What Does an Executive Secretary Do?
Today's Executive Secretaries combine hard technological savvy with the softer skills of effective personal interaction to add significant value to their organizations. This article will briefly describe what an Executive Secretary does. Schools offering Administrative Assistant degrees can also be found in these popular choices.
Overview of the Executive Secretary Position
Executive Secretaries work directly for and provide close administrative support for an executive. Executives include those at the management level of an organization who has the authority to determine and implement policy. The extent of an Executive Secretary's own authority, along with his or her responsibilities and duties, often depends on the power exercised by the supervising executive. Whatever that may be, Executive Secretaries often have administrative and managerial duties, among other responsibilities.
Administrative Duties for Executive Secretaries
Administrative duties include clerical and gate-keeping responsibilities typically associated with secretarial positions. Today, these duties have been much enhanced by information technology. Common tasks include the following:
- Taking dictation and writing correspondence
- Reading and screening correspondence
- Receiving and screening callers and visitors
- Coordinating the executive's calendar, schedule and itinerary
- Making travel arrangements
- Prioritizing and referring information appropriately
- Producing documents, charts and presentations
- Editing documents and preparing them for executive approval
- Maintaining records and files
- Operating and maintaining office equipment
- Monitoring office expenditures
Managerial Responsibilities of an Executive Secretary
Depending on the size of the office and the experience of the individual, an Executive Secretary may be delegated supervisory responsibilities. The following list outlines various managerial duties:
- Hiring, assigning and supervising office personnel
- Writing, adjusting and maintaining office procedures
- Insuring compliance with organizational policies
- Insuring compliance with federal, state and local law
- Planning and participating in meetings
- Preparing budgets and reports
Enhanced Duties
Executive Secretaries often have many years of experience and high levels of education. These, combined with a demonstration of trustworthiness and good judgment, may lead an executive to grant the Executive Secretary great independence of action. The Executive Secretary may provide important advice and counsel. They may act as a proxy in an executive's absence. In some cases, an experienced Executive Secretary may qualify for executive positions within an organization.
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