Information
■ What kind of person is an excellent secretary? We will teach you the skills you need!
The job of a secretary is wide-ranging and varies from company to company. However, to be called a "good secretary" you need some common skills. Here are some important skills you should have as a secretary, regardless of your industry. If you are an executive who is considering hiring a secretary to improve work efficiency, why not use it as a reference for selecting personnel?
■Secretary duties
The duties of a secretary are wide-ranging, but the main task is to manage the boss's schedule. A secretary needs to create a lean schedule so that a busy boss can work efficiently. During business trips, the secretary makes reservations for accommodation and secures transportation, and is in charge of contacting participants at meetings hosted by the boss. Next, answering visitors and answering phone calls is part of the secretary's duties. When welcoming guests, you will be interacting with an important person who works with your boss, so polite demeanor and business manners are required. When answering the phone, try to use polite language, and you will be able to decide whether to refer to your boss or handle it yourself. It is also the job of the secretary to prepare documents for the boss to use. You may need to create meeting materials in PowerPoint and internal documents in Word, so you need to have the minimum computer skills and how to write business documents. And the secretary has to do miscellaneous tasks such as organizing the office. In this way, it can be said that the secretary's job is to handle all the work to support the boss.
1. Skills required for an excellent secretary
Having an excellent secretary not only makes the executive's work more efficient, but also has the potential to lead to the growth of the company's business. Then, what kind of skills are required for an excellent secretary who is said to be the right hand of an executive? Also, why is there a difference even if you are doing the same secretary work? Here are three key skills with specific examples.
1-1.Schedule management ability
One of the skills required for an excellent secretary is the ability to manage schedules. Many people who work as top executives and executives of companies are always busy, and sudden schedule changes can occur on a daily basis. Even in such a case, if you have an excellent secretary, you will be able to calmly deal with it and come up with an alternative plan to get through the situation. However, such skills are not acquired immediately, but are acquired through years of experience. It is also important to be familiar with the functions of office software and be able to use them. For example, it must be possible to cancel or add online reservations and changes to meetings in a timely manner. Managing officers' schedules online has many benefits, such as officers being able to check the fluctuating schedule at any time. The secretary needs to have an overview of the officers' schedules. And if necessary, they are expected to preemptively book and change their schedules.
1-2. Communication skills
Speaking of skills that are essential for a good secretary, communication skills should not be forgotten. The secretary's job is to maintain smooth communication between executives and the people they work with. It can be said that it is essential to have a personality that is loved by people, consideration for those around you, and consideration for the other person. In addition, it is important for secretaries who often attend internal and external meetings with executives to remain calm and calm in any situation, and to control themselves flexibly. In addition, it is important to treat those around you fairly, to keep smiling, and to deliver accurate and necessary information to your conversation partners. In order to do this smoothly, sociability and high communication skills are required. In addition, secretaries often come into contact with company secrets, etc., because they work as the right-hand man of an officer. Therefore, it can be said that it is essential to be sociable, but to refrain from talking about things that are not necessary.
1-3.Be able to write beautiful letters
Due to the spread of personal computers and e-mail, opportunities for handwriting in business are decreasing. However, in secretarial work, there are many situations where handwriting is required, such as filling in important documents, addressing letters, and writing thank-you notes. Therefore, being able to write beautiful characters can be said to be a great strength for a secretary. For example, when an important document such as a contract is sent from another company, if the letter is beautifully written, it will lead to a sense of trust in the company. Also, if the thank-you letter written by the secretary on behalf of the executive is beautiful, you will want to ask for the job again. On the other hand, if it's written in round or illegible handwriting, you may lose credibility. In this way, the letters written by the secretary can affect the impression of the company. It is said that the character represents the body, but it can also be said that the character of the secretary, who fills out documents and writes letters on behalf of the executive, represents the company as it is.
■Characteristics of a person suitable for a secretary
The characteristics of people who are suitable for secretaries are that they are attentive and have a high ability to guess. The secretary has to support her boss behind the scenes, but her boss doesn't have time for detailed instructions. A secretary is required to have the attentiveness to anticipate what her boss wants and prepare it ahead of time. Also, a person who can devote himself to support would be suitable for a secretary. If you don't want to be the main character, you can't stand the role of a secretary supporting her boss. At the same time, secretaries are often treated with respect along with their bosses, but don't forget to be humble. A secretary is suitable for a person who can always interact with people with a humble attitude and who can facilitate interpersonal relationships.
If you're methodical and flexible, you might want to try your hand at being a secretary. A secretary must have the meticulousness to carry out his work carefully, as a mistake in the boss's schedule management may cause a large loss to the company. However, secretarial work can be fraught with trouble, so meticulousness alone is not enough. It can be said that the conditions for an excellent secretary are to be flexible and able to calmly deal with incidents. In addition, people with high communication skills and the ability to share information smoothly are also suitable for secretaries.
■Characteristics of people who are not suitable for secretaries
On the other hand, there are some characteristics of people who are not suitable for secretaries. First of all, a person who is very self-assertive is not suitable for a secretary. Aspirations are important, but if the desire to be active is too strong, it can get in the way of your boss. Also, a person who cannot protect confidentiality should not be a secretary. While working with important people in the company, the secretary comes to know a lot of confidential information. If you leak this information to the outside, there is a risk that it will develop into a big problem. Next, it will be difficult for people who are not good at switching feelings to work as a secretary. Everyone makes mistakes, but the important thing is what you do after you make a mistake. You can't do your job as a secretary if you're rebuked by your boss and get depressed and give up your job. You are required to have a positive attitude to quickly change your mind and clean up after your mistakes.
■ Rewarding work as a secretary
There are many difficult situations in secretarial work, but it is worth it. One of the most rewarding aspects of secretarial work is being deeply involved with people involved in corporate management. If you work normally in clerical work, you don't have many opportunities to interact with important people who move companies. On the other hand, secretaries are able to learn knowledge and skills at the forefront of business by closely interacting with executives on a daily basis. Observing up close how your boss thinks and works with you will be a valuable experience that enriches your life. Next, one of the rewards of being a secretary is to be able to improve your skills related to business etiquette. As you interact with various important people, you will naturally improve your business etiquette and hospitality skills, which will make it easier for you to aim for career advancement. In addition, various incidents occur in secretarial work, and it is required to respond flexibly according to the situation. Therefore, it can be said that it is rewarding to be a secretary to cultivate judgment and the ability to respond flexibly.
■An excellent secretary contributes to the growth of the company!
In this way, having an excellent secretary at hand will not only make your work more efficient, but it will likely lead to business growth. Transact introduces human resources with excellent qualities and helps create an environment. In addition to temporary staffing and introduction of personnel, we also offer a variety of proposals that meet the needs of our customers, such as temporary staffing and outsourcing. If you are looking for an excellent secretary, please consult with Transact.
【 TransACT Group 】
