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Administrative Assistant

Business

Perform routine administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers.

You can enter this career straight after SPM. A degree is optional, not required.

Business

What you'd do all day

The tasks that matter most in this job, most important first.

  1. 1Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
  2. 2Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
  3. 3Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
  4. 4Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
  5. 5Perform payroll functions, such as maintaining timekeeping information and processing and submitting payroll.
  6. 6Collect and deposit money into accounts, disburse funds from cash accounts to pay bills or invoices, keep records of collections and disbursements, and ensure accounts are balanced.
  7. 7Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
  8. 8Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
  9. 9Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organizations.
  10. 10Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors.
  11. 11Maintain scheduling and event calendars.
  12. 12Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
  13. 13Complete forms in accordance with company procedures.
  14. 14Provide services to customers, such as order placement or account information.
  15. 15Establish work procedures or schedules and keep track of the daily work of clerical staff.
  16. 16Prepare and mail checks.
  17. 17Locate and attach appropriate files to incoming correspondence requiring replies.
  18. 18Arrange conference, meeting, or travel reservations for office personnel.
  19. 19Conduct searches to find needed information, using such sources as the Internet.
  20. 20Open, read, route, and distribute incoming mail or other materials and answer routine letters.
  21. 21Supervise other clerical staff and provide training and orientation to new staff.
  22. 22Make copies of correspondence or other printed material.
  23. 23Review work done by others to check for correct spelling and grammar, ensure that company format policies are followed, and recommend revisions.
  24. 24Manage projects or contribute to committee or team work.
  25. 25Coordinate conferences, meetings, or special events, such as luncheons or graduation ceremonies.
  26. 26Learn to operate new office technologies as they are developed and implemented.
  27. 27Mail newsletters, promotional material, or other information.
  28. 28Train and assist staff with computer usage.
  29. 29Order and dispense supplies.
  30. 30Prepare conference or event materials, such as flyers or invitations.
  31. 31Develop or maintain internal or external company Web sites.

Also known as

What this job is called on JobStreet, LinkedIn and in job ads. Search these too.

  • ASA
  • Police
  • Secretary
  • Admin Assistant
  • Admin Secretary
  • Clerk Secretary
  • Staff Assistant
  • Admin Specialist
  • Alumni Secretary
  • Escrow Assistant

How far is this from you?

Roughly how much preparation this job usually takes. In Malaysia your UPU route and the programme's syarat still decide entry, so treat this as a guide, not a gate.

  1. 1

    Entry straight after SPM

  2. Typical entry

    SPM + sijil / short TVET course

  3. 3

    Diploma / TVET (sijil–diploma)

  4. 4

    Degree (ijazah sarjana muda)

  5. 5

    Postgrad (sarjana / PhD) or professional route

Typical educationHigh school diploma

Subjects that matter here

The SPM subjects worth your effort for this career, with the reason for each.

BusinessDraws directly on Administrative — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EnglishDraws directly on English Language — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Computer Science / ICTDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
Electrical & Electronic Eng. StudiesDraws directly on Computers and Electronics — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).
EconomicsDraws directly on Administration and Management — a top knowledge area for this role (O*NET).

What you'd need to know

The subject areas this job leans on most, and the SPM subjects that build them.

  • Administrative90%

    Business

  • English Language86%

    English

  • Computers and Electronics77%

    Computer Science / ICTElectrical & Electronic Eng. Studies

  • Customer and Personal Service75%
  • Administration and Management69%

    BusinessEconomics

  • Mathematics58%

    Additional MathematicsMathematics

Tools you'd use

Software and equipment that show up in this job, worth learning early.

Where to learn these, free

Scholarships & funding

What the work feels like

Day-to-day working conditions, so you can tell whether the job suits how you like to work.

  • Face-to-face discussionsEvery day
  • Contact with other peopleConstant contact
  • Dealing with customers or the publicVery high
  • Leading or coordinating othersHigh
  • Indoors, air-conditionedEvery day
  • Outdoors, in all weatherAlmost never
  • Noisy environmentRarely
  • Time spent sittingAlmost all the time

AI and demand for this job

A few real, dated data points — not a single score. AI making some tasks faster usually means a job changes, not that it disappears.

37%

Share of everyday tasks today's AI can already help with (2023)

This estimate is from 2023 — already out of date, since AI moves fast. Treat it as a rough, aging starting point, not the current picture.

0.51%

Of Malaysian Claude conversations, about this kind of work

Measures how much people use Claude for this work, not how many Malaysians do this job — and more AI use can mean people relying on it, not that it's replacing them.

Growing role in the US

US Bureau of Labor Statistics data, not Malaysian. Shown because it's the only forward-looking demand estimate we have for this job.

Pay in Malaysia

We don't have a sourced Malaysian salary range for this job yet, and we'd rather show nothing than a number we can't stand behind.

Where to check:

  • JobStreet and Hiredly job ads for this title
  • DOSM Salaries & Wages Survey
  • SSPA scheme tables, if you're aiming for a government post

Check what you may qualify for

Enter your SPM grades and see which routes and programmes you may qualify for. An estimate to plan with, not an offer.

Check my eligibility Not sure yet? Take the quiz

How to get here

Post-SPM pathways with programmes in this career's fields. Tap one to see real programmes and entry requirements.

Asasi / Foundation

One-year runway into a specific university: public via UPU or private direct entry.

12 months

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About this information

This describes what the job involves. Pay, demand and entry routes differ in Malaysia, so check the Pathways and Programmes pages for local requirements.

O*NET occupation: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Job responsibilities, knowledge areas and work context from O*NET 30.3, US Department of Labor, used under CC BY 4.0. onetcenter.org

Programmes that lead here

Programmes from the official UPU (KPT) and MQA catalogues whose field of study typically leads to this career. Matched by field, not a job guarantee.

Public universities (UPU)

Private institutions (MQA-accredited)

Search the programme catalogue