Before looking for an office job, you may want to hone your clerical skills so you can be ready for on-the-job training. It can be a good idea to visit a labor bureau in your area so you can be tested on some of these skills before applying for work. While you are at the agency, you can check for job openings or even internships that might give you office work experience. You could also apply directly to companies that hire clerical workers to find unadvertised employment opportunities.
It could be easier to gain office work experience if you are already proficient in filing, typing, or sorting mail. If you have never worked in an office before, you may want to obtain a certificate in some of these skills, so you can show a potential employer you are qualified. Many government labor offices test your ability to type, use word processing software, or sort documents alphabetically. Once you complete the testing phase, you are often qualified to apply for certain job postings the bureau might be recruiting for.
A non-profit organization might sometimes advertise for volunteers to perform clerical work. An advantage to performing one of these internships is that many of these businesses are willing to accept workers with little or no office work experience. These employment opportunities may be full-time or part-time opportunities, and many have flexible hours as well. Some of the things you may be asked to do at one of these agencies could include answering the phone, greeting visitors, and maintaining files among other things.
You may want to apply with local businesses even if you are unaware of any clerical openings. By doing so, you can build a network of contacts that may call you whenever a position becomes available. As a result, you may be able to land a job before it is advertised to the public. Some good places to seek employment might be at a public library, insurance office, or real estate agency. If you have specialized experience in the medical industry, you may be able to get office work experience at a medical clinic or hospital.
There are generally no educational requirements for most clerical positions; however, a high school diploma or equivalent is usually preferred. If you are able to take a few college courses in office administration, this could help you gain office work experience, giving you a potential edge over candidates with no college background. It is also important to make sure your resume is neat in appearance with no grammar, spelling, or punctuation errors, as attention to detail is very crucial in this line of work.