Executive Secretary and Administrative Assistant

Also called: Administrative Aide, Administrative Assistant, Administrative Associate, Administrative Coordinator, Administrative Liaison

jobs advertised

courses available

$65,230

estimated salary

Executive secretaries and executive administrative assistants provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, and handling information requests, as well as performing routine administrative functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.

Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
Make travel arrangements for executives.
Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements, and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.
Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives.
Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.
Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.
Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
Greet visitors and determine whether they should be given access to specific individuals.
Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.
Conduct research, compile data, and prepare papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees, and boards of directors.
Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work.
File and retrieve corporate documents, records, and reports.
Read and analyze incoming memos, submissions, and reports to determine their significance and plan their distribution.
Provide clerical support to other departments.
Attend meetings to record minutes.
Process payroll information.
Interpret administrative and operating policies and procedures for employees.
Set up and oversee administrative policies and procedures for offices or organizations.
Meet with individuals, special interest groups, and others on behalf of executives, committees, and boards of directors.
Compile, transcribe, and distribute minutes of meetings.
Supervise and train other clerical staff and arrange for employee training by scheduling training or organizing training material.
Review operating practices and procedures to determine whether improvements can be made in areas such as workflow, reporting procedures, or expenditures.

Work Context

Telephone — 100% responded "Every day".
Electronic Mail — 98% responded "Every day".
Contact With Others — 81% responded "Constant contact with others".
Structured versus Unstructured Work — 74% responded "A lot of freedom".
Face-to-Face Discussions — 75% responded "Every day".
Work With Work Group or Team — 77% responded "Extremely important".
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate — 53% responded "Extremely important".

Work Activities

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates — Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships — Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Getting Information — Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work — Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Communicating with Persons Outside Organization — Communicating with people outside the organization, representing the organization to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
Performing Administrative Activities — Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Interacting With Computers — Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
Scheduling Work and Activities — Scheduling events, programs, and activities, as well as the work of others.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge — Keeping up-to-date technically and applying new knowledge to your job.

Processing Information — Compiling, coding, categorizing, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.

Identifying Objects, Actions, and Events — Identifying information by categorizing, estimating, recognizing differences or similarities, and detecting changes in circumstances or events.

Documenting/Recording Information — Entering, transcribing, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.

Thinking Creatively — Developing, designing, or creating new applications, ideas, relationships, systems, or products, including artistic contributions.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems — Analyzing information and evaluating results to choose the best solution and solve problems.

Assisting and Caring for Others — Providing personal assistance, medical attention, emotional support, or other personal care to others such as coworkers, customers, or patients.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings — Monitoring and reviewing information from materials, events, or the environment, to detect or assess problems.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards — Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others — Getting members of a group to work together to accomplish tasks.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others — Handling complaints, settling disputes, and resolving grievances and conflicts, or otherwise negotiating with others.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public — Performing for people or dealing directly with the public. This includes serving customers in restaurants and stores, and receiving clients or guests.

Detailed Work Activities

Answer telephones to direct calls or provide information.
Order materials, supplies, or equipment.
Schedule operational activities.
Manage clerical or administrative activities.
Coordinate operational activities.
Execute sales or other financial transactions.

Schedule operational activities.

Train personnel.

Supervise clerical or administrative personnel.

Prepare research or technical reports.

Maintain medical records.

Prepare documentation for contracts, transactions, or regulatory compliance.

Read materials to determine needed actions.

Sort mail.

Distribute incoming mail.

File documents or records.

Greet customers, patrons, or visitors.

Prepare business correspondence.

Make travel, accommodations, or entertainment arrangements for others.

Compile data or documentation.

Prepare research or technical reports.

Compile data or documentation.

Transcribe spoken or written information.

Record information from meetings or other formal proceedings.

Confer with coworkers to coordinate work activities.

Develop organizational policies or programs.

Manage clerical or administrative activities.

Explain regulations, policies, or procedures.

Clerical

Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.

English Language

Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.

Customer and Personal Service

Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.

Reading Comprehension

Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.

Active Listening

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.

Speaking

Talking to others to convey information effectively.

Writing

Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Oral Comprehension

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.

Written Comprehension

The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.

Oral Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.

Written Expression

The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Speech Recognition

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.

Speech Clarity

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.

Near Vision

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).

Information Ordering

The ability to arrange things or actions in a certain order or pattern according to a specific rule or set of rules (e.g., patterns of numbers, letters, words, pictures, mathematical operations).

Problem Sensitivity

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.

Deductive Reasoning

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.

Category Flexibility

The ability to generate or use different sets of rules for combining or grouping things in different ways.

Perceptual Speed

The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.

Inductive Reasoning

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).

Flexibility of Closure

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.

Selective Attention

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.

Originality

The ability to come up with unusual or clever ideas about a given topic or situation, or to develop creative ways to solve a problem.

Fluency of Ideas

The ability to come up with a number of ideas about a topic (the number of ideas is important, not their quality, correctness, or creativity).

People interested in this work like activities that include ideas, thinking, and figuring things out.

They do well at jobs that need:

Achievement/Effort

Persistence

Initiative

Leadership

Cooperation

Concern for Others

Social Orientation

Self Control

You might use software like this on the job:

Enterprise resource planning ERP software

Microsoft Dynamics GP
Microsoft Dynamics
Epicor Vantage
SAP
Exact Software Macola ES
Geac MPC Production
Maynard PlanStaff Manager
PRONTO Xi
Oracle PeopleSoft
Oracle PeopleSoft Financials
MicroStrategy Report Services
SYSPRO

Web page creation and editing software

Facebook
LinkedIn
Social media sites
RefWorks RefShare
Adobe Systems Adobe Contribute
Google Sites

Data base user interface and query software

Microsoft Access
Data entry software
RefWorks
FileMaker Pro
Airtable

Associate's Degree (or other 2-year degree) or
High School Diploma
usually needed

Get started on your career:

New job opportunities are less likely in the future.

$63,110

$39,350

$94,830

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Executive Secretary and Administrative Assistant

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