Assistant secretaries are responsible for providing support to administrators, department staff or any other assigned personnel. Employment opportunities are available in many different industries. Assistant secretaries’ job functions have evolved with the advent of corporate technology reliance. Secretaries have been assuming duties that were previously handled by members of management. This occupation consistently ranks high among those with available job openings.

Duties

Assistant secretaries utilize telecommunications systems to screen or transfer calls, respond to caller inquiries and relay messages. Potential candidates perform a variety of clerical duties, schedule meetings and manage projects. They may also be required to create spreadsheets, manage databases, deliver reports and negotiate vendor contracts. Assistant secretaries may conduct orientations and coordinate training of incoming staff. Secretaries’ job duties may vary according to a potential candidate’s choice of industry.

Qualifications

Effective communication, excellent grammar and proficient typing skills are all qualifications an assistant secretary should possess. Assistant secretaries should be discrete due to the confidential nature of information they may be privileged to. Potential candidates must be adaptable and nonresistant to changes that occur within the office environment. Assistant secretaries should be able to work independently and effectively manage their time to complete tasks.

Education

Most potential employers require assistant secretaries to hold a high school diploma, or GED, for entry-level positions. Basic office skills and computer literacy is preferred in this role. A college back ground may be a qualification established by potential employers during the recruitment process. Continued education may be required to keep up with evolving office automation.

Industry

The projected employment opportunities for assistant secretaries will vary by industry specialty. Potential candidates considering the health field will find more job openings than those entering the legal industry. Candidates possessing bachelor’s degrees in related industry fields will find assistant secretary opportunities dually functioning in a managerial role. According to the Bureau of Labor and statistics, average industry growth is expected to be 11 percent between 2008 and 2018.

Salary

The rate of assistant secretary’s with 1 to 4 years experience ranges from $8.05 to $12.37 an hour, as reported by Payscale. Information updated April 2010 by Payscale, reports assistant secretaries were paid more hourly if they possessed knowledge of computer systems. The rate for assistant secretaries with this skill set ranged from $11.50 to $16.49 and hour.