Two to five years of experience in lower-level contract positions (e.g., contract assistant, data analyst) and internships in contract, business administration, legal, or procurement departments are required to become a contract administrator.
Contract administrators need a wide range of technical knowledge to be successful in their work. They must be proficient in the use of contract lifecycle management software, which now serves as an integral tool in their work. Contract professionals must also know how to use Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting and QuickBooks to complete basic accounting tasks. They should have a good understanding of basic legal principles, contract law, and common contractual structures.
Soft skills are equally important for career success. Contract professionals must have a detail-oriented personality to ensure that every detail and component of a proposed contract is accurate before it is submitted for review by the other party. They need strong analytical and critical thinking abilities to identify any potential issues and risks associated with the contract language. Contract professionals also must have excellent communication skills to clearly explain complex contract terminology and terms to stakeholders with various levels of business, legal, and financial knowledge. Other important traits for contract professionals include top-notch organizational and time-management skills, the ability to multitask (because they may need to manage multiple contracts simultaneously), and good negotiation, conflict resolution, and project management skills.
- Accountants
- Arbitrators
- Auditors
- Automotive Dealership Owners
- Bail Bondsmen
- Bailiffs
- Bankruptcy Lawyers
- Billing Clerks
- Biotechnology Patent Lawyers
- Bodyguards
- Bookkeeping and Accounting Clerks
- Border Patrol Agents
- Bounty Hunters
- Budget Analysts
- Business Continuity Planners
- Business Development Managers and Directors
- Business Intelligence Analysts
- Business Managers
- Buyers
- Chief Customer Officers
- Chief Executive Officers
- Chief Financial Officers
- Chief Information Officers
- Chief Information Security Officers
- Chief Medical Officers
- Chief Restructuring Officers
- Chief Revenue Officers
- Chief Robotics Officer
- Chief Strategy Officers
- Chief Sustainability Officers
- Chief Trust Officers
- Citizenship Reclamation Specialists
- Civil Litigation Lawyers
- Client Services Managers
- Collection Workers
- Community Health Program Coordinators
- Compliance Managers
- Continuous Improvement Managers
- Corporate Climate Strategists
- Corporate Community Relations Directors
- Corporate Lawyers
- Corporate Librarians
- Cost Estimators
- Court Interpreters and Translators
- Court Reporters
- Criminal Lawyers
- Cultural Advisers
- Customer Service Directors
- Customer Service Representatives
- Customs Brokers
- Data Entry Clerks
- Data Governance Managers
- Decision Scientists
- Digital Workplace Experience Engineers
- Directors of Corporate Sponsorship
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- Document Management Specialists
- Economists
- Elder Law Attorneys
- Entrepreneurs
- Environmental Lawyers
- Ethical Sourcing Officer
- Event Planners
- Executive Recruiters
- Family Lawyers
- Fashion Models' Agents
- Forensic Accountants and Auditors
- Forensic Experts
- Forensic Meteorologists
- Franchise Owners
- Go-to-Market Managers
- Health Care Managers
- Health Club Owners and Managers
- Health Data Analysts
- Hedge Fund Lawyers
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- Information Technology Infrastructure Engineers
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- Internet Consultants
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- Internet Store Managers and Entrepreneurs
- Internet Transaction Specialists
- Judges
- Labor Union Business Agents
- Law Librarians
- Lawyers
- Legal Nurse Consultants
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- Legal Secretaries
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- Localization Specialists
- Loss Prevention Managers
- Management Analysts and Consultants
- Mergers and Acquisitions Attorneys
- Music Agents and Scouts
- Music Venue Owners and Managers
- Mutual Fund Lawyers
- Office Administrators
- Paralegals
- Patent Agents
- Patent Lawyers
- Payroll Directors
- Polygraph Examiners
- Process Servers
- Product Designers
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- Project Managers
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- Public Interest Lawyers
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- Receptionists
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- Remote Work Coordinators
- Retail Business Owners
- Retail Managers
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- Sales Representatives
- Secretaries
- Space Lawyers
- Space Port Managers
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- Statisticians
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- Strategy Managers
- Tax Attorneys
- Tax Managers
- Temporary Workers
- Traffic Managers
- Typists and Word Processors
- Wealth Management Risk Managers
- Wealth Management Vice Presidents
- Wind Energy Project Managers
- Workplace Diversity Experts
- Zoo and Aquarium Curators and Directors
