An Office Secretary maintains the smooth running of an office through a variety of administrative and clerical duties. They handle office schedules, coordinate meetings and visits, organize files, answer phones and perform a huge array of other essential tasks. Office Secretaries generally work directly for organization or office management, and depending on their experience may also supervise other clerical staff.

Qualifications & Training

Working Hours

As a general rule, secretaries work full-time, though some employers may use part-time ones.

Secretaries typically work on weekdays. In schools and law offices, secretaries typically have days off for holidays. School secretaries may have multiple weeks for holidays related to Christmas and, except for year-round schools, have several weeks for summer vacation. Law offices tend to be closed on days that courts or government offices are closed.

In most settings, secretaries work daytime hours, such as 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Some medical secretaries may have evening or weekend work, as their physicians’ offices attempt to accommodate patients’ schedules.