The secretarial role is
interesting, challenging and undergoing many changes...and the changes
have made the secretarial profession even more
appealing.
The biggest change of all has
been to the name, 'Secretary'. Did you know that Secretaries
are now becoming more known as 'Office Professionals'?
Of course as the title
indicates, a Secretary's role can now be expected to include some
managerial duties. This could include supervising other office
secretaries or administration staff or even training staff.
So just what role DOES the Secretary and
Office Professional play within an organization? Do you possess the
qualities to become a secretary or office professional if the role is
changing? These are the questions we will give you some guidance with. You also might like to have a look at the following selection which gives you an insight
into the role and some training you need right from the start of your career.
You will know exactly what to expect before you take the plunge!
If you do not already have the qualities to fulfill the role of a secretary
now, we will guide you on how you can acquire them.
Major Role
The major role of a Secretary or Office Professional
is to provide assistance to a Manager or Managers.
As the new generation of
Managers are doing more and more of their own typing, a Secretary's role
can expect to be more of an organizer, supervisor and trainer rather than the bulk of
the duties being typing. But of course this can and does differ from company
to company.
Tasks of the Secretary
Tasks can include many varied
duties - research, typing, producing flyers, filing, dictaphone transcription, screening telephone calls, appointments, liaising with clients (and sometimes this includes
handling difficult situations) and other staff members, attending meetings, minute taking, composing letters,
making travel bookings, supervising, training staff (including your boss), ordering flowers and gifts, and
of course there will be menial tasks included too.
Form a good working
relationship with your Boss
To be a competent secretary, you will need to learn how your boss works,
what his/her role and objectives are within the company, what correspondence,
telephone and personal enquiries he/she would like you to refer to him/her, or
whether he/she prefers to take his/her calls at certain times of the day.
Knowing these sorts of things will make your job easier too. The idea is to save
your Manager time with
the daily routine matters and be as helpful as you possibly
can. Books are available on this exact subject - forming a working relationship with your
boss.
As you learn more about the way your company operates and the role of other
company personnel, you will find you will be answering more and more of the
routine enquiries and confidently referring enquiries to the correct officer
without having to bother anyone else, particularly your boss.
Familiarize yourself with company policies so that you know how to deal with certain
issues should the occasion arise in your role as
Secretary. For instance should personnel complaints be put in writing,
or will your boss deal with them verbally. You need to know these things so
you don't waste the time of your boss by putting unnecessary calls through
to him/her. You'll be
able to deal with them expediently yourself because the policy will give you
guidelines on how the company wishes you to handle them.
Also many companies have procedural
books and/or staff handbooks. Ask if there is one and read it and re-read
it. If one doesn't exist, develop one as
you learn the job. Take the initiative. You will find it so handy
when you need to train other staff you supervise.
Now you know some of the types
of duties you'll be expected to carry out in your role, see how you rate in
the desired qualities a secretary should have.
PERSONAL QUALITIES FOR THE ROLE OF A SECRETARY AND OFFICE PROFESSIONAL
If you want to be a successful secretary, you must have personal qualities
and skills or have the ability to acquire them.
These are some key
qualities :
helpful
trustworthy
reliable
honest
confidential
organizational skills
immaculate appearance
good communication
skills
good telephone etiquette
ability to take
instructions and carry them out
ability to type speedily
and accurately
In a nut shell, if you already possess these qualities, you've got the makings of a competent secretary...but if not,
check out some of our tutorials and
links throughout our website. Everything
is here to help you. Nothing is out of reach.
Lee Silber
has written a series of books on how to promote yourself, manage your career, setting goals and
getting the job done, and all have received great customer reviews.
See below the type of information you can
access right here:
