Secretary Job Overview and Description

According to the BLS, secretaries are one of the largest labor forces in the job market. Employment for secretary jobs is expected to increase up to 12% between 2014 and 2024. Medical secretaries stand to see the best employment opportunities, as well as applicants with computer software experience.


What are Secretary jobs?

Secretaries perform routine clerical and administrative duties. Their duties include organizing files, preparing documents, scheduling appointments, and supporting office staff. They use computer software to create spreadsheets, prepare presentations, reports, and documents, and maintain databases.


Secretary job overview

Secretaries can be found in almost every industry. Most secretaries work full time in an office setting. Some may work remote as virtual assistants.


What are the different types of Secretary jobs?

  • Executive Secretary. Provides high-level administrative support for top executives. They may also supervise clerical staff, review upcoming documents, prepare reports, and conduct research.
  • Legal Secretary. Perform work that requires knowledge of legal terminology and procedures. They prepare various legal documents, review records and prepare reports for attorneys and head paralegals.
  • Medical Secretary. Prepare reports or articles for physicians and medical scientists, transcribe dictation process insurance patients, take patient’s medical history and process them to be hospitalized. Requires knowledge of medical terminology, codes, medical records and hospital or laboratory procedures.
  • Administrative Assistants. Handles administrative activities in almost every sector of the economy.

What type of education do your need for a Secretary job?

A high school diploma or equivalent is required for most secretary jobs. Students who have experience using computer software, such as word processing software and spreadsheet programs. Job training usually takes several weeks.

Legal and medical secretaries require additional training to learn industry-specific terminology, or by attending specific courses offered at colleges and tech schools. Certification programs are also available for legal and medical administration.

Executive secretaries usually require several years of experience.


What is a typical salary for a Secretary?

According to the BLS, the annual median wage is around $36,500. Legal secretaries earn around $43,200 and medical secretaries earn a wage around $33,040.


What are the job requirements for Secretary jobs?

Secretaries should have excellent writing and organizational skills. Decision-making skills are also important as it helps secretaries prioritize tasks and make decisions on the employer’s behalf.


Where can you find a Secretary job listing?

You can search for a secretary job listing through websites like CareerBuilder, Monster, Indeed, SimplyHired, and JobsInEachState.com. You can also visit a nearby recruitment and talk to a recruiter about opportunities available to you within the secretary.


How do you get a job as a secretary?

Applicants interested in becoming a secretary may apply to jobs through a number of ways: Applicants may apply online through various job posting sites, through a company’s website, or getting involved with a recruitment agency. Some recruitment agencies can test applicant’s computer software and typing skills to help potential employers gauge whether the candidate is right for their company. Recruitment agencies may also provide classes on using word processing or spreadsheet software and typing.

Applicants with software experience will stand the best chance of being hired. Some companies also look for candidates with book keeping software experience, such as QuickBooks.

Candidates should also have a resume created to apply for job postings, along with a cover letter to send to employers.


What is the average salary of a secretary?

Secretary salaries will vary depending on the location and experience, but secretaries typically make around $36,500 nationwide.


Where do secretaries work?

Secretary jobs are available in almost all industry sectors. They usually work in an office environment and work a typical 9 to 5 schedule. Some secretaries work from home.


What is a secretary job?

Secretaries support office staff by performing administrative and clerical tasks. These tasks involve organizing, filing, and preparing documents, correspondence with clients and other employers, managing company information and data entry. Some secretaries in the legal and medical field may be required to know industry-specific terminology and practices, review and summaries documents, conduct research, process payments and reach out to other facilities to obtain information related to their work.

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