office assistant.

Are you interested in working as an office assistant but can't quite picture what that entails? In your role, you'll primarily support the daily operations in the office. Your tasks are quite diverse and depend on the level of digitalisation within the company. The industry you work in also influences your responsibilities. But one thing's for sure: you'll always ensure that everything runs smoothly in the office. Since the term "office assistant" is still widely used, we'll stick with it here. Additionally, we'll look at the future focus areas for those pursuing an office assistant EBA qualification. Find out more about your tasks as an office assistant here.

As an office assistant, you work in various industries and companies. Just as diverse as your employers are your tasks. Below, you'll find a small selection:

• Legal office assistant: As a legal office assistant, you handle all administrative matters. You manage the case files, take care of correspondence, and keep track of deadlines. You prepare fee invoices. In this role, you have contact with clients and courts.
• Office assistant real estate: In this role, you'll be working with properties in the real estate industry. You're the first point of contact for owners, prospects, tenants, and property maintenance. You present residential and investment properties and organise viewings. Additionally, you assist with contract matters.
• Office assistant hospital: In a hospital, you'll find a variety of tasks as an office assistant. Depending on the department, you prepare reports and support administrative work. You'll get to experience the exciting world of medicine. This includes helping to organise training sessions and conferences. In some areas, you manage the intranet and website, and communicate with sponsors.

On various job platforms, you can find the average gross salaries for office assistants. How much you earn depends on several factors. Your education, work experience, and the industry you work in all play a significant role. Starting as an office assistant or as a trained retail specialist (EBA), the average salary is around CHF 50,000 per year. That’s roughly CHF 4,200 per month. By pursuing further training, you can increase your gross income. Some companies also offer additional benefits. Find out more here about your gross salary as an office assistant.

The apprenticeship as an office assistant offers you a solid entry into the world of office work. Since 2023, it has been replaced by the two-year apprenticeship as a trained merchant (office assistant) EBA. In a company or administration, you will be prepared for your commercial professional environment. During your practical training, you will learn a lot about operational processes. You will gain skills in handling office and communication equipment. Even during your apprenticeship, you will work in a team and support small projects. If you perform well, you can switch to the more advanced basic training as a merchant (office assistant) EFZ in the second year of your apprenticeship. As a qualified office assistant, you also have the opportunity to pursue further education. After four semesters in part time studies, you will hold the diploma of merchant (office assistant) EBA in your hands.

Looking for an office assistant role in companies across all industries and in administration? Interesting tasks await you. Every company needs a reliable team member to support various operational processes. Great opportunities are ready for you to discover. You can choose an industry based on your preferences and strengths. Whether it's real estate, healthcare, or manufacturing, many companies attract you with appealing working conditions. As an office assistant, you can work full-time or part-time. Through Randstad, you’ll find open positions in all sectors. Are you searching for an attractive role with prospects? You’ll find such and other job offers right here.

With a commercial basic education, you have a solid foundation to kickstart your career as an office assistant. Some companies with a high level of digitalization even require a basic qualification as a trained merchant or business specialist EFZ. However, as a career changer, you also have good prospects if you have several years of professional experience. You learn to handle office and communication equipment through daily practice. If you still lack skills such as foreign languages, you can acquire them through courses. With a willingness to develop further, you have an advantage over less motivated applicants.

With your basic training as an office assistant, you can kickstart your career. If ambition drives you early on, you might pursue an apprenticeship as a trained merchant (EFZ). You’ll gain practical work experience and quickly discover what suits you best. This could lead to a specialization in your career path. Thanks to a wide range of offerings from vocational schools, industry associations, and further education centres, you have plenty of options. For example, you could specialise as a banking specialist HF, business IT specialist HF, or marketing professional BP. If you enjoy supporting your managers and easing their workload, you might consider further training as an executive assistant. That doesn’t have to be the end of the line. If you aim for a management position, you can undertake part-time studies alongside your job. Want to develop further as an office assistant? Check out our tests and tips.

As an office assistant, you primarily stand out through your organisational skills and customer service orientation. Other important qualities include:

• Communication skills: In your role as an office assistant, you’re always in contact. Whether with colleagues, management, clients, or business partners, you approach everyone openly. Both on the phone and in person, you do your part to ensure smooth operational processes. Your employer can rely on you to communicate professionally.
• Reliability: Like a good spirit in the office, you support your colleagues and bosses wherever needed. You greet guests, handle calls with customers, manage correspondence, and file documents. You can always be counted on. When you receive a task, you complete it.
• Carefulness: You can expect a variety of tasks in your daily office routine. You need to work accurately. You pass on information from business partners correctly. You write error-free emails. You record orders properly. Thanks to your sense of duty, you work very conscientiously.
• Flexibility: Your day as an office assistant is only partly predictable. At short notice, a potential client gets in touch. Your boss urgently needs a presentation. So you put other tasks aside and take care of the urgent matters.
• Stress resistance: In your job, things can get pretty hectic sometimes. A salesperson urgently needs a quote because a customer suddenly appears. The phone keeps ringing non-stop, and you're constantly asked for something. The boss has visitors and would like two coffees. You stay calm, keep your overview, and make everyone happy.

There are many good reasons to work at Randstad as an office assistant.
✓ exciting jobs with well known companies
✓ a reliable contact person whenever you need one, personal advice really matters
✓ attractive employment conditions and good social benefits
✓ continuing education courses and personal development opportunities
✓ clear information in the myRandstad app
✓ do you have a fixed-term contract? Often, there’s a chance to secure a permanent position afterwards. Many well known companies also recruit their staff directly through Randstad

your training budget as an office assistant at randstad.

If you work as a production worker for Randstad, you have access to training courses. As part of the TempTraining program from swissstaffing, you can attend various training sessions. You will get the course fees reimbursed later, provided you pass the course exam. Your Randstad consultant is there to support you if you have any questions. This way, you can acquire additional language skills or job-specific knowledge all during your working hours as an office assistant.

Have you found your dream job as an office assistant? It’s not just qualifications and certificates that determine the success of your applications. Careful, error free, and personalized documents will definitely help you in your job search. Here are a few useful tips to improve your chances:

Here you'll find answers to frequently asked questions about working as an office assistant.