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What does an assistant secretary do?

Updated January 8, 2025
6 min read
What does an assistant secretary do

An assistant secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to support the daily operations of various departments and management personnel and ensure the efficiency of business functions. Assistant secretaries usually assist in business communications, responding to customers' inquiries and concerns, reaching out to existing clients to schedule appointments, welcoming guests on the office, and routing calls to the appropriate department. They also handle data entry procedures, updating customer information on the database, as well as creating reports on business and financial transactions.

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Assistant secretary responsibilities

Here are examples of responsibilities from real assistant secretary resumes:

  • Manage and oversee all STO relate actions task to OSD impacting future and current operations in STO.
  • Assist main accountant with extra jobs and are trained in QuickBooks.
  • Proofread, edit & type legal briefs, business letters, case notes.
  • Book keeping, answer phone calls, run errands and handle billing using Quickbooks.
  • Assist in contacting and informing the parents of upcoming graduates about alumni programs and donations.
  • Serve as first point of contact for students, faculty, and alumni calling or visiting the main administrative office.
  • Produce and deliver PowerPoint presentations as required.
  • Process payroll utilizing ADP and hospital computerize system.
  • Prepare all congressional correspondence, validate payroll and financial management data and introduce business technology operations via the e-gov initiatives program.
  • Prepare discharges, enter all updates into OASAS system and review patient information to verify patients eligibility to receive transportation reimbursement.
  • Initiate and monitor requisitions through PeopleSoft for office supplies, laboratory supplies including purchasing lab animals for research and travel reimbursement.

Assistant secretary skills and personality traits

We calculated that 13% of Assistant Secretaries are proficient in Telephone Calls, Payroll, and Scheduling Appointments. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Organizational skills, and Writing skills.

We break down the percentage of Assistant Secretaries that have these skills listed on their resume here:

  • Telephone Calls, 13%

    Received and processed incoming and outgoing mail, telephone calls and other correspondence, as well as maintaining records.

  • Payroll, 9%

    Prepared all congressional correspondence, validated payroll and financial management data and introduced business technology operations via the e-gov initiatives program.

  • Scheduling Appointments, 9%

    Accommodate needs of walk-ins including distributing paperwork and scheduling appointments.

  • Financial Statements, 9%

    Prepared all internal financial statements as well as financial projections and budget forecasts.

  • Office Equipment, 7%

    Processed and qualified gerontology certificates, ensured functionality of office equipment by scheduling maintenance, and provided daily administrative support services.

  • Computer System, 5%

    Researched several systems and presented micro-computer system with expandable memory to replace leased system operating via modem.

"telephone calls," "payroll," and "scheduling appointments" are among the most common skills that assistant secretaries use at work. You can find even more assistant secretary responsibilities below, including:

Interpersonal skills. One of the key soft skills for an assistant secretary to have is interpersonal skills. You can see how this relates to what assistant secretaries do because "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Additionally, an assistant secretary resume shows how assistant secretaries use interpersonal skills: "utilized adept interpersonal and communication skills, providing clients with exemplary customer service experiences. "

Organizational skills. Another essential skill to perform assistant secretary duties is organizational skills. Assistant secretaries responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." Assistant secretaries also use organizational skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "leveraged organizational, communication, and research skills to assist professors in administrative tasks, preliminary research, student counseling. "

Writing skills. assistant secretaries are also known for writing skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to assistant secretary responsibilities, because "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." An assistant secretary resume example shows how writing skills is used in the workplace: "worked extensively with test engineer manager writing programs utilizing various computer systems and software. "

Most common assistant secretary skills

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Compare different assistant secretaries

Assistant secretary vs. Front desk administrative assistant

A front desk administrative assistant is responsible for performing administrative duties to support daily business functions and operations. Front desk administrative assistants assist guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate personnel for their needs. They also monitor office inventories, write purchase requests, and distribute mails across the departments. A front desk administrative assistants review business and financial transactions to generate reports, update information on the company's database, and sort documents for reference.

If we compare the average assistant secretary annual salary with that of a front desk administrative assistant, we find that front desk administrative assistants typically earn a $74,329 lower salary than assistant secretaries make annually.While their salaries may differ, the common ground between assistant secretaries and front desk administrative assistants are a few of the skills required in each roleacirc;euro;trade;s responsibilities. In both careers, employee duties involve skills like telephone calls, payroll, and office equipment.

While similarities exist, there are also some differences between assistant secretaries and front desk administrative assistant. For instance, assistant secretary responsibilities require skills such as "scheduling appointments," "financial statements," "front desk," and "federal agencies." Whereas a front desk administrative assistant is skilled in "customer service," "patients," "data entry," and "phone calls." This is part of what separates the two careers.

On average, front desk administrative assistants reach lower levels of education than assistant secretaries. Front desk administrative assistants are 5.5% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant secretary vs. Operations administrator assistant

An operations administrator assistant is primarily in charge of performing support tasks while overseeing the operations within a company or organization. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around answering inquiries within the workplace, responding to clients' calls and questions, managing schedules, arranging appointments, and maintaining accurate records of all transactions among employees, clients, and vendors. There are also instances where one must assist senior administrators with their travel arrangements and help staff with complex issues. Furthermore, as an assistant, it is essential to implement the policies and regulations of the company.

A career as a operations administrator assistant brings a lower average salary when compared to the average annual salary of an assistant secretary. In fact, operations administrator assistants salary is $72,406 lower than the salary of assistant secretaries per year.A few skills overlap for assistant secretaries and operations administrator assistants. Resumes from both professions show that the duties of each career rely on skills like "telephone calls," "payroll," and "scheduling appointments. "

In addition to the difference in salary, there are some other key differences worth noting. For example, assistant secretary responsibilities are more likely to require skills like "federal agencies," "real estate," "hr," and "dod." Meanwhile, an operations administrator assistant has duties that require skills in areas such as "customer service," "data entry," "provides administrative support," and "purchase orders." These differences highlight just how different the day-to-day in each role looks.

Average education levels between the two professions vary. Operations administrator assistants tend to reach similar levels of education than assistant secretaries. In fact, they're 4.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant secretary vs. Administrative services assistant

An administrative services assistant is responsible for performing administrative support to an organization, ensuring smooth operations, and providing the best services for the customers. Administrative services assistants are usually the first point of contact of visitors, responding to their inquiries and concerns, verifying appointments, and leading them to the appropriate personnel or department. They are also present in meetings and conferences, creating minutes reports, presenting documents, and suggesting opportunities to improve operational functions and increase profitability. An administrative services assistant does data processing, sort files, monitor office inventories, and other related tasks as required.

On average scale, administrative services assistants bring in lower salaries than assistant secretaries. In fact, they earn a $71,876 lower salary per year.By looking over several assistant secretaries and administrative services assistants resumes, we found that both roles require similar skills in their day-to-day duties, such as "telephone calls," "payroll," and "scheduling appointments." But beyond that, the careers look very different.

Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from assistant secretary resumes include skills like "direct calls," "federal agencies," "real estate," and "logistics," whereas an administrative services assistant is more likely to list skills in "customer service," "data entry," "home health," and "provides administrative support. "

Most administrative services assistants achieve a similar degree level compared to assistant secretaries. For example, they're 3.2% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 2.0% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.

Assistant secretary vs. Clerical/administrative assistant

An administrative assistant, also known as a secretary or office clerk, is someone who carries out daily clerical and administrative tasks. Admin assistants do a variety of tasks such as answering phone calls, organizing files, maintaining contacts, schedule meetings and appointments, and many more. Their task can be extensive, depending on the needs of operations and higher management. They serve as a gatekeeper of the company, so strong verbal and written communication skills are a must. They should also exhibit great organizational skills and time management since they act as the resource of the company.

Clerical/administrative assistants average a lower salary than the annual salary of assistant secretaries. The difference is about $76,383 per year.According to resumes from assistant secretaries and clerical/administrative assistants, some of the skills necessary to complete the responsibilities of each role are similar. These skills include "telephone calls," "payroll," and "scheduling appointments. "

Even though a few skill sets overlap between assistant secretaries and clerical/administrative assistants, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, an assistant secretary might have more use for skills like "federal agencies," "real estate," "logistics," and "meeting minutes." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of clerical/administrative assistants require skills like "data entry," "customer service," "multi-line telephone system," and "purchase orders. "

In general, clerical/administrative assistants hold lower degree levels compared to assistant secretaries. Clerical/administrative assistants are 5.2% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 2.1% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.

Types of assistant secretary

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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