4 Skills That Make a Great Secretary

Behind every great executive is an equally stellar assistant that helps them keep on top of things. After all, a boss is only as good as their executive assistant or secretary. A secretary is someone that helps them stay hands-on, even while they put on different hats throughout the day.

The secretary pretty much serves as the executive’s eyes and ears on the going-on of the company, and they always have their pulse on current events. They are privy to the insightful things that occur in a company that the executive might be too busy to take notice of.

Secretaries are extremely important administrative employees that play one of the most vital roles in an organization. They are in charge of making sure that everything goes smoothly in the company, and that business runs well or better than the usual.

Some people have the misconception that just about anyone can become a secretary. While it is not that rigid, the skills that you need to bring to the table make a huge difference. There are actually even secretary training courses that are specially made to make sure that you are ready with all that you will need on the job.

If you are looking to find out if you have what it takes, then you’ve come to the right place. We’ve compiled the top four skills that make great secretaries what they are.

#1 Organisational skills.

It is already a given even without saying, but we can’t stress it enough: organisational skills is both the bread and butter of every secretary. Your executive will entrust you with tasks that he needs to be immediately and accurately done. This may sound easy enough, but the influx of work you will receive can get overwhelming.

This is when the mistake of not setting an organised time-table will come into the picture. Make sure that you stay on top of things by making a system by which you sort matters by importance!

#2 Excellent communication skills.

There are going to be moments in which you will have to act as a stand-in for your boss when they can’t take a call or meet with someone in person. This is where your excellent communication skills will become even more important. In situations where you will have to act as the representative for your boss, you must carry his or her name well.

Excellent communication skills won’t just help in meetings; It will help you gain valuable insight too if you know the right way to talk to certain types of people. There will be different ways as to how you should speak and use the appropriate kind of lingo in order to connect better with others and build good rapport.

#3 Time management skills.

Your executive will be taking on different roles that bring about a multitude of duties and responsibilities. These tasks will then be further delegated and entrusted to you, which is why you will need to learn how to prioritise and work well under pressure.

Time management will help you not lose your mind while on the job, as well as give you the satisfying feeling of accomplishing everything that you need to do on the time that you have allocated for it.

#4 Basic computer literacy

While you are not required to know how to hack into computers, basic computer literacy is something that you will use every work day, too! These are usually used for storing files and making reports.

Do you want to become an efficient secretary? Follow our tips above and you’re already on your way!