Administrative Assistant

Your at-home learning program includes 11 Instruction Sets designed to take you step-by-step through the techniques and skills you’ll employ in your new career as an Administrative Assistant. Your first Instruction Set will be sent to you as soon as your enrolment has been accepted. Other Instruction Sets will follow as you complete your exams, so that you will always have training materials to work with.

In order to complete this program, students will be required to have access to an IBM® -compatible computer with the following minimum specifications: Pentium® II, 200 MHZ or better, Windows® 2000 or XP, 128MB RAM (RAM requirements could be higher for some operating systems) plus an additional 8MB RAM; 250MB free hard disk space, SVGA monitor, 2X CD-ROM drive, mouse, Internet access and a current version of Microsoft® Office.

Here is an overview of what you’ll learn and the order in which you’ll receive your learning materials:

Instruction Set 1

• Learning Strategies
  • Identifying and implementing a successful study method; planning when, where, and how you’ll study; creating effective and efficient study tools; using study tools to improve chances for success.
• The Administrative Professional
  • Introduction to the field; the secretary’s role in the workplace; necessary skills and abilities; workplace trends and opportunities; professional organizations.

Instruction Set 2

• Your Professional Image
  • Dressing professionally; building a support network; developing skills and a career portfolio.
• Time and Stress Management
  • Setting up a time-management program; handling work overload; setting priorities and goals; effective stress-management strategies.

Instruction Set 3

• The global Workplace
  • Preparing for a foreign position; working for a United States firm in a foreign country; working for a foreign company in the United States.
• Interpersonal Skills
  • The importance of interpersonal skills; oral communication skills; interfacing with others.

Instruction Set 4

• Administrative Office Procedures  
  • Communicating with your supervisor and coworkers; being professional; telephone communications; handling postal and electronic mail.
• Travel and Meeting Planning 
  • Assessing your company’s travel needs; developing a working relationship with a travel agent; planning a meeting.

Instruction Set 5

• Filing Techniques
  • Alphabetical and numerical filing systems; confidential files; financial files; filing equipment.
• Records Management
  • Updating records systems; controlling stored records; electronic records management; classification of records.
• Math for Office Professionals
  • Whole numbers; fractions; decimals; percents and percentages; calculating income; gross pay versus net pay;
    hourly wages.

Instruction Set 6

• Technologies in the Office
  • LAN and WAN; wireless transmissions and image systems; cellular phones, pagers, and videophones; personal computers.
• Resources and References
  • Policy manuals, procedure manuals, and job description manuals; emergency procedures; using zip code directories and libraries; using the Internet.
• Internet Basics
  • Features of the Web; navigating the Web; accessing and sending email; basic research tools and search engines.

Instruction Set 7

• Using Parts of Speech
  • A description of the parts of a sentence; how to use the parts of speech to write effectively; subject-verb agreement; use of the active voice; effective use of modifiers; producing correct, polished writing for business; common grammatical problems.
• Punctuation and Capitalization
  • Descriptions of punctuation marks and the purpose of each; using punctuation to properly document research sources; rules of capitalization.
• Writing Sentences and Paragraphs
  • Writing complete, correctly structures sentences and unified, coherent paragraphs; sentence length and variety; avoiding run-ons and fragments; constructing organized paragraphs.
• Improving Your Writing
  • Using particular patterns of organization, content and language to most effectively convey a specific idea to a specific audience; revising, editing and proofreading.
• Types of Business Writing
  • Composing clear, courteous and complete messages; formatting and etiquette for letters, email, memos and forms.
• Supplement: Introduction to Writing

Instruction Set 8

• First Steps in Using a Personal Computer
  • How to start up and shut down a computer; using the keyboard and mouse to navigate the system; basic computer setup.
• Using Windows®
  • You’ll learn to customize your computer display, create documents, shortcuts for Windows®, copy information using Clipboard, how to use the taskbar, and view and organize your files and folders using Windows® Explorer.
• Keyboarding and Processing
  • Keying alphabetic, figure and symbol keys; using basic word processing functions; formatting business correspondence.
• Textbook: Keyboarding and Word Processing
• Software: Keyboarding Pro

Instruction Set 9

• Advanced Word Processing
  • Basic Word commands review; traditional reports and navigational tools; customize document themes; advanced documents with graphics; mail merge; quick parts and building blocks; customize templates and styles; prepare documents for sharing.
• Textbook: Advanced Word Processing

Instruction Set 10

• Integrated Computer Applications 
  • Using clip art, lines, borders, drawing tools, charting tools, and watermarks; applying effective design principles and desktop publishing techniques. Features of the Web; navigating the Web; accessing and sending email; basic research tools and search engines.
• Textbook: Integrated Computer Applications

Instruction Set 11

• Office Finances
  • Office finance concepts; income; expenses; the computer and office finances; banking procedures.
• Office Management
  • Recruiting, interviewing, selecting, evaluating, and terminating employees; legal and medical issues; privacy issues.

Online Library and Librarian
Students in ICS Canada have access to an online library for use during their studies. Students can use this library to do the required research in the courses they complete or can use it for general reference and links to valuable resources. The library contains helpful research assistance, articles, databases, books, and Web links. A librarian is available to answer questions on general research-related topics via email and to assist students in research activities during their studies with ICS Canada.

We reserve the right to change program content and materials when it becomes necessary.

Microsoft, Windows, and Outlook are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.

IBM is a trademark of the IBM Corporation or its subsidiaries registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.

Pentium and Intel are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries registered in the United States of America and/or other jurisdictions.

Career Pro is a trademark of Career Pro of NC, Inc.

Resume Maker is a trademark of Individual Software.