Administration

Administration & Secretarial

A secretary or administrator provides clerical and administrative support, either as a team or individually. They are often also responsible for specific projects, as well as co-ordinating and implementing office procedures and in some cases, they will oversee junior staff.

The role has changed significantly in recent years, with new technologies changing the way we communicate and send documents as well as filling procedures and data storage. IT skills are essential as more and more administrative processes are becoming computer based and within specialist fields such as law, you may require a relevant, high-level qualification.

Roles in this sector vary greatly depending on sector, the size of the employer and levels of responsibility. As secretarial and administrative work is so diverse, employment can be found in virtually all sectors such as public organisations like councils and charities, universities, hospitals and industry as well as in creative professions such as advertising and publishing.

General tasks will include word processing, handling telephone and email enquiries, creating and maintaining filing systems, keeping diaries and taking appointments for staff.

You might also find yourself using a variety of software packages to produce correspondence and other documents, maintain presentations, spreadsheets and databases, maintain and update websites and internal databases, arranging meetings, taking minutes and keeping notes, looking after budgets and using shorthand and audio tapes.

There are special secretarial courses available for graduates, often through private colleges, that can help you improve skills such as shorthand and typing. Specific secretarial training is useful for entry to legal or medical roles.

Relevant experience is often more highly valued than specific secretarial qualifications, although excellent IT skills will always be in demand.

A good way of gaining experience or getting a first job as a secretary or administrator is by temping through an agency and this can often lead to permanent positions.

As there tend to be a high number of jobs in this area, competition tends to be low but it will depend on the area of employment. Exact requirements for particular typing speeds and knowledge will vary from vacancy to vacancy depending on the nature of the post, but a minimum typing speed of 45wpm is normally required.

 

Useful links:

The Institute of Legal Secretaries

Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA)

Institute of Qualified Professional Secretaries (IQPS) Limited

Council for Administration (CfA)

Association of Medical Secretaries, Practice Managers, Administrators and Receptionists (AMSPAR)