Office assistant

You support the smooth running of an office through a range of support tasks — delivering documents, assisting staff with photocopying and filing, making and serving tea and refreshments, running errands, and maintaining office cleanliness and supplies.

• Deliver documents, files, and mail within the office or to external locations
• Photocopy, scan, bind, and laminate documents for staff
• Maintain the office filing system — retrieve and return files as needed
• Prepare and serve tea, coffee, and refreshments for staff and visitors
• Maintain cleanliness and tidiness of meeting rooms, pantry, and common areas
• Receive and dispatch couriers and parcels; maintain the dispatch register
• Manage stationery inventory and raise requests when supplies are low
• Assist with setting up meeting rooms — arrange chairs, AV equipment, refreshments
• Run external errands — banking, post office, deliveries to government offices
• Support administrative staff with basic data entry or envelope addressing

Office support role found in virtually every type of organisation — banks, corporates, government departments, hospitals, hotels, and NGOs. In Sri Lanka this role is often called "Office Boy/Girl" or "Office Aide" at entry level. Involves both indoor tasks and occasional outdoor errands.

Typical hours: 40h/week · WLB score 8/10 · RARE overtime

Very stable hours — typically 8 AM to 5 PM with limited overtime. One of the better work-life balance roles for an entry-level position. Minimal work-related stress outside office hours.

Typical progression: 3yr to mid · 7yr to senior

Physical errands and hands-on tasks cannot be automated, but document handling, photocopying, and basic filing are being replaced by digital workflows. The role will evolve but not disappear entirely in the near term.

Recent O/L school leavers or those from lower-income backgrounds seeking their first formal job in a stable environment while building qualifications for advancement.