121-Administrative and executive secretaries

Job Title: 

Administrative and executive secretaries

Job Description: 

Secretaries and administrative assistants perform a variety of administrative and clerical duties necessary to run an organization efficiently.

Summary: 

Administrative and executive secretaries perform liaison, coordination and organizational tasks in support of managers and professionals and/or prepare correspondence, reports and records of proceedings and other specialized documentation.

Tasks: 

Job activities and tasks include:

  • drafting administrative correspondence and minutes
  • obtaining, proposing and monitoring deadlines and follow-up dates
  • screening requests for meetings, scheduling and organizing meetings and travel arrangements
  • assisting in the preparation of budgets, monitoring of expenditures, drafting of contracts and purchasing or acquisition orders
  • liaising with other staff about a range of matters relating to the organization?s operations
  • writing and answering business or technical letters and other similar correspondence
  • preparing verbatim reports of proceedings in legislative assemblies, courts of law or other places using shorthand or specialized office equipment
  • supervising the work of clerical support workers
Knowledge: 

Performing and coordinating an office?s administrative activities

  • Storing, retrieving, and integrating information for dissemination to staff and clients
  • Serving as information and communication managers for an office
  • Planning and scheduling meetings and appointments
  • Organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files
  • Managing office projects
  • Conducting research and disseminating information by using the telephone, mail services, websites, and e-mail
  • May handle travel and guest arrangements
  • High level word processing skills and use computers to do tasks previously handled by managers and professionals; such as creating spreadsheets, composing correspondence, managing databases, and creating presentations, producing reports and documents using desktop publishing software and digital graphics
  • Negotiating with vendors, maintaining and examining leased equipment, purchasing supplies, managing areas such as boardrooms, stockrooms or corporate libraries, and retrieving data from various sources
  • Providing high-level administrative support for an office and for top executives of an organization; performing generalist clerical tasks than do secretaries and more information management
  • Arranging conference calls and supervising other clerical staff, they may handle more complex responsibilities such as reviewing incoming memos, submissions, and reports in order to determine their significance and to plan for their distribution
  • Preparing agendas and making arrangements for meetings of committees and executive boards
  • Preparing correspondence and legal papers such as summonses, complaints, motions, responses, and subpoenas under the supervision of an attorney or a paralegal
    • Work Context: 

    Managers and professionals have assumed many tasks traditionally assigned to secretaries and administrative assistants, such as keyboarding and answering the telephone. Because secretaries and administrative assistants do less dictation and word processing, they now have time to support more members of the executive staff. In a number of organizations, secretaries and administrative assistants work in teams to work flexibly and share their expertise. Many secretaries and administrative assistants provide training and orientation for new staff, conduct research on the Internet, and operate and troubleshoot new office technologies. Specific job duties vary with experience and titles; such as executive secretaries and administrative assistants.

    Education: 

    Diploma in secretaries and administrative assistants or related field of work, higher qualification or equivalent.

    Required Work Experience: 

    2 - 3 years and above.

    Probable Employers: 

    Department of Municipality Affairs, National Consultative Council, The General Secretariat of the Executive Council

    Occupational Size: 
    More than 5,000 and less than 30,000
    Expected Earnings: 

    Above the industry average

    Projected Growth: 
    Very good
    Alternate Titles: 

    Examples of job titles:
    Administrative secretary - Correspondence assistant - Personal assistant - Court reporter - Executive assistant
    Examples of some related occupations:
    Executive secretary - Secretary (general) - Medical transcriptionist

    UAE Industry Groups: 
    Business, administration, tourism, retail and leisure service
    International Careers(ISCO): 
    Similar O*NET Careers (USA) : 
    Source Of Info: 
    Occupations and Careers Handbook for UAE Nationals(Copyright NQA ). Referenced from New York University, Abu Dhabhi