Private Secretary

Job overview
Private secretaries assist executives in the performance of their managerial work.

They handle correspondence, deal with clients, and arrange bookings and appointments on behalf of their bosses.

In this way they relieve their employer of the burden of many time-consuming details.

Private secretaries are also known as personal secretaries, personal assistants or at the highest level, executive secretaries? (office managers?)?.

Although this occupation is traditionally female, men also can fill these posts

What do people do in this job?
The work of private secretaries includes, besides secretarial duties like typing and the handling of incoming and outgoing correspondence, other tasks such as receiving clients and screening telephone and personal callers in order to ensure that the employer is not unnecessarily interrupted.

The secretaries make appointments for those who wish to consult the employer directly.

They update and consult their employer's diary and remind him/her of appointments.

They also furnish the employers with all the necessary information they might need for telephone calls, visitors and business trips.

Private secretaries generally arrange bookings for business trips and, depending on their employers, could be responsible for arranging social functions.

Additional tasks may include basic bookkeeping, minute-taking or drawing up reports for the press.

The work of private secretaries, although at times demanding, can be very gratifying and modern office equipment, particularly computers, contributes to high productivity and pleasant working conditions.

What kinds of people are suitable for this career?
Private secretaries must be helpful and able to deal pleasantly and tactfully with clients and members of the public.

They must be capable of being trusted with confidential information.

Complete integrity, high ethical standards, good general knowledge and adaptability are essential.

The ability to make decisions and accept responsibility both in conjunction with their employers, and in their absence if necessary, is an important asset.

A well-groomed personal appearance and neat work are also required of them.

What qualifications are needed?
Good school-leaving results, particularly in the language(s?) ?of the country, complemented by training at a secretarial college where today there will be considerable emphasis on computer skills.