If you’re striving towards a career in office administration, there’s plenty to look forward to. You will be a valued team member as your workplace simply could not operate properly without you. As an office administrator, you will be responsible for maintaining the office systems that have been put in place, supervising staff, preparing payroll, designing and implementing office policies based on the needs of your team, and more. A position in this field will require you to be detail-oriented, flexible, focused, and productive. You’ll likely have numerous different tasks to manage on any given day which is why it’s essential to make sure you optimize your tools for efficiency. 

Here are just four of the many ways you can do this using Microsoft Office 365! 

1. Respond to Emails More Efficiently With Office Outlook Reading 

As an office administrator, answering emails will make up a large portion of your days. Unfortunately, it’s very easy to procrastinate in this area, especially when emails are lengthy. Outlook Reading is a feature that provides you with a detailed preview of emails without even having to open them. This allows you to quickly determine whether the issue brought to your attention is urgent. During your office administration career, this kind of prioritization will be an essential part of your success.

2. Learn Keyboard Shortcuts to Get Work Done More Quickly 

Creating spreadsheets will likely be a part of your role in some capacity as an office administrator, whether you’re drafting schedules or keeping track of financial information. You’ll most likely use Excel for this which involves many repetitive functions. Luckily, there are endless shortcuts to learn that will save you a significant amount of time and ensure accuracy. There are hundreds of shortcuts to choose from in the Suite and with time and practice, you’ll have memorized most of them. 

Not to mention, the latest versions of Microsoft Word allow you to quickly input a command into the “Tell me what you want to accomplish” field. This is especially useful when you’re not sure exactly how to get a particular task completed–or having a simple memory lapse. 

3. Sync Your Files to Stay Prepared During your Office Administration Career

In the event that you need to bring your work out of the office and you deal with an internet outage, you can continue to work using OneDrive for Business or SharePoint documents offline. You can then sync them to the server once you regain an internet connection. This allows you to work from anywhere when needed and provides you with some extra flexibility. 

4. Scheduling a Meeting, But Don’t Know Who’s Free? Use the Scheduling Assistant 

After office administration training, scheduling meetings and other events will a top priority. This can be very tedious when your staff members have different work-related commitments lined up, especially if you don’t have quick access to everyone’s availability. With Office 365’s Scheduling Assistant, you can easily see when your team members are available and pick a time that works best for everyone. You’re on your way to a successful office administration career with all of the tools we’ve discussed today, along with specialized training through our online Office Administration Certificate Program taught by experienced business professionals. 

Are you interested in enrolling in an office administration certificate program? 

Reach out to Discovery Community College for more information!