What does a secretary do?

As an Executive Secretary, I perform numerous tasks, including scheduling meetings, handling calls, and managing documents. This role requires good organizational skills, the ability to multitask, and strong communication abilities. The job can be challenging but is also rewarding! What's important is how we handle our responsibilities, as challenges are present in every job.

There's a great article by HBR that speaks beyond the technical skills required of a secretary, focusing on the mental frameworks and soft skills that make secretaries excel and optimise the senior executive they support. In summary, the insight indicates 2 things: - Know your exec's cadences, way of working, and areas of weakness. e.g. When they have meetings, what things they don't do or dislike doing due to low value-add. - Formulate systems/cadences that work for the Exec and have regular cadences to brief, update, escalate developments. E.g. Lists, tracker A secretary are the extended eyes, ears, brain, and business strategist of the Executive they support. Such a role can be incredibly impactful when operated in the above way.

A Secretory has to assist the person She/he reports to. She has to manage all His executive work like arranging and assisting in Meetings, taking care of his travels arrangements, calendars etc

A Secretary is defined as a reservoir of the boss's knowledge. He must be versed in office practice, routine and procedures. Going by the definition of an office as "a place where paperwork is done", a good Secretary must fundamentally be knowledgeable in filing, and able to easily retrieve such files. Besides her routine job of scheduling meetings and receiving visitors, traditional secretaries are taught to take notes in short hand and transcribing same on long-hand using the typewriter (now computer). The invention of IT has introduced confusion in the definition and general office practice. It's now difficult for practitioners to differentiate between an IT specialist, a clerical officer, and a trained Secretary.

While an executive secretary shares some core duties with a traditional secretary, like answering phones and managing correspondence, their role expands significantly. They act as the strategic gatekeeper of the executive's time, meticulously managing complex calendars, organizing high-level meetings, and anticipating needs. They draft sensitive documents, handle confidential information, and liaise with key stakeholders. Travel arrangements, expense management, and research tasks also fall under their purview. Essentially, they become a trusted right-hand person, proactively solving problems and ensuring the executive operates at peak efficiency.

A secretary is a pivotal figure in organizational efficiency, managing diverse responsibilities. This role involves effective communication management, scheduling, administrative support, record-keeping, travel arrangements, and meeting facilitation. Key skills include organizational prowess, strong communication, technological proficiency, attention to detail, adaptability, problem-solving, confidentiality, interpersonal finesse, and efficient time management. A secretary's impact extends beyond administrative tasks, contributing significantly to the seamless functioning of the workplace and overall organizational success.

- Organizational skills - Proactiveness and drive - Time and Project management skills - Honesty and discretion - Professional communication skills - IT literacy - Professionalism

Key skills for secretaries:- # Good communication, customer service and relationship-building skills. # Teamworking skills. # Organisation and time management skills. # Attention to detail. # Negotiation skills. # Assertiveness. # Flexibility. # Tact, discretion and diplomacy.

The skills of a secretary are a function of the kind of secretarial work required by Senior Staff. 3 non-exhaustive examples of increasing complexity are: - Phone answering, diary management, inbox management. - Including the above, internal project management across business units, travel coordination. - Including the above, project manage for each business unit under the department, tracking compliance, HR needs, key stakeholders, meetings, board reviews, drafting decks and memos for the CEO, and 1-1 coaching with new hires. The level of authority your manager allows you, and their business needs, with determine the sophistication of the secretarial skills required.

A top-notch secretary shines through their diverse skillset. They seamlessly blend tech-savviness, wielding tools like MS Office and industry-specific software, with interpersonal finesse. Organization is their middle name, managing time, tasks, and data with precision. But it's the soft skills that set them apart: discretion, adaptability, and a keen eye for detail ensure smooth operations, while problem-solving prowess tackles unexpected challenges. They're the glue that holds the office together, a skilled multitasker with a human touch.

Being a secretary comes with numerous benefits that make it a fulfilling career choice. As a secretary, you get to develop essential skills such as communication, organization, and time management. You also get to work in diverse industries and environments, which allows you to gain valuable experience and knowledge. Moreover, being a secretary offers opportunities for growth and advancement within the administrative field.

What are the benefits of being a secretary?:- # Improved Organizational Skills: Being a secretary requires a great deal of organization, which can help improve organizational skills. # Problem Solving: Secretaries are often required to think on their feet and come up with creative solutions to problems that arise.

Exposure to Senior management, their business frameworks, their network, how they communicate, their personal brand, their recommendations, their coaching. Potential for career growth in and close to executive management. Such proximity is valuable as you'll see opportunities to value-add on a regular basis.

Beyond the demands, being a secretary offers a treasure trove of benefits. You'll hone valuable skills, enjoy job security, and conquer daily variety. Engaging with diverse people builds networks and offers career insights. Your contributions translate to a fulfilling sense of accomplishment, and potential for specialization unlocks growth and higher earning potential. And let's not forget the often-touted perk: a healthy work-life balance! Being a secretary can be a rewarding and empowering career choice.

A fun??o de secretária exige habilidades multitarefa, organiza??o e comunica??o eficaz. Trabalhar nessa posi??o permite que você aprimore essas habilidades ao longo do tempo. Intera??o com Pessoas: Como ponto de contato entre colegas, clientes e visitantes, você terá a chance de interagir com pessoas de diferentes origens e personalidades. Networking: Trabalhar como secretária permite que você construa uma rede de contatos profissionais. Essas conex?es podem ser valiosas para futuras oportunidades de carreira. Senso de Realiza??o: Ver o impacto positivo do seu trabalho, como manter agendas organizadas ou facilitar a comunica??o, pode ser gratificante.

Really don't like the antiquated title/role "Secretary". They do so much more. They are gatekeepers, organizers, mediators, transcriptionists, communication managers, event planners, storage and documentation managers, confidantes.

Being a secretary comes with its own set of challenges, despite its vital role in organizational efficiency. One of the primary challenges is managing multiple tasks simultaneously, often under tight deadlines. Secretaries must juggle various responsibilities such as scheduling appointments, coordinating meetings, handling correspondence, and organizing files, requiring strong multitasking abilities and time management skills. Maintaining confidentiality and handling sensitive information with discretion. Secretaries often have access to confidential documents, privileged communications, and sensitive data, making confidentiality a top priority. Maintaining confidentiality requires trustworthiness, integrity, and professionalism.

One of the most significant setbacks in this profession is the limited opportunities for job advancement. Career progression for secretaries is often stymied by a lack of clear pathways to higher positions within many organizations. The role can be seen as supportive rather than strategic, making it harder to transition into roles with greater responsibility or autonomy. Despite these obstacles, secretaries often gain a broad skill set that can serve as the foundation for a variety of roles, should they seek to navigate the often challenging road toward career advancement.

I think that title/role should be abolished. It is kind of diminishing what they truly do. They are Administration Coordinators or Executive Support Team, or Administrative Managers.

Some Challenges Faced by Secretaries:- # Grasping Business Dynamics # Dealing with Challenging Personalities # Daily Challenges and Conflict Management # Adaptability in the Face of Constant Changes # Crisis Management: Mitigating Blame in Challenging Situations # Time Management # Handling Travel Challenges

A receptionist can also be called a secretary, since this role covers so many aspects of front office. This person is the 'face' of the business since clients/customers interact with her/him first before anyone else. I think at times the importance of this job is underestimated and not rewarded enough. Areas for training and development should be considered to keep the secretary/receptionist motivated. Soft skills for this role is so valuable. Emotional intelligence is vital, understanding and managing one's emotions, as well as empathizing with others, is valuable for navigating interpersonal relationships and handling challenging situations effectively.

A secretary is one of the most complex occupations there are. In many cases a secretary is a job of trust, due to the nature of her/his exposure to corporate information and personal information. Trust is fundemental in the relationship with the boss.

Confidentiality and discretion: Secretaries often handle sensitive information, and they are expected to maintain strict confidentiality and discretion in all matters, including managing personal or confidential files, conversations, and executive-level information. Secretaries provide essential administrative support, allowing organizations and executives to focus on their core responsibilities while efficiently managing various administrative and operational tasks.

A Secretary is a professional who provides behind-the-scenes work for an office. It include organising files, preparing documents, managing office supply inventory and scheduling appointments.

I could not agree more with Candice and Diana. With Trust, emotional intelligence, Face of the company, and relationship skills already being spoken upon, I have found that being very organized is essential to the list of prerequisites. A secretary manages a lot of moving pieces and often helps others to organize schedules, communication, and priorities. This is a role heavy in support and a person that enjoys helping others and seeing others succeed are most likely to succeed in this role. If you have a good fit, you will want to empower them with trust and organization, allow them to use their creativity to provide solutions on how to eliminate bottle necks and improve SOP's. "An appreciated person always does more than expected.