It’s often said that an executive is only as good as their secretary, executive assistant or personal assistant. Show Handling the day-to-day administration for a person, team or network, a secretary is the “eyes and ears” of a company, privy to unique and powerful insights about the company culture, performance and future direction. It can be a rewarding and exciting career path for any professional. What does it take to be a successful secretary? It’s important to understand everything that’s expected from you in the role, seek opportunities to go above and beyond and continuously upskill, keep up with new software and technology, hone organisational skills and increase overall knowledge related to the industry that you are in. Qualities that make a good secretaryA good secretary has various qualities - both hard and soft skills that help them succeed in a role. These qualities can be learned and developed with a little bit of dedication. These are just a few of them:
If you can touch-type, your speed will improve the more typing you do – you’ll need to be able to type anywhere from 55 to 80 words per minute, and faster is always better. Related: How to use the STAR technique to excel in job interviews What are the characteristics of a good secretary?Learn to anticipate needs The most successful secretaries work towards helping others when they ask for it, then anticipate what might be needed for the future. Be proactive and search out ways to anticipate requests and needs from others. Paying attention to detail on assigned tasks can help you anticipate what will be needed in the future. Be meticulously organised This one is important both for yourself while juggling multiple tasks and for others that you are working on. Come up with various systems to stay organised, whether handwritten or using organisational technology. Being organised is especially helpful if part of your job includes making travel arrangements, managing people’s schedules, or organising multiple events. Keep detailed notes In meetings or on phone calls, keep detailed notes on what is said and requested for later reference. Keeping these notes for reference will mean that you have your finger on the pulse of what’s going on - and will be seen as the go-to person to get the details that others may have overlooked or forgotten. Focus on clear communication. Work on your communication skills to communicate directly, clearly and with intent to any stakeholders you interact with. Being able to write a concise email and speak well both internally and externally will be a huge advantage, given that a large part of your job is about communicating effectively. Related: Year-end review: 10 questions for self-reflection What does a secretary do?There will always be different elements to each secretary’s job description. However, generally speaking, a secretary is responsible for supporting various aspects of the business, often taking care of administrative tasks from taking meeting notes to managing schedules, organising events or making travel arrangements. It is a varied role and depends a lot on whom the secretary is supporting and what type of company they are working for. Given that broad job description, one of the most valuable assets a secretary or business support professional can have is the ability to think on their feet. Secretarial and business support work is demanding and requires someone who can wear multiple hats and multitask well. What does the career path for a secretary look like?An ambitious secretary can refresh their career every couple of years, once they have mastered and developed the latest role. This is the perfect time to take on more responsibility, developing the project management and supervisory aspects of a role. Entry-level secretarial jobs generally have much room for growth, and a secretary can evolve into an administrative assistant, executive assistant, office manager, administrative coordinator or other senior administrative roles. With specialised knowledge of a department, industry or company, effective secretaries should see themselves moving up an exciting career path. The alternative is to make a lateral move within an organisation to other departments or look to new pastures for the following external challenge. Project management and human resources are two sectors that many secretaries find themselves well-prepared for with transferable skill sets. |