Secretarial Jobs
Secretaries’ tasks vary according to the type of company or organisation they work for. In general, they provide administrative support for one or more managers. For example, they deal with correspondence, keep records and make appointments.
Legal Secretary
Legal secretaries carry out administrative and secretarial duties in solicitors’ offices, and in the legal departments of organisations. They use computers to prepare letters and legal documents.
Legal secretaries manage solicitors’ diaries, keep records and deal with visiting clients; they must be aware of the need for confidentiality.
They need a good knowledge of legal terms used in the profession. Accuracy and attention to detail are vital, along with good English spelling and grammar.
Medical Secretary
Medical secretaries provide administrative support for doctors and other people employed in the health sector. They organise the office, arrange filing systems, retrieve and distribute medical reports and deal with correspondence.
They also word process confidential letters and medical notes. They often have reception duties, deal with phone calls, arrange transport for patients and make appointments.
Bilingual Secretary
Bilingual secretaries carry out secretarial duties using one or more foreign languages. They prepare, read and translate letters and other documents, make and receive telephone calls and deal with visitors. They might interpret at meetings and conferences, and deal with a wide range of other general secretarial duties.
If international clients or colleagues visit the company, the secretary usually greets them and handles arrangements for their stay, including hotel bookings and travel itineraries. Bilingual secretaries might act as interpreters during their visit.
General secretarial duties include dealing with enquiries, taking messages, word processing, filing, photocopying and keeping an appointments diary.
Personal Assistant
Personal assistants (PAs) provide administrative support to a senior manager or director. They use their initiative to relieve their manager from unnecessary interruptions. They deal with enquiries and take charge of all incoming telephone calls, deciding which need the manager’s immediate attention.
PAs also research and summarise relevant information in preparation for meetings, and take minutes. They sometimes organise events and travel arrangements, and might manage a budget. They often supervise clerical and secretarial staff and assist with recruitment, selection and training.
School Secretary/Administrator
School secretaries and administrators look after the school office and make sure it is running smoothly. They deal with paperwork and administration, such as keeping school records on computer and preparing newsletters for parents. They might also make appointments for people to see the head teacher, sort the post, order supplies and do photocopying and filing.
The school office is the first point of contact for parents and visitors. The secretary answers the telephone and deals with all kinds of queries. Often, pupils knock at the door for help, for example, if they need first aid.
School secretaries might also help to administer the school budget. This means keeping a check on how money is being spent and keeping proper financial records.