Extend Definition of Secratary Job in Office - Essay Example

Historically, the word ‘secretary’ has been derived from a Latin word ‘secernere’ which is a synonym for the English word ‘secret’ (Dictionary.com, 2011). Hence, one of the most important duties of a secretary involves handling and managing of classified or confidential information of the office. Who, among us all, can underestimate the role of the secretarial staff at Pentagon or White House! The responsibilities of a company secretary depend upon the size of the firm or company that appoints him/her, the activities undertaken by the company and the expectations of his/her employer(s).

Other than that, the basic job of a secretary revolves around documentation, from typing to efficient file keeping and record tracking. Times and again, he/she is asked to record minutes of a meeting and prepare relevant supporting documents to reach to meeting conclusions / decisions. This way, he/she is expected to be both, a fine listener as well as a speedy writer and typist (Lazary, 1988). The requirements for a secretarial post usually include a typing speed of 70 – 80 WPM (words per minute) and a legible handwriting.

Along with that, secretaries are regularly asked to maintain filing systems in a perfectly arranged order. This is important so that the files can be found and accessed easily and quickly, at the time of need. A secretary must be aware of the basic rules filing systems, which include arrangement in accordance to alphabets, numbers, geographic location and subject. Secretaries are also responsible for attending and managing phone calls for their respective employers. During working hours, they are to answer all the calls and must have the clear understanding of which calls need to be dealt by them and which are to be forwarded immediately to their bosses (Lazary, 1988).

They should also know what the person on the other side of the cradle will be calling about in case of regular and frequent callers, and must develop a friendly relationship with them. This is important because they are representing the office on the online and any careless attitude expressed with the calling clients can serve as a blow to the office’s prestige. When it comes to mail reading, it is essential that the secretary is familiar with the standard forms required and used in the office (Macmichael, 2011).

For example, if a person wishes to apply for the post of a legal secretary, he/she must have reasonable knowledge of bill, memo, affidavit, mortgage, lease, power of attorney etc. as he / she will not only be using them, but also held responsible for these different documents procurement and supply. Some other commonly assigned tasks include budget allocation, appointments scheduling, travelling arrangements, emails tracking, updating websites etc (Lazary, 1988). In a way, an efficient secretary’s job scope may range from compiling menu for a business lunch to managing corporate level conferencing between business tycoons.

The well-trained secretary is an extremely valuable employee to the company if he/she is able to accept the assigned tasks willingly and relieve his/her employer of many management liabilities. Blessed will be the boss whose secretary comes up with the required reference material for the document under discussion. A secretary also has to attend