The rise of remote working during COVID-19 has meant an increased need for trained and qualified individuals who have the skills to manage online or virtual office workloads. Office administrators have always been important to the running of businesses, but there are many more ways to apply that skillset. Here are 4 remote job paths for office administrators.

1. Community Manager

The surge in virtual communication between businesses and their customers means an increase in the need for Community Managers. These individuals are responsible for developing and maintaining a strong community based around the businesses and brands they work for. They’re the ones who help to manage outward communications like conversations with online communities by listening to and corresponding with the fanbase, followers and subscribers of an organization. They are an integral part of the ability to personalize and build strong relationships with consumers, so having the ability to project manage as well as coordinate internal team members is an essential element of this role.

2. Personal Virtual Assistant

With people’s schedules becoming more hectic due to the changes in society and the workplace, qualified and trained virtual assistants are in demand. A personal virtual assistant is an individual who is skilled and training in organization and task management, allowing them to provide daily administrative & scheduling tasks for entrepreneurs, executives, and families. A virtual assistant is able to work remotely through multiple communication channels such as email, video chat, instant messaging, and phone. Being trained in the management of office settings provides you with the tools to excel as a personal virtual assistant.

3. Data Entry Clerk

Jobs in the data entry field have been evolving to become practical for remote work. Being hired as a data entry clerk means using your training to enter data from various sources into your company’s computer systems for it then be processed and managed. These roles play an important part of the transfer and recording of crucial, sensitive, and often confidential information, so someone with an education background that encourages attention to detail and management of multiple projects will likely have an advantage when working in this type of job.

4. Transcriptionist

If you have a good ear, an eye for detail, and fast fingers, then a transcriptionist job may be for you. They are hired to create accurate word-for-word written versions of recordings (both audio and video), and review or edit automatic transcriptions completed by speech recognition software. The hiring in this field is done by companies with high volume of recordings to be transcribed, as well as transcription companies who sell these services independently. Either way, with the increase in Zoom calls and virtual meetings, the need for trained transcribers is only increasing.

Pharmacies have always played an integral role in local communities. With coronavirus affecting every region, the role of pharmacies has grown and expanded to supporting the community on an even wider scale. Here are 3 ways that pharmacies help the community during COVID-19.

1. Sharing accurate medical advice

Individuals with and without existing conditions are looking for answers to their pressing medical questions in regards to how COVID-19 may affect their health. Pharmacists and pharmacy technicians in your local community are usually the first point-of-care for patients, and thank to their wide expertise they are able to share medical advice that is relevant to each individual. Many people have many questions about potential drugs or vaccines which they can receive accurate and up-to-date information on at their local pharmacy. Members of the community with pre-existing conditions may require additional drug supply management when facing situation like lockdowns and quarantines, and pharmacy staff are able to provide guidance on how patients can find better quality of life and piece of mind through this guidance.

2. Administering testing

Many regions across Canada are seeing pharmacies expanding to include COVID-19 testing, which is a crucial element to help stop the spread and flatten the curve. Pharmacy staff including pharmacy technicians are now becoming a resource on the frontline of fighting COVID-19 through their hard work to ease the burden on hospitals and other medical facilities by administering safe, socially distanced testing.

3. Advocating for the Community

Many pharmacy staff end up becoming the most frequent healthcare professional in a patient’s network due to their connectivity to their local community.  Due to this close relationship, pharmacies can end up hearing about the needs and wants of patients in their region. Many advancements such as medication delivery, drive-through pharmacies, and telemedicine are being advocated by the very pharmacists and pharmacy technicians who support their local patients and community at large.