Information Officers
Overview
Snapshot
Summary
Information Officers respond to personal, written and telephone inquiries and complaints about the organisation's goods and services, provide information and refer people to other sources.
Tasks
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answering inquiries about goods and services, and providing information about their availability, location, price and related issues
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responding to inquiries about problems and providing advice, information and assistance
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recording information about inquiries and complaints
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referring complex inquiries to team leaders or expert advisers
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issuing relevant forms, information kits and brochures to interested parties
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accessing and operating computer network systems and communication systems such as public address and paging systems
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may refer inquiries to other sources
Characteristics
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University
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Vocational Education and Training (VET)
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Informal or on-the-job
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Administrative
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Enterprising
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Sedentary
Outlook
JSA produces employment projections to show where likely future job opportunities may be. The latest data are for the five years from November 2021 to November 2026. Over this period, the number of workers:
- is expected to grow moderately
- is likely to reach 61,400 by 2026.
Source: Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Notes: The number employed includes people who work in this occupation as their main job. People who work in more than one job are counted against the occupation they work the most hours in.
Employment projections figures are rounded to the nearest 100. Calculations based on these rounded figures may result in differences to the numbers that are displayed on this page. Employment projections data (including occupations) can be downloaded from the Employment Projections page.
Number of Workers
Year | Employment |
---|---|
2011 | 67,900 |
2012 | 67,300 |
2013 | 68,100 |
2014 | 79,200 |
2015 | 66,100 |
2016 | 82,000 |
2017 | 59,800 |
2018 | 96,000 |
2019 | 120,300 |
2020 | 70,800 |
2021 | 59,600 |
2026 | 61,400 |
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, ABS seasonally adjusted data to November 2021 and Jobs and Skills Australia Employment Projections to 2026.
Earnings and hours
Working arrangements
-
Around 70% of people employed as Information Officers work full-time hours, in all their jobs combined. This is 4 percentage points above the all jobs average (66%).
Full-time workers work an average of 40 hours per week in their main job. This is 4 hours less than the all jobs average (44 hours per week).
Median full-time earnings are $1,218 per week, this is much lower than the all jobs median ($1,593):
- 3 in 4 workers earn more than $1,058
- 1 in 4 earn more than $1,389
Median hourly earnings are $32, this is lower than the all jobs median ($41 per hour).
Sources: Full-time share and full-time hours: ABS, 2016 Census, customised report. Compared to the all jobs average. Full-time median earnings and median hourly earnings: ABS, Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021. Compared to all jobs median.
Weekly Earnings (Before Tax)
Earnings | Information Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Full-Time Earnings | 1,218 | 1,593 |
Total Earnings | 0 | 0 |
Source: Based on ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2021, Customised Report. Median weekly total cash earnings for full-time non-managerial employees paid at the adult rate. Earnings are before tax and include amounts salary sacrificed. Earnings can vary greatly depending on the skills and experience of the worker and the demands of the role. These figures should be used as a guide only, not to determine a wage rate.
Industries
Main industries
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Information Officers work in industries like:
- Public administration and safety
- Retail trade
- Financial and insurance services
- Health care and social assistance.
Source: ABS Labour Force Survey, annual average 2021.
Regions
Employment across Australia
NSW
VIC
QLD
SA
WA
TAS
NT
ACT
Employment by State and Territory (% Share)
State | Information Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
NSW | 33.6 | 31.6 |
VIC | 26.3 | 25.6 |
QLD | 18.6 | 20.0 |
SA | 6.4 | 7.0 |
WA | 9.6 | 10.8 |
TAS | 2.4 | 2.0 |
NT | 0.9 | 1.0 |
ACT | 2.1 | 1.9 |
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Around 67% of Information Officers live in capital cities, compared with the all jobs average of 62%.
The regions with the largest share of workers are:
- Melbourne - West
- Melbourne - South East
- Sydney - Inner South West
- Melbourne - Inner
- Melbourne - Outer East.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Share of workers across Australian states, territories and regions, in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Worker profile
Age and gender
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The median age of Information Officers is 39 years. This is similar to the all jobs average of 40 years.
A large share of workers are aged 25 to 34 years.
Females make up 70% of the workforce. This is 22 percentage points above the all jobs average of 48%.
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile and gender share compared to the all jobs average.
Age Profile (% Share)
Age Bracket | Information Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
15-19 | 2.2 | 5.0 |
20-24 | 11.4 | 9.3 |
25-34 | 27.2 | 22.9 |
35-44 | 22.2 | 22.0 |
45-54 | 21.0 | 21.6 |
55-59 | 8.5 | 9.0 |
60-64 | 5.2 | 6.0 |
65 and Over | 2.4 | 4.2 |
Median Age | 39 | 40 |
Source: Based on ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Age profile of workers in this job compared to the all jobs average.
Employment Pathways
Education, training and experience
Formal qualifications are not essential to work as an Information Officer. Although some workers have a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification or university degree in business, management, commerce, information technology, accounting or another related field.
Visit
- Course Seeker to search and compare higher education courses.
- ComparED to compare undergraduate and postgraduate student experiences and outcomes.
- My Skills to compare Vocational Education and Training (VET) courses, providers and student outcomes.
- AAPathways website to explore Tourism, Travel and Hospitality VET training pathways.
Highest Level of Education (% Share)
Type of Qualification | Information Officers | All Jobs Average |
---|---|---|
Post Graduate/Graduate Diploma or Graduate Certificate | 6.2 | 10.1 |
Bachelor degree | 17.8 | 21.8 |
Advanced Diploma/Diploma | 13.8 | 11.6 |
Certificate III/IV | 19.7 | 21.1 |
Year 12 | 26.3 | 18.1 |
Year 11 | 5.5 | 4.8 |
Year 10 and below | 10.6 | 12.5 |
Source: ABS Census 2016, Customised Report. Highest qualification completed by workers in this job (in any field of study). Qualifications needed by new workers might be different from the qualifications of workers already in the job.
Skills and Knowledge
Employers look for Information Officers who can communicate clearly with others and provide good customer service.
Skills
Skills can be improved through training or experience.
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48%
Active listeningListening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions.
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46%
Reading comprehensionReading work related information.
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45%
Critical thinkingThinking about the pros and cons of different ways to solve a problem.
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45%
Serving othersLooking for ways to help people.
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45%
WritingWriting things for co-workers or customers.
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43%
SpeakingTalking to others.
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41%
Social perceptivenessUnderstanding why people react the way they do.
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39%
Coordination with othersBeing adaptable and coordinating work with other people.
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39%
Time managementManaging your own and other peoples' time to get work done.
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39%
Complex problem solvingNoticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it.
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37%
PersuasionTalking people into changing their minds or their behaviour.
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36%
MonitoringKeeping track of how well work is progressing so you can make changes or improvements.
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36%
NegotiationBringing people together and trying to sort out their differences.
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34%
Active learningBeing able to use what you have learnt to solve problems now and again in the future.
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34%
InstructingTeaching people how to do something.
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34%
Learning strategiesFiguring out the best way to teach or learn something new.
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30%
Judgment and decision makingFiguring out the pros and cons of different options and choosing the best one.
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30%
Management of personnel resourcesMotivating, developing, and directing people as they work, and choosing the best people for the job.
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30%
Systems analysisFiguring out how a system should work and how changes in conditions, operations, and the environment will affect it.
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29%
Systems evaluationMeasuring how well a system is working and how to improve it.
Knowledge
These are important topics, subjects or knowledge areas.
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67%
ClericalWord processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office work.
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59%
Customer and personal serviceUnderstanding customer needs, providing good quality service, and measuring customer satisfaction.
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51%
English languageEnglish language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
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49%
Computers and electronicsCircuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
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32%
Administration and managementBusiness principles involved in strategic planning, leadership, and coordinating people and resources.
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29%
MathematicsArithmetic, algebra, geometry, calculus, or statistics.
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26%
Communications and mediaMedia production, communication, and dissemination. Includes written, spoken, and visual media.
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25%
Personnel and human resourcesRecruiting and training people, managing pay and other entitlements (like sick leave), and negotiating pay and conditions.
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24%
Public safety and securityUse of equipment, rules and ideas to protect people, data, property, and institutions.
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23%
Education and trainingCurriculum and training design, teaching and instruction for individuals and groups, and the measurement of training effects.
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22%
PsychologyHuman behaviour; differences in ability, personality, and interests; learning and motivation; research methods; assessing and treating disorders.
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21%
Medicine and dentistryDiagnose and treat human injuries, diseases, and deformities, including preventive health-care measures.
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20%
TelecommunicationsTransmission, broadcasting, switching, control, and operation of telecommunications systems.
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18%
Law and governmentHow our laws and courts work. Government rules and regulations, and the political system.
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18%
Economics and accountingEconomics and accounting, the financial markets, banking and checking and reporting of financial data.
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17%
Therapy and counsellingDiagnosis, treatment, and rehabilitation of physical and mental dysfunctions, and career counselling and guidance.
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16%
Sales and marketingShowing, promoting, and selling including marketing strategy, product demonstration, sales techniques, and sales control systems.
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16%
Sociology and anthropologyGroup behaviour and dynamics, societal trends and influences, human migrations, ethnicity, cultures and their history and origins.
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16%
Philosophy and theologyPhilosophical systems and religions, including their basic principles, values, ethics, ways of thinking, customs, practices, and impact on society.
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11%
Production and processingRaw materials, production processes, quality control, costs, and ways of making and distributing goods.
Abilities
Workers use these physical and mental abilities..
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52%
Oral expressionCommunicate by speaking.
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52%
Speech recognitionIdentify and understand the speech of another person.
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50%
Oral comprehensionListen to and understand what people say.
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46%
Near visionSee details that are up-close (within a few feet).
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46%
Written comprehensionRead and understand written information.
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46%
Written expressionWrite in a way that people can understand.
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45%
Speech claritySpeak clearly so others can understand you.
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43%
Sorting or orderingOrder or arrange things in a pattern or sequence (e.g., numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).
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41%
Deductive reasoningUse general rules to find answers or solve problems logically.
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41%
Inductive reasoningUse lots of detailed information to come up with answers or make general rules.
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41%
Problem spottingNotice when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong, even if you can't solve the problem.
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39%
Selective attentionPay attention to something without being distracted.
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37%
Far visionSee details that are far away.
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36%
MultitaskingDo two or more things at the same time.
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36%
BrainstormingCome up with a number of ideas about a topic, even if the ideas aren't very good.
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36%
Perceptual speedUse your eyes to quickly compare groups of letters, numbers, pictures, or other things.
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34%
MemorizationRemember things like words, numbers, pictures, and procedures.
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32%
MathematicsChoose the right maths method or formula to solve a problem.
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32%
Working with numbersAdd, subtract, multiply, or divide.
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30%
Finger dexterityPut together small parts with your fingers.
Activities
These are kinds of activities workers regularly do in this job.
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71%
Building good relationshipsBuilding good working relationships and keeping them over time.
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68%
Working with the publicGreeting or serving customers, clients or guests, and public speaking or performing.
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62%
Collecting and organising informationCompiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or checking information or data.
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62%
Keeping your knowledge up-to-dateKeeping up-to-date with technology and new ideas.
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61%
Providing office supportDoing day-to-day office work such as filing and processing paperwork.
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56%
Looking for changes over timeComparing objects, actions, or events. Looking for differences between them or changes over time.
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56%
Helping and caring for othersProviding personal assistance, medical attention, or emotional support.
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54%
Monitoring people, processes and thingsChecking objects, actions, or events, and keeping an eye out for problems.
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53%
Researching and investigatingLooking for, getting and understanding different kinds of information.
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53%
Documenting or recording informationEntering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
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52%
Communicating within a teamGiving information to co-workers by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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52%
Planning and prioritising workDeciding on goals and putting together a detailed plan to get the work done.
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52%
Communicating with the publicGiving information to the public, business or government by telephone, in writing, or in person.
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50%
Assessing and evaluating thingsWorking out the value, importance, or quality of things, services or people.
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49%
Making decisions and solving problemsUsing information to work out the best solution and solve problems.
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47%
Working with computersUsing computers to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
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41%
Checking compliance with standardsDeciding whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
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39%
Explaining things to peopleHelping people to understand and use information.
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36%
Training and teaching othersUnderstanding the needs of others, developing training programs, and teaching or instructing.
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34%
Leading and encouraging a teamEncouraging and building trust, respect, and cooperation among team members.
Interests and demands
Learn about the daily activities, and physical and social demands faced by workers. Explore the values and work styles that workers rate as most important.
Interests
Interests are the style or type of work we prefer to do. All interest areas are shown below.
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95%
AdministrativeFollowing set procedures and routines. Working with numbers and details more than with ideas, usually following rules.
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76%
EnterprisingStarting up and carrying out projects. Leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes require risk taking and often deal with business.
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48%
HelpingWorking with people. Helping or providing service to others.
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24%
PracticalPractical, hands-on work. Often with plants and animals, or materials like wood, tools, and machinery.
-
14%
AnalyticalIdeas and thinking. Searching for facts and figuring out problems in your head.
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14%
CreativeWorking with forms, designs and patterns. Often need self-expression and can be done without following rules.
Values
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81%
RelationshipsServe and work with others. Workers usually get along well with each other, do things to help other people, and are rarely pressured to do things that go against their sense of right and wrong.
-
57%
SupportSupportive management that stands behind employees. Workers are treated fairly by their company, they are supported by management, and have supervisors who train them well.
-
43%
AchievementResults oriented. Workers are able to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment.
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43%
IndependenceWork alone and make decisions. Workers are able to try out their own ideas, make decisions on their own, and work with little or no supervision.
-
38%
Working conditionsJob security and good working conditions. There is usually a steady flow of interesting work, and the pay and conditions are generally good.
-
33%
RecognitionAdvancement and the potential to lead. Workers are recognised for the work that they do, they may give directions and instructions to others, and they are looked up to in their company and their community.
Demands
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100%
Contact with peopleHave contact with people by telephone, face-to-face, or any other way.
-
99%
TelephoneTalk on the telephone.
-
96%
Indoors, heat controlledWork indoors with access to heating or cooling.
-
94%
Face-to-face discussionsTalk with people face-to-face.
-
93%
Contact with the publicWork with customers or the public.
-
92%
Spend time sittingSpend time sitting at work.
-
92%
Electronic mailUse electronic mail.
-
89%
TeamworkWork with people in a group or team.
-
87%
Repeating same tasksRepeat the same tasks or activities (e.g., key entry) over and over, without stopping.
-
85%
Frequent decision makingFrequently make decisions that impact other people.
-
84%
Being exact or accurateBe very exact or highly accurate.
-
82%
Letters and memosWrite letters and memos.
-
79%
Impact of decisionsMake decisions that have a large impact on other people.
-
79%
Unstructured workHave freedom to decide on tasks, priorities, and goals.
-
77%
Freedom to make decisionsHave freedom to make decision on your own.
-
75%
Time pressureWork to strict deadlines.
-
74%
Angry or unpleasant peopleDeal with unpleasant, angry, or rude people.
-
69%
Making repetitive motionsSpend time making repetitive motions.
-
65%
Conflict situationsDeal with conflict or disagreements.
-
65%
CompetitionCompete with others, or be aware of competitive pressures.
O*NET is a trademark of the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration.
The skills and importance ratings on this page are derived from the US Department of Labor O*NET Database Version 21.2, 43-4171.00 - Receptionists and Information Clerks.
Links and downloads
Research and reports
The Skills Priority List provides a current labour market rating and a future demand rating for nearly 800 occupations nationally. Current labour market ratings are available for occupations at a state and territory level.
Downloads
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Occupation profiles data are available for download.
The Employment Projections are available for download.