Trend tracker: secretarial skills
Mark Heaney
What are the hot skills of the secretary of the future? The Guide to the Current and Future Trends in Administration asked 4,000 employers which skills they will require from their secretaries of the future. Be warned, it's going to take more than touch-typing...
Which hard skills?
IT applications (70%)
electronic communications (65%)
IT networking (over 50%)
Which soft skills?
increased flexibility (more than 80%)
more responsibility for their actions (70%)
decision-making skills (40%)
Going soft
Up to 93% of bosses are looking for soft skills such as common sense, flexibility and a positive attitude in their secretaries of the future and 98% are looking for more advanced IT knowledge - especially Powerpoint - and a higher standard of English.
Source: 2001 Administrative, Secretarial and Support Staff Survey by Gordon Yates
Which standard or level of skills?
The Council for Administration uses the National/Scottish Vocational Qualifications (N/SVQ) level descriptors to develop definitions for each of the five levels of job roles in business administration. Fifty three percent of all new jobs to be created in business administration over the next few years are likely to be at N/SVQ Level 3 and above. This represents a substantial increase in demand for higher-level skills, and a reduction in demand for lower-level skills.
Which level?
Summary of N/SVQ levels for secretarial and administrative work as identified by the Guide to the Current and Future Trends in Administration
- Level 5: Undertake strategic and complex activities, are largely autonomous and have many responsibilities for personnel, resources and regulations.
- Level 4: Undertake a wide range of complex tasks, have a very high degree of autonomy and responsibility and will provide supervisory support.
- Level 3: Undertake a wide range of complex tasks, have a high degree of autonomy and will often be required to provide supervisory support.
- Level 2: Undertake a range of routine administrative tasks, have some autonomy but generally rely on a large degree of supervision.
- Level 1: Undertake very basic and routine administrative tasks and rely on a large degree of supervision.
For more information
The 'Guide to the Current and Future Trends in Administration 2000', is published by the Council for Administration, the national body responsible for the occupational area of business administration. For more information, call 020-7627 9876 or visit their website. For a copy of the Gordon Yates report, call Sally Pearson on 020-7290 0180.
Got the skills, now get the job. Check out our list of secretarial/admin vacancies here
Next: Part five: The specialists
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