How to Understand Different Secretarial Jobs

The role a professional secretary plays has gone through major changes because of the impact of technology; and as more and more executives perform their own tasks, the need for secretaries has diminished. Secretaries now take on more demanding challenges and have many more responsibilities than they used to. As our country embraces more cultures, the job market favors secretaries who are bilingual or trilingual, both in hiring practices and with higher wages.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Start with the receptionist, whose basic job functions are to handle a multi-line phone, help out other staff members on miscellaneous projects, greet guests and order supplies. Depending on the particular job, they will probably require some data entry or typing skills, and may require some knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet and presentation software.
2. Move to the entry-level secretary, a job that requires basic secretarial skills. This position usually requires a limited but useful knowledge of commonly used software. The entry-level secretary will probably support another secretary, administrative assistant or office manager rather than directly support an executive if the company is large. If it is a small business, the entry-level secretary will be asked to wear many hats and have to be multi-functional and capable of handling many tasks at one time.
3. Graduate to the administrative assistant position. This will require above-average typing or keyboarding skills, a strong working knowledge of English, good communication skills and the ability to take instruction. Administrative assistants will be dealing with the public and taking on more responsibilities that directly assist management staff and executives. Administrative assistants must be comfortable with decision making.
4. Advance to a senior secretary or office management position. Those who learn about the operations side of the business may move to office management. Those with exceptional word processing or data processing skills may move into training.
5. Assert yourself by receiving specialized training to be a legal secretary, paralegal or medical secretary.

Tips & Warnings

• Stay current by learning upgrades to software that your company uses regularly.
• Join an organization for professional secretaries like the International Association of Administrative Professionals.
• Salaries of secretaries vary widely in different parts of the country. If you are a secretary planning to move to another state, make sure the secretarial salaries are aligned with the cost of living.

Who Can Help:

• Earn an Associate's, Bachelor's or Master's Degree from the University of Phoenix
• University of Phoenix, degree Programs to Fit Your Life.