What does an office secretary do?
An office secretary is responsible for performing administrative and clerical duties to ensure the smooth flow of operations and prevent delays with project deliverables. Office secretaries also welcome guests, respond to their inquiries and concerns, and direct them to the appropriate department or personnel for their appointments. They schedule meetings, sort documents, handle incoming and outgoing mail, as well as manage inventories for the adequacy of office supplies. An office secretary must have excellent time-management and multitasking skills to conduct tasks within a strict deadline and minimal supervision.
Office secretary responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real office secretary resumes:
- Lead DoD team that assist Pakistan in gaining military capabilities to conduct counter-terrorism operations against the Taliban.
- Research and keep updated on Medicare and Medicaid benefits, qualification requirements, and the legal and financial effects of options.
- Determine client eligibility for Medicaid transportation.
- Process and submit payroll information and invoices.
- Maintain departmental inventory, purchasing/travel paperwork, and process payroll.
- Answer customer phone calls-Record daily business transactions-Manage QuickBooks and bank accounts-Enter parts invoices and take inventory
- Assist patients in the admission process, verifying insurance coverage and providing medical procedure information.
- Develop curriculum on social media platforms and Microsoft PowerPoint and teach classes to law enforcement professionals.
- Assist in developing legislative presentation material for supervisor, and assist program trainers in preparing creative PowerPoint training presentations.
- Initiate and monitor requisitions through PeopleSoft for office supplies, laboratory supplies including purchasing lab animals for research and travel reimbursement.
Office secretary skills and personality traits
We calculated that 12% of Office Secretaries are proficient in Data Entry, Phone Calls, and Telephone Calls. They’re also known for soft skills such as Interpersonal skills, Writing skills, and Organizational skills.
We break down the percentage of Office Secretaries that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Data Entry, 12%
General secretarial/receptionist duties which included; switchboard operation, data entry, greeting and data entry, filing and cashier responsibility.
- Phone Calls, 11%
Respond to individual consumer concerns/telephone calls to include accurately recording and entering the information in the case management system record.
- Telephone Calls, 8%
Responded to telephone calls from clients and callers needing information and services.
- Scheduling Appointments, 7%
Job Duties: This included all functions of a medical office, answering phones and scheduling appointments using Perfect Care Software.
- Office Procedures, 7%
Interpreted administrative regulation and office procedures for senior staff.
- Payroll, 6%
Processed and submitted payroll information and invoices.
Common skills that an office secretary uses to do their job include "data entry," "phone calls," and "telephone calls." You can find details on the most important office secretary responsibilities below.
Interpersonal skills. The most essential soft skill for an office secretary to carry out their responsibilities is interpersonal skills. This skill is important for the role because "secretaries and administrative assistants interact with clients, customers, or staff." Additionally, an office secretary resume shows how their duties depend on interpersonal skills: "maintained employee files and the hr filing system and established and maintained interpersonal relationships. "
Writing skills. Another essential skill to perform office secretary duties is writing skills. Office secretaries responsibilities require that "secretaries and administrative assistants write memos and emails when communicating with managers, employees, and customers." Office secretaries also use writing skills in their role according to a real resume snippet: "operated office machines, such as computer terminal, and adding, calculating, bookkeeping and check-writing machines. "
Organizational skills. office secretaries are also known for organizational skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to office secretary responsibilities, because "secretaries and administrative assistants keep files, folders, and schedules in order so that an office runs efficiently." An office secretary resume example shows how organizational skills is used in the workplace: "organized and coordinated office operations and procedures in order to ensure organizational effectiveness and efficiency. "
The three companies that hire the most office secretarys are:
- Akron Children's Hospital22 office secretaries jobs
- Genesis Health System4 office secretaries jobs
- Arnot Health2 office secretaries jobs
Choose from 10+ customizable office secretary resume templates
Build a professional office secretary resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your office secretary resume.
Compare different office secretaries
Office secretary vs. Student office worker
Office associates have varied duties and responsibilities within an organization. They are responsible for the cash management operation, customer service functions, and administrative services. Other responsibilities include organizing and maintaining files and documents, administering all bookkeeping activities, and managing the entire office. Office associates also oversee the overall human resource activities within an organization, such as handling employment forms and health insurance administration. The skills required for this position include communication skills, organizational skills, and active listening skills.
While similarities exist, there are also some differences between office secretaries and student office worker. For instance, office secretary responsibilities require skills such as "office procedures," "payroll," "database management," and "financial reports." Whereas a student office worker is skilled in "administrative tasks," "facebook," "financial aid," and "customer service." This is part of what separates the two careers.
On average, student office workers reach similar levels of education than office secretaries. Student office workers are 1.1% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Office secretary vs. Office associate
A general office clerk is responsible for performing various clerical duties to support business functions and ensure smooth daily operations. General office clerks respond to clients' inquiries and concerns, welcoming guests, and assisting in disseminating information across the organization. They maintain the adequacy of inventories, organize business and financial transaction reports, and perform basic bookkeeping tasks and banking transactions. A general office clerk must be highly organizational and analytical, especially in encoding account statements on the database and processing business reports required by the management.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real office secretary resumes. While office secretary responsibilities can utilize skills like "scheduling appointments," "database management," "transferring calls," and "secretarial support," office associates use skills like "customer service," "patients," "patient appointments," and "strong customer service."
Office associates may earn a lower salary than office secretaries, but office associates earn the most pay in the finance industry with an average salary of $36,923. On the other hand, office secretaries receive higher pay in the telecommunication industry, where they earn an average salary of $39,786.office associates earn similar levels of education than office secretaries in general. They're 1.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.3% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Office secretary vs. General office clerk
Office administrators are employees who ensure that the office is running in tip-top shape. They manage the administrative needs of the office. They answer calls directed to the official company phone, manage the inventory of supplies, take charge or purchase requisitions for needed supplies, and ensure the office equipment and fixtures are taken care of. Office administrators also manage correspondences, official memoranda, and other official company documents. They also keep track of files and records to ensure that these are properly organized. At times, office administrators also take charge of welcoming guests and accompanying them to their respective meetings.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, office secretaries are more likely to have skills like "phone calls," "database management," "financial reports," and "secretarial support." But a general office clerk is more likely to have skills like "customer service," "photocopiers," "customer complaints," and "office support."
General office clerks earn the best pay in the health care industry, where they command an average salary of $30,604. Office secretaries earn the highest pay from the telecommunication industry, with an average salary of $39,786.general office clerks typically earn similar educational levels compared to office secretaries. Specifically, they're 4.3% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.7% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Office secretary vs. Office administrator
Types of office secretary
Updated January 8, 2025
