Guide to the Best Entry-Level Office Jobs

Everyone starts somewhere! This is especially true for first-time or less skilled individuals looking to make their big break in the industry.

There are several reasons why a person might seek out entry-level office jobs. Reasons include: to gain work experience, learn about a profession, master soft and hard skills, and grow a professional network. Also, these valued reasons often lead to greater opportunities in their respective industries! 

After all, experience is the name of the game in regards to career development. In fact, 82 percent of hiring managers say they view the candidate experience as very or extremely important. In effect, an individual may need to seek out entry-level employment to gain this experience.

With this said, the job market is wide open for entry-level job seekers!

Learn how to capitalize on entry-level positions with this entry-level office jobs guide.

In this entry-level office jobs guide, we will discuss:

• Full-Time Employment Advantages and Disadvantages
• Temp Word Pros and Cons
• Types of Entry-Level Office Jobs Available
• Entry-Level Job Difficulty, and
• Tips to Successfully Land a Job

Entry-Level Options: Full-Time vs. Temporary Employment

Entry-level office jobs are a lucrative option for workers who want to gain knowledge of higher-level jobs. However, before you hit the job board, it is important to define your overall career goals. To elaborate, different types of work⁠—full-time employment and temporary work⁠— yield different results. Learn more about each type of work and decide which is correct for your situation with this advantage and disadvantage catalog.

Full-Time: Pros and Cons

Full-time employment is beneficial for several reasons; however, for some can be fruitless for those with unique career goals. Take a look at this list of full-time advantages and disadvantages to determine if becoming a company associate is appropriate for you.

Pros

• Secure Salary. Maybe one of the greatest positives aspects of full-time employment is a secure salary! In a full-time position, you can expect steady compensation for each pay period.
• Company Benefits. Are employee benefits important to you? Most companies offer comprehensive benefits that are only available to full-time employees like healthcare, paid time off, and more!
• Fixed Schedule. As a full-time employee, you will be expected to work on a fixed schedule. This means that you can plan your day accordingly without being unsure of your work schedule.

Cons

• Career Stagnation. Inevitably, working a full-time can become stagnant—performing the same tasks day in and day out.
• Resume Versatility. A full-time job can guarantee great stability; however, if you are looking to add additional skills and experience, you may be pigeon-holed by a specific position.
• Static Professional Opportunities. As mentioned before, full-time employment can limit resume versatility. In addition, often full-time employees don’t have the freedom to work outside of their area of expertise.

Temporary: Pros and Cons

Full-time employment is not for everyone! For this reason, temp work is an advantageous alternative to achieve certain career goals and gain experience. Figure out if temping is the correct career move for you with these temp worker pros and cons list.

Pros

• Job Flexibility. Temp jobs offer flexibility that you generally won’t find at a permanent, full-time position.  This leaves time to travel and work on personal projects in between placements.
• Grow Resume. As a temp worker, you can gain a wide variety of skills and experiences.
• Grow Network. It’s not what you know, but who you know. As a temp worker, you have the opportunity to work with an array of talented professionals and grow your professional network.
• Full-time Position. Overall, temp work is great! Nevertheless, a temporary position can lead to full-time employment.

Cons

• No Benefits. Be wary – benefits are not always guaranteed in temporary positions!
• No Job Security. Steady employment is not certain with temp work! However, with the right agency, you can easily transition from one position to the next.
• Lack of Stability. Depending on your job market, temp work stability varies greatly. In this case, preparation is key.

Choose the Best Option for Your Situation

Ultimately, the decision to either work with a temp agency or seek full-time employment is dependent upon your career goals. No one option is a one-size-fits-all opportunity for everyone!

Often, job seekers looking for temporary work want a variety of experiences and skills to add to their resume! Or, want to gain a better understanding of a profession before pursuing formal education or a higher-level position. In contrast, many job hunters may seek an associate position to launch a career in the industry.

Closely consider your goals before choosing an employment option, and follow along as we dive deep into the types of entry-level office jobs in the next section.

Types of Entry-Level Office Jobs

There is an array of entry-level office job that sparks different interests and affords you the ability to gain unique work experiences. Learn about different lines of work and what each position entails. Additionally, take a moment to review the entry-level job infographic. With this infographic, you will gain an understanding of the job difficulty based on industry and job requirements.

Administration & Clerical

Administration and clerical professionals are essential to the office environment! The role of a worker in this line of work is to support the work of higher-level individuals. All in all, without the hard work ethic of admin professionals, higher-level tasks aren’t fulfilled! Even more, there is an abundance of entry-level clerk jobs that require no experience or qualifications. Take a look at these entry-level office administration jobs.

• Administrative Assistant. Professionals in this role ensure the smooth operation of administrative processes in the company.
• Office Assistant. Office assistants maintain office operations by assisting associates, scheduling and planning meeting, updating records and more.
• Receptionist. Receptionist greet and direct business visitors, answer phone calls and manage schedules.
• Data Clerk. The role of a data clerk is to complete data entry projects, organize and maintain files, and gather data.
• Office Administrator. Office administrators take on many administrative and secretarial duties to maintain the office environment.

Call Center

Call centers are a probable work environment for professionals that want to build interpersonal and communications skills. Notably, individuals in this workspace often receive on-the-job training—perfect for those who want to build their resume and network.

• Customer Service. Customer service representatives solve service and product-related issues with customers over the phone.
• Help Desk. In this role, professionals aid customers and staff members, troubleshooting problems and assisting with account management.
• Outbound Sales Representative. Representatives in this position contact prospective customers to sell products and services.
• Inbound Sales Representative. Similar to outbound representatives, inbound sales representatives communicate with prospective clients; however, these customers first contact the call center.

Legal

Starting a career in the legal industry is a noble endeavor⁠—you will play a strong role in many lives. If you are interested in starting a career in the legal industry, many entry-level office jobs require some education. Take a look at these office job titles!

• Legal Secretary. The main role of secretaries in this role is to manage clients and offer information management assistance.
• Court Runner. As the office job title suggests court runners transport and deliver legal documents that can not be emailed or faxed to attorney’s offices, courtrooms, and government officials.
• Judge’s Assistant. Judicial assistant’s work closely with federal and state judges to draft and file court documents, transcribing court correspondence and more.
• Bailiff. Bailiffs are an integral asset to the court system! Bailiffs are responsible for maintaining order in the court during trials and court proceedings.

Mortgage

The finance industry is an overarching term for several specializations. Of these specializations is the mortgage industry! Each day mortgage professionals assist millions of clients to finance their dream homes across the country and around the world!  Finance clerks play a great role in this process, and ultimately help facilitate the lending process. Do your part in this system with an entry-level position.

• Mortgage Assistant. Financial clerks like mortgage assistant carry out several administrative duties including updating financial records, computing bills and carrying out financial transactions
• Customer Service. Not everything goes to plan! Customer service representatives solve pending account issues to ensure customer satisfaction.
• Mortgage Closer. Mortgage closers are one of the last financial professionals to complete the borrowing process. They assemble, prepare and review closing documents for mortgage loans.
• Title Clerk. A title clerk is responsible for the preparation and processing of title documents to transfer ownership of property.

Tips for Success

Entry-level office jobs are a valuable tool to gain more work experience. As mentioned before, the majority of hiring professionals thinks that candidate experience is very important when hiring for high-level positions.

In general, there is a large knowledge gap between hiring professionals and candidates. Despite an abundance of entry-level office jobs, many remain available because of the lack of industry knowledge.

Why?

Many job seekers believe that they need more skills to apply for these contested office jobs. In reality, hiring managers seeking entry-level talent that display a willingness to adapt and learn.

In fact, one of the top attributes that a hiring manager looks for in an entry-level employee is a good work ethic. Additionally, most companies hire based on a solid base of soft skills.

Demonstrate your hard work ethic on your resume with these top soft and hard skills that will catch any hiring managers eye.

Soft Skills to Entry-Level Position

Soft skills are unique personal attributes that allow you to interact effectively in the workplace.

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Hard Skills to Impress the Hiring Manager

Hard skills are taught skills! These skills are quantifiable and are pertinent to the position.

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Conclusion

It goes without saying, but having an insider on your side is a valuable asset. This ultimate entry-level office job guide is curated by the experts at Corporate Job Bank. Let the recruiting professionals help you with your job search.

Corporate Job Bank has a plethora resources including extensive resume guides and interview prep questions to get you hired⁠—check it out! Or, work directly with Corporate Job Banks recruiting professionals to find the perfect entry-level office job.

Contact Corporate Job Bank at (480) 966-0709 or begin your job search with Corporate Job Bank’s comprehensive job board!