National Occupational Classification (NOC) 2016 Version 1.3

1 - Business, finance and administration occupations

Occupations in this category include financial and business services, administration and clerical supervision and support services. Some occupations in this category are unique to the financial and business services sectors; however, most are found in all industries. The professional occupations in this area such as accountants, investment brokers and human resources specialists are usually supplied from educational programs specific to the profession or occupation. Some administrative and business occupations are supplied from experienced workers in related clerical occupations.

12 - Administrative and financial supervisors and administrative occupations

This major group comprises administrative and financial supervisors and administrative occupations usually requiring completion of secondary school, a related university degree, college diploma or specialized training course and up to several years of related work experience. It includes administrative services supervisors; administrative and regulatory occupations; office administrative assistants; and court reporters, transcriptionists, records management technicians and statistical officers.

124 - Office administrative assistants - general, legal and medical

This minor group includes administrative assistants, legal administrative assistants and medical administrative assistants. They are employed in law offices, legal departments of large firms, real estate companies, land title offices, and municipal, provincial and federal courts; doctor's offices, hospitals, medical clinics and other medical settings; and throughout the public and private sectors.

1241 - Administrative assistants

Administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative duties in support of managerial and professional employers. They are employed throughout the private and public sectors.

• Illustrative example(s)

  • administrative assistant
  • executive secretary (except legal and medical)
  • office administrative assistant
  • private secretary
  • secretary (except legal and medical)
  • technical secretary

  All examples

• Inclusion(s)

  • secretary-clerk

• Exclusion(s)

  • Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations (See 1251 Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations)
  • Executive assistants (See 1222 Executive assistants)
  • Legal administrative assistants (See 1242 Legal administrative assistants)
  • Medical administrative assistants (See 1243 Medical administrative assistants)
  • Office managers (See 1221 Administrative officers)

• Main duties

  This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Prepare, key in, edit and proofread correspondence, invoices, presentations, brochures, publications, reports and related material from machine dictation and handwritten copy
  • Open and distribute incoming regular and electronic mail and other material and co-ordinate the flow of information internally and with other departments and organizations
  • Schedule and confirm appointments and meetings of employer
  • Order office supplies and maintain inventory
  • Answer telephone and electronic enquiries and relay telephone calls and messages
  • Set up and maintain manual and computerized information filing systems
  • Determine and establish office procedures
  • Greet visitors, ascertain nature of business and direct visitors to employer or appropriate person
  • Record and prepare minutes of meetings
  • Arrange travel schedules and make reservations
  • May compile data, statistics and other information to support research activities
  • May supervise and train office staff in procedures and in use of current software
  • May organize conferences.

• Employment requirements

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • Completion of a one- or two-year college or other program for administrative assistants or secretaries
    or
    Previous clerical experience is required.

1242 - Legal administrative assistants

Legal administrative assistants perform a variety of secretarial and administrative duties in law offices, legal departments of large firms, real estate companies, land title offices, municipal, provincial and federal courts and government.

• Illustrative example(s)

  • administrative assistant - legal
  • corporate law legal assistant
  • legal assistant
  • legal assistant - criminal law
  • legal secretary
  • litigation legal assistant
  • litigation secretary
  • real estate secretary

  All examples

• Exclusion(s)

  • By-law clerks (See 1452 Correspondence, publication and regulatory clerks)
  • Court recorders (See 1251 Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations)
  • Paralegal and related occupations (See 4211 Paralegal and related occupations)

• Main duties

  This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Prepare and key in correspondence and legal documents, such as deeds, wills, affidavits and briefs, from handwritten copy, shorthand and machine dictation using computers
  • Review and proofread documents and correspondence to ensure compliance with legal procedures and grammatical usage
  • Schedule appointments, meetings and conferences for employer
  • Set up and maintain filing systems, utilizing knowledge of legal records and procedures and frequently controlling confidential materials and documents
  • Open and distribute regular and electronic incoming mail and other material and co-ordinate the flow of information internally and with other departments or organizations
  • Determine and establish office procedures and routines
  • May supervise and train other staff in procedures and in the use of current software
  • May attend court, meetings or conferences to take notes, minutes and dictation
  • May perform other general office work as required including preparing financial statements.

• Employment requirements

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • Completion of a one- or two-year college or other program for secretaries or legal secretaries is usually required.

1243 - Medical administrative assistants

Medical administrative assistants perform a variety of secretarial and administrative duties in doctor's offices, hospitals, medical clinics and other medical settings.

• Illustrative example(s)

  • administrative assistant - medical
  • medical secretary
  • ward secretary

  All examples

• Exclusion(s)

  • Health information management occupations (See 1252 Health information management occupations)
  • Medical records clerks (See 1411 General office support workers)
  • Medical transcriptionists (See 1251 Court reporters, medical transcriptionists and related occupations)

• Main duties

  This group performs some or all of the following duties:

  • Schedule and confirm medical appointments and receive and communicate messages for medical staff and patients
  • Enter and format electronically based medical reports and correspondence and prepare spreadsheets and documents for review
  • Interview patients in order to complete forms, documents and case histories
  • Complete insurance and other claim forms
  • Initiate and maintain confidential medical files and records
  • Prepare draft agendas for meetings and take, transcribe and distribute minutes
  • Prepare financial statements and billing
  • Establish and maintain various internal office administrative support procedures such as document tracking and filing and monthly reporting
  • Order supplies and maintain inventory
  • Determine and establish office procedures and routines
  • May supervise and train other staff in procedures and in use of current software.

• Employment requirements

  • Completion of secondary school is usually required.
  • Completion of a one- or two-year college program or other specialized courses for secretaries or medical secretaries is usually required.