Secretaries: Schools and Careers

About Secretaries

Secretaries are responsible for coordinating an office's administrative activities in a manner which ensures that the office runs smoothly. There are a wide variety of clerical and administrative duties that secretaries need to accomplish in order to make this happen. They schedule appointments, draft correspondence, provide information to outsiders, and create and maintain files in either hard-copy or electronic form. They also arrange and prepare for meetings, handle office bookkeeping and inventory, and maintain the schedule of their supervisor.

In recent years, with the reliance on office technology expanding at a rapid pace, the secretary's role has evolved to the point where secretaries now assume responsibilities once reserved for managerial and professional staff. For example, many secretaries now conduct research on the Internet, operate and troubleshoot new office technologies, and provide training to new staff members.

Some types of secretaries perform highly specialized work requiring special knowledge and skills. Legal Secretaries are responsible for most of the clerical and administrative duties in a law office. They prepare correspondence and legal papers under the supervision of an attorney or a paralegal and they also assist in the preparation of legal briefs. Medical Secretaries provide clerical support to physicians or medical scientists and also record medical histories, arrange for patients to be hospitalized, and order medical supplies. School Secretaries perform specialized administrative functions for elementary, middle, and high schools. They are responsible for handling most of the communications between parents, community representatives, and school employees such as teachers and administrators.

Secretary Responsibilities

Specific job duties of a secretary vary with his/her employer, experience level, and title. High-level secretaries, sometimes called Executive Secretaries, provide administrative support for top executives of an organization. In general, they tend to perform fewer clerical tasks and more information management than a typical secretary. Duties at this level might include arranging conference calls, supervising other clerical staff members, preparing agendas, arranging meetings of committees and executive boards, conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and determining the significance of incoming memos and reports in order to plan their distribution.

At a more common secretarial level, core duties include storing, retrieving, and disseminating information to supervisors, staff, and/or clients. A typical secretary serves as an information and communication manager for his/her office. The secretary is usually the person responsible for planning and scheduling meetings and appointments, maintaining and organizing files, conducting research, and providing information via telephone, email, websites, and more traditional mail services. Secretaries in many cases also handle travel and hosting arrangements for employees and guests. Many of them also purchase supplies, negotiate with vendors, manage stockrooms or corporate libraries, and maintain office inventory.

To an increasing extent, secretarial duties now involve the use of computers. Many of their duties in today's world include such things as creating spreadsheets, composing letters and other correspondence with word processing software, managing databases, researching websites, and creating presentations and reports using desktop publishing or graphic presentation software. In addition to computers, secretaries now regularly rely upon other relatively modern devices such as fax machines, scanners, and videoconferencing systems. They also continue to make liberal use of more traditional office equipment such as photocopiers and telephones.

A partial list of the daily duties of a typical secretary might include the following:

• Scheduling appointments
• Providing information to callers
• Taking dictation
• Reading and routing incoming mail
• Composing and typing routine correspondence
• Filing correspondence and records
• Answering the telephone and routing calls to appropriate personnel
• Scheduling appointments for their employer
• Greeting visitors and escorting them to appropriate personnel
• Arranging travel schedules and making reservations
• Compiling statistical reports
• Recording minutes of staff meetings
• Making copies of reports or other correspondence
• Preparing outgoing mail
• Taking notes and transcribing them onto printed reports

Secretary Job Characteristics

Most secretaries are full-time employees who work a standard 40-hour week. However, about one in five work part-time and many others work in temporary positions. Work is most often done in an office environment. The surroundings are usually comfortable; however, the job often involves sitting for long periods, sometimes in front of a computer monitor. As such, secretaries are often vulnerable to associated problems such as eyestrain, stress, and carpal tunnel syndrome.

In order to be a good secretary, an individual needs a great deal of flexibility along with an ability to work well with people. A person who enjoys following set procedures with clearly defined lines of authority will thrive in this profession. Good secretaries should also be proficient in typing with good spelling and grammatical skills. Secretaries regularly deal with people at all levels and consequently must display discretion and good judgment. They also need good interpersonal skills. As office environments continually change, versatility and adaptability are becoming increasingly important traits for secretaries to possess.

Employment Outlook

The U.S. Department of Labor Bureau of Labor Statistics (USDL BLS) anticipates employment in the secretarial field to grow about as fast as the average for all occupations throughout the upcoming decade. Technological advances will change the nature of a secretary's job but will not impact the demand for many of the services secretaries provide as many of their duties are of a personal interactive nature and, as such, not easily automated. Job opportunities are expected to be greatest for applicants with advanced communication and computer skills and for those who have extensive knowledge of software applications.

Projected employment growth varies by secretarial specialty. Medical secretaries or those who work in the health care and social assistance industry can look forward to above average employment growth. More moderate growth in legal services is projected to lead to average employment growth for legal secretaries. Job growth for executive secretaries for all occupations is expected to proceed at a faster than normal rate.

Secretary Schools, Certification, and Licensing

Most entry-level secretarial jobs require a high school diploma or equivalent as a minimum educational qualification. Employees generally look to hire individuals who possess some level of basic office skills. These skills can be acquired in various ways. Many high schools offer vocational education programs that teach office skills and typing. Several community colleges, as well as business and vocational or technical schools, offer one- and two-year programs in office administration. A good number of temporary placement agencies also provide formal training in computer and office skills.

Specialized secretaries typically require a higher level of education. Most medical and legal secretaries are required to enroll in specialized training programs that impart industry-related knowledge. Employers of executive secretaries are increasingly inclined to seek candidates with a college degree. A degree which is related to the business or industry in which a candidate seeks employment can provide the applicant with a distinct advantage in the job market.

Industry-recognized certifications are available through organizations such as the International Association of Administrative Professionals, the National Association of Legal Secretaries (NALS), and Legal Secretaries International. Certifications are awarded at different proficiency levels, and more advanced varieties can be earned as secretaries advance and gain experience in their careers. Some of the more prominent designations include the Certified Professional Secretary (CPS) and the Certified Administrative Professional (CAP) certifications, which can be earned by establishing a certain experience or educational threshold level and by passing an examination. Legal secretaries with one year of experience in the legal field can acquire the Accredited Legal Secretary (ALS) designation through a testing process administered by NALS.

Most working secretaries tend to acquire more advanced skills throughout their career. This can be done through on-the-job training, by attending classes, or by taking advantage of online education opportunities. In many cases continuing education is needed in order for a secretary to keep up with new software or to learn how to operate new office technologies. As office automation continues to evolve, continuing education will remain an integral component of a secretary's agenda.

Resources for Secretaries

• International Association of Administrative Professionals
• Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals
• National Association of Home Based Secretaries
• Desk Demon
• PA-assist.com
• Legal Secretaries International Inc.
• National Association of Legal Secretaries, Inc.
• Legal Secretaries International, Inc.

Major Employers of Secretaries

The secretarial profession comprises one of the largest occupations in the U.S. economy. As such, secretaries are found virtually everywhere. A substantial majority of them are employed in firms which provide services. These firms span several industrial sectors, from education and health care to legal and business services. Secretaries also work for firms engaged in manufacturing, construction, transportation, wholesale and retail trade, and communications. Other major employers include insurance companies, investment firms, banks, and real estate firms; as well as government agencies at all levels: Federal, state, and local.

Schools for Secretaries are listed in the column to the left.

The Top Cities tab shows employment statistics for Secretaries by major metro area.

The Top Industries tab shows which industries have the most jobs for Secretaries, along with salary data by industry.

The Find Schools tab lets you search for schools by field of study, degree level, and location.