Being a Professional Being a Professional Secretary or Administrative Secretary or Administrative

AssistantAssistant

Presented byPresented by

Small Business SolutionsSmall Business Solutions

Training SeriesTraining Series

ObjectivesObjectives

At the end of the lesson, students will At the end of the lesson, students will be able to perform:be able to perform:

• Professional DutiesProfessional Duties• Phone EtiquettePhone Etiquette• Making AppointmentsMaking Appointments• Typing CorrespondenceTyping Correspondence• Setting up MeetingsSetting up Meetings

Professional OverviewProfessional Overview

Secretaries and Administrative Secretaries and Administrative Assistants are expected to be Assistants are expected to be among those with the largest among those with the largest number of new jobs. number of new jobs.

Applicants with extensive Applicants with extensive knowledge of software knowledge of software applications will have the best applications will have the best opportunities. opportunities.

In today’s economic climate it is In today’s economic climate it is crucial to get the necessary crucial to get the necessary training in order to compete for training in order to compete for these new jobs.these new jobs.

Professional OverviewProfessional Overview As the reliance on technology As the reliance on technology

continues to expand in offices, continues to expand in offices, the role of the office professional the role of the office professional has greatly evolved. More and has greatly evolved. More and more, secretaries are assuming more, secretaries are assuming responsibilities once reserved for responsibilities once reserved for managerial and professional managerial and professional staff. In spite of these changes, staff. In spite of these changes, however, the core however, the core responsibilities for secretaries responsibilities for secretaries and administrative assistants and administrative assistants have remained much the same. have remained much the same.

Professional DutiesProfessional Duties

Professional duties may include, but not Professional duties may include, but not limited to: limited to: • schedule meetings and appointments;schedule meetings and appointments;• organize and maintain paper and electronic organize and maintain paper and electronic

files; files; • manage projects; manage projects; • conduct research; conduct research; • disseminate information by using the disseminate information by using the

telephone, mail services, Web sites, and e-telephone, mail services, Web sites, and e-mail; and mail; and

• handle travel and guest arrangements.handle travel and guest arrangements.

Professional DutiesProfessional Duties

In addition, administrative assistants In addition, administrative assistants are required to use a variety of office are required to use a variety of office equipment such as: equipment such as:

• Fax machinesFax machines• PhotocopiersPhotocopiers• ScannersScanners• Videoconferencing and Videoconferencing and

telephone systemstelephone systems• ComputersComputers

Work EnvironmentWork Environment

Secretaries and Secretaries and administrative administrative assistants usually assistants usually work in schools, work in schools, hospitals, hospitals, corporate settings, corporate settings, government government agencies, or legal agencies, or legal and medical and medical offices. offices.

Work EnvironmentWork Environment

Their jobs often involve Their jobs often involve sitting for long periods. If sitting for long periods. If they spend a lot of time they spend a lot of time keyboarding, particularly at keyboarding, particularly at a computer monitor, they a computer monitor, they may encounter problems of may encounter problems of eyestrain, stress, and eyestrain, stress, and repetitive motion ailments repetitive motion ailments such as carpal tunnel such as carpal tunnel syndrome. syndrome.

EarningsEarnings Median annual earnings in the industries Median annual earnings in the industries

employing the largest numbers of executive employing the largest numbers of executive secretaries and administrative assistants in secretaries and administrative assistants in May 2006 were: May 2006 were:

Management of companies and enterprises $41,570

Local government 38,670

Colleges, universities, and professional schools 36,510

State government 35,830

Employment services 31,600

Qualities and SkillsQualities and Skills If you want to be a successful secretary, you must have If you want to be a successful secretary, you must have

personal qualities and skills or have the ability to acquire personal qualities and skills or have the ability to acquire them. These are some key qualities :them. These are some key qualities :

•helpfulhelpful •immaculate appearanceimmaculate appearance

•trustworthy trustworthy •good communication good communication skills skills

•reliable reliable •good telephone etiquette good telephone etiquette

•honest honest •ability to take instructions ability to take instructions and carry them out and carry them out

•confidential confidential •ability to type speedily ability to type speedily and accuratelyand accurately

•organizational skills organizational skills

Telephone EtiquetteTelephone Etiquette

The 4 things you need to address in The 4 things you need to address in your greeting are:your greeting are:

Welcome your caller.Welcome your caller. Announce who your firm is.Announce who your firm is. Introduce yourself. Introduce yourself. Let them know you're here to help Let them know you're here to help

them.them. Always try to pick up within the first Always try to pick up within the first

few rings.few rings.

Taking MessagesTaking Messages It's most important that you get the It's most important that you get the

following details from the caller: following details from the caller: namename, , phone numbersphone numbers - mobile, office or home, - mobile, office or home, what the call is aboutwhat the call is about..

Your written message should also contain: Your written message should also contain: datedate, , timetime, , and nameand name – so he knows who – so he knows who took the call.took the call.

The caller may also give you additional The caller may also give you additional information, such as: information, such as: times the caller will times the caller will be unavailablebe unavailable, , file referencefile reference on a letter on a letter

Making CallsMaking Calls

When possible, use speed dialing for the When possible, use speed dialing for the numbers you frequently call. When the numbers you frequently call. When the caller answers, always announce yourself caller answers, always announce yourself and either say who you wish to speak to or and either say who you wish to speak to or what the matter is about. If the caller isn't what the matter is about. If the caller isn't in, find out the most convenient time to try in, find out the most convenient time to try again, or have them return your call. At all again, or have them return your call. At all times always keep your cool even if the times always keep your cool even if the caller is being difficult. caller is being difficult.

Making AppointmentsMaking Appointments

Microsoft Outlook ®Microsoft Outlook ® is an is an efficient tool for scheduling efficient tool for scheduling appointments, and setting appointments, and setting up meetings. In order to up meetings. In order to make appointments make appointments effectively, you must know effectively, you must know your boss’s availability as your boss’s availability as well as the client’s. This will well as the client’s. This will mean keeping your calendar mean keeping your calendar updated with meetings, updated with meetings, business trips away, and any business trips away, and any public holidays.public holidays.

Making Appointments (cont’d)Making Appointments (cont’d)

The following are the questions you The following are the questions you need to ask anyone who wants to need to ask anyone who wants to make an appointment: make an appointment: day, date, day, date, time, confirm 30 minutes is enough time, confirm 30 minutes is enough time, name, telephone contact, and time, name, telephone contact, and subject of discussionsubject of discussion.. Once you have Once you have this information, when finalizing the this information, when finalizing the appointment, repeat the details back appointment, repeat the details back to the person. to the person.

CorrespondenceCorrespondence

Letters, will be by far Letters, will be by far the biggest form of the biggest form of correspondence you correspondence you will see pass over will see pass over your desk.  You will your desk.  You will learn how to draft and learn how to draft and type correspondence type correspondence by letter, e-mail or by letter, e-mail or fax.fax.

Inward CorrespondenceInward Correspondence

As a general rule, you can open any letters As a general rule, you can open any letters addressed to your boss unless it is marked addressed to your boss unless it is marked PrivatePrivate or or ConfidentialConfidential. For those you do . For those you do open make sure you date stamp with the open make sure you date stamp with the current date, put an action stamp on it if current date, put an action stamp on it if required, and pass all inward required, and pass all inward correspondence onto your boss so he correspondence onto your boss so he knows what has come in for the day. knows what has come in for the day. Usually when he is finished with it, he will Usually when he is finished with it, he will give it to you to file. give it to you to file.

Outward CorrespondenceOutward Correspondence

Outward correspondence is always done on Outward correspondence is always done on company letterhead. To save time, it is company letterhead. To save time, it is prudent to set up a template to include prudent to set up a template to include certain reference information you type every certain reference information you type every time you do an outgoing letter. time you do an outgoing letter.

These include: These include: current datecurrent date, , author’s initialsauthor’s initials, , word processor’s (your) initialsword processor’s (your) initials, , contact contact officerofficer (author), (author), contact numbercontact number, the , the company’s file numbercompany’s file number, , file number of the file number of the company you’re replying tocompany you’re replying to, and a , and a footer with footer with the file locationthe file location on the computer. on the computer.

E-mailE-mail E-mail is equivalent to an official letter coming E-mail is equivalent to an official letter coming

from your company.  Always be very wary of what from your company.  Always be very wary of what you say in your e-mail.  This means your e-mail you say in your e-mail.  This means your e-mail should not be written in an informal manner. should not be written in an informal manner. Always include the following in your outgoing e-Always include the following in your outgoing e-mails: mails: your nameyour name, , company’s namecompany’s name, , e-mail e-mail addressaddress, , contact numbercontact number, , fax numberfax number, , disclaimer disclaimer noticenotice..

With some of the e-mail software, such as With some of the e-mail software, such as Microsoft OutlookMicrosoft Outlook®, you can set up the auto ®, you can set up the auto signature to automatically insert this information signature to automatically insert this information for you.  It will save you lots of time.for you.  It will save you lots of time.

FaxesFaxes

Faxes play a big part in any Faxes play a big part in any office.  Some firms receive more office.  Some firms receive more inward correspondence by fax inward correspondence by fax and e-mail than they do by and e-mail than they do by postage. You need to set up postage. You need to set up what they call a fax header what they call a fax header sheet. You can do this in sheet. You can do this in Microsoft Word®Microsoft Word® which comes which comes with several fax templates. with several fax templates.

Faxes (cont’d)Faxes (cont’d)

A fax cover sheet will include such A fax cover sheet will include such details as: company name, address, details as: company name, address, general phone numbers, fax number, general phone numbers, fax number, name for whom the fax is intended, name for whom the fax is intended, name of whose sending the fax, name of whose sending the fax, number of pages, contact phone number of pages, contact phone number should there be a problem number should there be a problem with the fax, and a message.with the fax, and a message.

DictaphoneDictaphone

You may find that you have You may find that you have to transcribe tapes into to transcribe tapes into letters, memos, etc. You letters, memos, etc. You will use a Dictaphone to do will use a Dictaphone to do this. You can regulate the this. You can regulate the tape playing speed (using a tape playing speed (using a foot pedal) so that you can foot pedal) so that you can keep up with the recording keep up with the recording when you type back the when you type back the information. information.

Setting Up MeetingsSetting Up Meetings

To set up the perfect meeting you To set up the perfect meeting you will need to know:will need to know:• Venue, Date & Time Venue, Date & Time • Notice of Meeting Notice of Meeting • Setting Up and Clearing Away Setting Up and Clearing Away

Preparing AgendasPreparing Agendas

An agenda is a list of topics to be An agenda is a list of topics to be discussed at the meeting.discussed at the meeting.

Taking MinutesTaking Minutes

Minutes are a Minutes are a record of the record of the proceedings of a proceedings of a meeting e.g. who meeting e.g. who attended and did attended and did not, discussion that not, discussion that took place, action took place, action to be taken, time to be taken, time the meeting closed. the meeting closed.