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Try It by Career Calling

Word Processing Operator

Clerical and Administrative WorkersUsually a certificate or some on-the-job experience

What the work is

Operates a computer to type, edit and generate a variety of documents and reports.

Would you enjoy the work?

These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.

  • Prepares documents and reports using word processing software
  • Transcribes information recorded in shorthand or on audio equipment
  • Ensures accuracy in typing, spelling, grammar and formatting
  • Proofreads and edits documents for accuracy and clarity

Try it

A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a small typing and transcription office that serves local firms and a regional court. They are fictional.

The kind of days you could have

Good days

  • A messy, muffled recording becomes a clean transcript that someone can rely on
  • You find a wrong entry before it travels through three other systems
  • A quiet morning, good headphones and a long file that flows from start to finish

Hard days

  • Hours of repeat typing where one slip can hide among thousands of correct entries
  • A recording where two people talk over each other and the deadline is tonight
  • Sitting still all day, with sore wrists and tired eyes by mid-afternoon

Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.

Work a mission

Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.

Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 561233, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.