Secretary/administrator: Job description

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1. Job description
2. Salary and conditions
3. Entry requirements
4. Training
5. Career development
6. Employers and vacancy …
7. Related jobs

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Case studies

• First year administrator: Alexa
• Admissions registrar/college administrator: Kayleigh
• Legal secretary: Charlotte 

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A secretary or administrator provides both clerical and administrative support to professionals, either as part of a team or individually. The role plays a vital part in the administration and smooth-running of businesses throughout industry. Secretaries/administrators are involved with the coordination and implementation of office procedures and frequently have responsibility for specific projects and tasks and, in some cases, oversee and supervise the work of junior staff.

Secretarial/administrative work has changed significantly over the years, and the role varies greatly depending on the sector, the size of the employer and levels of responsibility. Most work involves both written and oral communication, word processing and typing, and requires relevant skills such as IT, organisational and presentation skills, as well as the ability to multi-task and work well under pressure, often juggling several tasks at once. Within specialist sectors such as law, many secretaries/administrators are required to have relevant, high-level qualifications and/or previous experience.

The role can often overlap with that of a personal assistant.

Typical work activities

Common tasks for the majority of secretaries/administrators include word processing, audio and copy typing, letter writing, dealing with telephone and email enquiries, creating and maintaining filing systems, keeping diaries, arranging meetings/appointments and organising travel for staff.

Depending on the sector, the role may also include many of the following:

• using a variety of software packages, such as Microsoft Word, Outlook, Powerpoint, Excel, Access, etc., to produce correspondence and documents and maintain presentations, records, spreadsheets and databases;
• devising and maintaining office systems;
• booking rooms and conference facilities;
• using content management systems to maintain and update websites and internal databases;
• attending meetings, taking minutes and keeping notes;
• invoicing;
• managing and maintaining budgets;
• liaising with staff in other departments and with external contacts;
• ordering and maintaining stationery and equipment supplies;
• sorting and distributing incoming post and organising and sending outgoing post;
• liaising with colleagues and external contacts to book travel and accommodation;
• organising and storing paperwork, documents and computer-based information;
• photocopying and printing various documents, sometimes on behalf of other colleagues.

Other duties may include:

• recruiting, training and supervising junior staff and delegating work as required;
• manipulating complex statistical data;
• arranging both in-house and external events.