A personal secretary serves the professional needs of an individual, such as an executive, and their duties can include scheduling, travel booking, and liaising with vendors and the press. They may also supervise a team of assistants and need industry-specific qualifications. Adaptability and effective communication are essential, as the job can be stressful and involve multiple employers.
The general job functions of a secretary can vary, and a special type of secretary that works exclusively for one person is known as a personal secretary. This employee will play a support role that serves the professional needs of an individual, usually an executive or other key organizational leader, rather than a group of people within an office. A personal secretary’s specific job duties may include maintaining a schedule, liaising with vendors, booking travel, organizing meetings, liaising with the press, and much more.
The role of the personal secretary can change from day to day as an employer’s needs change. Much of the secretary’s work may take place in an office, and she may be responsible for filing documents, keeping track of invoices and other payment documents, answering phone calls and emails, meeting with clients or other office visitors, and, in In general, some cases even supervise a team of assistants. Away from the office, a personal secretary can travel with an employer, book hotel and flight reservations, and attend to the employer’s other professional needs while away from the office.
In most cases, the personal secretary will have worked in a specific industry or office for many years as an entry-level or intermediate-level secretary before advancing. Many secretaries receive post-secondary certificates to better qualify them for positions of greater responsibility. You may also need to gain some industry-specific qualifications; this is especially important if the personal secretary is handling roles that pertain directly to the industry. In a medical setting, for example, the secretary may need to take a medical terminology class to understand various terms used to classify certain paperwork. Law secretaries will need to understand various types of legal terminology to manage paperwork or other work-related correspondence.
It is important for the personal secretary to be extremely adaptable, as their responsibilities can change from moment to moment. The job can be quite stressful in some situations, and some employers will be much more demanding than others. The ability to communicate effectively is essential as the secretary spends much of her time coordinating with others, interacting with the public and managing correspondence on behalf of her employer or employers. In some cases, the secretary may work for more than one employer, which means he or she will need to balance multiple workloads.
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