Secretary: Job Duties, Career Outlook, and Education Requirements
Would you enjoy working in an office environment, performing clerical and administrative tasks? A secretary is responsible for such tasks and acting as the point of contact for an organization. He or she must be familiar with various word processing and spreadsheet programs, as well as office equipment. Read on for information regarding secretarial job duties, career outlook and educational requirements. Schools offering Administrative Assistant degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
What Are the Job Duties of a Secretary?
Secretaries perform many clerical and administrative duties that are necessary to run an organization efficiently. Your secretarial duties will vary according to your specific job title. For example, as an executive secretary, you'd perform few clerical duties and instead, focus on supporting high-level executives, supervising office staff, conducting research and arranging meetings. If you become a medical secretary, you'll create medical histories for patients and transcribe medical reports. As a legal secretary, you'd prepare legal documentation such as subpoenas and motions.
In general, secretaries organize paperwork and electronic files, manage projects, arrange meetings, conduct research and communicate through phone, mail and e-mail. You may be responsible for creating spreadsheets, developing presentations or reports, composing correspondence and managing databases. Other duties can include purchasing supplies, managing stockrooms, greeting visitors and handling travel arrangements.
What Is the Career Outlook?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), secretarial employment was projected to grow 11% between 2008 and 2018, which was similar to growth in other occupations (www.bls.gov). Some of this growth can be attributed to workers leaving the field or transferring to professional positions. New technologies and automation that allow secretaries to complete a greater number of tasks may alter the way work is delegated in many office environments. Smaller companies may outsource secretarial and administrative tasks to virtual assistants; however, in-house secretaries are still expected to be viewed as essential team members because they possess interpersonal skills and may personally deal with clients and staff. To improve your job prospects, you should become proficient in software applications, gain practical experience and hone your communication skills.
What Education Might I Require?
High school diplomas are considered the minimum requirement for secretaries, but you may want to consider enrolling in a formal training program. Most organizations prefer to hire employees who have completed 1- or 2-year office administration programs at vocational schools or community colleges. These programs typically result in certificates or associate's degrees. You might receive instruction in areas such as bookkeeping, Windows applications, Word, Excel, administrative office procedures and written communications. However, for some secretarial specialties, such as medical or legal, you may need to complete a more specialized training program.
If you do not complete a formal training program, your employer may provide on-the-job training. Some temporary employment agencies may also offer training. After training, you can apply for certification through the International Association of Administrative Professionals, or, if you are a legal secretary, the National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), Inc. Certifying organizations may offer different levels of certification, which can be earned by passing examinations and meeting other requirements. As a secretary, you may need to participate in continuing education to keep up with changes in office automation, new technologies and software programs.
To continue researching, browse degree options below for course curriculum, prerequisites and financial aid information. Or, learn more about the subject by reading the related articles below:
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