A secretary – a job description

A
A list
list of
of secretarial
secretarial duties:
duties: Personality
Personality traits
traits of
of aa good
good secretary:
secretary:

picking
picking the mail up
up from
from delivery
delivery firms
firms she
she should
should have
have aa friendly
friendly attitude
attitude and
and the
the
ability
ability to
to get
get along
along with
with others
others
sorting
sorting mail
mail and
and delivering
delivering itit throughout
throughout aa firm
firm
responsible
responsible
creating
creating and
and delivering
delivering memos
memos

answering
answering the
the phone
phone she
she should
should be
be always
always on
on top
top of
of things
things

taking
taking messages
messages and transferring calls trustworthy
trustworthy
running
running errands
errands she
she should
should be
be methodical,
methodical, with
with aa good
good eye
eye
for
for detail
detail
doing
doing data
data entry,
entry, inputting
inputting data
data

operating she
she should
should be
be well
well organised
organised
operating office
office equipment
equipment

using
using specific
specific computer
computer programs
programs she
she should
should have
have good
good phone
phone manners
manners

organizing
organizing diaries, itineraries and meetings, she
she has
has to
to have
have good
good organisational
organisational skills
skills
scheduling
scheduling appointments
appointments
she
she should
should have
have very
very strong
strong typing
typing skills
skills
greeting
greeting clients

coordinating
coordinating the
the day-to-day
day-to-day office
office operations
operations

sending
sending out
out promotional
promotional material
material via
via email
email and
and
post
post

controlling
controlling access
access to
to aa manager
manager

making
making coffee
coffee

My name is Kate. I’m 24 and I work at the office of a big insurance company. I’ve been working as a secretary for
5 years.

My secretarial duties mainly consist of organizing, filing and answering the phone. I am required to keep up with
the incoming calls and paper work at the same time. I am also responsible for sorting and delivering mail to
different departaments. I usually deliver correspondance on paper throughout the company but sometimes I am
required to create memos and deliver them electronically through the company email system.

Answering the phone is one of the most important tasks for any secretary. I am responsible for taking messages
and transferring calls. A knowledge of English is essential in my job, because I write and edit correspondence and
e-mails in English, I make travel arrangements and I often take messages in English.

My secretarial duties also include maintaining databases. I am good at using computer software such as
Microsoft Word and Excel. I can operate office equipment for example computers, fax machines or copiers.

I am happy working as a secretary. There are things about my job that I find fulfilling, like being able to help
people. I do a lot of different things at the same time and it sometimes drives me crazy but at least my work is not
monotonous. As a secretary, I feel like I am definitely an integral part of my company.
 Vocabulary
to pick the mail up/ to collect the mail –

to file –
phrasal verbs excercises
to keep up with sth –

to be recuired to do sth/ to be expected to do sth –

to
to transfer
do all thecalls
work–necessary
to put calls through
in oder – on time - ...............................
to finish
to
to include-
go to a place where sth is ready or has been left for you and take it -..................
to
to consist of sth –in the right places/ cabinets/ folders - .................
put documents
to
to be
be responsible forsth
expected to do sth –
- ................................
delivery firms/
to connect sb tocouriers - telephone - .......................
sb else be
to
to greet clients/
organize to welcome
or arrange clients –
sth - .................
to
to set
haveup/ arrange
a good conference
relationship withroooms
someone– - ....................
to create spreadsheets/ financial calculations –

to provide customer support/ to help customers with their enquires –

to help with the office accountants –

to run the office –

to schedule –

to keep up-to-date with paper work –

to be on top of things / not to fall behind with sth –

mainly -

to maintain databases –

to be good at sth –

computer software –

to operate office equipment –

Key:
to
to be able
keep up to multi-task
with sth –

fulfilling – up
to pick sth
to
to drive
file somebody crazy –
running errands
to be required – sth
to do
itinerary
to put sb –through
day-to-day
to set up –
access to –
to get along
attitude (to sth/ towards sth) –

to get along with sb-

My name is Kate. I’m 24 and I work at the office of a big insurance company. I’ve been working as a
secretary for 5 years.

My secretarial duties mainly consist of organizing, filing and answering the phone. I am required to
keep up with the incoming calls and paper work at the same time. I am also responsible for sorting and
delivering mail to different departaments. I usually deliver correspondance on paper throughout the
company but sometimes I am required to create memos and deliver them electronically through the
company email system.

Answering the phone is one of the most important tasks for any secretary. I am responsible for taking
messages and transferring calls. A knowledge of English is essential in my job, because I write and edit
correspondence and e-mails in English, I make travel arrangements and I often take messages in
English.

My secretarial duties also include maintaining databases. I am good at using computer software such
as Microsoft Word and Excel. I can operate office equipment for example computers, fax machines or
copiers.

I am happy working as a secretary. There are things about my job that I find fulfilling, like being able to
help people. I do a lot of different things at the same time and it sometimes drives me crazy but at least
my work is not monotonous. As a secretary, I feel like I am definitely an integral part of my company.