Administration and Personal Assistant roles are probably the work areas with the most transferable skills from other industries. Like most industries, organisations within the Nuclear Industry cannot function without the support of administration staff. It is often that the first member of staff that you meet at reception is the person that makes the whole office tick!
There are many admin roles available in the nuclear sector, within each project and at most locations, making your chances of landing an administration role fantastic. The most significant differentiator from other industries is the additional vetting requirements that are applicable when looking for a job in the Nuclear Industry. The vetting requirements will vary based on the company, role, location, and current work.
Critical skills for a project administrator in the UK as highlighted in a live job at the time of writing are:
Computer Literate with a good understanding of MS Word and Excel
Ideal but not essential, experience of using SAGE software
English and Maths GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent)
NVQ Level 3 in business administration would be advantageous
Good telephone manner
Confident and articulate with a good sense of humour
Organised, tidy minded person
Good timekeeper
A likewise advertisement for the Personal Assistant in the industry listed the skill required as:
Good organisational skills (flexible/organised/methodical)
Ability to work independently and be proactive
Excellent communication/interpersonal skills, notably with various levels of the organisation and externally
The ability to work as an integral part of a team contributing to team success, communications and a positive working environment
Flexible approach with the ability to multi-task and work on own initiative
Microsoft Office – Word, Excel, PowerPoint to a high standard
Previous team support experience
Discretion - confidentiality when dealing with sensitive information
Attention to detail
General administrative/secretarial knowledge producing professional work as well as ability to adapt to new and changing systems (and possibly create designs)
Use of Outlook or similar diary/email application
Working knowledge of SAP and ability to raise requisitions, desirable
Previous experience in the energy industry is desirable
NB- a different thing to note here is that the ability to communicate in another language, particularly French or Chinese, is becoming more and more prevalent due to the increase in multi-national consortiums entering the nuclear industry in the UK.
There are whole sites dedicated to bagging yourself many of the available administrative roles starting at the national career service job profiles, specifically admit Assistant, Personal Assistant, and Receptionist.
If admin jobs in nuclear are of interest to you head on over to our advice on where to find administration roles in the nuclear industry.
