An Office Administrator job, also referred to as bürokauffrau job, is mainly responsible for ensuring that a business office runs properly and smoothly so that all business operations are completed in an effective manner on a daily basis. In order to be effective, an Office Administrator must have numerous business skills in a variety of areas such office skills, communications skills, and computer skills, as well as leadership skills and qualities.

Because an Office Administrator deals with the day-to-day operations of a business, recordkeeping skills, including the knowledge of keeping records for payroll purposes, taking inventory, and supervising other employees, are absolutely necessary to this position. Supervisory skills, such as team leadership, effective problem solving skills, conflict management, and time management are important to this position as an office administrator must use these skills to ensure that the business mission is completed on a daily basis. This, of course, involves the ability to effectively communicate with the company's employees, business clients, and other various office visitors that may come in contact with the business.

An Office Administrator is the first person a visitor meets upon entering a business. Therefore, the ability to communicate effectively and in a pleasant matter is of utmost importance to this position. Any person pursuing this position needs to be skilled in effectively answering a telephone and taking messages, directing visitors to the proper location, checking appointments in the office system, and screening calls in a responsible manner. Additionally, an Office Administrator must be prepared and confident enough to take charge of the office whenever the business owner is traveling on business. This includes making the travel arrangements, preparing an itinerary, handling all office operations in an effective manner while in charge, and keeping the owner informed of all important business transactions.

Office Administrators must have up-to-date computer skills in order to be an effective employee to any business operation. The administrator must be familiar with the particular scheduling program and databases used by the company, including spreadsheets, word processors, e-mail, and any other programs typically used in the industry. Additionally, an Office Administrator must be efficient at data entry because at any point in time, the administrator may be called upon to step in and complete the day-to-day operations of another worker in addition to the responsibilities that are the normal activities of an Office Administrator.

Ultimately, an effective Office Administrator is somewhat of a "front-line defense" to any successful business operation. This person is the first person anyone coming into contact with the business will meet and with whom they will interact during a business transaction. Therefore, an office administrator must have a pleasant personality while being extremely intelligent with an outstanding ability to communicate with others in an effective manner while simultaneously making sure multiple business operations are being correctly completed in a timely manner by other workers. An Office Administrator must be somewhat informed about everything that is happening in a business in order to be an effective asset to the company.