How To Become a Secretary in 6 Steps

Updated July 22, 2022

Secretaries perform a vital role in many organizations. They complete a wide range of tasks that help an office run on a daily basis. Many secretary positions are great entry-level jobs, making them a good place to start your career. In this guide, we cover the six steps you can follow to become a secretary.

What does a secretary do?

A secretary is a person in charge of the administrative duties for an organization. These duties vary from employer to employer but can include tasks such as:

Answering phones
Scheduling meetings
Setting up interviews
Onboarding new employees
Preparing travel arrangements
Ordering office supplies
Typing up reports or notes
Data entry
Website maintenance
Responding to emails

In addition to basic office functions, some secretaries perform more advanced tasks if they are in industries such as medicine or law. Secretaries are often the first point of contact between an organization and its clients or patients, making them an essential part of the team.Related: Learn About Being a Secretary

How to become a secretary

To become a secretary, follow the six steps listed below:

1. Take related courses

While still in high school, take courses that will help you become a secretary. These courses include word processing, desktop publishing, writing, speech and anything related to business essentials.

2. Receive a high school degree

Most secretary positions require a high school degree or equivalent. If you do not have a high school degree, consider taking the GED. The GED, or General Educational Development, tests are used to demonstrate that you have a high school level education.

3. Research different fields

Before applying for a secretarial position, you should research the different types of fields that use secretaries. The reason for this is that some fields, like medical and legal, require secretaries to have additional education. By learning what is required of different types of secretaries, you can learn which types of jobs you should apply for based on your skills and experience.

4. Complete an internship

Working as an intern can help you better understand the role of a secretary. For example, an intern working in a small business office will get to observe what a secretary does on a daily basis. They may also be asked to assist the secretary, giving them experience with the job. By working as an intern you can discover where you might want to work as a secretary and improve your resume by adding related work experience.Related: Definitive Guide to Internships

5. Build a resume

To apply for a secretary position, you will typically need a resume. On your resume, include your education, work experience and skills. Some of the skills to include on your resume include:

Organized
Effective time manager
Written and oral communication
Word processing
Desktop publishing
Reliable

If you have taken specific courses related to office management, either in high school or through a college, list these on your resume. In your work experience section, talk about specific duties you have performed in the past that are related to secretarial work. For example, if you volunteered to answer phones for a charity organization or organized an event for a school.

6. Apply for secretary positions

The easiest way to find available secretary positions in your area is by searching online. When browsing through open positions, read the description carefully. Find out what type of experience, education and skills the employer is looking for. If you believe you are a good fit for that position, begin the application process.When applying, it's a good idea to adjust your application and resume based on the specific job. For example, you can edit the mission statement within your resume to mention the company's name, or you could include different work experiences based on the field of the position.

What is the average salary for a secretary?

The national average salary for a secretary is $32,841 per year. Compensation depends heavily on the type of organization, the years of prior experience and the skill set of the secretary.

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Skills secretaries need

Below are some of the basic skills that most organizations require of their secretaries:

Bookkeeping

Bookkeeping is the process of recording financial transactions for an organization. Some secretaries are required to input data about financial transactions into spreadsheets, databases or record the information by hand. Secretaries responsible for bookkeeping should have at least basic math and computer skills.

Communication

Secretaries frequently interact with others during their job, both through written communication and verbally. Interacting with clients, scheduling trips, making office announcements and responding to emails on behalf of the company or manager are just some of the common tasks for secretaries that require strong communication skills.Read more: 10 Communication Skills to Add to Your Resume

Office management

Office management includes ensuring the office runs efficiently on a day-to-day basis. Many secretaries are responsible for making sure co-workers within the office have everything they need to carry out their duties. Some common tasks within office management are:

Ordering supplies
Scheduling events and meetings
Booking accommodations and transports
Arranging interviews
Implementing and administering office procedures

Organization

Organization is the ability to keep track of vital information and developing a system that allows for its quick retrieval. Secretaries need strong organizational skills since they coordinate many office functions, such as meetings and office supplies.

Report Writing

Report writing is the gathering of information and producing a written document based on it. Secretaries are sometimes asked to take notes on meetings and provide copies of them to attendants afterward. Other times they may need to summarize recent events within the organization, such as recent sales numbers or company milestones. Secretaries know what information is relevant to the report and are able to present it clearly in written form.

Time management

A primary duty for secretaries is managing time within an office. As such, secretaries have strong time-management skills. They show up to work on time, know the time of all meetings and ensure all their tasks are completed before a deadline. Secretaries also coordinate meetings between co-workers, meaning they are able to manage time for others as well.

Word Processing

A lot of secretarial work is now done on a computer. Most secretaries have strong word processing skills, allowing them to type and produce documents quickly. This includes responding to emails, sending out memos and producing documents on behalf of the company. Secretaries have strong typing skills and are able to use the most popular word processing software tools.

Administrative assistants & receptionists