Office Manager

by Staff Reporter
by Staff Reporter
If you’re a natural organiser and enjoy administrative work, a career as an Office Manager could be for you.

Career Overview

As an Office Manager, it is your job to oversee, and to manage the ebb and flow of office life. When it comes to organising people, meetings, office administration, office maintenance, keeping records and the processes involved in keeping everything organised, you’re in charge.

Required School Subjects

You will need to have taken the following subjects at high school:

  • Pure Mathematics

Recommended subjects:

  • Geography
  • Economics
  • Accounting

Institution and APS

The following institutions are highly recommended for BCom studies:

  • Rhodes University – APS of 34 -37
  • University of Cape Town (UCT) – Faculty Point Score (FPS) of 480 for guarunteed entrance
  • University of Witwatersrand (Wits) – APS of 39+
  • Nelson Mandela University (NMU) – APS of 38

Required Qualification/s

It is possible to become an Office Manager of a smaller company with a technical diploma, you do not necessarily need a bachelor’s degree. However, the higher end companies will potentially look for someone who has a bachelor’s degree in administration, business management or someone who has a degree in general. It depends what kind of position you are aiming for. When studying a bachelors degree, your opportunities can broaden.

Required Skills

You will need to have the following skills to succeed as an Office Manager:

  • problem-solving skills
  • active listening
  • attention to detail
  • the ability to work under pressure
  • an aptitude for maths and science
  • ability to think critically
  • an interest in software design and development

Where you can work

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.There is a range of environments that you could work in as an Office Manager:

  • Any office environment, whether corporate or not
  • Legal firms
  • Financial services
  • Government offices
  • Engineering firms
  • Transport companies
  • Charity organisations
  • The list can go on and your opportunity is endless.

Working Hours

Regular working hours for Office Managers is between 35  – 45 hours per week. 

Expected Salary

According to PayScale, Office Managers in South Africa will earn an average of R 181 451 per year, with an hourly rate of R48.91.

What to expect

Here are a few things you can expect from a career as an Office Manager:

  • Expect to manage both people and communicate effectively with people. 
  • Expect to manage and organise filing systems and keep a record of company information. 
  • Expect to keep the operations of an office space running smoothly.
  • You might need to be involved with disciplinary actions of staff members, and also to be involved or oversee recruiting of new staff. 
  • You’ll be expected to manage staff workload, capacity and efficiency. 
  • Expect to be in the firing line for customer relations, questions and to assist customers when it comes to the company. 
  • You may be required to travel to other branches of your organisation and also potentially to attend or even give training. 
  • Expect to look after the company budget and finances.

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