Secretary

Secretaries used to be responsible for taking dictation, typing, and mailing letters. However, technology and word processing have greatly changed the secretarial duties and responsibilities. Secretaries, also referred to as administrative assistants or associates, are now responsible for a much wider range of duties.

One such task or duty that secretaries perform is making travel arrangements, which can involve reserving the flight and making car rental and hotel reservations. One way to accomplish this is to do a search on the Internet to find the best deal for the company. Many large companies have a department that takes care of these kind of tasks and all the secretary has to do in this case is contact that particular department and provide all pertinent information.

Meeting arrangements is another task that secretaries normally perform. This may involve putting together the agenda as well as printing and distributing it. It is not uncommon to have beverages and snacks during a meeting. These arrangements would also be setup by the administrative assistant. Additionally, the associate/secretary generally makes sure that any projectors needed for presentations, or any other materials are all ready in time for the meeting. Taking notes during the meeting and typing a memorandum afterward are also considered secretarial duties.

Furthermore, other duties may include ordering supplies, keeping the supervisor’s schedule, generating and disseminating reports as well as setting up conference calls.
Overseeing inventory and office equipment maintenance are still other duties that secretaries often either perform themselves or are responsible for contacting the corresponding department.

Confidentiality is at the top of the successful secretary’s list. The secretary or administrative assistant often has access to sensitive information involving the department, his or her boss, or the company. It is very unprofessional for an associate to discuss information involving others in the department or information that should only be shared at department meetings.

The second important quality needed by a secretary is resourcefulness. Secretaries or Administrative Assistants need the ability to solve problems on their own rather than going to their supervisor with trivial matters. He or she knows whom to contact to get answers and results while at the same time staying within his or her decision-making boundaries.

Thirdly, dependability is still another quality needed by a secretary. It is essential that she meets deadlines and keeps the department going when the manager is away on business. Failure to do this will reflect negatively on the supervisor as well as the company. Clients may be lost because of a secretary’s lack of dependability.
Additionally, other important qualities needed by administrative assistants or secretaries are the ability to work independently, being discreet, a team player, energetic, as well as being a people person.

Secretarial jobs are abundant. Unfortunately, the competition can be stiff at times. One way to increase your possibilities of being hired is to place your resume on online job boards. Hiring employers often frequent these boards and contact potential candidates.

If you are leery about placing your resume online, there are other avenues. Of course, you can always look through newspaper-wanted ads. You can also look up employment sites online. There is no need to post any personal information at these sites. You can often do a search by area or town, industry, or even salary range. Once you find a position that you may potentially be interested in, you may submit your resume. You will be given instructions on how to apply.

Temporary agencies have become a monopoly in many U.S. cities. This can be something positive for the applicant. Temporary agencies generally have contracts with hiring companies. Whenever the company needs an employee, the company contacts the agency and the agency will match potential candidates with interviews. The hiring manager has the ultimate decision on whether a candidate meets the requirements or not. The applicant may be hired on a temporary basis, normally for 90 days. At the end of the 90-day period, the temporary employee may be hired on a permanent basis, which means that the employee will be put on the company’s payroll and qualify for benefits. It is important to understand that applicants generally do not pay any fees to the temporary agency. No fees will be taken out of your paycheck.

Many factors play a role in the secretary is earning potential. Company size, industry, geographic location, and experience affect a secretary’s salary. The November 2004 Occupational Employment Statistics survey by the Bureaus of Labor reported the following figures:

Median yearly salary for general secretaries $27,520
Medical secretaries $28,250
Legal secretaries $38,780

In addition, full-time secretaries generally receive paid holidays, vacation days, yearly performance bonuses, and health benefits. Bilingual assistants often earn higher salaries than non-bilinguals do. Surveys indicate that earnings are often lower in southern cities while the highest salaries are in the northern and westerns cities. Furthermore, secretaries tend to earn more in the transportation, legal, and public utilities industries. Retail trade and finance, real estate and the insurance industries tend to pay lower salaries. Certified real estate assistants generally ear higher pay.

You may be wondering what you can do to increase your earning potential as a secretary. Learning a second language that is in demand in your area might be a good idea. Obtaining a certification in a specific field may also increase your salary. Above all, it is important to have excellent references and use each position as a stepping-stone to find your ideal job.

The number of persons who have decided to work-from-home increases each year. Many are leaving their brick and mortar jobs for virtual positions. Secretaries are no exception. Some secretaries have gone a step further and instead of telecommuting for a company, they have started their own virtual assistant business. By doing this, the virtual assistant/secretary is able to set his or her own rates, decide how many days and hours she wants to work, and avoid all the commuting issues.

You may be wondering how this can be accomplished. The first thing you need to do is determine what services you want to offer. What are you good at doing? What do you enjoy doing? You do not necessarily need to offer many services. Some virtual assistants decide to offer just one service such as making travel arrangements or doing data entry. It is completely up to you.

Once you decide what services you will be offering, you need to come up with a name for your business and then market your services. You can start by having your own website. This way you have a site to refer potential clients. Some virtual assistants decide to make flyers or compose letters and then mail them to local businesses that may benefit from their services. Joining online communities and networking has also proved beneficial for many. A positive attitude, the desire to succeed, and the right motivation will go a long way in achieving your goal of working from home as a secretary or virtual assistant.

Depending on the company that you work for, opportunities for advancement may be many or non-existent. Larger companies generally offer the opportunity for promotion either to a higher position or to a different department. Cross training can help you in this respect. Not only will you be more valuable to the company but it also shows your desire to learn and make progress.

Others will notice your good qualities, especially managers. If you get to work on time, if you are a team player or not, and if you offer exceptional customer service even within the company all these factors contribute to obtaining a promotion. A secretary that spends time on the phone on personal calls is also noticed by others but under a negative light.

Another option to obtaining a promotion is to take courses either online or at a local college. Take note of the company’s needs and the direction that it is going. This will give you an indication of what courses to take.

Surveys reveal that answering phones is one of the major causes of stress for secretaries. Secretaries often have to speak with angry customers wanting to speak with a supervisor. They generally screen calls for their manger, transferring only those calls that are absolutely necessary for the manager to take or wishes to take. The assistant will often have to come up with a reason for the supervisor not taking the call.

Another source of stress for secretaries is having to redo work that executives do too hastily. Supervising and coordinating as well as doing research are still other sources of stress. Moreover, the lack of opportunities for advancement, lack of communication from managers and low pay are among the major causes of stress.

Furthermore, competitive spirits among secretaries as well as some secretaries not doing their share of the work will also result in stress and frustration. According to surveys, approximately two thirds of respondents feel that job related stress is affecting their health. Stress can manifest itself through headaches, digestion problems, fatigue, mild depression, and irritability. This, in turn, leads to an increased number of days off work. If the stress is not managed properly, it can lead to health complications.

Secretaries generally work in comfortable, enjoyable conditions. The offices are normally well lit and either heated or air-conditioned. Many office buildings have elegant, new furnishings and decorations. Office buildings normally have a nicely decorated lobby and each business has its own reception area.

Secretaries may have the freedom to eat or listen to music while they work. They can make or receive personal calls of an urgent nature as long as they do not become a habit. If the secretary works for a small business, she may also do the job of the receptionist, bookkeeper, file, and mail clerk, as well as take care of any other needs that may arise. She may also be required to lift boxes of files or supplies and oversee the maintenance of copiers, faxes, and printers. Larger companies normally hire employees to fill these specific positions and perform their corresponding duties so that the secretary can take care of executive tasks.

Secretaries that work on the executive level may be required to travel to attend meetings and perform the role of public relations. They may also be required to attend business luncheons and social company events. Although all this may seem enviable, it can also lead to stress and other complications.

An experienced secretary needs to have a typing speed of at least 60 words per minute. Although not very common anymore, some employers still require that the secretary take dictation at 80 to 100 words per minute. The secretary that has hands-on experience with software and hardware has higher possibilities of being hired.
Other basic requirements for administrative assistants are a good grammar skills, good spelling, math, and composition skills. Accurate typing and keying skills are also imperative. Knowledge of office machine operations, word processing, and computers is also necessary. If you have experience or knowledge of desktop publishing and bookkeeping, you will be more desirable to the company. Training at a community college is a definite plus, although it is not always a requirement.

Employers generally require at least two to three years of office experience. The reason for this is that secretaries gain much of their knowledge on the job. On the other hand, secretaries are often hired although they may not meet all the requirements. If the secretary has a great personality and a team player attitude this might go a long way toward obtaining a position.

Some secretaries choose to certify as a professional secretaries. The certification process involves passing a six-part test and meeting the school’s experience requirements. If you wish to obtain information about the certification process, write or call the Office of Professional Secretaries International. You should be prepared to take written exams on clerical work and skills as well as typing and stenography tests.