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Bilingual secretary skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025

3 min read

Quoted experts

Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.,

Allison White

Below we've compiled a list of the most critical bilingual secretary skills. We ranked the top skills for bilingual secretaries based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 11.4% of bilingual secretary resumes contained telephone calls as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a bilingual secretary needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 bilingual secretary skills for your resume and career

1. Telephone Calls

Telephone calls are a communication means through which a caller is connected to the called party. The call is done through a telecommunications device called a telephone. The caller can use a landline, mobile phone, or satellite phone to make the call.

Here's how bilingual secretaries use telephone calls:

Handled all in\outgoing collection\payment related telephone calls.
Act as receptionist, answers, screens, and refers telephone calls, and responds to inquiries.

2. Payroll

Payroll is the sum of all the compensation that an organization has to pay to employees at a specified time. Payroll is managed by the finance or HR department while small business owners may handle it themselves. Payroll isn't fixed as it varies every month due to sick leaves, overtime, etc.

Here's how bilingual secretaries use payroll:

Generated bi-weekly payroll and quarterly tax filings.
Maintained, filed employee file maintenance and record of employee's attendance, generated school site payroll.

3. Scheduling Appointments

Scheduling appointments is the practice of finding a free slot with the person(s) you want to meet. The process of scheduling appointments involves finding mutually free time, negotiating follow-ups, sending reminders, and creating new appointments. Scheduling appointments is important to ensure that the timings of consecutive meetings do not clash with each other.

Here's how bilingual secretaries use scheduling appointments:

Managed reception answering phones, scheduling appointments and attending walk-in clients.
Perform routine clerical and administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining paper and electronic files.

4. Provide Clerical Support

Here's how bilingual secretaries use provide clerical support:

Provide clerical support to Account Supervisors, Field Recruiters, and Area Managers.
Provide clerical support to the pastor and the parish staff.

5. Student Data

Here's how bilingual secretaries use student data:

Maintained bilingual/migrant student database for school district and up kept all program files.
Enter daily attendance and maintain student data.

6. Office Equipment

Here's how bilingual secretaries use office equipment:

Recorded, managed, and prepared legal documents; purchased and ordered office supply as well as maintained office equipment.
Operate office equipment, such as copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.

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7. Financial Statements

A financial statement is a report of an individual or a company that includes all the information about the declared assets, the use of money, income, and also the contribution of shareholders over a certain period.

Here's how bilingual secretaries use financial statements:

Assumed full responsibility for general ledger, monthly closing, and produced financial statements when needed.
Reconciled credit card statements, and prepared monthly expense reports and financial statements.

8. Foreign Language

A foreign language is a language that is not the official language spoken in a given state or country. It's a language that is native to another country but can be studied in addition to one's native language as a means of fostering international relationships among countries.

Here's how bilingual secretaries use foreign language:

Speak in a foreign language on the phone or face to face.
Organized meetings and appointments, writing letters, e-mails and reports in a foreign language mainly in English and Spanish.

9. PowerPoint

Here's how bilingual secretaries use powerpoint:

Prepared monthly and annual financial reports using Microsoft, Excel, and PowerPoint presentation.
Prepared weekly PowerPoint presentations, and Excel worksheets for meetings.

10. Word Processing

Here's how bilingual secretaries use word processing:

Handled all word processing and typing duties.
Performed in-depth word processing functions, including preparation of post-doctoral application documents, proofing and editing for executive committee review.

11. Office Procedures

Office procedures are the protocols and standards which define how the staff works together. The office procedures can be a set of rules and regulations which guide the employees and help them run the office operations smoothly. Paperwork, customer interaction, taking messages, handling calls in and out all fall under the office procedures.

Here's how bilingual secretaries use office procedures:

Created/updated financial reports, maintained travel expense reports, reconciled monthly budgets/expense reports, expedited general office procedures.
Managed and coordinated classes, registered clients for programs, managed statistical information and executed general office procedures.

12. Multi-Line Phone System

Here's how bilingual secretaries use multi-line phone system:

Answered Multi-Line phones using one-call resolution.
Make copies- Fax- File- Answer Multi-Line phone

13. Student Attendance

Here's how bilingual secretaries use student attendance:

Interpret at meetings, parent orientations, truancy court for student attendance and others from English into Spanish and vice versa.
Manage multi line phone, create and file student attendance records, serve as interpreter for teacher and parent conference.

14. Greeting Visitors

Here's how bilingual secretaries use greeting visitors:

Managed the receptionist area, including greeting visitors and responding to telephone and in-person requests for information.
Performed receptionist duties including greeting visitors and answering and directing phone calls.

15. Spanish Speaking Clients

Here's how bilingual secretaries use spanish speaking clients:

Handled diversified clerical responsibilities and acted as an interpreter for Spanish speaking clients and customers.
Interpret for Spanish speaking clients in the office or other departments.

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What skills help Bilingual Secretaries find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on bilingual secretary resumes?

Dr. Mike Peterson Ph.D.

Department Chair and Associate Professor of English, Dixie State University

Writing skills have always been valued by employers, but anything that shows an ability to write, produce, or communicate in digital spaces will stand out. While employers are becoming increasingly comfortable having employees work and collaborate digitally (from home or elsewhere), they may still be reluctant to train employees how to do that. They want to see evidence that applicants will know how to use technology and stay productive without extensive training and without a supervisor having to stand behind them. That isn't to say training won't take place, but employers want to use their valuable time and resources training employees on their own systems, policies, and procedures; they don't want to have to show new-hires how to use Zoom, how to format a memo, how to write an email, or how to co-edit a document using OneDrive.

What hard/technical skills are most important for bilingual secretarys?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

In addition to production software skills, including MS Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, we often taught database skills using MS Access. Every employer has an employee database and a customer/client database that requires input and sometimes maintenance by office personnel. Keyboarding (65+ wpm), basic bookkeeping/accounting, and filing skills are a must.

What soft skills should all bilingual secretarys possess?

Allison White

Associate Professor, Ohio University

Employers have told me repeatedly that soft skills are often the most important. They will ask for my reference after I've gotten to know a student and been able to identify their communication, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills. They want someone to take the initiative yet know when to ask questions. Customer service skills and confidentiality were also voiced by our internship supervisors. Verbal and non-verbal communication is a must. The applicant must be able to write well!!

What bilingual secretary skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Anne McConnell Ph.D.

Professor, West Virginia State University

I would encourage someone taking a gap year to branch out, seeking work experiences and employment situations that expose them to new skills and allow them to interact with a diverse set of people. Sometimes we find ourselves in a bubble-communicating with the same people, who tend to share the same ideas-and a gap year provides the opportunity to extend beyond that. Employers value employees who have open, flexible minds, and seeking out experiences that demonstrate that openness can be helpful.

What type of skills will young bilingual secretarys need?

Angela Robbins Ph.D.

Associate Professor of History, Meredith College

History majors are in high demand in government, business, and non-profits because of the knowledge and skills they gain in the classroom. History majors, in particular, are especially good at contextualizing-that is, explaining how an event or discussion fits within the big picture. This includes how things that are going on today-such as the Capitol riot on January 6-connects to the Constitution, the balance of powers, the way democracy works, and related issues such as the implications of propaganda and misinformation. This goes well beyond merely expressing an opinion or debating two sides of an issue. Students of history do their research and practice skills of analysis, collecting and scrutinizing evidence rather than taking something at face value or only relying on a single source. We take sources apart to evaluate the credentials of their creators and search for bias. We examine sources from various creators so we take into account multiple experiences and points of view. Then we synthesize-or bring the sources together-in order to communicate what it all means. These skills are desired by employers and translate well into many careers and work environments. Seeking good evidence to answer questions and solve problems, whether that's in the classroom today or working with clients later, is a skill that employers highly value.

Students are practicing other skills that are necessary to success in the workplace, whether that will be in person or online. Time management, seeing a project through from start to finish, hosting and contributing to meetings, working on a team-whether it's two people or ten-and creating appropriate types of presentations to communicate ideas are all things our students can tell their employers they will come in with so they can hit the ground running. In addition, our majors develop self-awareness, empathy, and an appreciation of diverse opinions and approaches to problems through investigation of the life experiences of historical figures and their classroom discussions with classmates. Certainly, every employer wants you to learn the specifics within their sector, but these skills are fairly universal and will benefit majors as they move from the classroom to career.

What technical skills for a bilingual secretary stand out to employers?

Christi Patton Luks

Professor (NTT) and Associate Chair for Academic Affairs, Missouri University of Science & Technology

I've always felt that the most important thing we teach our students is problem-solving skills. The students who can readily relate the theory to their practical experience to develop new solutions are the most valuable. Engineering students that are active on design teams or took advantage of internships and co-ops are in great position for this.

Do you want to know more?

List of bilingual secretary skills to add to your resume

The most important skills for a bilingual secretary resume and required skills for a bilingual secretary to have include:

Telephone Calls
Payroll
Scheduling Appointments
Provide Clerical Support
Student Data
Office Equipment
Financial Statements
Foreign Language
PowerPoint
Word Processing

Office Procedures
Multi-Line Phone System
Student Attendance
Greeting Visitors
Spanish Speaking Clients
International Travel Arrangements
Administrative Tasks
Direct Calls
Administrative Assistance
Administrative Functions

Expense Reports
Computer System
ESL
Fax Machines
Windows
Routine Correspondence
International Calls
Computer Database
Patient Charts

Updated January 8, 2025

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.

Updated January 8, 2025

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