Administrative Services Manager: Career Information

[Reyed Mia (Apprentice, DIU)]

Administrative Services Manager: Career Information

Job Description
To be productive, an organization must run smoothly. An administrative services manager is the person who makes sure this happens by coordinating its supportive services.

He or she may coordinate mail distribution, plan and maintain facilities, keep records, plan budgets and allocate supplies. In a smaller organization the administrative services manager, who is often called the office manager, may do it all, while in a larger one there may be multiple managers who are responsible for different tasks.


An administrative services manager who specializes in the oversight of an organization's building or grounds, is called a facilities manager. One whose job it is to buy equipment and supplies, as well as plan for its storage and distribution is known as a contract manager.

Employment Facts
In 2012 there were almost 281,000 people employed in this occupation in the United States. They were primarily employed in the educational services and health care industries and in state and local governments.

As an administrative services manager, you can expect to work at least full time (40 hours per week). You may have to work overtime as well. Some facilities managers are on call during non-work hours to deal with problems that come up. If you want to have your evenings, weekends and holidays free, this may not be the career for you.

Educational Requirements
Typically, employers only require those they hire to have a high school diploma or GED, but some prefer candidates who have earned a bachelor's degree.

Related work experience, which is very important, should demonstrate your management and leadership skills.

Why Do You Need to Know About Educational Requirements?

Other Requirements
Administrative services managers aren't required to be certified or licensed but voluntary certification is available to those who specialize in facilities management or contract management.


The International Facility Management Association offers the Certified Facilities Manager (CFM) credential which indicates to an employer that an individual has demonstrated he or she has met standards for facilities management as defined by this organization. Contract managers can pursue one of several certifications offered by the National Contract Management Association (NCMA). Credentials from these organization may help increase job candidates' desirability.

Just as important as your experience and certification, are the soft skills, or personal qualities you bring to the job. Strong speaking, listening and writing skills will allow you to communicate with others in your organization. You will need strong critical thinking and problem solving skills since the job of a administrative services manager often involves identifying problems and then coming up with and assessing possible solutions. You will also have to be able to manage your time and others' time well.

Advancement Opportunities
If you work for a large organization you will have more opportunities to advance since there will typically be several layers and types of administrative services managers. Experience and education will increase your chances of advancing in this field.


Why Do You Need to Know About Advancement?

Job Outlook
The US Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that employment in this occupation will grow about as fast as the average for all occupations through 2022.

Why Do You Need to Know About Job Outlook?

Earnings
Administrative services managers earned a median annual salary of $83,790 in 2014 and median hourly wages of $40.28 (US).

Use the Salary Wizard at Salary.com to find out how much an Administrative Services Manager currently earns in your city.

A Day in an Administrative Services Manager's Life
These are some typical job duties taken from online ads for administrative services manager positions found on Indeed.com:

Participate in long-range planning and the development of departmental and divisional goals, strategic plans and objectives, as well as personnel, resources, space needs and equipment decisions
Oversee staff development, training programs, policy development, and special projects
Assist senior leaders and participate and/or lead small administrative projects
Create, maintain and oversee the coordination and documentation of training programs for employees
Analyze contract related documents to ensure compliance with regulations and guidelines
Represent work unit at meetings for conferences and serve as liaison for unit concerning requests or complaints
Draft and edit communications for the executive team.

Source: https://www.thebalance.com/administrative-services-manager-career-information-525404