Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities of a Secretary

Unit 1

Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities of a Secretary

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Unit 1
Main Job Tasks and Responsibilities of a Secretary
Secretarial Duties:
.	Learn how to make or answer telephone calls as a secretary;
.	Gain some ideas of the main tasks and responsibilities of a secretary;
.	Learn how to read and write a note.
Focus: Get to know some major jobs and skills as a secretary in the workplace.

Part One.Warming Up

Task 1	Tick secretarial job tasks and responsibilities from the following phrases. Then think about what positions the other duties belong to.
1.	prepare and manage correspondence, reports and documents	(..)
2.	organize and coordinate meetings, conferences, travel arrangements	(..)
3.	maintain pay plan and benefits program	(..)
4.	implement and maintain office systems	(..)
5.	manage the recruitment and selection process	(..)
6.	maintain schedules and calendars	(..)
7.	arrange and confirm appointments	(..)
8.	organize internal and external events	(..)
9.	set product quality standards	(..)
10.	draw up monthly financial report	(..)
11.	operate office equipment	(..)
12.	design a plan to tackle a social media reputation crisis	(..)

Task 2	Group Discussions
What other tasks should a secretary fulfill in the workplace? Consider as thoroughly and carefully as possible and share your opinion with your classmates.

Part Two.Oral Communication
Situation One.Answering the phone when the executive isn’t available

Dialogue 1.Linda is answering a call from John who wants to meet Mr. Brown, the executive of Linda. 
Linda:	Good morning. This is Linda speaking. May I help you?
John:	Hello, Linda. Can I speak to Mr. Brown?
Linda:	I’m sorry, but he’s not in right now. Can I take a message?
John:	Yes. This is John White. I’d like to make an appointment with him next Friday morning around 9 o’clock. Is that time convenient for him?
Linda:	Let me check his schedule... Yes, I think he can meet you at that time. But could you call again around five to confirm it?
John:	OK, thank you very much.
Linda:	You are welcome.

Dialogue 2.Emma is answering a phone from Bill Green. 
Emma:	Good morning, Sunrise Company. Emma is speaking. How can I help you?
Bill:	Good morning. Can I speak to your director of Marketing Department, Ms. Smith? 
Emma:	Just a moment. I’ll check to see if she is at her desk. May I tell her who is calling? 
Bill:	This is Bill Green from Thomas Export. I’m calling to enquire about our meeting next Wednesday. 
Emma:	Thank you, Mr. Green. Could you please hold on for a moment? I’ll check to see if she is available. 
Bill:	No problem. 
Emma:	I’m sorry. Ms. Smith is away from her desk. She went out to visit one of our clients. Would you like to leave a message for her? 
Bill:	Yes, please ask her to call me when she returns to the office. It would be better if she could get in touch with me before 4:00 p.m. today. She can reach me at my office number, 635-8799. 
Emma:	I’m sorry. I didn’t quite catch that. Could you please repeat the number? 
Bill:	Sure, my office number is 635-8799, and tell her to ask for extension 31. 
Emma:	OK. I will make sure Ms. Smith receives your message and returns your call before 4:00 p.m. today. 
Bill:	Thank you very much, Emma.
Emma:	You are welcome.
Situation Two.Calling to confirm or change an appointment

Dialogue 3.Cindy is a secretary of a dentist’s. She is calling Michelle to confirm her appointment with Dr. White.
Michelle:	Hello!
Cindy:	Hello, is Michelle available? 
Michelle:	This is Michelle. Who is calling please? 
Cindy:	Hi, Michelle, this is Cindy calling from White’s Dentistry. I’m calling to confirm your appointment for tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. with 
Dr. White. 
Michelle:	Oh, I almost forgot. Thank you for calling to remind me. Actually, I do need to change the time of my appointment. I have a scheduling conflict, and I can’t make it that early. 
Cindy:	If I put you in that later slot, would that work out? 
Michelle:	It would have to be after lunch. Do you have anything available about 2 o’clock? 
Cindy:	Sorry, madam, the only opening we have after lunch is 13:15, but I might be able to.work you in at 16:00. Would that be a better time? 
Michelle:	That’s right. I think I should be able to make it at 13:15. Can you put me down for that time slot? 
Cindy:	No problem. I have your appointment changed from tomorrow morning to tomorrow afternoon at 13:15. 
Michelle:	Wonderful. Thanks very much.
Cindy:	You are welcome.

Task 1	Translate the following phrases and sentences into English or Chinese.
1.	check his schedule						
2.	be at her desk						
3.	marketing department						
4.	enquire about						
5.	a scheduling conflict						
6.	捎口信						
7.	留口信						
8.	请稍等						
9.	确保.						
10.	确认您的预约						
11.	I’d like to make an appointment with him next Friday morning around 9 o’clock.
	
12.	Could you please hold on for a moment? I’ll check to see if she is available. 
	
13.	I have a scheduling conflict, and I can’t make it that early.
	
14.	I have your appointment changed from tomorrow morning to tomorrow afternoon at 13:15. 
	

Task 2	Try to fill out the following telephone message according to dialogue 2.
To: 				..From: 				.
Date: 				..Tel No.: 				.
Time: 				..Company Name: 			.
Urgent/Non-urgent Message: 




Task 3	Read the following sentences.
Receiving a call
1.	Hello. International Hotel. Can I help you?
	您好！这里是国际饭店。我能为您做些什么？
2.	Who’s calling, please? 
	请问您是哪位？
3.	Sorry, but she is out for lunch right now. 
	抱歉，她正在外面吃午饭。
Offering to take a message & suggesting leaving a message
1.	Can I take a message?/Would you like to leave a message? 
	需要我捎个口信吗？/您需要留个口信吗？
2.	If you leave your name and number, I’ll have her call you back as soon as possible.
	如果您把姓名和电话号码留下，我会让她尽快给您回电话。
3.	Shall I ask her to ring you back this afternoon?
	需不需要她今天下午给您回电？
4.	Please make sure he receives the message. 
	请确定他能收到留言。
Making an appointment
1.	I’ll check Mr. Jackson’s diary and see if I can arrange an appointment for you.
	我查看一下杰克逊先生的日程后再给您预约。
2.	I wonder if we could change the time of… to… You see, something unexpected has come up.
	不知我们能否将原定……的时间改到……您瞧，意想不到的事情发生了。
3.	He has a full schedule next week.
	他下周的时间都排满了。

Task 4	Choose one of the following situations and make a dialogue with your partner.
Situation 1.Ruby, a secretary, is answering a call from Tom who wants to speak to her executive， Mr. White. But Mr. White is out for lunch at the moment.
Situation 2.Ruby is trying to make an appointment for her executive with Tom on the phone.

Part Three.Comprehensive Reading

Text A
Professional Secretarial Job Description
As a secretary, he or she may have a lot of duties to fulfill. Generally speaking, a secretary has to do the following major jobs. First, a secretary is expected to relieve the executive of various administrative details. Second, a secretary is required to coordinate and maintain effective office procedures and efficient work flow. Third, a secretary must be able to implement policies and procedures set by the employer. Fourth, a secretary should be able to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships with superiors, co-workers, subordinates, customers or clients, and suppliers.
Apart from what have been mentioned above, a secretary should also be able to do a variety of other jobs. To begin with, a secretary should make appointments for the executive and maintain his or her calendar. A secretary is expected to arrange business itineraries and coordinate the executive’s travel requirements. 
Next, a secretary is expected to take action authorized during the executive’s absence and use initiative to see that matters requiring attention are referred to a delegated authority or handled in a manner so as to minimize the effect of the employer’s absence.
Moreover, a secretary should be able to take shorthand or longhand notes and transcribe those notes or transcribe machine direction. He or she should also be able to type material from longhand or rough copy.
In addition, a secretary is expected to sort, read, and annotate incoming mail 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 directions.
A 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.
Another duty of a secretary is to make arrangements of the executive and coordinate conferences and meetings. A secretary may serve as the recorder of minutes with responsibility of 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.
In summary, the secretarial position can be described as “the boss’ confidant, Jack of all trades, office manager, supply and equipment purchasing manager, and master of office mysteries.” He or she may have to keep a great deal of information without speaking of it to anyone. Because a secretary is often made aware of highly sensitive company information, he or she must be trustworthy and able to keep a “secret”.
New words
[1]	relieve./r.'li.v/.v. 减轻（痛苦、忧虑等）；给……解除负担（或义务等）
[2]	executive./.ɡ'zekj.t.v/.n. 执行者；（高级）行政官，高级官员
[3]	administrative./.d'm.n.str.t.v/.adj. 行政的；管理的
[4]	coordinate./k.u'..d.ne.t/.v. 使协调，使相配合；搭配；协调
[5]	implement./'impliment/.v. 执行；贯彻；使生效
[6]	harmonious./hɑ.'m.uni.s/.adj. 和谐的；友好和睦的，协调的
[7]	superior./su.'p..ri.(r)/.n. 上级，上司
[8]	subordinate./s.'b..d.n.t/.n. 下级，部属，部下
[9]	itinerary./a.'t.n.r.ri/.n. 旅程
[10]	authorize./'..θ.ra.z/.v. 授权；批准
[11]	initiative./.'n...t.v/.n. 主动权；主动性；新方案
[12]	delegate./'del.ɡe.t/.v. 选派；把（工作、权力等）委托给（下级）；授（权）
[13]	minimize./'m.n.ma.z/.v. 使减少到最低限度；降低；贬低；.（尤指在计算机屏幕上）使最小化
[14]	shorthand./'...th.nd/.n. 速记
[15]	longhand./'l..h.nd/.n. 普通书写（与 shorthand 相对）
[16]	transcribe./tr.n'skra.b/.vt. 纪录；抄录；把……转成（另一种书写形式）
[17]	annotate./'.n.te.t/.v. 给……（文学作品等）评注（或注解）
[18]	facilitate./f.'s.l.te.t/.v. 促进；促使；使便利
[19]	abstract./.b'str.kt/.v. 把……抽象出；提取；写出（书等的）摘要
[20]	correlate./'k..r.le.t/.v. 相互关联影响；相互依赖
[21]	minutes./'m.n.ts/.n..（复数）会议记录；摘要；备忘录
[22]	transcription./tr.n'skr.p.n/.n. 抄写；誊写；打印
[23]	distribution./.d.str.'bju..n/.n. 分配，分布；分发，分送
[24]	participant./pɑ.'t.s.p.nt/.n. 参与者，参加者
[25]	supervise./'su.p.va.z/.v. 监督；管理，指导
[26]	budget./'b.d..t/.n. （收支）预算；政府的年度预算
[27]	confidential./.k.nf.'den.l/.adj. 机密的，秘密的
[28]	trustworthy./'tr.stw..ei/.adj..值得信任的，可靠的，可信赖的
Notes
[1]	be expected to 意为“被期待做……”，如Youth culture experts say that teenage girls can’t be expected to support Rihanna just because of her gender. 研究青少年文化的专家说，我们也不能期待少女们会仅因为蕾哈娜是女性就支持她。
[2]	relieve… of… 意为“解除痛苦；减轻……之负担”，文中relieve the executive of various administrative details表达的意思是：为上司处理行政细节事务。 
[3]	apart from意为“除了，除……之外”，文中Apart from what have been mentioned above表达的意思是：除了以上提及的之外。
[4]	refer… to…意为“提交（某人或某机关考虑办理或决定）”，如You should refer your design to your team leader. 你应该将设计提交给你的团队主管。
[5]	minimize the effect of… 意为“将……降到最低”，文中minimize the effect of the employer’s absence表达的意思是：将雇主缺席的影响降至最低。
[6]	the boss’ confidant意为“老板的心腹”。
[7]	Jack of all trades意为“博而不精的万事通”。
[8]	be made aware of意为“得知，发觉”，文中a secretary is often made aware of highly sensitive company information表达的意思是：秘书经常得知公司高度敏感的信息。	

Task 1	Complete the following form according to what you have read.
Subject: The 			 for a secretary to fulfill
 
1.
 Relieve 			 of a variety of administrative details.  
 Be able to carry out 			 set by the employer.
 
2.
 When the executive is away, a secretary should 			 authorized.
 And in order to keep 	.....	 to a minimum, a secretary should make sure the important matters are referred to a delegated authority.
 
3.
 A secretary need to sort, read, and annotate 
		.
 A secretary is expected to prepare 			 by the executive in oral or written directions.
 
4.
 A secretary should make 		. of the executive and coordinate 		...
 A secretary may work as the recorder of 				..
 
5.
 A secretary may supervise or hire 			, select or make recommendations for purchase of 			.
 
6.
 The secretarial position can be described as the supply and equipment 		...
 A secretary must be 		.. and able to 		.
 



Task 2	Complete the sentences by using the words in the box. Change the word form if necessary.
implement..harmonious..minimize..coordinate..supervise..budget
 


1.	I include cleaning and paper products in my grocery ..... as well.
2.	How do you ..... this practice?
3.	Things may not be as ..... as you would like with colleagues or employers this week.
4.	You must ..... the movements of your arms and legs when swimming.
5.	But it also means that Japan has the resources to ..... the damage.
6.	Any citizens have the right to know and to ..... the government.

Task 3	Translate the Chinese sentences into English.
1.	没有人能够期望了解一切，甚至是其中的一小部分。（be expected to）
	
2.	我来帮你拿手提包吧。（relieve… of…）
	
3.	除建造难民营之外，肯尼亚的难民问题有什么其他的解决办法吗？（apart from）
	
4.	他们将计划提交给管理部门。（refer… to…）
	
5.	应该让出席会议的每个人都知道所涉及的风险。（be made aware of）
	

Text B
How to Be a Good Personal Assistant
The best corporate Personal Assistant positions command a good salary but getting to the top of the PA profession requires a number of skills and competencies. Professionalism and confidentiality are the trademarks of a good Personal Assistant. Top of the PA recruitment agencies expect PAs to be organized, efficient, self-motivated, and IT literate. The followings are some tips to be a good personal assistant.
1. Develop Good Interpersonal Skills.
A good PA is unflappable under pressure who has to be calm and able to think on his or her own feet. The ability to work well with others, particularly difficult personalities is essential as top level PAs work with CEOs in very pressurized environments.
2. Develop Good Communication Skills.
They are the first point of contact for customers and clients, therefore PAs need to be good verbal communicators in a pleasant, yet professional manner..The ability to influence people is also essential, as PAs need to negotiate with others for time and resources. Good written communication skills are necessary because PAs often respond to communications about the boss’ behalf, and sometimes write reports and executive summaries.
3. Develop Good IT Skills.
A good corporate Personal Assistant is expected to have the following IT skills:.Microsoft Word (Advanced); Microsoft Excel (Intermediate); Microsoft PowerPoint (Advanced); a good working knowledge of an email package like Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, or Eudora. It is beneficial to have a good grasp of a database software like Microsoft Access, and some knowledge of Microsoft Project.
4. Develop Good Internet Skills.
PAs should also be internet savvy, as they may be required to do research or perform tasks which require a good knowledge of the internet environment..A good knowledge of e-commerce is a definite plus. An understanding of internet marketing and search engine behavior will allow PAs to add value to their role and provide the best possible assistance to their boss.
5. Develop an Interest in Office Technology.
In today’s technologically advanced society, it is essential for PAs to have a good understanding of new technologies. PAs should keep abreast of the latest office gadgets and technologies as they are expected to know how to fix the office photocopier and understand the features on the boss’ Blackberry. Good PAs will recommend changes in office technology to improve efficiency. They will do the necessary research to understand how implementing new technology will be cost effective for the company.
6. Develop the Necessary Skills.
They have to monitor the boss’ email and respond on his behalf; delegate work on the boss’ behalf; manage the boss’ electronic diary; take dictation; prepare papers for meetings; book, manage, and minute meetings; organize and manage events; make 

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