What does an Executive Secretary do?
Executive Secretaries typically work for corporations to provide administrative support and ensure a productive work environment. They greet office visitors and remind Executives about important deadlines or meetings. Their job is to work closely with an Executive to complete clerical duties and perform market research or data analysis tasks when Executives have more complex duties to attend to. They may also need to take notes during meetings with upper management, type up meeting minutes and email them to attendees after meetings.
Executive Secretary skills and qualifications
Executive Secretaries need a variety of soft skills to provide the most comprehensive support they can. These skills and qualifications often include:
- Excellent time management and organization skills, especially the ability to prioritize and multitask
- Effective and professional communication abilities, including being able to communicate with all levels of employees, vendors and clients or guests
- Professional writing capabilities, including emails, memos, letters and other industry-related reports, documents and correspondence
- Project management skills, like goal-setting, budget management and planning
- Great customer service and interpersonal skills
- Good computer skills, including basic troubleshooting skills and
- Familiarity with word processing software for creating and contributing to spreadsheets, drafting and sharing documents and creating engaging and informative presentations
- In-depth understanding of the industry or office they work in
Executive Secretary salary expectations
An Executive Secretary makes an average of $18.40 per hour. Pay rate may depend on level of education, experience and geographical location.
Executive Secretary education and training requirements
Entry-level candidates likely have at least a high school diploma or GED. Some candidates may have completed technical courses in professional and administrative skills like business writing, data processing and bookkeeping. Others may have an associate or bachelor’s degree in business administration, communication or liberal arts, but having a degree in any discipline is a valuable qualification for all candidates. Previous training in business communication, industry-specific processes, organizational software, bookkeeping, data entry are also beneficial.
Executive Secretary experience requirements
Entry-level candidates may have previous experience in customer service or administrative support roles, while others may only have completed education. Organizations willing to train candidates on general administrative support tasks and office-specific duties should consider entry-level candidates with their preferred level of education and little previous experience. In fast-paced offices with complex needs, a candidate with years of experience in administrative support may be required. For roles that involve industry-specific tasks, previous experience in that industry may be beneficial.
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