General office support workers
Career Overview
General office support workers:
- Prepare correspondence, reports, statements and other material
- Check, record and process forms and documents such as contracts and requisitions
- Operate office equipment
- Answer telephones and respond to emails
Job Titles
Duties
General office support workers:
- Prepare correspondence, reports, statements, forms, presentations, applications and other material
- Respond to telephone, in-person or email enquiries, or forward them to the appropriate person
- Scan, photocopy and collate documents for distribution, mailing and filing
- Maintain and prepare reports from files, inventories, mailing lists and databases
- Process incoming and outgoing faxes and mail, manually or electronically
- Help to prepare meeting agendas
- Attend meetings and record minutes
- Help with administrative activities such as budget submissions, contract administration and work schedules
- Sort, process and verify applications, receipts, expenditures, forms and other documents
- Order and maintain inventory of office supplies and arrange for servicing of office equipment as needed
- May perform basic bookkeeping tasks such as preparing invoices and bank deposits
Earnings
Earnings is income that workers receive in exchange for their labour. Depending on the type of employment, earnings can be in the form of wages (hourly), salaries (fixed monthly or annual) or self-employed earnings.
Work Environment
# Workers Employed
26,050% Employed Full Time
47%General office support workers work in a conventional controlled environment such as an office, hospital or school. They generally work during regular office hours, Monday to Friday.
Some general office support workers work with placement agencies—often called “temp agencies”—doing short-term jobs in private businesses and government offices.
General office support workers spend most of their time on computers which can put stress on the neck, back, shoulders and eyes. Equipment designed for office work may be required—headsets, for example—for those who spend a lot of time on the telephone.
Career Pathways
With experience and training, general office support workers may progress to other administrative jobs, including supervisory or office management positions.
Occupational Interests
It’s important to understand what kinds of occupations align with your interests.
For more about occupational interests visit Skills for the Future Workforce > Characteristics.
Here are the top occupational interest(s) for this career profile:
Education, Training and Skills
A secondary (high) school certificate and proficiency with business software, such as the Microsoft Office Suite, is usually required.
Completion of college business or commercial courses is an asset or may be required.
Education programs in B.C.
Top Skills
Every job calls for a certain set of skills. Knowing those skills is the first step in finding a good career fit.
Here, you will find the 10 most relevant workplace skills. Some are more important to achieving success in a certain career than others. These skills may come naturally to you or you may need to gain them through education, training and experience.
See the list of work-related skills below, ranked in order of importance for this career. Check out the list and see if this career matches your skills—take that first step!
Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work-related documents.
Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Talking to others to share information effectively.
Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.
Managing one’s own time and the time of others.
Keeping track of and assessing your performance, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Actively looking for ways to help people.
Being aware of others’ reactions and understanding why they react as they do.
Adjusting actions in relation to others' actions.
Labour Market Statistics
Discover data, facts and information that have been gathered and analyzed. Learn about the characteristics of the economy and labour market in B.C.
Employment
Find out about employment types and trends by region and industry.
Employment
26,050Employment by Region
| Region | Employment | % Employment of this Occupation |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 700 | 2.7% |
| Kootenay | 710 | 2.7% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 17,125 | 65.7% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 475 | 1.8% |
| Northeast | 380 | 1.5% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 2,780 | 10.7% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 3,880 | 14.9% |
Labour Market Outlook
The B.C. Labour Market Outlook is a 10-year forecast of the expected supply and demand for labour in the province. It’s usually updated every year. The purpose is to provide British Columbians with the knowledge to make informed decisions on careers, skills training, education and hiring.
Forecasted Job Openings (2025-2035)
12,020Forecasted Job Openings
Forecasted Employment Growth Rate
Composition of Job Openings
Job Openings by Region (2025-2035)
| Region | Job Openings | Avg. Annual Employment Growth |
|---|---|---|
| Cariboo | 280 | 0.6% |
| Kootenay | 330 | 0.8% |
| Mainland/Southwest | 7,910 | 1.3% |
| North Coast and Nechako | 160 | 0.4% |
| Northeast | 150 | 0.6% |
| Thompson-Okanagan | 1,200 | 1.0% |
| Vancouver Island/Coast | 2,000 | 1.4% |
Industry Highlights
Learn about the opportunities in B.C.'s major industries, including employment trends, earning potential, locations of work and more.
Forecasted Job Openings by Industry
| Industry | Job Openings (2025-2035) |
|---|---|
| Health Care and Social Assistance | 4,300 |
| Public Administration | 1,520 |
| Professional, Scientific and Technical Services | 1,100 |
| Finance, Insurance and Real Estate | 740 |
| Construction | 720 |
Insights from Industry
Advances in software technology are changing the way this job is done. As a result, people with computer skills are in higher demand.
Resources
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Association of Administrative Professionalswww.canadianadmin.ca
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International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP)www.iaap-hq.org
Career Videos
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a general office support worker is like.
Watch the video below to see what a day in the life of a general office support worker is like.
