A secretary is the center of communication activities in a firm or department. The secretary transmits information from the employer to other members of the firm and to other organizations. Most secretaries type, take shorthand, deal with visitors, keep track of the employer's appointments, make travel arrangements, and, generally, relieve the employer of excess paperwork.
Executive secretaries work for the top executives in a firm. Jobs at this level require top-notch skills and usually some college education. Social secretaries arrange social functions, answer personal correspondence, and keep the employer informed about all social activities. Public figures such as politicians, elected officials, celebrities, and others with a busy social life usually employ social secretaries.
Some secretaries have training in specialized areas. Medical secretaries study medical terminology to prepare case histories and medical reports. Legal secretaries are trained to do some legal research and to help prepare briefs; they are familiar with legal terminology and the format of legal papers. Technical secretaries assist engineers and scientists in drafting reports and research proposals. They are acquainted with scientific and mathematical terms and are trained in the use of the technical vocabulary and symbols used in these fields.
Stenographers take dictation and then transcribe their notes on a They do not handle the wide range of duties that a secretary does, although in some offices stenographers handle routine chores such as filing, answering the phone, or operating office machines. Stenographers may also specialize in medical, legal, or technical work; some specialize in a foreign language. Public stenographers serve traveling business people or others who have only occasional need for stenographic services. They are usually located in large hotels and busy downtown areas of cities.
Shorthand reporters are specialized stenographers who record all statements made during a proceeding. They record the sessions of state legislatures, the Congress of the United States, meetings and conventions, and out-of-court testimony for attorneys. Their transcription then becomes the official record of the proceeding. Many shorthand reporters work as court reporters who take down all statements made during legal proceedings in courts of law.
Places of Employment and Working Conditions
Secretaries and stenographers are employed throughout the country. About one-half of them are employed by educational, health, legal, and business firms and other types of companies that provide services.
Working conditions vary, but full-time secretaries and stenographers usually work a 37- to 40-hour week. Shorthand reporters may work irregular hours and may have to sit for long periods of time while recording an event.
Qualifications, Education, and Training
Secretaries and stenographers must be accurate and neat. They must display discretion and initiative and have a good command of spelling, grammar, punctuation, and vocabulary. Shorthand reporters must have good hearing and be able to concentrate amid distractions.
High school business courses are valuable and so are college preparatory courses because secretaries and stenographers should have a good general background. In either type of high school preparation, there should be as many English courses as possible.
Secretarial training as part of a college education or at a private business school is preferred by many employers. Training can vary from a few months for basic instruction in shorthand and typing to a year or two for some of the specialty areas such as medicine or law. Shorthand reporters usually complete a two year program in a shorthand reporting school.
Well-trained and highly experienced secretaries may qualify for the designation certified professional secretary (CPS) by passing a series of examinations given by the National Secretaries Association. This is a mark of achievement in the secretarial field and is recognized as such by many employers.
Potential and Advancement
The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the demand for secretaries will grow by only 3 percent between 2014 and 2024. As a result, job opportunities will be weak.
Opportunities for advancement depend on the acquisition of new or improved skills and on increasing knowledge of the employer's firm or field of business. Some private firms and government agencies have their own training facilities to help employees upgrade their skills.
Executive secretaries are sometimes promoted to management positions because of their extensive knowledge of their employer's operation.
Income
Salaries for secretaries vary greatly depending on the level of their skill, experience, and responsibility; the area of the country in which they work; and the type of industry for which they work. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for secretaries in 2015 was $36,500.
Secretaries working in the West and Midwest earn higher salaries in general than those working in the Northeast and the South. Also, secretaries in the transportation and public utilities industries tend to earn the highest salaries, and secretaries in retail trade, finance, real estate, and insurance tend to earn the lowest.
