Career path for clerical and administrative workers

An individual's career path is very much influenced by their background, skills, knowledge, ability, interests and goals.

These days, starting in an administrative role can open up doors to advancement in a variety of different job families such as finance, project management and information technology.

On this page

• Many roles in an exciting field
• Competencies and the BC Public Service
• BC Public Service values

Many roles in an exciting field

We have many roles for administrative workers who want to begin or advance their careers, or are simply looking to find the one perfect fit.

Here's an inside look at 2 career paths of individuals who began their career in administrative positions:

• Example of an administrative career path:
  Receptionist > Office Assistant > Administrative Assistant > Manager, Finance and Administration > Divisional Coordinator
• Example of a financial career path:
  Administrative Assistant > Office Manager > Financial Clerk > Accounting and Budget Clerk

The BC Public Service provides numerous and diverse opportunities for personal growth and development. Visit the BC Public Service YouTube channel for more information.

Competencies and the BC Public Service

A common term you may come across during the hiring process with the BC Public Service is competencies. 

Competencies are a motive, attitude, behaviour or personal characteristic that a person demonstrates when doing a job, enabling a person to do their job well.

The competencies generally required for administrative/clerical roles are:

• Service Orientation
• Results Orientation
• Teamwork and Cooperation

Often during the interview process, individuals may be asked to provide examples of how they demonstrate these competencies. For example:

• Describe the most difficult customer service experience that you've ever had to handle
• Provide an example of an important goal you've had and your success in achieving it
• Describe a time when you felt effective working in a team

BC Public Service values

The BC Public Service has one overarching corporate value, Integrity, and 6 core corporate values: 

• Curiosity
• Service
• Passion
• Teamwork
• Accountability
• Courage