Learn skills and techniques in Office Practices.
Improve your chances of employment by knowing how a modern office works, or make your office more efficient.
- Without either experience or a specific course of learning - getting work in an office can be difficult. This course can help you along the way to improving your chances of getting an office job.
- Do the job you have better by understanding better the processes and operation of a modern office.
- Improve the efficiency of your office - extend your capacity to communicate, solve problems and be more productive
Skilled office workers are always in demand. Make sure you have the edge! Develop the skills and knowledge necessary for the efficient and productive operation of an office.
Lesson Structure
There are 8 lessons in this course:
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The Modern Office
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The Scope and Nature of Office Work.
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Where to Work.
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Office Equipment.
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Information Technology.
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Office Processes.
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Communication Systems
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Common Office Communication Systems.
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Electronic Communications.
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Communication Networks.
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Electronic Mail.
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Interpersonal Communications
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Kinds of Communication.
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Effective Communication.
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Becoming an Effective Communicator.
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The Communication Process.
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Email and Electronic Communication.
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Communicating with Clients.
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Giving and Receiving Instructions.
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Phone Skills
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Telephone Techniques.
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Telephone Answering When You're Not There.
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Writing Letters and Other Documents
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Office Stationery.
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Good Business Writing.
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Memoranda.
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Business Letters.
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Business Reports.
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Editing and Proofreading.
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Computer Applications
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Computer Applications in the Office.
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Types of Computer.
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Software.
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Computer Specifications.
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Viruses.
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Optical Drives.
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Peripherals.
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Office Organisation and Procedures
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Organising Data.
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Record Keeping.
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Organising Office Space.
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Organising Work.
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Health and Safety in the Office
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Power Leads and Outlets.
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Using VDU Equipment.
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Lifting and Manual Handling.
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Fatigue in the Workplace.
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Stress Management.
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Office Security and Legal Restraints.
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Legal Risks.
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Aims
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Determine the price range of different items of equipment and materials.
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Determine the upper and lower limit of what it might be likely to cost you to set up a new office.
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Design a memorandum form.
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Explain postal systems used in a business.
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Create a MS Access Database.
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Design a filing system.
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Design a work schedule suitable for a specific workplace.
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Design a security system that can be implemented in a work situation.
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Design a layout for an office situation.
What You Will Do
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Make a list of essential equipment, stationery and other materials.
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Visit an office supply company.
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Collect catalogues or price lists for different products available.
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Compare the implications of having an office at home with leasing, buying or using a serviced office.
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Explain applications to use and apply the following office equipment:
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computers
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mobile phones
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printers
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email
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fax
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scanners
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Report on the range of systems covering:
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couriers
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postage
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scanners
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electronic banking
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mobile phones
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rail services
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Write a letter applying for this job.
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Write a letter from an organisation (real or imaginary) to another organisation.
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Ask your local computer supplier about virus removal software and hardware.
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Compile a table comparing features of different computer systems.
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What roles can computers play in business?
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Contact or visit various stationery supplies to find out about what materials are available.
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Write a report about how to design a filing system suitable for your area of work.
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Inspect various offices to see how they are utilising space and storage.
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Contact various suppliers of office furniture to see what furniture is available.
How Well Do You Handle a Phone Call?
Good office staff will not only know what to do, but handling the phone professionally and efficiently should be intuitive to them.
You need a whole range of skills to handle phones well.
The Office Practices course provides a little bit of everything you need to make yourself attractive and useful to an employer, or to improve the way your own office functions. Here are some tips to handling phone calls -
- Keep a notepad and pen handy to jot down information.
- Answer calls promptly, usually, on the third ring. Be sure to have the phone in position before you speak. If you speak too soon, the first part of your greeting can be lost, and the caller hears “…..speaking.”
- Greet the caller, introduce the business, then yourself, quickly and clearly. For example: “Good morning, ACS. Martin speaking”.
- Ask for, and use the client’s name, but not so much that you sound like a robot.
- Actively listen for the person to tell you what they want. Be prepared to ask questions to get to the main point. For example: (listening, then) “Would you like to enrol in the course now, or do you want to know how to enrol in the future?”
- Try to really understand the caller’s intended meaning. Give them your full attention.
- Sound alert and interested. The best way to do this is to be alert and interested yourself. Another way is to vary your voice inflection, so that it doesn't sound monotone. You might need to practice.
- Sound friendly and courteous. Smile – you can hear a smile – and use polite language. A friendly happy voice on the phone is a very great asset in any business.
- Speak clearly. Talk into the handset, pronounce words correctly, and don’t talk too fast.
- Be cheerful and patient. Remember that if there is a problem the person is not annoyed at you, but at the problem, as they perceive it.
- Be willing to help. If you can’t, tell the person that you will refer them to someone who can, and do it.
- When referring them to another person, get their permission first, and give them the name and title of that person. Check to see that the call has gone through as planned. If there is a long delay, ask if the other person can phone them back.
- Do not put a person on hold without their permission. The caller might be making a long-distance phone call, or calling from a mobile phone, or might not have time to wait. Ask, “May I put you on hold for a moment?” and wait for the answer.
- If you can’t help the client right away, take their name and number and promise to phone them back. Give a time, rather than just saying, “I’ll call back later.”
- Follow up. Do what you have promised, and do it promptly.
- Repeat the main ideas of messages back to the person to ensure that you both have them correctly
- At the end of the conversation, thank the customer for calling. If appropriate, end with a friendly close, such as "Hope to hear from you again soon", or “It was a pleasure to talk to you”. However, in more formal situations, a simple thank you is sufficient.
- Keep the phone in position until you and they have finished speaking. If you try to hang up too soon, they might only get part of your exit, hearing something like, “Thanks f…….". It is good practice to terminate the call after the caller has put down their phone.
- Immediately make any notes to help you remember what you have agreed to do, or who else must get the message. Do not rely on memory - messages can get confused or incoherent. The person to whom you are relaying a message is much more likely to respond quickly if it is clear why they are to return the call.
Why Study Here?
- We know office work having run an office since 1979.
- We nurture our students - while some schools are simply focused
on providing you with information, we are more interested in improving
your ability to use what you learn.
- More access to tutors, better qualified tutors.
- Start at any time.
- Study where and when you want.
- We provide options to allow you to continue studying towards a higher qualification once you have completed this course.
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