What Do Secretaries Do? How To Become A Good Secretary?

May 20, 20223 Minutes
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The role of a secretary is a very important one. Secretaries generally perform tasks on behalf of their bosses in a business. They tend to keep the wheels of the organisation turning in the background.

Typically secretaries maintain and organise office tasks, implement procedures and carry out additional administrative duties. This depends on the nature of their employment. Secretaries also act as a bridge between their bosses and the public.

The average starting salary of a secretary in India is approximately INR 3.92L

Secretaries have 5 main duties. These are:

  1. Maintaining documents and records. This includes:
  • Organising documents and files
  • Documenting financial information
  1. Communication and correspondence:
  • Answering and directing phone calls
  • Organising and distributing messages
  • Greeting business clients and guests
  • Coordinating with other organisations
  1. Organising meetings:
  • Scheduling meetings and conferences
  • Attending them.
  • Taking notes.
  1. Taking care of administration. This includes:
  • Maintaining and ordering office supplies
  • Maintaining company schedules
  • Implementing administrative procedures
  1. Supervising staff and new employees:
  • Assisting executives with project tasks

  • Upholding legal requirements where relevant. This is in the case of governing documents, charity law, company law etc.

    Please note that secretaries are in charge of these tasks. They overlook them. Other staff or volunteers complete the job. Secretaries ensure the task is given to the right person, completed on time and done well.

    The secretary acts as a middle-man. Often, they convey information from the Chair or Board members to each other and the staff. They play a role in clarifying past practices and decisions. They also confirm legal requirements and retrieve relevant documentation.

    Usually, these discussions take place during meetings. Hence, the most important job of a secretary is to take down the meeting minutes. This is how to do so effectively:

Before the meeting:

  1. Learn the overall agenda of the meeting. Ensure it is not overloaded. If there are too many things to discuss, split the meeting into two.
  2. Invite the required people. Send them the agenda with the invitation. Give the list of names to the security to let them enter.
  3. Find a suitable venue. Organise seating and refreshments.
  4. Figure out the kind of notes required: Brief or detailed. Find out when these notes will be required: Immediately or by the end of the day, or maybe the next day.

On the day of the meeting:

  1. Get to the venue slightly earlier to ensure everything is in place.
  2. Distribute any required papers. Carry spare copies of the agenda to hand out in case somebody doesn't carry them.
  3. Take note of everyone present and absent.
  4. Note everything discussed as required. You can use a laptop or pen it down.
  5. Use your own short forms while taking down everything discussed. You can use the speaker's initials or the first letter for common phrases.
  • If several people make a similar point. You can mention that they agreed.
  • Ensure any discussed task has someone assigned to complete it.

After the meeting:

  1. Formally write down the minutes of the meeting. This should be in the order of the agenda.

  2. These minutes are written in the past tense. Use full forms and a formal writing style.

  3. The minutes of the meeting contain a list of everyone present. Ensure to write the names correctly, with titles. Use the same style every time.

  4. Have your boss check and approve it. After that, send it to everyone present at the meeting.

    The job requires you to be on your toes. It is also a good opportunity. However, before you apply, work on your communication skills. Glow & lovely Careers (formally known as Fair & Lovely Career Foundation) offersfree courses that can help you.

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A Day in the Life of a Human Resource Manager

Human Resource Management (HRM or HR) is one of the fastest growing specialiazations within management. It offers several well-paid opportunities in different roles like HR generalist, HR manager, HR consultant, training and development manager, executive recruiter and many others. Over the last few years, the role of HR professionals has evolved. They are now powerful people in an organization who understand the value of employees and have an important role in making business decisions. They are also responsible for building an organizational culture. From handling recruitments, payroll and employee retention to ensuring a healthy work environment for all the employees, a HR professional handles a wide range of responsibilities essential to long-term business success. If you want to make your career in HR, the first step is to get a bachelor's degree, however, some employers prefer master's degree in human resources or an MBA. You can also take up **online certification** course to add value to your resume. Post this, you would need on-the-job experience where you can apply whatever you have learned. If you are looking to work at a managerial level, the right work experience will help you get there. Why is HR one of the best career options, esepcially for women? There are several reasons why women seek to make a career in the field of human resources. <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> * You get a chance to work and deal with people at different levels - great for people who are social and outgoing <br /> <br /> * You have the power to recruit the right people and develop them - offers good opportunitities to use and hone your talent-spotting abilities <br /> <br /> * Every day is a different day with a variety of work and new challenges - HR folks rarely complain about their jobs being 'boring' or monotonous <br /> <br /> * You get an opportunity to change lives as you guide employees in making career-related decisions - The job offers a lot of emotional fulfillment <br /> <br /> * You are paid really well - Goes without saying, money matters! The job of a HR professional is quite diverse and is not limited to just hiring people for an organization and handling payroll. It is much more than that. To give you an idea, here is the typical daily schedule of a human resource manager in a growing organization. If you are working at a managerial level in the HR department, you have to work closely with the heads of all the three departments- Recruitment, Operations, \& Administration. <br /> <br /> * The day typically starts with checking emails for any requirements. Next task is to sit with the team to discuss the day's schedule. Once you have the agenda for the day, it becomes easy to prioritize all the tasks and get the work delivered within the timelines. <br /> <br /> * Then comes taking follow-ups on the current openings in the organization. If there are any interviews already lined up, you need to check they are happening as per the schedule so that the positions get closed on time. Interviews normally happen in the morning and depending on the role and number of candidates, the process can stretch till evening. In case of new candidates joining, the on-boarding activities occupy most of the time in the morning. <br /> <br /> * Post lunch is when other non-recruitment tasks are taken up. If there are any review or appraisal meetings planned, your responsibility as a manager is to see they are happening and ask for updates from the head of departments. After the reviews and ratings are given to the employees, next step is to coordinate with the HR head who will discuss with each employee, on the ratings given. <br /> <br /> * Another thing which is part of your daily schedule is to keep a check on HR administration activities as they contribute in a smooth functioning of an organization. These activities are taken care of by dedicated admin staff and include both general and HR-related tasks like: <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> 1. Filing employee documents <br /> <br /> 1. Distributing information to employees <br /> <br /> 1. Helping in scheduling meetings and arranging meeting rooms <br /> <br /> 1. Making travel arrangements <br /> <br /> 1. Processing expense reports <br /> <br /> 1. Ensuring the repair work is done <br /> <br /> 1. Maintaining food quality <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> * During the day, your team might get additional requests from other departments such as providing data on the number of employees in a particular project or department. Here you need to ensure your team is catering to such requests on time. <br /> <br /> * Lastly, at the end of the day, you need to see what will be the next day's tasks so that you plan your day accordingly. These tasks include- employee training, engagement activities, exit interviews, etc. The role is not tough but very rewarding. As you grow and reach a higher level, you can be a business partner to the organization and help management take the required decisions for the company's growth and development. Ready to explore this career opportunity? There are some **online courses in India** that will help you learn more about this field. You can choose from a range of courses based on your level. [Check them out here](https://www.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/online-courses/filters?fields=management-marketing-sales). Glow \& Lovely Careers (formerly known as Fair \& Lovely Career Foundation) is a reputed online education platform where you will find multiple \*\*free online courses \*\*from various fields. You can browse through the list and know which one is the best fit for you. From courses to **online certifications** and **career guidance** , you will find everything here in one single place. Ready to kickstart your dream career in HR? [Do it now](https://www.glowandlovelycareers.in/en/online-courses/filters?fields=management-marketing-sales). India's job market is evolving rapidly, offering numerous career opportunities across industries suc... job finder websitejob search website+ 3 <br /> <br /> <br />