What is a sample secretary job description?

Secretaries provide essential business support to professionals such as managers, medical consultants or solicitors, and specific duties can vary considerably depending upon the role and the organisation. However, the main duties which are required of a secretary are the same throughout all organisations, and this article will provide an outline of a general secretary's job description.

Secretarial duties

When compiling a secretary job description, it is important to have in mind the kind of duties that the secretary will be undertaking. The main duties will include: - Providing comprehensive secretarial service - Undertaking administrative duties such as typing documentation - Preparing reports and correspondence - Organising meetings and conferences, booking travel and accommodation if required, or organising catering for events and meetings - Setting up meeting rooms and equipment - Taking minutes at meetings, typing them up afterwards and distributing copies to attendees - Managing diaries and booking appointments for managerial staff - Training other secretarial staff or an administration assistant who may provide general office support. For a small organisation, a secretary may be asked to maintain the company's website, adding and reviewing content on a regular basis. If the secretary works in a solicitor's office or for a medical practice, he or she may be required to manage and maintain records and case files. He or she must also ensure that professionals have all of the required information if they are attending a case review or meeting with a customer. The responsibilities and complexity of tasks to be undertaken will depend upon the role of the secretary, and whether he or she is working as an executive assistant or in an executive secretary role. Duties may be more complicated than a general secretary, and so the job description will have to be changed accordingly.

Skills

When writing a job description for a secretary, it is a good idea to have in mind the kinds of skills and qualities that you would like the successful applicant to have. The following qualifications and/or skills are essential for any secretary: - Excellent keyboard skills - Ability to organise meetings and take accurate and timely minutes - A good general standard of education - Excellent communication skills - Good command of the English language: Able to spell competently and write coherently - Computer literate: To be able to create presentations and corporate documentation