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PA Enterprise

What does it take to be a successful secretary?  Professionalism: a skill needed for dealing
It’s important to understand everything that’s with internal and external stakeholders.
expected from you in the role, seek opportunities  Project management skills: skilled at
to go above and beyond and continuously managing all the moving parts of any given
upskill, keep up with new software and project.
technology, honing organisational skills and
increasing overall knowledge related to the Besides these soft skills, most employers expect a
industry that you are in. secretary to be educated to at least matriculation-
level, followed by secretarial training. Typing
Qualities that make a good secretary
speed is an important skill for many employers. If
A good secretary has various qualities - both hard you can touch-type, your speed will improve the
and soft skills that help them succeed in a role. more typing you do – you’ll need to be able to
These qualities can be learned and developed type anywhere from 55 to 80 words per minute,
with a little bit of dedication. These are just a few and faster is always better.
of them:
What are the characteristics of a good
 Organisational skills: a strong ability to be
organised, keep a clear head and keep track of secretary?
everything from deadlines to essential files. Learn to anticipate needs

 Professional communication skills: clear The most successful secretaries work towards
and friendly communication, along with a helping others when they ask for it, then
personable phone manner. anticipate what might be needed for the future.
Be proactive and search out ways to anticipate
 Initiative and drive: the ability to take the
initiative, work independently and seek out requests and needs from others. Paying attention
new opportunities. to detail on assigned tasks can help you
anticipate what will be needed in the future.
 IT literacy: knowledge of software such
as Microsoft Office Suite, Outlook, Adobe Be meticulously organised
Programs and typing skills is required. A bonus This one is important both for yourself, while
would be knowing about other softwares that juggling multiple tasks and for others that you
could help with the day-to-day work. are working on. Come up with various systems
to stay organised, whether handwritten or using
 Honesty and discretion: A secretary often
handles expenses, petty cash and other organisational technology. Being organised is
sensitive topics, it’s important that employers especially helpful if part of your job includes
can trust a secretary fully. making travel arrangements, managing people’s
schedules, or organising multiple events.
 Time-management skills: Working on several
projects means a lot of multitasking. This Keep detailed notes
requires the ability to manage your own time In meetings or on phone calls, keep detailed
and ensure that you can deliver on timelines. notes on what is said and requested for later
reference. Keeping these notes for reference will
 Being a team player: better if you have a
flair for championing a teamwork ethic and mean that you have your finger on the pulse of
fostering teamwork within a team. what’s going on - and will be seen as the go-to
person to get the details that others may have
 Remaining calm under pressure: an ability to overlooked or forgotten.
cope with stress, deadlines and multitasking,
often dealing with several stakeholders at once. Continued u

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