Executive Secretaries And Executive Administrative Assistants

Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants

Description

Provide high-level administrative support by conducting research, preparing statistical reports, handling information requests, and performing clerical functions such as preparing correspondence, receiving visitors, arranging conference calls, and scheduling meetings. May also train and supervise lower-level clerical staff.

Tasks

Prepare invoices, reports, memos, letters, financial statements and other documents, using word processing, spreadsheet, database, or presentation software.
Answer phone calls and direct calls to appropriate parties or take messages.
Conduct research, compile data, and prepare papers for consideration and presentation by executives, committees and boards of directors.
Attend meetings to record minutes.
Greet visitors and determine whether they should be given access to specific individuals.
Read and analyze incoming memos, submissions, and reports to determine their significance and plan their distribution.
Perform general office duties, such as ordering supplies, maintaining records management database systems, and performing basic bookkeeping work.
File and retrieve corporate documents, records, and reports.
Open, sort, and distribute incoming correspondence, including faxes and email.
Make travel arrangements for executives.
Prepare responses to correspondence containing routine inquiries.
Prepare agendas and make arrangements, such as coordinating catering for luncheons, for committee, board, and other meetings.
Coordinate and direct office services, such as records, departmental finances, budget preparation, personnel issues, and housekeeping, to aid executives.
Provide clerical support to other departments.
Manage and maintain executives' schedules.
Process payroll information.
Compile, transcribe, and distribute minutes of meetings.
Set up and oversee administrative policies and procedures for offices or organizations.
Supervise and train other clerical staff and arrange for employee training by scheduling training or organizing training material.
Interpret administrative and operating policies and procedures for employees.
Meet with individuals, special interest groups and others on behalf of executives, committees and boards of directors.
Review operating practices and procedures to determine whether improvements can be made in areas such as workflow, reporting procedures, or expenditures.

Knowledge

Clerical: Knowledge of administrative and clerical procedures and systems such as word processing, managing files and records, stenography and transcription, designing forms, and other office procedures and terminology.
English Language: Knowledge of the structure and content of the English language including the meaning and spelling of words, rules of composition, and grammar.
Customer and Personal Service: Knowledge of principles and processes for providing customer and personal services. This includes customer needs assessment, meeting quality standards for services, and evaluation of customer satisfaction.
Computers and Electronics: Knowledge of circuit boards, processors, chips, electronic equipment, and computer hardware and software, including applications and programming.
Administration and Management: Knowledge of business and management principles involved in strategic planning, resource allocation, human resources modeling, leadership technique, production methods, and coordination of people and resources.

Skills

Reading Comprehension: Understanding written sentences and paragraphs in work related documents.
Active Listening: Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Speaking: Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Service Orientation: Actively looking for ways to help people.
Writing: Communicating effectively in writing as appropriate for the needs of the audience.

Abilities

Near Vision: The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Oral Comprehension: The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Written Comprehension: The ability to read and understand information and ideas presented in writing.
Oral Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Speech Recognition: The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Written Expression: The ability to communicate information and ideas in writing so others will understand.

Work Activities

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships: Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work: Developing specific goals and plans to prioritize, organize, and accomplish your work.
Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates: Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
Performing Administrative Activities: Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
Getting Information: Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
Interacting With Computers: Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.

Work Context

Telephone: How often do you have telephone conversations in this job?
Electronic Mail: How often do you use electronic mail in this job?
Indoors, Environmentally Controlled: How often does this job require working indoors in environmentally controlled conditions?
Contact With Others: How much does this job require the worker to be in contact with others (face-to-face, by telephone, or otherwise) in order to perform it?
Face-to-Face Discussions: How often do you have to have face-to-face discussions with individuals or teams in this job?
Importance of Being Exact or Accurate: How important is being very exact or highly accurate in performing this job?
Spend Time Sitting: How much does this job require sitting?
Structured versus Unstructured Work: To what extent is this job structured for the worker, rather than allowing the worker to determine tasks, priorities, and goals?
Deal With External Customers: How important is it to work with external customers or the public in this job?
Work With Work Group or Team: How important is it to work with others in a group or team in this job?

Interests

Conventional: Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Enterprising: Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Social: Social occupations frequently involve working with, communicating with, and teaching people. These occupations often involve helping or providing service to others.
Realistic: Realistic occupations frequently involve work activities that include practical, hands-on problems and solutions. They often deal with plants, animals, and real-world materials like wood, tools, and machinery. Many of the occupations require working outside, and do not involve a lot of paperwork or working closely with others.
Investigative: Investigative occupations frequently involve working with ideas, and require an extensive amount of thinking. These occupations can involve searching for facts and figuring out problems mentally.
Artistic: Artistic occupations frequently involve working with forms, designs and patterns. They often require self-expression and the work can be done without following a clear set of rules.

Work Style

Integrity: Job requires being honest and ethical.
Attention to Detail: Job requires being careful about detail and thorough in completing work tasks.
Dependability: Job requires being reliable, responsible, and dependable, and fulfilling obligations.
Cooperation: Job requires being pleasant with others on the job and displaying a good-natured, cooperative attitude.
Concern for Others: Job requires being sensitive to others' needs and feelings and being understanding and helpful on the job.
Independence: Job requires developing one's own ways of doing things, guiding oneself with little or no supervision, and depending on oneself to get things done.
Initiative: Job requires a willingness to take on responsibilities and challenges.
Stress Tolerance: Job requires accepting criticism and dealing calmly and effectively with high stress situations.
Self Control: Job requires maintaining composure, keeping emotions in check, controlling anger, and avoiding aggressive behavior, even in very difficult situations.
Adaptability/Flexibility: Job requires being open to change (positive or negative) and to considerable variety in the workplace.

Work Values

Relationships: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to provide service to others and work with co-workers in a friendly non-competitive environment. Corresponding needs are Co-workers, Moral Values and Social Service.
Support: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer supportive management that stands behind employees. Corresponding needs are Company Policies, Supervision: Human Relations and Supervision: Technical.
Working Conditions: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer job security and good working conditions. Corresponding needs are Activity, Compensation, Independence, Security, Variety and Working Conditions.
Achievement: Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.
Independence: Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.
Recognition: Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Related Occupations

Management Analysts

Library Technicians

Procurement Clerks

Municipal Clerks

Production, Planning, and Expediting Clerks

Legal Secretaries

Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive

Lay Titles

Administrative Aide

Administrative and Technical Specialist

Administrative Assistant

Administrative Associate

Administrative Coordinator

Administrative Liaison

Administrative Office Assistant

Administrative Office Specialist

Administrative Officer

Administrative Secretary

Administrative Services Assistant

Administrative Specialist

Administrative Supervisor

Administrative Support Specialist

Clerical Specialist

Community Youth Secretary

Confidential Secretary

Corporate Secretary

Executive Administrative Assistant

Executive Assistant

Executive Associate

Executive Secretary

Executive Staff Assistant

Executive, Secretarial, Managerial, or Official Duties Assistant

Financial Secretary

Human Resources Administrative Assistant

Management Assistant

Office Administrator

Office Assistant

Office Automation Secretary (OA Secretary)

Office Manager

Personal Assistant

Personal Secretary

Program Support Assistant

Program Support Specialist

Secretarial or Administrative Duties Administrative Assistant

Secretarial or Administrative Duties Clerical Administrative Assistant

Staff Assistant

Trust Manager Assistant

Unit Secretary

National Wages and Employment Info

Median Wages (2008):: $22.84 hourly, $47,500 annual.

Employment (2008):: 803,040 employees