrate these qualities.

What if you don’t have office experience?

This is one of the biggest concerns for school leavers and graduates.

The important thing is not to assume that “I don’t have office experience” means “I don’t have relevant skills.”

Your education, part-time work, volunteering and other experiences may already have helped you develop useful transferable skills.

For example:

Part-time retail or hospitality work may have developed communication, customer service, teamwork and time-management skills.

University study may have developed organisation, research, written communication, presentation and deadline-management skills.

Volunteering or extracurricular activities may have demonstrated reliability, teamwork, organisation or responsibility.

The key is to identify these skills and explain how they relate to the role you’re applying for.

Would professional training help?

If you’re serious about starting a career in administration or business support, professional training can be a useful way to develop practical workplace skills alongside your existing education.

This can be particularly helpful if you haven’t yet had the opportunity to work in an office environment.

Training can help you understand things such as:

• How professional business documents are produced
• How to manage diaries and appointments
• How meetings are organised
• How to use Microsoft Office effectively
• How to communicate professionally in the workplace
• How administrative systems and procedures work
• The role and responsibilities of different business support professionals

It can also give you relevant qualifications and skills to add to your CV when applying for your first roles.

Which type of training should you consider?

The right course depends on the type of role you’re aiming for.

Interested in general administration?

An Office Administrator Diploma can provide a broad foundation in the practical skills needed for administrative and business support roles.

Interested in secretarial work?

A Secretary Diploma focuses on the skills needed to begin a career in secretarial and administrative positions.

Interested in becoming a PA?

Our PA Certificate provides a shorter introduction to key PA skills and can be a good starting point for someone beginning their career.

For those wanting more comprehensive PA training, the PA Diploma covers a broader range of skills and knowledge.

You can find out more about each course below.

Don’t overlook entry-level roles

If your ultimate goal is to become a PA, Executive Assistant or move into a senior business support position, you don’t necessarily need to start there.

Roles such as Administrator, Team Assistant, Office Coordinator or Junior PA can give you the practical workplace experience employers look for when recruiting for more senior positions.

Once you’re working, you can continue developing your skills, take on more responsibility and progress your career.

Your first role is about getting your foot in the door and starting to build that experience.

A few practical steps to get started

If you’ve recently finished your studies and want to move into administration or business support, consider:

1. Identify the roles you’re interested in.
Look at current vacancies and see what skills employers are asking for.

2. Assess your existing skills.
Think beyond previous office experience and identify your transferable skills.

3. Identify any gaps.
Are there practical skills that appear regularly in the vacancies you’re interested in?

4. Consider professional training.
If there are gaps in your knowledge, targeted training can help you develop these before or alongside applying for roles.

5. Make your CV relevant.
Don’t simply list your education and previous jobs. Highlight the skills and achievements that are relevant to business support.

6. Start applying.
You don’t necessarily need to wait until you’ve gained years of experience. Look for suitable entry-level opportunities where you can learn and develop.

Building your career from your first role

Starting a career in administration or business support doesn’t mean you have to know exactly where you’ll be in five or ten years.

You might start as an Administrator and progress into a Senior Administrator, PA, Executive Assistant or Office Manager role. You might discover an interest in a particular area such as HR, operations, project support or events.

What’s important is getting started, developing your skills and continuing to build your experience.

For school leavers and graduates who already know that administration, business support or PA work is the direction they want to take, combining your existing education with practical professional skills can be a strong way to prepare for the workplace.

Interested in starting your career in business support?

At Lewis College, we offer professional courses for those looking to develop the practical skills needed for administration, secretarial, PA and business support roles.

Explore our courses:

PA Certificate
PA Diploma
Office Administrator Diploma
Secretary Diploma

You can also visit our dedicated Graduate & School Leaver page for further information and career advice.