THE 7 MOST OUTSTANDING FUNCTIONS OF A SECRETARY - JOB - 2026

The main functions of a secretary include managing the agenda, serving the public and handling confidential information. It is the person who is in charge of performing administrative assistance tasks in an office.

This position can be held by a man or a woman, although the most common is that it is a woman who exercises it.

They are usually in charge of the confidential affairs of people with a certain hierarchy within the company, such as directors, managers, presidents, among others. That makes them the right hand of the executive for whom they work.

If the company is small, the major workload of the secretary is related to the basic office tasks.

Some countries in the world dedicate a special day to him during the year to thank and celebrate his work. For example, in Colombia, Peru and Mexico the secretary's day is April 26, while in Venezuela it is September 30.

The 7 main functions of a secretary

The job of a secretary is to give support and collaboration to her boss so that she can fully fulfill her role within the organization, without delays or distractions.

Although the nature of the company affects the type of work required of a secretary, it could be said that her main functions are:

1- Agenda management

It is the secretary's responsibility to keep the agenda of the person for whom she works up to date. There you should reflect all your work commitments and sometimes personal ones.

You must also keep a record of the data of all the people and institutions with which your employer must be related.

A secretary's agenda often serves as the operational log of the executive for whom she works.

2- Attention to the public

Attention to the public is one of the most fundamental tasks that the secretary must perform. You must answer calls and record the reason for them, as well as all the data that allows your employer to effectively follow up on the matter.

He is also the person who receives visitors in the office. This is why it is important for the secretary to maintain an image consistent with the corporate image of the workplace.

His role there is not only to greet and make the wait for visitors friendly, but also to give the first instructions and guidelines on the organizational culture and internal processes of the company.

3- Document management

In addition to being the person who receives and handles correspondence from her boss, a secretary writes, reads, responds to, and archives most of her employer's letters, notices, memos, and emails.

To this end, you should use certain software applications that allow you to prepare such documents with greater agility and speed.

The specificity of these competencies will depend on the type of work that is required in the area in which you work.

The secretary manages the contact database of her boss and files written correspondence, as well as meeting minutes and other documents of interest within the office.

It is the secretary who normally takes note of the matters discussed in important meetings.

4- Management of sensitive information (internal and external)

Among the functions that distinguish a good secretary is to adequately and efficiently handle all extremely important information for the operation of the company or institution where she works.

For example, you must have control of the legal documents that may be required by government bodies at any time.

You can also have access to information from the environment or from any of the actors related to the company. This information must be managed in a discreet, efficient and timely manner.

5- Office organization

The secretary must operate and maintain the office equipment and furniture: telephones, photocopiers, printers, projectors, furniture, filing cabinets, among others.

He is the one who controls the inventory of supplies and office equipment. It also keeps the physical and electronic file systems in order so that the information is readily available when needed.

The secretary must have a clean and organized workspace, since it is usually one of the first things that people outside the company see when entering its facilities.

6- Preparation of presentations

Normally an executive must present his reports in the form of presentations that summarize and rank the information. For this task he usually asks his secretary for help.

The person who is in the secretariat must ensure that the information that appears there correctly reflects the data that his boss wishes to share.

You must also be careful that it is a presentation free of spelling errors and that it is consistent with the graphic identity of the company.

7- Administrative surveillance

It is also the responsibility of a secretary to be aware that the policies and procedures necessary to take care of the assets of the company or institution in which she works are followed.

According to the hierarchical level of her boss, the secretary can validate the accuracy of the data that reflects the detail of the budget operations.

A secretary must take care of the management control and the correct administration of the resources within the office.

The virtual secretary

With the rise of online jobs, the figure of online secretaries or virtual assistants arises.

These secretaries do most of the tasks described above but remotely. In these cases, secretaries charge for their services by the hour or by project.

References

1. Money Culture (2015). The 4 main functions of the secretary. Recovered from: comofuncionaque.com
2. Kokemuller, Neil (s / f). List of the duties of a secretary. Recovered from: work.chron.com
3. Pymex (2016). Functions and responsibilities of the Administrative Secretary. Recovered from: pymex.pe
4. Volunteer Now (s / f). What is the role of the secretary? Recovered from: diycomitteeguide.org
5. Windermere, Anna (s / f). What are the functions of a secretary as an assistant to a manager? Recovered from: pyme.lavoztx.com