14 Surprising Jobs Office Pros Do At Work

Office professionals know they’re the jack of all trades at work. They’ve always been expected to find solutions to last minute crises like MacGyvering the copy machine right before a critical meeting. Then there are the extra duties like picking up the boss’s dry cleaning, Mad Men style, not so common anymore but still practiced in a few old-school offices. Plus, technology and the recession have conspired to put even more tasks on their desks.

People outside the profession are often less familiar with the wide variety of jobs done by admins. IAAP recently asked office professionals on its Facebook page what they do at work that might surprise people. Some of their answers caught even us off guard. If anything, it proves that office professionals can be found in almost any type of business or organization. Here are 14 of our favorite responses:

1. Take photos of construction sites

2. Read obituary notices every day

3. Select and purchase Christmas gifts for their boss’s children

4. Babysitting

5. Watch veterinary medicine students perform surgeries

6. Shovel snow

7. Ship human corneas

8. Break horses

9. Pick ackee apples

10. Perform palm readings at customer appreciation events

11. Lead tours of a gun range

12. Coordinate social media sites

13. Process union grievances

And last but not least…

14. Count dead cats