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Secretaries assist professionals, managers and executives by performing clerical,
secretarial and stenographic duties.
The duties that secretaries perform vary a great deal
according to the size and type of organisation in which they work.
Managers and executives employ secretaries to perform some or
all of the following duties :
- respond to telephone calls
- make and record appointments
- operate various office equipment such as photocopiers, faxes,
telephone systems and computers
- greet clients
- prepare agendas for meetings
- type up business letters and reports
- take dictation using shorthand
- receive and process incoming and outgoing mail
- transcribe shorthand notes or data from audio tapes into
letters and reports using a word processor
- store and retrieve data on computers
- attend and take minutes of meetings
- organise business itineraries, travel arrangements,
conferences, meetings and social functions
- maintain budget and account records
- purchase stationery supplies for the office
Experienced secretaries may advance to positions of higher
responsibility.
| Also, secretaries may specialise as: Legal Secretaries - in addition to the above tasks,
use their knowledge of legal terminology to prepare documents and reports.
Medical Secretaries - in addition to the above tasks, use their knowledge
of medical terminology to prepare documents and reports.
Stenographers - take shorthand and use a word processor to produce
documents, letters and reports, as well as performing other clerical duties. |
To enter this field it is usually necessary to complete an
office or secretarial course which includes typing, word processing, computer and
shorthand skills.
Courses are available through registered training organisations which include TAFE.
  
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