Office Administration Short Course Online: What You Learn, Jobs and How to Start
Office administrators keep a workplace running: the diary, the meetings, the records, the phone and the paperwork. If you want to work in an office, a short course is a practical way to learn how it all fits together. This guide explains what a good office administration course covers, the jobs it prepares you for, and how to get started.
Key takeaways
- Office admin is about organisation and communication: managing time, meetings, records, correspondence and visitors.
- The same skills open several doors, including administrative assistant, receptionist, office administrator, executive assistant and virtual assistant roles.
- A short online course lets you learn on your phone at your own pace. The Purple Growth Office Administration Course is R199 once-off and ends with a certificate of completion.
- Employers hire people who can show these skills, so put them on your CV with real examples.
In this guide
1What does an office administrator do?
An office administrator manages the day-to-day running of an office so the business can meet its goals. On a normal day that can mean:
- Answering calls and emails and welcoming visitors
- Managing diaries and booking meetings, then taking and sending the minutes
- Writing letters, short reports and other business documents
- Filing and finding records, on paper and on the computer
- Planning workflows and deadlines so nothing is missed
- Helping organise events, training days and conferences
- Keeping simple financial records such as sales, stock and petty cash
Smaller offices often have one person doing all of this. Bigger companies split it into roles such as receptionist, administrative assistant and office manager.
2What you learn in an office administration short course
A good course should cover the whole job, not only typing and filing. These are the nine modules of the Purple Growth Office Admin and Management Skills Course:
Office Admin and Management Skills Course
Business etiquette, office communication, meetings, records, the paperless office, time management, events, reception and bookkeeping basics, with activities after every unit.
3Jobs an office administration course prepares you for
Office skills are useful in almost every industry, from schools and clinics to shops, offices and small businesses. Roles that use them include:
| Role | What the job focuses on |
|---|---|
| Administrative assistant | Supporting a team with documents, filing, diaries and general office tasks. |
| Receptionist | Greeting visitors, answering calls and managing the front desk. |
| General office administrator | Running the day-to-day work of a small office. |
| Executive assistant | Managing a manager’s diary, meetings, travel and correspondence. |
| Virtual personal assistant | Doing admin work for clients online, often from home. |
| Office manager | Overseeing the office, its systems and sometimes other admin staff. |
4How long it takes and what it costs
Office administration courses range from short online courses to programmes that run for months at a college. Before you pay, check the total cost, whether there are monthly fees, whether the certificate is included and whether you can study around your other commitments.
| Purple Growth Office Admin Course | |
|---|---|
| Price | R199 once-off. No monthly fees. |
| Length | 9 modules, self-paced. Study a little each day or work through it faster if you have the time. |
| Where you study | On your phone, tablet or computer with a normal web browser. |
| Assessments | Short activities at the end of each learning unit. |
| Certificate | A certificate of completion with your name, downloadable when you finish. |
5Office admin skills to put on your CV
| Skill | How to write it |
|---|---|
| Organisation and time management | Planned my own workload and met deadlines without reminders. |
| Written communication | Wrote clear emails, letters and short reports. |
| Records management | Kept paper and digital files organised so information could be found quickly. |
| Meeting support | Booked meetings, prepared agendas and took minutes. |
| Customer and visitor service | Welcomed visitors and handled phone calls professionally. |
| Basic bookkeeping | Recorded sales and stock and kept simple financial records up to date. |
?Frequently asked questions
What do you learn in an office administration course?
A good course covers business etiquette, written and verbal office communication, managing meetings, records management, time and workflow management, reception skills and basic bookkeeping. The Purple Growth course covers all of these across nine modules.
Can I do an office administration course online?
Yes. The Purple Growth Office Admin and Management Skills Course is online and works on a smartphone with internet and a normal web browser. It costs R199 once-off.
How long does an office admin short course take?
It depends on the provider. The Purple Growth course is self-paced, so you decide how quickly you work through the nine modules.
Do I need experience to do the course?
No. The course is written for people starting out as well as those who already work in an office and want to improve.
What jobs can I apply for after an office admin course?
Roles that use office skills include administrative assistant, receptionist, general office administrator, executive assistant, virtual personal assistant and office manager.
Do I get a certificate?
Yes. When you finish the Purple Growth course you can download a certificate of completion with your name to add to your CV.
Start building your office career
Learn how a professional office runs, from meetings and records to reception and bookkeeping, on your phone and at your own pace.
Start the Office Admin Course for R199
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