SPOC Secretariat

The duties of a business secretary include transcription and the preparation, proofreading, editing and organizing of paper and electronic correspondence and documents. To remain competitive in today’s technological world, a competent business secretary must be current in computer skills for word processing, computer accounting and record keeping, spreadsheet and the Internet. Organizational and time management skills, as well as the ability to maintain confidentiality are a must for a successful secretary. In general, secretaries field phone calls and learn when to transfer important calls. The business secretary, however, may also schedule appointments, plan and maintain an itinerary and make travel and accommodation arrangements. Other duties might include scheduling and planning meetings, luncheons and other business-related events. Business secretaries may be required to handle preparation and printing of meeting agenda, documents, flyers, charts, presentations and setting up conference calls. Attending meetings, taking notes and drafting a report of the minutes of a meeting may be required. Duties also include training new staff and interacting with business executives, clients, coworkers and supervisors. If there is no maintenance or supply person on staff, organizing and ordering office supplies, as well as arranging for maintenance on office machines and equipment often become the responsibility of a secretary. Overall, the most important duty of the business secretary is to ensure that the office is functioning smoothly.