Administrative assistants help almost every other job in an industry. They can be found in such departments as finance, accounting, human resources, public affairs, planning, engineering, legal, library, science labs, treatment plants, and repair shops. Some of their duties include:

• being on the front line of telephone and written communications;
• scheduling meetings in facilities and travel for individuals;
• typing, preparing, copying, and distributing reports and documents;
• preparing materials for presentations and speeches;
• organizing and filing office papers;
• recording notes of meetings and distributing them to make sure all members (including those absent) stay informed about decisions, actions, and policies.