Sheffield Jobs in the Office

 

 How do I get in?

For administrative office work you will need some good GCSE passes, most employers expect GCSE maths and English. In addition technical skills are required. These could include typing, shorthand, audio typing, word processing and other computer packages. A good grasp of grammar - spelling, punctuation and sentence construction - is essential as an office worker will be required to correct other people's mistakes before sending out letters.

Secretaries often need to be able to prove that they have acquired a certain typing speed. The minimum requirement is often 40 words per minute (wpm) and a top-level secretary will often have perfected this to 60 wpm. Shorthand is still required in some offices and this is taught via a secretarial diploma.

What Sheffield Jobs could I do?

Secretary/Personal Assistant - the content of this role depends largely on the company and person that you are working for. It can be a fairly straight forward role involving typing, answering the telephone, keeping the manager's diary, taking minutes in meetings and filing information. However, it can involve a greater amount of autonomy. You may be responsible for organising travel arrangements, producing reports, supervising junior staff, ordering office supplies, keeping office accounts and making presentations. Legal secretaries have specialist knowledge of the law, medical secretaries need a thorough knowledge of medical terminology and bi-lingual secretaries speak another language and often translate foreign correspondence and write letters in a foreign language

Typist/keyboard operative - this role invovles producing printed documents - letters, reports, drafts, texts, manuscripts, memos etc. Copy typing means copying directly from typed notes or hand-written documents. Audio typing involves working from a tape or disk of recorded speech. A shorthand typist makes notes in shorthand and then types them up in full, often correcting grammar or improving phrases. Some people work solely on PC's, keying in data

Receptionist - this is an important role as the receptionist is the first person a client will see or speak to. The receptionist must be well presented and polite. Responsibilities include answering the telephone and, in larger companies, using a switchboard to put the caller through to the correct person.

Pros and Cons for Sheffield Jobs

Pros

· You will be able to choose the sector you want to work in

· It may be possible to work flexi-time, working the hours to suit you.

Cons

· Some of the work can be tedious and repetitive

· There is little chance of career progression

Earning potential?

There is no straight answer to this. Secretaries earn different amounts depending on the region, the employer and the level of seniority/responsibility. Higher salaries go to specialised secretaries, those with an extra skill or knowledge such as medical, legal or bi-lingual secretaries. Sectors that pay well are finance and commerce while salaries in publishing, the media and charities will be lower. An experienced bi-lingual secretary could expect to earn £35,000 a year

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