Institute of Secretarial Studies

SECRETARIES UNDERSTAND ALL DEPARTMENTS

The role of the secretary is ever-evolving. Gone are the days when secretaries only answered phone calls, typed correspondence and managed executive diaries.

Today, it is more relevant to talk about a Personal Assistant (PA) - an extension of the management team. PA’s are the pivotal connection between an executive and the business’ clients, staff and stakeholders – the executive’s strategic advantage!

The skills demanded are multi-faceted. Today’s PA or Secretary needs an all-round ability to handle almost every departmental function including marketing, financial and people management. Not to mention advanced multi-media technology skills.

Secretaries have risen to the challenge. They have expanded their role in business to becoming a vital link in the business chain.

The secretarial field offers exciting career opportunities and many of SA’s top PA’s have business degrees that complement their secretarial and soft skills.

In particular, Secretaries have single-handedly redefined their role in the workplace. Interpreting data, research via the internet, spotting industry trends, tracking international developments, displaying great proficiency across a multitude of technology, first-class customer care skills and acting as agents of change are all in a days work for the new age Secretary.

In fact, today’s Secretary adds value far beyond their job portfolio.

Companies are increasingly willing to invest in talent acquisition and retention. The more skilled you are; the greater your talent-value! To succeed in today’s talent-led workplace, you need to show you are a winner.

You need to be passionate and enthusiastic about everything you do and learn as much as you can about your company, industry and technology. More than that, you need to top the trends. You need to be one step ahead of the rest!

When you look at how the world of work has changed over the past 20 or so years and you look at how the Secretarial professional has not only adapted to change, but embraced change, then you know they are topping the talent trend!

The emergence of the technology-age in the mid-90s raised some questions around whether the job of the Secretary would become obsolete. But, this has not happened. Rather, they have evolved their role to the next level and have become more important than ever!

Secretaries no longer quietly performed their duties in the background. Today, you need to be a liberated self-starter.

You need to contribute to effective and successful change in the workplace. Today’s successful Secretary is an active team-player, who adds value to his/her team.

We offer some tips for young Secretaries aspiring to the next level:

1. Commit to lifelong learning and upskilling.
2. Confidentiality, flexibility and adaptability are critical success factors.
3. Be resourceful and knowledgeable.
4. Be an assertive decision maker.
5. Ensure you are an all-round multi-tasker with great communication and computer skills.
6. Be a trend-spotter. If there is new technology, you should be the first to know.