What Does a Business Secretary Do? Generally speaking, a business secretary plays a very important role in a company. He or she has a lot of duties to fulfill. In many cases, a business secretary has to do the following major jobs. First, a business secretary is expected to relieve the executive of various administrative details. Second, a business secretary is required to coordinate and maintain effective office procedures and efficient work flow. Third, a business secretary should be able to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with superiors, co-workers, subordinates, customers or clients, and suppliers. Apart from what has been mentioned above, a business secretary should be able to do a variety of other jobs. To begin with, a business secretary should make appointments for the executive and maintain his or her calendar. He or she is expected to receive and assist visitors and telephone callers in every way possible and then refer them to the executive or other appropriate persons whenever necessary. A business secretary is expected to arrange business itineraries and coordinate the executive’s travel requirements. Next, a business secretary is expected to take action authorized during the executive’s absence to make sure that matters requiring attention are referred to the right person or handled in a manner so as to minimize the effect of the executive’s absence. A business secretary should be able to take shorthand or longhand notes and transcribe from them or transcribe from machine dictation. He or she should also be able to type materials from longhand or rough copy. In addition, a business secretary is expected to sort, read, and annotate incoming mails and documents and then attach appropriate files to facilitate necessary action. He or she should be able to compose correspondence and reports for the executive’s signature as well as prepare communication outlines by the executive in oral or written form. A business secretary is expected to research and abstract information and supporting data in preparation for meetings, work projects and reports. He or she must be able to correlate and edit materials submitted by others in draft format. Also, a business secretary should have the ability to manage the office work well. He or she should be good at maintaining filing and recording management systems and other office flow procedures. Another duty of a business secretary is to make arrangements for the executive and coordinate conferences and meetings. A business secretary may serve as the recorder of minutes with responsibility for transcription and distribution to participants. He or she may supervise or hire other employees, select or make recommendations for purchase of supplies and equipment as well as maintain budget and expense account records, financial records, and confidential files. Finally, a business secretary may be required to maintain an up-to-date procedure manual for the specific duties handled on the job. He or she should perform other duties as assigned or as necessity dictates. In addition to the duties mentioned above, a business secretary should possess the following skills. He or she should have a good command of office skills and be proficient in office software such as Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Excel, etc. Ever-evolving software applications require that secretaries be efficient, skillful and open to change. Effective business writing skills are essential for assistants who use e-mail throughout their workday. In summary, the secretarial position can be described as “the boss’s confidant, office manager, supply and equipment purchasing manager, “Jack of all trades”, and master of office mysteries.”He or she may have to retain a great deal of information without speaking of it to anyone. Because a business secretary is often made aware of highly sensitive company information, he or she must be trustworthy and able to keep a “secret”.