The role of a secretary has evolved considerably over the past 20 years , with the evolution of computers and internet. In fact whilst some companies say they do not have secretarial jobs or secretaries or PAs (usually because they say their executive staff do their own admin work) anymore, other firms place huge value on their secretarial staff appreciating that they often bring skills which are invaluable to the success of the business.
Secretary jobs and admin jobs have merged roles in smaller firms. The role of a secretary is no longer just to copy type minutes or audio notes, it also involves arranging meetings, appointments for a boss or team of Executives, or preparing reports, dealing with clients or suppliers on the phone or in writing.
Many an Executive will say that their working life depends entirely on the organisation of their PA/ secretary and a good secretary is like finding a real needle in a haystack..
Key secretarial skills include strong organisation ability, good technical skills, ability to organise and be patient under pressure, able to deal with difficult situations calmly.
Some companies have spotted the business opportunity and offer outsourced secretarial services. This is attractive for the busy executive who may be in London for a short period of time and not wish to relocate the secretarial support they receive at home; or for the Executive who does not want to burden him/herself on the costs and legal implication of employing someone.
Most people, however, choose to keep their secretary jobs in house to ensure 100% commitment from their secretary and also to enable them to build a strong bond. .
There is, however, always a need for secretaries with strong admin skills in London.
Secretarial/ PA jobs are always in demand and the key for someone looking for work is to make sure that they are always updating their skills and using their spare time to explore what new technologies or skills are used and whether ethere would be any added benefot of adding their secretarial skills to other vicational qulifications such as accounting , translating or human resources.