One of the best ways to acquire the skills needed to be a secretary is to take an online course. We've identified some online courses from Udemy and Coursera that will help you advance in your career. Since secretaries benefit from having skills like customer service, telephone calls, and payroll, we found courses that will help you improve these skills.
Secretary Skills For Your Resume And Career
Research Summary. Below we've compiled a list of the most important skills for a secretary. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of secretary resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.8% of secretary resumes contained customer service as a skill. Let's find out what skills a secretary actually needs in order to be successful in the workplace.
- The most common hard skill for a secretary is customer service. 14.8% secretaries have this skill on their resume.
- The second most common hard skill for a secretary is telephone calls appearing on 11.5% of resumes. The third most common is payroll on 8.6% of resumes.
- Three common soft skills for a secretary are interpersonal skills, organizational skills and writing skills.
Below we've compiled a list of the most important skills for a secretary. We ranked the top skills based on the percentage of secretary resumes they appeared on. For example, 14.8% of secretary resumes contained customer service as a skill. Let's find out what skills a secretary actually needs in order to be successful in the workplace.
15 Essential Secretary Skills For Your Resume And Career
1. Customer Service
Customer service is the process of offering assistance to all the current and potential customers -- answering questions, fixing problems, and providing excellent service. The main goal of customer service is to build a strong relationship with the customers so that they keep coming back for more business.
Here's how customer service is used on secretary resumes:
- Scheduled appointments and provided quality customer service to customers, clients, inspectors, and effectively communicated with staff and management.
- Perform new-hire operator training and support activities including customer service operator mentoring, ongoing training, and floor supervision.
- Ensured quality customer service in managing inbound calls, responding to inquiries about products/services and troubleshooting concerns.
- Provided outstanding customer service by exercising a pleasant personality, especially when speaking with customers.
- Provided effective communication and customer service support to the administrative teams on a daily basis.
2. 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 telephone calls is used on secretary resumes:
- Performed secretarial duties including processing and filing of paperwork, responding to telephone calls and completing financial reports through electronic database.
- Managed incoming telephone calls, guaranteeing calls were directed to appropriate location and messages were documented and delivered.
- Received visitors and incoming telephone calls and determined nature of business and referred callers/visitors to appropriate personnel.
- Maintained management filing system and answered and directed all telephone calls to proper recipients.
- Receive visitors and incoming telephone calls in a professional and confidential manner.
3. 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 payroll is used on secretary resumes:
- Provided support to management with budget preparation, supplying payroll information as requested.
- Utilized excel processing payroll and financial records across companies.
- Posted payroll to LeaveMaster and processed required reports.
- Prepared attendance reports and coordinated with payroll data.
- Served as a secretary in payroll specialist office
And if you’re looking for a job, here are the five top employers hiring now:
4. 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 scheduling appointments is used on secretary resumes:
- Conducted clerical and administrative functions such as organizing paper and electronic files, generating correspondence, scheduling appointments and answering telephones.
- Provided secretarial support to department of Radiation/Oncology and physicians, including answering telephones, scheduling appointments, greeting and directing patients.
- Performed routine clerical and administrative functions such as drafting correspondence, scheduling appointments, organizing and maintaining meeting minutes.
- Guaranteed seamless operation of Department by scheduling appointments, providing student reports and effectively interfacing with upset students.
- Filed, typed corporate/foundation proposals, assisted in scheduling appointments, and maintained Campaign travel schedule and calendar.
5. Word Processing
Here's how word processing is used on secretary resumes:
- Assist litigation/bankruptcy departments and word processing department with document design and production on evenings and weekends.
- Composed and prepared correspondence, reports and statistical information utilizing word processing and spreadsheet software.
- Experience in using software applications including spreadsheets, word processing, presentations and database management.
- Provided administrative support for directors and coordinators including scheduling, word processing, and filing.
- General Office Duties Typed rebuttals Confidentiality Billing Maintained Filing system Word processing as needed Correspondence
6. Office Equipment
Here's how office equipment is used on secretary resumes:
- Typed correspondence, reports and other documents Maintained office files Opened and distributed the mail Coordinated repairs to office equipment Distributed payroll
- Maintained all office equipment tracking and replacement along with basic maintenance preformed on minor repairs as needed office equipment.
- Coordinated the automation and video-conferencing, supervision of office equipment, and scheduled computer server maintenance.
- Prepared/typed letters and other correspondence, statements and other paperwork using various office equipment.
- Utilized multiple office equipment to effectively produce and develop accurate and useful documentation.
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7. Travel Arrangements
Here's how travel arrangements is used on secretary resumes:
- Coordinated and scheduled appointments, meetings and conferences including reserving conference rooms, preparing agendas and making travel arrangements.
- General secretarial responsibilities included coordination of monthly client billing, maintaining client files, and making travel arrangements.
- Maintained supervisor's calendar, made travel arrangements coordinated meeting arrangements, and scheduled meetings and/or conferences.
- Maintained files which prepared travel arrangements for department homeland security employees who traveled frequently for business purposes.
- Prepared travel requests and made travel arrangements for the facility supervisor and other facility/unit personnel.
8. PowerPoint
Here's how powerpoint is used on secretary resumes:
- Utilized Microsoft PowerPoint to create presentations used by Assistant Superintendent to acquire grants for enhancement of student education.
- Developed innovative PowerPoint presentation used by the office to market executive support to all employed.
- Review and compile information into PowerPoint presentation for Directors and other executive staff.
- Compiled departmental literature, training manuals, financial proposals using Excel and PowerPoint.
- Prepare PowerPoint and other visual presentations for major national and international Neurology meetings.
9. Meeting Minutes
Here's how meeting minutes is used on secretary resumes:
- Streamlined daily operations by preparing correspondence, transcribing meeting minutes, and managing files/records/documents.
- Participate 401K Advisory/Investment committee meetings took meeting minutes, participate in Department Audits.
- Transcribed director meeting minutes providing detailed records, archived records for reference.
- Performed general administrative duties; recording monthly meeting minutes and distributed those.
- Documented attendance, recorded meeting minutes, and coordinated speakers- 2009 Membership
10. 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 financial statements is used on secretary resumes:
- Input data into tax preparation software Assembled tax returns Greeted clients Answered Phones Preparation of monthly financial statements General clerical duties
- Compiled and prepared monthly and annual financial statements and bank reconciliation for internal accounts and maintained fund balances.
- Performed bookkeeping functions for financial statements and tax returns such as cash disbursements/receipts journals and bank reconciliations.
- Conducted pricing audits which successfully identified financial leakage by reviewing financial statements for misapplied charges and revenue.
- Created, produced and edited monthly newsletters and weekly bulletins, managed all correspondence and financial statements
11. Front Desk
Here's how front desk is used on secretary resumes:
- Worked as front desk receptionist/secretary interacting with patients and students daily.
- Utilized standards and procedures to ensure front desk efficiency and organization.
- Managed front desk to promote organization and efficiency.
- Maintain cleanliness and organization of front desk area
- Handled front desk clerical responsibilities.
12. Purchase Orders
Here's how purchase orders is used on secretary resumes:
- Created and maintained purchase orders using PeopleSoft/Oracle in compliance with state funding requirements while keeping documentation current and accurate.
- Tracked financial accounts/budgets, generated reports, processed purchase orders/warehouse requests on District/State of Alaska MIS system.
- General secretarial duties primarily involved with preparation of purchase orders for vendors and tracking of warehouse orders.
- Checked invoices against delivery receipts and maintained an accurate and efficient purchase order filing system.
- Ordered all athletic supplies/equipment through vendors and processed purchase orders.
13. Clerical Support
Clerical support performs activities that must be done in every workplace in order to support the company going forward. These duties, which come within the category of clerical support, are typically delegated to entry-level employees since they are simple and easy to learn. Even though clerical duties like printing and filing are easy, they require time and in many instances, other workers are preoccupied with other activities and unable to keep up with all that needs to be accomplished. As a result, many businesses employ clerical support staff who are solely responsible for these duties.
Here's how clerical support is used on secretary resumes:
- Provide clerical support to District Administrative positions, District Supervisor, Administrative Assistant, Counselor Consultant and Grant Specialist.
- Provided office and clerical support in various company locations, in addition to receptionist and customer service representative coverage.
- Provided administrative/clerical support to groups of engineers as well as management handling information that required a secret clearance.
- Provided clerical support for Quality Management Director and Coordinators and managed all agency legal requests and intermediary inquiries.
- Provided vision, management, and direction to administrative and clerical support activities of local medical office.
14. Secretarial Support
Here's how secretarial support is used on secretary resumes:
- Provided temporary secretarial support (Secretary to Aviation Department Manager; Information Management Division Secretary; School Superintendent Secretary).
- Worked closely with Area Managers and Local Managers coordinating daily schedules and provided administrative and secretarial support to nine supervisors.
- Provide administrative/secretarial support such as answering telephones, assisting visitors and resolving a range of administrative problems and inquiries.
- Provided full-time secretarial support for 13 faculty in Department of Educational Psychology and Research Methodology through Purdue Temporary Services.
- Provided administrative/ secretarial support such as answering phones and resolving a range of administrative problems and inquires.
15. 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 office procedures is used on secretary resumes:
- Coordinated and streamlined office procedures with management and personnel, generated expense reports, quarterly reports and presentations.
- Developed and implemented office procedures related to coordination of interoffice communication, records and systems.
- Streamlined office procedures including electronic credit card processing and order expediting and payment processes.
- Coordinated and implemented office procedures and frequently have responsibility for specific projects and tasks.
- Managed a variety of daily office procedures involving technology, records, and communication.
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The eight most common skills based on Secretary resumes in 2023.
- Customer Service, 14.8%
- Telephone Calls, 11.5%
- Payroll, 8.6%
- Scheduling Appointments, 8.6%
- Word Processing, 5.4%
- Office Equipment, 4.6%
- Travel Arrangements, 3.8%
- Other Skills, 42.7%
skills are in demand
Jobs With Trending Skills
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List Of Skills To Add To Your Secretary Resume
According to recent trends, the most relevant secretary Resume Keywords for your resume are:
- Customer Service
- Telephone Calls
- Payroll
- Scheduling Appointments
- Word Processing
- Office Equipment
- Travel Arrangements
- PowerPoint
- Meeting Minutes
- Financial Statements
- Front Desk
- Purchase Orders
- Clerical Support
- Secretarial Support
- Office Procedures
- Direct Calls
- Patient Charts
- Routine Correspondence
- Provides Administrative Support
- Computer System
- HR
- Office Machines
- Fax Machines
- Administrative Tasks
- Expense Reports
- QuickBooks
- Administrative Functions
- Windows
- Multi-Line Phone System
- Bank Deposits
- Database Management
- Office Operations
- Patient Appointments
- Travel Vouchers
- Financial Reports
Real Examples Of Secretary Resumes That Use These Skills
Build a professional secretary resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 12+ resume templates to create your secretary resume.
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Skills
 Employment History Secretary 2019 - Present Farm Bureau InsuranceGrand Rapids, MI
Placement Secretary 2017 - 2019 The Home DepotColumbia, SC
Certified Nurses' Aide 2016 - 2017 TREASURE HOME REALTYColumbia, SC
 Education High School Diploma 2016 - 2016 |
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Betty Diaz Secretary Skills InfantChild CareSpecial ProjectsAGE GroupsBabysitTelephone CallsSecretarial SupportHomework AssignmentsCustomer OrdersProgram Staff Employment History Secretary 2018 - Present Forever South Bend, IN
Clerk/Assistant 2017 - 2018 U.S. Census Bureau South Bend, IN
Baby Sitter 2015 - 2017 YWCA USA South Bend, IN
Education High School Diploma 2015 - 2015 |
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Carl Simpson Secretary Experience Secretary 2020 - Present PROTEAMColumbus, OH
Bilingual Secretary 2010 - 2020 Nationwide Mutual Insurance ...Columbus, OH
Hostess Cashier 2009 - 2010 Dollar TreeSacramento, CA
Skills Ice Cream Program Staff Travel Arrangements POS Customer Orders Legal Documents Computer System Fast Service Telephone Calls Ensure Satisfaction Education High School Diploma 2009 - 2009 |
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Most Important Secretary Skills According To Experts
What Hard/technical Skills Are Most Important For 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 Skills Stand Out On Secretary Resumes?
Allison White
Associate Professor, Ohio University
Knowledge of spreadsheets software such as MS Excel is a commonly sought-after skill. Employers want word processing and spreadsheet skills but often say they want high school graduates and pay accordingly. These skills aren't always taught in high school. Those in the field should seek these skills. Additionally, medical and legal assistants have highly sought after. Terminology courses for these specialized areas are sometimes offered at the vocational schools but are usually offered at the post-secondary level.
What Soft Skills Should All 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!!
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