The average salesperson focuses on any activity other than the one that brings him the most money. In training, I rarely get asked, “What is the best way to start a conversation? What words to say? - but every time the conversation comes up about cold calls, I hear: “What if we are told “no”?” It is the skill to competently start a conversation and establish contact that brings 80% of the results, and the skill to respond to a refusal is only 20%. Focusing your core strength and focus on dealing with failure is like training to yell “Help!” instead of practicing swimming. Therefore, we will analyze in detail how to get through the secretary.

All methods of passing through the secretary can be divided into three types.

1. Honest tricks are based on our confidence and attitude, knowledge of business processes and other features of the work of both the secretary himself and the company as a whole.

2. Techniques with elements of deception or manipulation are based on a certain misrepresentation of the secretary. I am not a supporter of these techniques, but they exist and work, so it is worth talking about them.

3. Techniques with elements of intrigue and pattern breaking- techniques in which our words do not fit into the secretary's thinking model, his "program" fails, and he lets us through.

The first honest method of passing through the secretary is to find out the name of the decision maker in advance. It's so easy that a lot of people don't! Knowing the name is one of the main keys to contact with the decision maker!

There are several simple ways how to get the name.

Method number 1. Training. While preparing for the call, you can find out the name of the decision maker on the company's website, in its news or in the media.

Method number 2. Colleague's call, or the method of two calls. Your colleague calls your contact first, finds out the name of the decision maker, passes it on to you, and you make your call using the name of the decision maker. By the way, your colleague should make a call with the highest quality and be ready to complete it if he is unexpectedly connected to the decision maker ☺. The colleague's call looks standard:

– Good afternoon! Igor Stalevarov, Unixstream company. Please, connect with the director.

- And on what question?

– On the issue of cooperation. We would like to supply you with our products.

- Email information.

– Yes, okay, I'm ready to record!(Writes down an email.)

– What is the director's name? I'll put a note that information for him. (Or "Who's name should I send the letter to?")

- Andrey Ivanovich Ipatov. (Writes down name.)

– Thanks a lot! When should I call back for results?

“Call Friday after two.

– Yes OK! All the best!

So, your colleague found out the name of the director, now in a couple of hours you can make your call. Of course, it is advisable for your colleague to come up with a different name for the company, so that when you call, the secretary will not have any doubts. Sometimes an experienced assistant to the question: “What is the name of the director? To whom should the letter be sent? will answer: “Write to the name of the company. It will still come to me." In this case, your attempt failed.

Method number 3. District clerk's call. In this case, it is, of course, manipulation. You look at the website of the legal address of the company, call on behalf of the precinct of this area and find out the name of the decision maker. It so happened that in our country most people belong to law enforcement with some fear and first answer their questions, and only then think why. The secretary is most often no exception. The main thing is that you need to know the position of the decision maker and come up with any name and surname of the director in advance. The call is short, made in an absolutely serious, but indifferent tone, without unnecessary words, emotions and respectful words that ordinary people use:

– Gordeev district police officer for such and such a district! Specify, Name and Surname of your director (pause), Leshchinsky Sergey? (Pause.)

- Not. Ipatov Andrey Ivanovich (Cautiously.)

– Uh-huh, Ipatov Andrey Ivanovich. Thanks. (Hangs up the phone.)

In most cases, the secretary, without hesitation, dictates the name of the decision maker. Moreover, in the same way, you can also ask for a direct number, since you “turned” to the district police officer for help.

Method number 4. Call from the tax inspector. The reception completely repeats the previous one, but is done on behalf of the tax inspector.

– Inspector tax number of such and such district Gordeev. This is Unixstream LLC, right?

- Yes, why?..

– Verification of details: are you LLC "Unixstream", legal address 5th Stolbovaya street, 7, and currently the director of the company Leshchinsky Sergey Ivanovich?(We call any last name and first name.)

No. No. (Or immediately she herself calls the correct name and surname.)

– So, you need to fix it ... And who?

Ipatov Andrey Ivanovich. (Cautiously.)

– So, I-pa-tov Andrey Ivanovich. Did his phone stay the same?

– Dictate, I'll check.

- Seven hundred twenty-three ... (The secretary dictates the number.)

– Yes. All right. Thank you!

Method number 5. Call from your secretary. This technique is more convenient to do with the help of a partner. Your colleague should call the company you are interested in on behalf of your personal secretary. Thus, your status becomes one step with her boss, and it is much easier for “your secretary” to negotiate with a colleague. He can both find out the name of the decision maker, and arrange your meeting or, if you need, the time of your call to her boss, then the contact will be expected and will not be cold!

How it might look:

– Good afternoon, Unixstream company, assistant director Ivanova Svetlana. I would like to arrange a meeting (contact) between my director and yours. When is it convenient to do this?

– Hello!.. And specify who you are and on what issue?

– I am an assistant to Sergei Vladimirovich Nikiforov, director of the Unixstream company, we are planning certain projects together with you, and my director instructed me to arrange a meeting with your director when it would be convenient to do this? Sergei Vladimirovich has time, for example, tomorrow afternoon. What do you have?

- Well. Let me take a look. Well, at 16:00 you can. How to enroll you?

- "Unixstream", Sergey Nikiforov. By the way, what is your director's name?

Ipatov Andrey Ivanovich.

- So, Andrey Ivanovich Ipatov. Good. So, tomorrow Sergey will be with you at 16:00. All the best.

Of course, you need to talk absolutely confidently, as if you (or your colleague) were actually an assistant and did not “steam” with any connection issues.

It is important to note how the phrase "we plan certain projects with you" works. This is just the case when we are not lying, but the secretary decides that we are already cooperating. At least he can decide so, because the phrase is said in the present tense - "planning" and vague - "certain projects." At the same time, it looks very impressive.

Method number 6. Calling a third party directly. This method is based on "Preparation". When you study a potential client's website, you sometimes find on it the names, surnames, and phone numbers of some employees. You can call one of them, chat and get the name of the director, a recommendation from a "third party", or maybe immediately go to the decision maker:

- Sergey Ivanovich?

- Sergey Ivanovich, good afternoon, my name is Sergey Nikiforov, Unixstream company. I am looking for a person who is engaged in purchases from you, I looked at the information on your website and decided that perhaps it is you (pause).

- No, no. Probably some mistake...

- Sergey Ivanovich, please, help me, and who is in charge of your purchases? We plan to work with you, and it is important for me to clarify some issues now.

Let me remind you that a third party is not burdened with a burden of responsibility, and if we sound positive, then nothing prevents us from receiving information.

- This is Andrey Nikolaevich, Commercial Director, he makes a decision, and then the managers deal with technical issues.

- Kharlamov.

– Khar-la-mov. How can I easily contact him?

- So. Now I'll tell you... 975 31 10, you will get to Andrei Nikolayevich's secretary.

- I see, thank you, Sergey Ivanovich! May I say that you recommended that I contact him?

- For God's sake.

By the way, what is the secretary's name?

- Albina.

– Thank you very much, Sergey Ivanovich!

Thus, we learned the name of the decision maker, the name of the secretary, and also received pseudo-recommendations that will help us communicate with Albina. Sometimes the third party itself can connect directly with the decision maker. Then it makes sense to say one phrase differently:

- I understand: Andrey Nikolaevich. And what is his last name?

- Kharlamov.

– Khar-la-mov. Sergei Ivanovich, can you connect me with Andrey Nikolaevich?

Of course, there is never a 100% guarantee that a third party will be able to connect, but you remember that with cold calls, as with active sales, it is important to simply use all the possibilities! Nobody canceled the rule of statistics!

findings

1. All methods of passing through the secretary can be divided into three types.

- Honest.

– With elements of deception or manipulation.

- With elements of intrigue and pattern breaking.

2. The first trick to get through to the decision maker is to find out the name in advance. We now have at least six ways to find out the name.

Secretarial business, a brief historical background

Let's forget for a moment about the UN Secretary General, numerous scientific secretaries of highly respected academies, other inhabitants of the upper levels of power, called secretaries. It's from a different area. We will talk about the "secretary rank" established in 1720 by Peter the Great. According to the General Regulations adopted by the reformer tsar, which laid the foundation for Russian office work, this was the name of an official who was entrusted with a wide range of duties in the field, to use modern terminology, of documentary support for management. Clothed with considerable confidence, he had to fulfill his duty without "procrastination and fuzziness in business." Today, the "secretary rank" in our country is experiencing a rebirth. This is dictated by the entry of the Russian economy into market relations and the widespread use of high technologies in business. The share of responsibility of a secretarial worker in the new conditions has increased significantly, the level of his importance in the daily activities of the company has risen. The success of the company, the state of the psychological climate in the team largely depend on his professional training, experience, attitude to business. Unfortunately, the de facto official status of a secretary in many Russian firms does not correspond to the increased volume of work performed. Its role, legal and financial status are unjustifiably downplayed. Quite often there is an inadequate attitude towards a secretarial worker on the part of managers who view this position through the prism of outdated stereotypes. The underestimation of the importance of the secretary and his place in the overall production process in a market, free competition affects. In contrast to the developed capitalist countries, the duties and rights of a secretarial worker, who is sometimes referred to as an assistant secretary or an office manager, are essentially not clearly outlined to this day. The secretarial workshop itself remains fragmented. Secretaries are not professionally united. They do not have nationwide organizations that would be considered by those in power and employers and who would be ready to protect their interests, take care of their professional education, career growth.

The Americans believe that the basis for strengthening the official position, its successful work is the synthesis of two qualities: diligence and initiative. The path to achieving the heights of career growth and obtaining a basic education of a decent level begins. In the modern age of electronics, this necessarily includes the development of the basics of information technology, management and economics, law, business ethics, foreign languages. But you can become a full-fledged secretary only if you accumulate certain experience and length of service.

With regard to the post of secretary in our country on present stage, then in the Qualification Directory of the positions of managers, specialists and other employees, approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Labor and Social Development of the Russian Federation on August 21, 1998 No. 37 (with further additions and changes), it is given with additions: secretary-stenographer, secretary-typist, secretary of a blind specialist, secretary of the head, scientific secretary. The enumeration of the positions of the secretary, given in the Qualification Guide, shows that the concept of "secretary" is quite complicated, and it really has many gradations - from the scientific secretary to the secretary-typist. Hence the wide variety of functions performed by secretaries, a set of duties and rights, various requirements for education, work experience and skills.

The position of secretary to the head requires higher professional education, and the position of secretary-typist requires "initial vocational education or secondary general education and special training according to the established program."

In dictionaries, the word "secretary" is defined as "a person who conducts business correspondence of an individual or an institution, as well as in charge of office work", and in the dictionary of S. I. Ozhegov - "an employee in charge of business correspondence, current affairs of an individual or institution ". Thus, the definitions emphasize that the secretary can serve both an individual (manager) and an institution.

The word "secretary" comes from the French medieval word "secretaire" and originally meant a confidant (in French secret - a secret). A good secretary essentially remains so today. In Russia, the position of secretary appears in the 18th century, at first precisely as the position of the personal secretary of the emperor, and in the Explanatory Dictionary V. Dal defines: "secretary of state, trusted clerk of the sovereign." In the first quarter of the XVIII century. the secretary becomes an official of the institution and the scope of his activities and official duties are outlined in the legislative acts of this period. Thus, in the definitions work with documents comes to the fore. In addition, they emphasize that the secretary can serve both an individual (head) and an institution. The secretary must always be in “form”: carefully and thoughtfully dressed, neat, ready to quickly and efficiently fulfill the instructions given to him, be able to calmly, without confusion, harshness, fuss and solve issues with dignity within his competence. He needs the gift to feel the "nuances" of the case, which allows him to freely get out of difficult situations, in particular, not to see or hear what should not be seen or heard. The secretary is always in sight and aware of many things: he works with documents, participates in business meetings and negotiations, answers the phone call and himself makes an order on behalf of the management, records visitors at the reception. But sometimes you have to do one-time assignments, for example, transferring money, long-distance telephone conversation, visiting a sick colleague, and so on.

The role of the secretary-referent in the structure of documentary support of management. Categories of secretaries.

Secretary is one of the most common professions in modern market labor. No organization can do without a secretary. The secretary is the right hand of the manager, an employee who owns operational information and is aware of the current affairs of the company, firm, organization, enterprise or institution.

The profession of a secretary has undergone significant changes in recent years. If recently it was customary to call the secretary the "face of the company", today it can already be compared with the right hand of the manager, regulating various production processes. In our country, the demand for qualified secretaries has increased dramatically. This is primarily due to the emergence of a large number of structures.

The International Professional Club of Secretaries (Professional Secretaries International) gave the following definition to the modern secretary: "This is an enterprising and judicious assistant to the boss, who has all the professional skills necessary for the office, makes decisions within his competence and, if necessary, takes control."

Today, in organizations and enterprises of various organizational and legal forms, there are quite a few varieties of the secretarial profession. The terms of reference of various secretarial staff are very heterogeneous.

The telephone operator in large organizations receives all telephone calls and connects to the desired subscribers. The secretary on the phone accepts telephone orders and messages, gives by phone the necessary information about the range of goods or services provided by the company, on behalf of the head, contacts his own employees and representatives of third-party organizations by phone. The technical secretary works with office equipment. The receptionist receives letters, faxes, e-mail messages, answers telephone calls and forwards them to their destination, receives visitors. The office secretary receives and analyzes correspondence, prepares draft documents, organizes work with documents, carries out instructions from the head and his deputies, is the coordinator and dispatcher of the office.

In the Qualification Directory of the positions of managers, specialists and other employees (approved by the Decree of the Ministry of Labor of the Russian Federation of August 21, 1998 No. 37), the position of secretary is given with additions: secretary-typist, secretary of a blind specialist, secretary of the head, secretary-stenographer, academic secretary. All of them are distinguished by a wide variety of functions, a set of duties and rights, various requirements for education, work experience and skills. The qualification characteristics of these specialists are presented in Appendix A.

The development of new socio-economic relations in Russia has caused the rapid growth of various types of non-state enterprises and firms. The head of each such organization has a secretary. Secretaries also work for representatives of the free professions - lawyers, notaries, as well as in small private enterprises.

The managerial staff of non-state commercial organizations, as a rule, is very small. The leaders of these firms are mainly engaged in solving the main production issues, strategic problems of the development of their enterprises, and entrust a significant part of the managerial (primarily administrative) work to their secretaries. The secretary of the head of a modern company must not only quickly print and correctly execute documents, but also compose the texts of various documents, edit projects, not only rationally organize the reception of visitors and telephone service, but also independently resolve many issues in accordance with the instructions entrusted from the head.

This new kind of secretarial profession was called the assistant secretary.

As you know, the secretary and the referent are quite different varieties of the secretarial profession. The secretary of the head of the organization is an assistant who organizes the activities of the first head, draws up documents for him, organizes meetings, negotiations, business trips, and provides telephone services. The referent is a specialist not only in the field of secretarial business, but also in the field of the main activity of the company; he prepares decisions, reports, reports, speeches of the head, analytical documents; analyzes the situation and takes part in the development of the company's strategy and tactics.

The word "secretary" comes from the Latin word secret ("secret"), and the word "referent" means "a person who communicates something." The origin of the name "secretary-referent" partly explains the role and importance of the secretary in the management structure.

The secretary-referent is a trusted person of the head who owns certain information and frees his boss from the current work in order to enable him to focus on solving the main issues of the enterprise. Thanks to the work of the assistant secretary, the manager can concentrate as much as possible on the fulfillment of his professional tasks.

The assistant secretary is a profession that includes many functions. Numerous and varied duties of a modern secretary-referent can (with a sufficient degree of convention) be divided into two large groups:

Functions for documentation support of management;

Functions for the so-called documentless service of the head.

Performing the functions of documentary support of management, the secretary-referent is engaged in the preparation and execution of official documents, organization of workflow, storage and use of documents in the current activities of the organization. It should be noted that in non-state structures where assistant secretaries work, a dedicated office work unit, as a rule, is not created, office work functions are concentrated in the secretariat. However, workplace assistant secretary is usually equipped with modern technical means and supported by software. This allows you to optimally, with the least expenditure of working time, organize clerical services, combining it with the performance of numerous other duties.

The functions of the assistant secretary for documentless services include: organizing the reception of visitors, telephone service, ensuring the work rest of the head, contacts with the company's staff and taking care of the company's guests, organizing meetings and negotiations of the head, preparing business trips for the head, organizing and participating in meetings, control execution of instructions of the management, organization of the working day of the head, time reservation, organization of the workplace of the head, control over the serviceability and proper operation of office equipment.

Often, secretarial functions for non-documented maintenance of management are defined as functions for organizational support of the activities of the head. This is not entirely accurate. Indeed, the secretary-referent is a reliable assistant to the head. At the same time, all (or most of them) internal and external relations of the organization are closed on it, it is the link between the manager and employees, as well as business partners. Thus, a significant place in the functions of the assistant secretary for documentless services is occupied by communication functions. Today, the secretary-referent of the head is not only often called the "right hand" of the head, but also compared with the "central nervous system" of the company, which once again emphasizes the importance of the communication component in paperless service.

A special group of functions of the secretary-referent are referent functions, which are difficult to unambiguously determine as documentary or non-documentary. With some degree of conventionality, these functions are sometimes defined as the functions of information support for the activities of the head. The reference component primarily includes:

Viewing special literature and periodicals on the profile of the company,

Search and processing of information necessary for the head,

Knowledge of books, reference books and other sources that contain the information necessary in the daily activities of the head.

The volume of referent functions in different organizations is very different, but every secretary-referent should be able to competently organize work with information. The secretary-referent must have comprehensive information about the employees of the company (phone numbers, addresses, etc.), be able to find the employee necessary for the manager not only during working hours, but also in their free time, be aware of the most important events in the personal life of employees (anniversaries, other celebrations).

In addition to the traditional duties of an assistant and referent to the head, today the assistant secretary is delegated a variety of functions that have never previously been part of the secretarial activity. The range of these responsibilities is quite wide and varied in different firms.

Often, individual administrative functions, small accounting operations are transferred to the secretary-referent. The duties of the secretary-referent include receiving clients and guests of the company, activities within the framework of public relations (public relations), the formation of archives, etc. The secretary-referent looks through the correspondence of the head, sending some of the documents directly to specialists and managers; he fixes and controls the execution of all instructions of the head, both written and oral. In his diary, all facts, documents, instructions related to the activities of the head are recorded.

In small commercial organizations, the assistant secretary, as a rule, interacts with the security service, personnel and economic services. In the absence of positions of heads of these services, he sometimes directly coordinates the activities of these units. Often, individual functions of employees involved in work with personnel (for example, documenting labor relations) are transferred to assistant secretaries. In some small firms, the duties of an assistant secretary are closer to those of a deputy head for general issues.

Often, an employee who performs the duties of a junior secretary is subordinate to the assistant secretary.

Any secretary-referent must be able to make decisions, give instructions and represent his manager in business situations.

The importance of secretaries-referents in the management structure is steadily increasing. According to the magazine "Profile" today the secretary-referent is one of the twenty most popular professions. Moreover, in terms of the degree of prestige and prospects for the next five years, this profession received the highest rating. Lively and interesting work, good pay (especially in large cities) make this profession quite attractive. The demand for professional assistant secretaries is maintained regardless of crises, political and currency fluctuations.

The formation of a new secretarial profession is equally based on domestic and foreign experience in organizing secretarial services.

It should be noted that in the United States and Western European countries, the work of a certified secretary has long been considered quite respected and is paid accordingly. Secretaries are trained in specialized educational institutions with a high level of teaching. Many countries have introduced a special examination for the title of professional secretary, without passing which it is impossible to count on a high secretarial position.

The work of the assistant secretary of a modern Russian company has its own specifics:

A wide variety of tasks with significant differences in their degree of complexity, importance, etc.;

A very busy working day;

The need to perform several tasks in parallel;

Constant overtime, unplanned tasks, the need to stay late after the end of the working day in case of urgent work;

Special working conditions: phone calls, calls, etc.

The specificity and complexity of secretarial work is also connected with the fact that the secretary is always in sight, in the center of communication with management, colleagues, clients. It is no coincidence that they say that "the secretary is the face of the company." Secretary-referent is a service profession. In domestic practice, the position of assistant secretary is predominantly occupied by women, who are more likely to realize themselves as an assistant.

In connection with the change in the place of the secretary in the management structure of a modern company, there are also higher requirements for the level of education of the assistant secretary, his professional erudition, communication skills, and the ability to solve various business problems.

Today, the profession of a secretary-referent requires a person to be highly prepared, a whole range of personal and business qualities, due to the specifics of secretarial work.

Let us turn to the numerous announcements inviting assistant secretaries to work. The following requirements are imposed on applicants for this position: knowledge of office work (knowledge of the rules for compiling and processing the main types of management documents and the basic rules for organizing work with documents is implied); PC skills (knowledge of the Microsoft World text editor, Microsoft Excel spreadsheet system and general familiarity with the Windows operating system are implied); knowledge within certain limits of a foreign language, more often English, less often German or French.

In fact, the qualification and other requirements for modern secretaries are much more extensive. Unfortunately, when hiring a secretary, the manager is not always able to clearly formulate these requirements. And the job description, where available, does not give a complete picture of the duties of the assistant secretary.

A professional secretary-referent must have certain knowledge and skills, possess certain business and personal qualities.

The professional knowledge and skills required by a modern assistant secretary can be divided into three groups:

1. Knowledge necessary for documentation and information support for management and the company as a whole.

The secretary-referent must know:

Regulatory and methodological documents on documentary support of management,

Basic principles of document management organization,

Fundamentals of archiving

Main application programs

Russian language,

One or more foreign languages ​​(depending on the profile of the company).

Compile and execute the main types and varieties of management documents;

Rationally organize work with management documents, maintain an archive;

Find, organize and store information;

Use a typewriter personal computer, printer, other means of compiling, manufacturing, copying documents.

2. Knowledge necessary for communicative support of the company and its administration:

Rules for conducting a business conversation;

Principles of organizing the reception of visitors, meetings, business trips;

Modern means of communication;

Fundamentals of professional ethics.

Based on this knowledge, the secretary should be able to:

Conduct business conversations and telephone conversations;

Organize meetings, presentations, business trips;

Use modern means of communication;

Organize the reception of visitors;

Plan your work, plan and save the manager's time.

3. Knowledge related to the main activities of the company, its internal structure and external relations:

Principles of organization of managerial work, legal framework management;

Fundamentals of administrative, labor and economic law;

Legal acts and regulations governing the activities of the firm and its employees.

Based on this knowledge, the secretary must be able to ensure the effective work of the leader.

In addition, we can say about the special knowledge that a scientific secretary, who usually has not only a higher education, but also a scientific degree, should have.

The academic secretary needs to know:

Scientific problems of the relevant field of knowledge, science and technology;

Directions for the development of the economy in a particular field of activity of the institution;

Domestic and foreign achievements in a similar field of knowledge;

The established procedure for organizing, planning, financing, conducting and implementing scientific research and development, as well as their patenting;

Current legislation governing the protection of copyrights and patents;

Methods of organizing the work of scientists and managing scientific research and development, etc.

Thus, the secretary-referent must be able to perform all types of work: from the simplest technical to creative. But his work differs from the work of other secretaries, first of all, by the highest professionalism, the presence of reference types of work related to the collection, analysis, presentation of materials and the preparation of documents, fluent knowledge of foreign languages ​​and impeccable knowledge of computer technology. The secretary-referent is a highly educated, creatively gifted, highly professional assistant to the head, whom he always trusts and who he can fully rely on when carrying out assignments of any complexity.

Professional requirements for various categories of secretaries

Qualification directory of positions of employees about the categories of secretaries. Secretary typist. Secretary-stenographer. Secretary of a blind specialist. Head Secretary. General requirements for various categories of secretaries. Steps in the career of a modern secretary. Secretary-referent. Office Manager. Secretary-assistant to the head. Categories of secretaries. The activities of the secretary in the structure of the management apparatus. Qualification requirements for the work of a secretary, level of education, work experience, practical skills. Regulation of official duties of the secretary in organizational and legal documents. Purpose, content, procedure for developing job descriptions and training instructions for a secretary of a certain category. The dependence of the functions of the secretary on the level of the head, the direction of the organization, the volume of workflow, the system of documentation support. Interaction of the secretary with the staff of the organization.

Business and personal qualities of the secretary of the referent.

Modern psychology understands personality as a more or less autonomous, stable system of socially significant individual psychological characteristics of a person, making him exactly like that, and not another, defining his self-awareness, behavior, abilities, creative abilities, attitude towards himself and other people, in a word - his whole appearance. , level of claims and actual behavior. These characteristics are due to the natural characteristics of people, for example, age, gender, temperament, etc., their current needs, interests, value orientations and social roles in society, but at the same time, past life experience acquired through the acquired knowledge, skills, habits, culture of previous generations, family traditions, etc.

Based on the data obtained from nature (and, if necessary, slightly correcting them) you can form yourself as a person capable of mastering the desired profession, to benefit society and oneself and to derive satisfaction from the work performed. AT everything said in full belongs to the profession secretary.

We are talking about the secretary of an enterprise, institution, organization of any form of management. This profession is very common all over the world, especially among girls and young women, but not a few men are also employed in secretarial work. Abroad, the position of a company secretary for a young man is considered prestigious and highly paid. The popularity of this profession in modern Russia rises in connection with the transition to a market economy and the emergence of a mass of new entrepreneurial and other structures. But at the same time, the level of professional and other requirements for the personality of a secretary is also rising.

The secretary is the face of the institution. The company is judged by his work and behavior. The secretary must adhere to "business corporate style." Accuracy, competence, correctness, efficiency, conciseness, politeness and goodwill - these are his main principles and they must be observed in work.

An office can work without a boss, but not without a secretary

Jane Fonda

The profession of a secretary is one of the most demanded today. Just a few years ago, firms typically only needed one single secretary. One person handled everything, including taking calls, distributing work, such as an entire fleet of vehicles, printing documents, tea and coffee for visitors, and arranging the boss's day.

Today, it is simply impossible to cope with so many responsibilities in large, and even in medium-sized companies, alone. There are many companies where one employee performs all secretarial duties, while in other organizations there is a whole department of secretaries, which is managed by the head of the secretariat, it all depends on the size of the company, as well as on the specifics of its activities.

We tried to identify and classify all existing secretarial positions depending on the functions performed and the place of the employee in the structure of the organization.

If we assume that the company employs the maximum number of secretaries, then the work of the secretariat department may look like this.

The staff of operators on the phone is calling potential clients offering goods or services. At the same time, there is a flood of calls from clients because the firm is advertising in the media. These calls are received by the secretary on the phone and assign the callers the time of the visit. When visitors arrive at the office, they are met by a receptionist who escorts clients to a special room. There, an attentive office administrator, while the visitor is waiting for an appointment, will offer him tea or coffee. And if at some point the flow of customers has stopped, then the administrator cleans up the room for visitors, lays out magazines, waters the flowers. At the same time, there is an economic office manager, he sends couriers and drivers and monitors the availability of stationery, controls the functioning of the office. Each manager has a personal secretary, and senior managers also have assistant secretaries and personal assistants. To complete the picture, you can add PC operators filling in databases, printing all documentation, price lists, brochures, booklets with constantly updated information, as well as secretaries-clerks involved in record keeping, accounting and archiving. All secretarial services are managed by the head of the secretariat department.

And it's far from full list secretarial positions, so let's try to combine the closest specializations into some basic groups that are most often encountered in practice, namely:

phone operator;
receptionist / administrator / secretary at the reception;
department secretary;
secretary-referent;
office manager/head of secretariat;
personal assistant / personal assistant.

Phone operator

This is perhaps the lowest paid, but the most sought after position of all office services. There are many other titles for this position, for example, an employee, more often an employee, for working on the phone, a manager for negotiating, a dispatcher on the phone, etc.

The main responsibility of such an employee is to work with incoming or outgoing calls. As a rule, the work is not related to the direct service of visitors or the performance of management tasks.

, the ability to win over during a telephone conversation
phone sales skills

Typical Features:

Calls from clients and customers of the organization;
- calls to employees of the organization with further forwarding;
- calls from employees of the organization involved in production cycles.

2. Implementation of sales by phone with outgoing calls, or with incoming calls from customers.

3. Transfer by phone of reference information.

4. Displaying the results of receiving phone calls in specialized organization programs:

Recording customer information;
- Sales results;
- Advertising sources of calls;
- etc.

Such a position usually exists in large companies or in companies focused on a large flow of customers (service, reference and other services). The list of requirements for this employee is small and is usually limited to having a pleasant voice and a desire to work.

Receptionist/Receptionist/Receptionist

This name comes from the name of the administrative reception desk, behind which the secretary's workplace is located. Hence, a variety of spelling and pronunciation options: receptionist, receptionist, as well as the name of the profession itself, the receptionist. Initially, such positions, like the reception desks themselves, existed only in hotels and beauty salons. Now, in many offices where they are actively working with visitors, such a person is needed. Similar duties for the dispatcher, secretary on duty, secretary on the phone, etc.

The vacancy of a receptionist is opened by companies whose offices receive a large number of phone calls, many visitors come. Therefore, girls with good external data are usually invited to the position of receptionist.

Main requirements:

Confident use of computers and office equipment
knowledge of foreign languages ​​is optional
good communication skills

Typical Features:

1. Receiving calls in Russian and / or foreign languages:

From clients and customers of the organization
- calls to employees of the organization with further forwarding

2. Meeting and registration of visitors at the reception

3. Receiving letters, faxes, electronic documentation
4. Performs some other minor assignments of the management. In some cases, it keeps statistics, accepts cash, fills out forms of documents, prints letters (without self-compilation).
Most often, this position is found in foreign companies and Russian firms focused on foreign clients. As a rule, one of the main requirements for candidates for this vacancy is knowledge of a foreign language at least at a good conversational level.

Department Secretary

A secretary who works as part of a structural unit of the company (department, section, sector, etc.), often possessing special knowledge related to the specifics of the work of the relevant structural unit.

Main requirements:

Confident use of computers and office equipment

higher education is desirable or special knowledge related to the specifics of the work of the relevant structural unit
knowledge of foreign languages ​​for foreign companies
good communication skills

Typical Features:

1. Receiving calls, answering standard requests within the framework of the work of this structural unit, forwarding calls to specific employees.
2. Meeting visitors.
3. Purchase of stationery.
4. Record keeping of the structural unit.
5. Viewing mail, selecting and structuring the necessary correspondence.

This position is found only in large companies with structural divisions or many departments.

Assistant Secretary

The secretary-referent is more focused on working outside the company, that is, he carries out the orders of the boss regarding communication with clients and partners, therefore he is required to know foreign languages. The competence of the secretary of the head includes issues related to the processes taking place within the company, that is, he performs tasks related to the company itself and its employees.
This secretary, as well as a personal assistant, works with one person, but these are most often the second persons of the company (deputy directors, vice presidents, heads of departments and divisions, etc.). Also, the assistant secretary can work with the first person, without performing representative and some other functions of a personal assistant.

Main requirements:

higher education
1 year experience in a similar position
performance, responsibility, learning
Confident use of computers and office equipment

Typical Features:

1. Self-composing letters.
2. Control over the execution of documents and tasks subordinated to the immediate head of the structural unit/s.
3. Drawing up the work schedule of the head.
4. Review and preparation of information for the manager.
5. Drawing up analytical notes and references for the boss.
6. Preparation and provision of negotiations.

Office Manager / Head of Secretariat

An office manager is a kind of office administrator. In addition to the usual secretarial duties, he may be entrusted with the coordination of the activities of a number of company services (for example, automotive), the execution of orders from employees, both senior and ordinary. This position requires more autonomy than just a secretary or receptionist. The office manager has the right to carry out certain projects within his competence (studying new products and services, improving the company's work systems). And also often it is this secretary who is responsible for organizing corporate events, conferences, lunch delivery to the office, etc.

Main requirements:
higher education
Confident use of computers and office equipment
responsibility, vigor

Typical Features:

1. Ensuring the life of the office (organization of the purchase of stationery, water delivery, control over the availability of paper in printers, copiers, and much more).

2. The solution of administrative issues (rent of the building, cleaners, drivers, secretaries and much more).
3. Introduction of new forms of work organization.
4. Representative powers (in government agencies, etc.).
5. Selection, management and training of subordinate personnel.
The position is more typical for companies with large office space.
The head of the secretariat is found only in large companies, with a staff of at least 58 secretaries in the office.

Personal Assistant/Personal Assistant

One of the most responsible secretarial positions, requiring aerobatics and professionalism. A good helper, except for his own professional knowledge and skills, must have highly developed abilities for analytical activities, be independent in making decisions, and most importantly, be a very good psychologist and know the characteristic habits of his boss as well as his close relatives. All documents that have passed through the assistant and go to the manager's desk must be impeccable. Knowledge of business etiquette is highly demanded for this position. The ability of a personal assistant to behave at business meetings depends on how the participants in this meeting perceive the leader.
In other words, this is an indispensable assistant who is aware of all the working moments and problems of his manager. It is assumed that this secretary works exclusively with the first person. The main task of such a specialist is to become the "right hand" of his boss, save his very expensive working time, saving him to the maximum from those routine questions and problems that a professional, qualified secretary can handle.

Main requirements:

psychological compatibility with the leader
higher education
two years experience in a similar position
diligence, responsibility, learning ability, exceptional courtesy
Confident use of computers and office equipment

Typical Features:

1. Coordinates the actions of the leader.
2. Independently draws up documents.
3. Prepares materials for meetings and negotiations.
4. Prepares analytical notes and references.
5. Keeps minutes of meetings, negotiations, meetings of shareholders and the board of directors.
6. Translates from a foreign language as needed.
7. Prepares business trips for the manager (selection, ordering a hotel, tickets for transport, taxis, etc.).
8. Reports only to his immediate supervisor. In rare cases, his work may be coordinated by an office manager.

The salary level of secretaries depends on the secretary's requirements for knowledge, experience, skills and qualifications. It also cannot be ignored financial position a particular company and the policy pursued by it in relation to the salaries of its employees.
The salaries of secretaries are generally affected by the following factors:

• knowledge of one or more foreign languages;
• experience in a similar position;
• availability of higher education;
• special skills necessary for a particular position, as well as knowledge of special computer programs;
• requirements for the appearance of candidates.

Below is the average salary for secretaries in Moscow, depending on the position and the above factors that affect the level of salaries.

The secretary is called the faithful assistant and right hand of the boss and for good reason, because the duties of the secretary of the head include ensuring effective managerial and administrative activities. The secretary of the head is engaged in the preparation and execution of business papers and documents, helps the boss in business, and solves many organizational issues.

The position of the assistant secretary can also be considered representative, since he is the face of the company - he meets guests, answers calls and letters. Such work requires a lot of composure, communication and organization. For this reason, the profession of a secretary can promise great prospects - in the future, a specialist can become an office manager, and then one of the directors or top managers.

The position of executive secretary is required in almost every company that has an office for clients and visitors. It can be both large enterprises and small businesses.

History of the profession

Over time, the powers of the secretary have expanded significantly and today they can perform a wide variety of functions. Thus, there is a need for specialists narrow specialization, as a result of which the profession of secretary-referent, clerk, secretary-translator and office manager appeared.

Responsibilities of the secretary

Responsibilities of the Assistant Secretary include:

• reception of visitors;
• receiving phone calls;
• record keeping;
• planning the working day of the head;
• organization of meetings;
• ordering tickets and booking hotels for the manager and other employees during a business trip;
• ordering stationery for the office;
• fulfillment of the manager's requests.

Sometimes the functions of the secretary of the head include correspondence in English.

requirements for a secretary

Requirements for the secretary-referent include:

• secondary or higher education;
• PC ownership;
• knowledge of the basics of office work;
• knowledge of English (sometimes).

Also, the position of secretary requires the following skills:

• punctuality;
• the ability to look good (presentability);
• organization.

secretary resume template

Resume sample

How to become a secretary

How to become a secretary? This can be the owner of any higher education who has completed courses for assistant secretaries or received training directly at the workplace. As a rule, employers do not impose special requirements on the applicant's specialty, but focus on the fact that the applicant has the necessary personal qualities and is able to perform duties at the proper level.

secretary salary

The salary of a secretary can be different - from 15 to 45 thousand rubles. Income depends on the range of duties of the employee and the region in which he works. The average salary of an assistant secretary is 30 thousand rubles.

Back to Leadership Responsibilities

The Secretary performs the following duties:

- Carries out work on the organizational and technical support of the administrative and administrative activities of the head.

- Accepts the correspondence received for consideration by the head, transfers it in accordance with the decision made to structural divisions or a specific contractor for use in the process of work or preparation of answers.

- Accepts documents and personal statements for the signature of the head.

- Answers phone calls, records and transmits official information to the head, organizes telephone conversations of the head.

- On behalf of the head, draws up letters, requests, and other documents.

— Performs work on the preparation of meetings and meetings held by the head (collection necessary materials, notification of participants about the time and place of the meeting, agenda, their registration), keeps and draws up minutes of meetings and meetings.

— Carries out control over the execution by the employees of the enterprise of issued orders and instructions, as well as compliance with the deadlines for the implementation of instructions and instructions of the head taken under control.

– Provides the workplace of the head with the necessary means of organizational technology, stationery, creates conditions conducive to the effective work of the head.

- Organizes the reception of visitors, contributes to the prompt consideration of requests and proposals of employees.

– Forms cases in accordance with the approved nomenclature, ensures their safety and deadlines submits to the archive.

— Organizes business trips of the head: orders air and railway tickets, books hotels.

- Performs separate official assignments of his immediate supervisor.

The secretary has the right:

- Receive information, including confidential, to the extent necessary to solve the tasks.

— Submit proposals to the management to improve their work and the work of the company.

- Request personally or on behalf of the head from the divisions of the enterprise and other specialists information and documents necessary for the performance of his duties.

— Require management to create normal conditions for the performance of official duties and the safety of all documents generated as a result of the company's activities.

- Make decisions within their competence.

The secretary is responsible:

— For non-performance and / or untimely, negligent performance of their duties.

— For non-compliance with current instructions, orders and orders for conservation trade secret and confidential information.

— For violation of the internal labor regulations, labor discipline, safety and fire safety rules.

Duties of the Director
Former director
External control
operational management
Control system

Back | | Up

©2009-2018 Financial Management Center. All rights reserved. Publication of materials
allowed with the obligatory indication of a link to the site.

What the secretary should know and be able to do is set out in the qualification profile.

Qualification characteristic- This normative document, establishing what this or that employee should do at his job, what he should know and be able to do for this, and what should be the level of his training.

Job Responsibilities (Secretary must be able to) Perform technical functions to ensure and service the work of the head of the enterprise (or division), help plan the workday of the head. Receive the information necessary for the manager from departments or performers, call employees on his behalf. Organize telephone conversations with the head, receive and transmit telephone messages, record received messages in his absence and bring their contents to the attention of the head. Organize trips and business trips of the head. Carry out work on the preparation of meetings and meetings held by the head (collecting the necessary materials, notifying participants of the time, place and agenda of the meeting or meeting, registering them), keeping and drawing up minutes. Provide the manager's workplace with stationery, organizational equipment, create conditions conducive to his effective work. Transmit and receive information on receiving and intercom devices, quickly print various materials at the direction of the head. Conduct documentation work, accept correspondence addressed to the head, organize it in accordance with the procedure adopted at the enterprise and transfer it after consideration to the heads of departments or specific performers for use in the process of their work or for preparing a response. News information service manager and employees (oral, documentary, write press reviews, provide copies of interesting articles). Follow the deadlines for fulfilling the instructions of the head on personal statements of citizens. Organize the reception of visitors, while showing tact and attention to them, contribute to the prompt consideration of requests and proposals of employees, form cases in accordance with the approved nomenclature of cases, ensure their safety and submit them to the archive in a timely manner. Create and use databases (including Internet information).

The secretary must know: the activities of the company and the duties and competencies of employees; provisions and instructions for documentation support; typescript; work on a personal computer, modern computer editors (Word, Excel, etc.); spelling and punctuation rules; the order of arrangement of the material when printing various documents; rules for the operation of office equipment (faxes, mini-ATS, photocopiers, voice recorders, tape recorders); rules for the use of receiving and intercom devices; standards of the unified system of organizational and administrative documentation; internal labor regulations; fundamentals of the scientific organization of secretarial work; human psychology and laws effective communication; office etiquette; rules and norms of labor protection, safety measures, industrial sanitation and fire protection; foreign language of clients and partners; Labor Code of the Russian Federation.

For the development and specification of qualification characteristics at enterprises (firms), job descriptions are developed.

Job description - the main organizational and legal document regulating the activities of the secretary, defining his rights, position in the organization, nature of work. The Secretary relies on this document in his relationships with employees. What is written in the job description, then it will be asked what rights are given in it, the secretary has those.

The job description for a secretary is an individual document, since the position of a secretary has many gradations. In a small organization (or firm) there will be one secretary (secretary-referent). In larger organizations, the head and his deputies may have secretaries in each structural unit. There are secretaries of the board, scientific secretaries of scientific councils, etc. Each secretary always, based on the scope and specifics of the organization’s activities, the requirements of the head and his trust in the secretary, develops his own range of duties and rights, various combinations of creative, logical and technical types works. At the same time, there is typical set management operations for documentary and non-documentary services, which are performed by all secretaries. In addition, the peculiarity and complexity of compiling the job description of the secretary are due to the versatility of his activities. Therefore, it is impossible to talk about any single standard of the job description of a secretary (secretary-referent).

However, as with any job description, it is subject to General requirements. First of all, it has an already established unified structure of the text, namely the sections:

1. General Provisions;

2) functions;

3) official duties;

5) responsibility;

6) relationships;

7) communications by position.

A "Job Evaluation" section may be added, and in recent years there has been an increasing number of "Organization of Work (Daily Schedule)" sections.

The "General Provisions" section contains the exact name of the position in accordance with the staffing table, the place in the management system, i.e. the name of the structural unit and subordination, the procedure for appointment and dismissal and the procedure for replacement. In large organizations that have a DOW service, the secretary has dual subordination - directly to his head and the head of the DOW service. Secretaries are appointed and dismissed by order of the head (in a large organization - on the proposal of the head of the DOW service).

In the same section, the requirements for professional training and work experience are indicated. Today, the attitude towards the secretary and the requirements for him have changed dramatically. Firms are looking for a secretary with a higher or secondary specialized education who knows a foreign language and is fluent on a computer. Increasingly, the secretary, as well as abroad, is required to know not one, but two or more foreign languages, since firms have numerous contacts with foreign partners, and the secretary communicates with them. It also contains indications of the main legislative, regulatory, regulatory, methodological, organizational, administrative documents by which the secretary is guided in his work.

The "Functions" section lists the main activities of the secretary (secretary-referent), for example: information and documentation support for the head, organizational support for the work of the head, participation in the preparation of exhibitions and presentations, etc.

The section "Responsibilities" lists all types of work, operations and technologies used in their implementation. It lists in a logical sequence the work performed by the secretary. All types of work are divided into operations with an indication of the technology of execution. For example, the function "information and documentation support" is divided into two parts: documentation and work with documents. Documentation, in turn, includes the preparation of letters (letters of invitation, letters of reminder, etc.), telegrams, etc., on the instructions of the project manager; printing documents of the head on the computer; verification of the correctness of the execution of documents when submitted for signature to the head (visas, the availability and correctness of the details in accordance with the requirements of the standard, etc.); making and certifying copies of documents, etc. Working with documents includes receiving incoming documents (hours are indicated, for example: at 09 and 16 hours), receiving faxes and e-mails (during the day); primary processing of received documents in accordance with the requirements of the office work instructions; preview of documents (if it is entrusted to the secretary); registration of documents according to the rules established by the organization; report of documents to the head, etc.

The "Rights" section is perhaps the most important. He emphasizes the place of the secretary in the management system, his importance, position in the organization. It is through the rights that the powers delegated by the head to the secretary and the degree of his independence are visible. This section enables the secretary to free up the manager's time for solving the main strategic and tactical tasks.

It is this section of the job description that gives the secretary (secretary-referent) greater or lesser powers and determines the degree of his capabilities.

The section "Responsibility" is compiled in strict accordance with the law.

The section “Relationships (connections by position)” is also very important for organizing the work of any employee administrative apparatus, and this is primarily due to the active implementation automated systems, which require a detailed indication of what information, in what form, to whom it is transmitted and from whom it comes.

In recent years, a Job Evaluation section has often appeared in job descriptions. It usually indicates the criteria for the timeliness of the work and its quality, for example: the absence of complaints, claims and complaints; absence of errors in documents; compliance with the deadlines for the execution of instructions from the management, etc.

As a rule, the job description ends with an indication of the procedure for its revision. The conditions for revising the job description may be changes in the structure of the organization, which entailed a redistribution of the duties of employees, a change in the types of work performed by the secretary, and the introduction of computer technology. But much more often indicate the period of mandatory revision or re-approval of the instruction (3 years or 5 years).

An optional section is "Organization of work", but recently it has been very popular and is becoming more and more common. It provides an approximate daily schedule for the work of the secretary. It might look like this.

FIRST HALF OF WORKING DAY:

1) come to work 10 minutes before the head, in order to check the state of the workplace (his own and the head), put himself in order, draw up or clarify a plan for the coming day;

2) pick up according to the plan required documents and deeds;

3) receive correspondence, familiarize yourself with the content, put aside documents that require a priority decision of the head;

4) telegrams, urgent faxes and telephone messages to immediately transfer to the head;

5) prepare options for possible answers or resolutions for the rest of the documents, distribute among the executors;

6) review received reviews, reports, invitations, etc.

d.; Record the dates and times of all events in your diary-calendar;

7) keep the documents necessary for the current information and reference work;

8) report to the manager on the received correspondence;

9) clarify, together with the head, the content of the planned activities for the current day;

10) transfer by phone and personally the instructions of the head to the relevant executors and remind about the expiring deadlines for the execution of documents.

AFTERNOON:

1) collection and preparation for signing of executed documents;

2) report to the manager on the executed documents, take the documents processed by him from the manager;

3) process and send outgoing documents;

4) plan activities for the next day.

Throughout the working day are:

a) work with visitors, telephone conversations;

b) filing of executed documents in cases;

c) performance of work on the computer;

d) organizing the copying of documents in accordance with the instructions of the head.

END OF WORKING DAY:

1) review your diary and inform the relevant departments about the need to prepare for certain activities;

2) if the head remains to work after the end of the working day, it is necessary to provide him with all the necessary information, materials;

3) tidy up your workplace, remove documents, lock the safe and all filing cabinets with a key, turn off electronic and technical equipment from the network.

The job description is integral part the entire package of documents necessary for organizing the work of the administrative apparatus.

ADVICE. Organize your working day in such a way that you can do everything and be useful to everyone. Give yourself to your work, but do not forget that there are issues that are not in your competence. Therefore, do only what you have to do.

Summing up: it should be noted again that the job description for the secretary is an individual document, since the position of secretary has many gradations. Each secretary, based on the volume and specifics of the organization's activities, the requirements of the head and his trust in the secretary, has his own range of duties and rights, various combinations of creative, logical and technical types of work.

The chief engineer of an enterprise is usually considered the right hand of the director, and the deputy for commerce is the left, but when there is no secretary, the director is completely without hands.

The concept of a secretary and varieties
The concept of "secretary" wide enough. Translated from Latin, the word "secretarius" means "confidant".

Usually, the relationship between the secretary and the manager is quite trusting, and it should be so, because. oblige official powers.

The concept of a secretary today is quite complex and has many gradations, I will give an example of some of them:
Technical Secretary- works with office equipment (fax, multifunctional device, personal computer), uses the Internet, performs instructions for managers and employees, calls companies and institutions on behalf of the head, receives and sends messages by means of communication.
receptionist- receives incoming letters and faxes, messages by e-mail, answers phone calls, forwards them to departments or specific employees, meets visitors.
office secretary- accepts and analyzes correspondence, fulfills the instructions of the head and his deputies, typeset texts of documents, maintains documentation.
Assistant Secretary- not only a secretary, but also a specialist who is well acquainted with the activities of the company, which in some cases can make some independent decisions. The secretary-referent prepares reports of the head, searches for the necessary documentation for the head, plans the work day of the head, and resolves administrative issues within his competence.
Office Manager– ensures the functioning of the entire office: prepares materials for presentations, ensures uninterrupted transport service, clear communication, ensuring the operation of office equipment and the availability of stationery. The office manager is responsible for the appearance of the office; in a small institution, he can simultaneously perform the functions of a personnel officer.
In small commercial organizations, secretaries, whatever they are called, are distinguished by the fact that they have to perform universal work.
The profession of a secretary is perhaps the closest to the profession of an actor. The specificity and complexity of the work of a secretary is due to the fact that he is always in sight, in the center of communication with management, colleagues, clients. A smile, a pleasant voice, a neat appearance, confident gestures and goodwill, regardless of mood, create a special atmosphere in the office.

Secretary job description

APPROVE
CEO
Surname I.O. ________________
"________"_____________ ____ G.

1. General Provisions

1.1. The secretary belongs to the category of technical performers.
1.2. The secretary is appointed to the position and dismissed from it by order of the general director of the company.
1.3. Secretary reports directly to CEO/ head of the structural division of the company.
1.4. During the absence of the secretary, his rights and duties are transferred to another official, which is announced in the order for the organization.
1.5. A person who meets the following requirements is appointed to the position of secretary: education - higher, incomplete higher or secondary specialized, experience of similar work from six months, knowledge of office equipment (fax, copier, scanner, printer), Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel).
1.6. The secretary is guided in his activities by:
- legislative acts of the Russian Federation;
— the Charter of the company, the Internal Labor Regulations, other regulatory acts of the company;
- orders and directives of the management;
- this job description.

2. Duties of the secretary

The Secretary performs the following duties:
2.1. Carries out work on the organizational and technical support of the administrative and administrative activities of the head.
2.2. Accepts incoming correspondence for consideration by the head, transfers it in accordance with the decision made to structural divisions or a specific contractor for use in the process of work or preparation of answers.
2.3. Accepts documents and personal statements for the signature of the head.
2.4. Answers telephone calls, records and transmits official information to the head, organizes telephone conversations of the head.
2.5. On behalf of the head, he draws up letters, requests, and other documents.
2.6. Carries out work on the preparation of meetings and meetings held by the head (collecting the necessary materials, notifying participants of the time and place of the meeting, agenda, their registration), maintains and draws up minutes of meetings and meetings.
2.7. Carries out control over the execution by the employees of the enterprise of issued orders and orders, as well as compliance with the deadlines for the implementation of instructions and instructions of the head taken under control.
2.8. Provides the workplace of the head with the necessary means of organizational technology, stationery, creates conditions conducive to the effective work of the head.
2.9. Organizes the reception of visitors, contributes to the prompt consideration of requests and proposals of employees.
2.10. Forms cases in accordance with the approved nomenclature, ensures their safety and submits them to the archive in due time.
2.11. Organizes business trips of the head: orders air and railway tickets, books hotels.
2.12.

Performs individual official assignments of his immediate supervisor.

3. Rights of the secretary

The secretary has the right:
3.1. Receive information, including confidential information, to the extent necessary to solve the assigned tasks.
3.2. Provide management with suggestions for improving their work and the work of the company.
3.3. Request personally or on behalf of the head from the divisions of the enterprise and other specialists information and documents necessary for the performance of his duties.
3.4. Require management to create normal conditions for the performance of official duties and the safety of all documents resulting from the activities of the company.
3.5. Make decisions within your competence.

4. Responsibility of the secretary

The secretary is responsible:
4.1. For non-performance and / or untimely, negligent performance of their duties.
4.2. For non-compliance with current instructions, orders and orders for the preservation of trade secrets and confidential information.
4.3. For violation of the internal labor regulations, labor discipline, safety and fire safety rules.

If after reading this article you have not received a clear answer, seek quick help.

We have already mentioned more than once that it is very difficult to determine the typical duties of a secretary or assistant manager. Much depends on the scope of the company, its size, the imagination of the head and is practically not regulated by anything. In addition, there is a division within the profession itself, which, as practice shows, is understood differently by employees and employers.

The secretaries themselves feel the difference, sometimes intuitively, so the forums do not subside disputes about who is "more important", what hierarchy exists within the profession, which is the highest step in the career of an administrative worker. There is no consensus on this matter among my colleagues yet.

Nevertheless, if these numerous names exist, then the phenomena they describe must also exist.

Let's understand all the intricacies of the classification of administrative positions.

Understanding concepts

We list the main administrative positions: "secretary", "referent", "secretary-referent", "assistant to the head", "secretary at the reception", "office manager". Before we consider them in more detail, we will understand what is meant by each of these positions.

Wikipedia does not define the position of "secretary". It contains only the article "Referent Secretary", which contains the following definition: assistant secretary - office worker with a wide range of duties from receiving telephone calls (receptionist) to assistant manager (personal secretary).

Here is a list of duties performed by the secretary-referent:

• answering phone calls to the manager;
• work with documents: determination of importance, preparation, execution, distribution, receipt, storage, systematization;
• planning and preparing the reception of visitors;
• assistance in planning the work schedule of the boss, sometimes - booking hotels and air tickets;
• participation in the preparation of business negotiations;
• ordering stationery and other things necessary for the life of the office, sometimes - providing the manager with products.

There was no particular clarity after reading this article. We all know that the range of duties is wide, and the above can be performed by both the secretary and the assistant manager. In addition, this is far from half of the duties that typical representatives of our profession have to perform. Or maybe it's a common name for the whole group of professions? It is unlikely that most people still hear exactly the “secretary”, without any prefixes.

The word "secretary", as you know, comes from lat. secret("secret, mystery"). And in ancient Rome, trustees were called secretaries. Conclusion: the secretary has access to certain information that is not subject to public disclosure, and in order to fulfill his duties, he must earn the trust of the head.

As for the origin of the word "referent", the name is also Latin - "reproducing, reporting." Therefore, this person works with information. In general, the origin of the words is undoubtedly related to the modern profession, but does not fully explain what this employee does in the organization.

To sum up: most of us are, after all, secretaries-referents. However, this is rarely reflected in the staff list and work book: many of my colleagues are “called” differently.

To avoid confusion

Secretary atreception- a position that in the mass consciousness is associated with the reception and distribution of calls and correspondence. Sometimes such employees can also carry out the initial reception of visitors. Among the secretarial positions, this is the only one, from the name of which it is immediately clear what will have to be done. Although, of course, there are exceptions.
Office Manager- this is a tracing paper from English. office manager, i.e. office manager. His main responsibilities are to manage administrative, financial and other resources to ensure the smooth functioning of a single office and its employees. Office manager is one of the junior management positions.
In the subordination of such an employee may be drivers, cleaners, and often secretaries. Due to the fact that the office manager is responsible for the life support of the office and its employees, many people think that this position is akin to the position of supply manager. They have quite a few similar responsibilities, but God forbid you confuse and call the office manager a supply manager! There is nothing shameful in the latter, but the degree of responsibility of an office manager is much higher and implies a higher qualification.
Assistant Manager- a position that many consider the highest step in the career of an administrative worker. In Western companies, the position often sounds like "personal assistant" (literal translation from English. personal assistant). I prefer the traditional version, because the title of the position contains the whole essence of it. Assistant - from the word "help". The assistant manager helps his boss to carry out his duties. What exactly will be included in the functions of the assistant depends on many factors.

Thus, the responsibilities of two specialists formally occupying the same position can be radically different: one of them works with documentation, distributes telephone calls and receives visitors, while the other takes part in management meetings and is empowered to make important decisions. This, by the way, does not at all exclude the fact that both of them are sewing on torn buttons and are looking for a nanny for the children of their leader. Again, no order: in this case, the name only clarifies your purpose, but how exactly you will fulfill it is unknown.

We study regulatory documents

There is a document describing all the positions represented in the territory of our country - "All-Russian classifier of professions of workers, positions of employees and wage categories"(OKPDTR, OK 016-94). If you have any difficulties with the definition of any position in the company, then you can refer to this document and choose the most suitable one.

This classifier can be found on the sites: http://professions.org.ru/, http://www.etks.info/. On the latter, in addition to OK 016-94, there is a “Unified Tariff and Qualification Reference Book” (ETKS) and an “All-Russian classifier of occupations” (OKZ 010-93, OKZ). These are two sections of OK 016-94. The first includes the professions of workers, the second - the positions of employees.

The professions of workers (and they are in the classifier 5491) are not of interest to us in this case, let's turn to the positions of employees. There are 2598 of them, and for sure here you can find everything we need.

Let's start with the post of secretary. As a result of the alphabetical search, we obtain the following table (see Table 1).

Table 1

Positions in OK 016-94 containing the name "secretary"

Each position has its own the code. In addition, different positions have one OKZ code, which means that they are grouped together. The title "secretary of the head" refers to group 4115 (group "Secretaries"). This group consists of the following positions:

• clerk;
• secretary of a blind specialist;
• head Secretary;
• court clerk;
• secretary of the educational department;
• secretary-typist;
• stenographer secretary.

Here is what is said about the secretaries in the mentioned group: Secretaries perform technical functions to ensure and maintain the work of the head of an institution of an organization or enterprise, using a computer, office equipment and other technical means.

Their responsibilities include:

This site has a convenient division of positions into groups, from which it can be seen that group 4115 is included in senior group 411 "Secretaries, operators of calculating (computing) machines and related professions". The latter, in addition to secretaries, includes computer operators, stenographers, typists, etc.

In general, the above duties do not run counter to reality, except that the mention of a teletype and a typewriter will make someone smile (and someone even shudder). However, any - even a beginner - secretary, looking at the proposed list of duties, will ask: “How? And it's all? And where is visa support, organization of business trips, minutes of meetings?” After all, we have said more than once that a secretary is a profession that assumes that you devote at least half of your working time to the undocumented service of the manager and employees. The line "receiving visitors" does not convey the full variety of duties that a secretary has to perform. The remaining duties are purely technical and relate to working with documents. Looking at the existing description, one might think that the secretary sits in a separate room and only types on the computer and writes something in the registration log. But we know that this is far from the case. Therefore, such a definition can hardly suit specialists.

Let's return to the classifier: the position of "office manager", as well as "office manager" and "assistant manager", is absent in it. But there is a position of "referent" (code 26088), which is part of group 3431 - "Administrative and managerial personnel".

This group, in addition to various names of administrators, managers, consists of the positions of an inspector for monitoring the execution of instructions, a referent, a referent for the main activity.

Funny neighborhood, isn't it? In the same group with the referent is the inspector for monitoring the execution of instructions. Many secretaries know firsthand about this control, since they themselves carry it out.

The site http://www.etks.info/ says that administrative and managerial personnel and personnel of related professions resolve administrative and coordination issues in the activities of organizations and their structural divisions, maintain documentation and provide information.

Their responsibilities include:

• maintaining business correspondence, protocols and other administrative documentation;
• planning and organizing meetings meetings, business meetings and trips;
• coordination of the timing of various events, control over their observance;
• assistance to managers and employees in solving administrative and organizational issues;
• preparation of draft contracts, agreements, negotiating, organizing the reception of visitors and employees;
• performance of related duties;
• management of other employees.

How many responsibilities from this list do you perform? What is the title of your position? "Secretary"? "Office Manager"? "Assistant Manager"?

If we recall that traditionally the work of a secretary is divided into documentary and non-documentary services, and most of us perform duties from the lists for both considered groups (“Secretaries” and “Administrative and managerial personnel”), then we can conclude that based on duties, most of us are assistant secretaries.

What does it mean? Why are positions such as “assistant manager” or “office manager” not reflected in the classifier? Why are there positions in practice, but they are not in the classifier? Maybe it is outdated or the compilers did not bother to understand the situation on the modern labor market?

Of course, this classifier is somewhat conservative. But spelling dictionaries are also conservative. People speak and write differently, but there are certain rules, a norm adopted by specialists, and literate people are guided by it. All instructions, classifiers and other official documents developed by specialists imply the existence of an ideal organization where the secretary deals with documents, control over their execution is carried out by inspectors, and visa support and work with delegations is the responsibility of the protocol service.

Don't think it doesn't happen. This is how the work of many large state institutions and corporations, administrations, factories is built. Firstly, because they have existed for more than a dozen years and in their activities they are guided by job descriptions and regulations developed back in the USSR, when it was difficult to imagine the situation “who goes to the forest, who goes to the firewood”. Secondly, such a division of duties is largely related to secrecy. For example, at factories fulfilling military orders, secretaries of managers do not have access to the Internet, and they leave mobile phones in a safe at the checkpoint. In such a situation, it is difficult to search for information or order tickets. This is done by individual specialists with access to the Web.

In addition, it is one thing if the secretary in a company where a hundred people work is “and a Swiss, and a reaper, and a gamer on the pipe,” and quite another when several thousand work in a company. In this case, most of the work processes are strictly regulated and centralized. One specialist cannot be responsible for them, there are entire departments.

By the way

As for the presence of names that seem outdated at first glance (for example, “secretary-typist”), in our country to this day there are organizations in which some documents are printed only on a typewriter (due to secrecy). In addition, the presence of the word "typist" in this definition most often indicates a large amount of work associated specifically with the preparation of documents. In Soviet times, it was typists who performed this work, and in large companies with centralized office work this has been preserved to this day.
Can this position be called, say, "PC operator"? Of course, many companies do this. But why, if a certain list of duties has already been assigned to this concept in the mass consciousness? The language does not like any artificial innovations. When this term loses its relevance, it will disappear.

Why, then, in practice, there are secretaries who perform the duties of both referents, and inspectors for monitoring the execution of documents, and even translators? Because theory is always different from practice. Companies, especially small ones, seek to save money first of all by assigning a lot of heterogeneous responsibilities to one employee. A colleague of mine defined the job of a secretary as "a person who does what other employees don't want to do." Well, that happens too. In addition, as we have already said, the discrepancy in responsibilities is often associated with the impossibility of introducing a certain unit into the staff list, as well as a lack of understanding by employers of the gradations that exist within the profession.

Compare responsibilities

Let's see what the employer means by this or that name. To do this, we turn to sites for job search. We will select several ads with the names: “secretary”, “secretary-referent”, “assistant manager”, “office manager”, we will select three for each group and compare the lists of duties performed (we will not duplicate duties repeating in different vacancies).

Office Manager

1. Fulfillment of orders of the head.
2. Office life support.
3. Assistance in scheduling the manager's working time.
4. Preparation and execution of correspondence and internal documentation.
5. Reception of guests and visitors of the head, organization of meetings and negotiations.
6. Communication with clients in the office, creating a friendly and cozy atmosphere for them. Author's note: this employer decided to save money on the account manager.
7. Receiving calls received on the advertising line and transferring them to the appropriate department.
8. Maintain order and cleanliness in the office.
9. Systematization and classification of documents and information, bringing them to the direct executors. Author's note: Like would this and there is clerical work? But no, in this vacancy it is indicated on a separate line.
10. Bringing information from customers to the attention of managers.
11. Fulfillment of instructions of the office staff for the execution and transfer of the necessary instructions and information to them.
12. Checking the correctness of paperwork in accordance with the established requirements when hiring new employees. Note: I knew that there was no personnel officer in the company!
13. Execution of copying and duplicating works.
14. Issuance of powers of attorney.
15. Maintaining time sheets. Author's note: Definitely no staff!
16. Preparation of documents and preparation of reports on the expenditure of funds for economic needs.

Secretary

1. Document management, business correspondence.
2. Execution of orders of the head.
3. Preparation of necessary documentation and reporting.
4. Organization and coordination of meetings, negotiations, conferences.
5. Organization of business trips (ordering air and railway tickets, transfers, hotel reservations, etc.).
6. Organization of the arrival of partners (booking hotels, transfers, etc.).
7. Receiving and distributing incoming calls.
8. Ensuring the life of the office.
9. Fulfillment of management instructions (search for information, preparation of reports, communication with suppliers of raw materials, often in English).
10. Providing postal and courier shipments.
11. Ensuring internal corporate document flow.
12. Mail.
13. Administrative support of the head.
14. Monitoring the execution of instructions from the management.
15. Work with office equipment.
16. Preparation of organizational and administrative documents.

Assistant Secretary

1. Organization of the life of the office.
2. Receiving and distributing calls.
3. Reception of visitors.
4. Organization of meetings and negotiations.
5. Organization of business trips (ordering and booking tickets, hotels, taxis, visa support).
6. Business correspondence.
7. Sending and receiving mail, issuing powers of attorney.
8. Office work.
9. Carrying out instructions from management.
10. Working with a courier service.
11. Interaction with departments of the company.
12. Maintaining an orderly, friendly atmosphere in the office.
13. Providing administrative support for the director's daily schedule.
14. Monitoring the execution of instructions and approval of documentation initiated by the director.
15. Preparation of organizational and administrative documentation.

Assistant Manager

1. Receiving incoming/outgoing calls.
2. Work with mail/correspondence, business correspondence.
3. Information analysis, data collection, reporting.
4. Communication with department heads.
5. Fulfillment of instructions of the head in the given terms.
6. Monitoring the timely execution of orders/service tasks.
7. Accompanying business trips (issuing visas, booking railway and air tickets, transfers, hotels, events, excursions).
8. Organization and support of reception by the management of the enterprise of delegations, visitors, organization of meetings, negotiations, presentations.
9. Control over the expenditure of stationery, if necessary, order.
10. Registration, storage of original information and organizational and administrative documents.
11. Office life support.
12. Office work, document management.
13. Registration of incoming, outgoing, internal documentation.
14. Assistance in planning the working day of the head.

As you can see, the professionals working in these positions have a lot of similar responsibilities. All of them are engaged (or take part) in the life support of the office, receiving and distributing calls, organizing document flow and fulfilling the instructions of the head.

Look at the lists of duties of the secretary, secretary-referent and assistant manager. They are almost identical. Unless in one of the companies they also expect analytical work from an assistant. The position of an office manager is somewhat out of line, from whom employers expect to perform the functions of an inspector for personnel and work. And, perhaps, he is the only one who is not expected to help the leader (or is it just not indicated in the announcement?). We can say with confidence that the assistant manager will have to help the manager, which does not relieve him of the need to "life support" the office.

Before drawing conclusions, let's turn to one more parameter: what are the requirements that employers impose on specialists in these positions (Table 2).

table 2

Requirements for the employer to the office manager, secretary, assistant secretary, assistant manager

Well, our randomly selected employers do not require good looks and higher education from an office manager. In our opinion, they do not see much difference between a secretary and an office manager. The requirements for the other three positions, as well as the duties performed, are almost identical. Only from the assistant manager they want the experience of working as a personal assistant, while not forgetting the ability to work in a team (it's not a secret for anyone that many assistants tend to break away from the team - the specifics of the work require it).

Of course, at the interview it turns out that half of the duties were simply “forgotten” to write, and from somewhere another two dozen requirements for the candidate will appear. But in general, the trend is clear: the employer sees the office manager as a person who will take care of the office, all employees, and even clients. But between the secretary, the secretary-referent and the assistant to the head, there is no particular difference.

That is, the theory and this time diverged from practice. We understand that the secretary should perform, let's say, technical functionality (working with documents, etc.), and the assistant manager or referent should perform more complex functions (write business letters, write analytical reviews, etc.). I know of only one company where responsibilities are distributed in this way. But she's kind of perfect. In practice, such a division is the exception rather than the rule.

I suspect that in most cases, employers simply want to save money by hiring a specialist who combines several functions. In addition, introducing additional units into the staff list is a hassle.

Why is the most common name for this group of administrative positions exactly “secretary”? First, because it has long been on everyone's lips. Secondly, theoretically, an assistant manager can refuse to help department employees, and the secretary has nowhere to go. Thirdly, not everyone knows who this mysterious “referent” is, so it’s better not to create unnecessary difficulties with terminology.

It is obvious that the tacitly accepted division, which puts executive assistants higher than secretaries or assistant secretaries, is, in fact, a formality. Without a doubt, "assistant director" sounds more solid than "secretary to the director." This, perhaps, is the difference. The employer is more interested in your personal qualities and work experience than what entry is in your work book. Of course, we have not finished with the confusion in the positions. However, for those who are worried about the fact that, with all the variety of duties performed, his position is called "secretary", we advise you to discard all complexes and proudly answer the question of who you work for: "Secretary".