Administrators, Secretaries and PAs

All industry sectors employ Administrators and Secretaries, and many managers will have their own Personal Assistant (PA) to help ensure the smooth running of their offices and to manage their demanding workloads.

The role of an Administrator/Secretary

Administrators and Secretaries generally carry out similar roles including preparing formal documents and correspondence, managing filing systems, preparing reports, and ordering office equipment and stationery supplies. Some are required to manage office diaries which can involve booking meetings and appointments as well as organising national and international travel and accommodation. Many Administrators and Secretaries will be required to prepare meeting agendas, attend those meetings and take minutes for subsequent distribution throughout the company.

The role of a PA

Although a PA carries out similar duties to that of an Administrator or Secretary, their role usually involves providing a dedicated service to a particular manager or executive. They will be required to deal with both personal and professional matters and will therefore be exposed to confidential and sensitive information. A PA is required to have an excellent understanding of the organisation and can even represent their manager in formal meetings. They will field telephone enquiries and produce formal correspondence for customers and colleagues. They may also be required to accompany their manager on projects and assignments both in the UK and overseas.

Entry requirements

Few formal qualifications are required for a career as a Secretary or Administrator although it is essential to have good skills in literacy, numeracy and computing. Experience is generally considered to be more important than qualifications so skills in typing, shorthand and audio-transcription, for example, are invaluable.

Similarly, a PA does not necessarily need to have particular qualifications but should have experience in office management and an excellent command of written and spoken English. A distinct advantage over other PAs can be gained by studying for a degree in a business-related subject or in subjects directly related to the industry worked in. There are also an increasing number of overseas vacancies for PAs for which a foreign language would be highly advantageous.

Available qualifications

There are a number of NVQs and SVQs available which can help to develop the fundamental skills required of a Secretary, Administrator or PA. Accredited courses through Pitman, OCR and the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry Examination Boards (LCCIEB) can lead to formal qualifications and, for a PA, the LCCIEB also offers the Private Secretary’s Diploma.

Skills requirements

In general, the skills considered to be essential for a career as an Administrator, Secretary or PA include the following:

Proficiency in the use of computers, particularly word processing, databases and spreadsheets
Knowledge of day-to-day office functions and equipment
Strong verbal and written communication skills
Excellent understanding of the English language including spelling and grammar
Organisational skills and the ability to prioritise workloads

Future opportunities

Due to the fact that all industry sectors employ office staff, there are a great many opportunities for skilled and experienced Administrators within both the public and private sectors. It is also possible to specialise as an Administrator or Secretary within the medical or legal profession. Whatever industry you choose to work in, this line of work can be particularly rewarding as you will be a key member of the team responsible for the efficient running of the office you work in.

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