How To Be A Professional Secretary?
Are you searching for a job as a professional secretary? The emergence of various job portal sites has made job search very easy. Every job portal site has something unique to offer you as they specialize in different segments. Some job portal sites like aasaanjobs specializes in providing entry level and admin jobs, shine specializes in placing experienced professional while Naukri provides a wide range of jobs. However, every job portal site has numerous job openings of various fields.
No matter in which field you want to get indulge in it is necessary for you to know the industry very well. For performing a secretarial role successfully, you should know what responsibilities does a secretary has. So, let’s understand what actually a secretary has to do after landing a job, I’ll also be covering other things which are necessary to be a professional secretary.
A secretary is the one performs routine clerical and administrative work such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files, or providing information to callers. Your duties as a secretary will vary according to the type of industry you are working for. However, there are some tasks which will be common for every secretary. Some of them are mentioned below.
Maintaining Files
Secretaries are responsible for managing files of the customers or clients and other records of the organization. For instance, in a doctor’s office, the secretary pulls each patient’s file at the time of the appointment for the nurse or doctor. Keeping files in alphabetical order and using a local filing system for easy storage and retrieval are keys to successful file organization. A secretary needs to be good in managing data of the company to keep the workflow smooth.
Receptionist
In most of the offices, secretaries perform general tasks of a receptionist as well. Tasks like assisting new employees and visitors in finding their way to the person the came to meet. In general, the secretary projects the image of the business by offering a friendly and professional reception to people who come into the office.Appointments and meetings are mainly managed by a secretary or the receptionist of the company.
Clerical Work
In many offices, a secretary would be asked to have a check on all the clerical tasks which need to be done by clerks of the office. This happens especially in small offices, basically a secretary needs to supervise the clerical work. Besides that, you as a secretary will have to cancel, re-schedule the appointments. Ordering office supplies, taking notes during meetings, and getting drinks for the supervisor and guests are some tasks that you need to fulfil with the help of a clerk.
Correspondence
Secretaries are the liaison for incoming and outgoing phone calls and emails from the company. You have to answer the calls from clients, partners, workers, and other community members of your company. Sometimes also have to make calls on behalf of managers to communicate information to customers, to schedule appointments or to follow up on inquiries. Here, your written correspondence duties will involve tasks such as taking notes from a manager, preparing a memo or letter, and screening mail.
These were some generic tasks which a secretary needs to perform. Now, what else is necessary to land a job as a secretary? Here you go -
A Degree?
Employers are now hiring candidates with school or college degree for a secretary position. As far as I know, you will not need a degree to become a professional secretary. But, an associate degree in office administration at a vocational or community college will make you stand out the crowd. These programs offer courses like office procedures, spreadsheets, advanced word processing, office software applications, keyboarding and records management. Well, if you’d like to gain an advantage over other job candidates, you must do an administration course.
Specialization
If you want to become a specific type of secretary, you will have to take additional courses and earn a more specialized degree. For example, to get a secretary job in the legal or medical industry, you should pursue a certificate in that particular field. As an aspiring legal secretary, you might earn an associate’s degree in paralegal studies. A degree in medical assisting will help you to get a job as a secretary in the medical field.
Salary
A Secretary earns an average salary of Rs 362,554 per year. Most people move on to other jobs if they have more than 20 years’ experience in this career. A skill in Secretary is associated with high pay for this job.
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