Barcelona City Council | Capital humà

An executive secretary is the professional who works closely with the general management of a company and helps to enhance its capacity and performance. They ensure that their superior has all the material and human resources necessary to carry out their work efficiently.
Over the years an executive secretary has gone from being the professional who answered the phone and typed their superiors letters to become the right-hand person who is the gateway to a senior executive and a key figure in the work performed by general management. They also manage executives time and carry out management tasks.
Nowadays over 40% of executive secretaries are graduates, speak foreign languages, have great organisational skills, can tell the difference between what is important and what is urgent, and have the flexibility needed to manage their superiors diaries.

• Compose correspondence and complex documents following their superiors instructions, which may or may not be detailed, and get them ready for signature by management.
• Process business management documents, whether confidential or not, and file them in an organised way using their own system for easy access later on.
• Find information in official documents, magazines, newspapers, trade publications, websites, etc., and analyse and summarise it as directed by their superior.
• Manage executive diaries (meetings, trips, appointments, events, etc.).
• Organise and manage executive business trips (flights, trains, hotels, restaurants, etc.).
• Attend meetings and write up reports or minutes about the topics discussed.
• Ensure that the manager's instructions are carried out as specified.
• Take phone calls for the manager.
• Attend to people who for one reason or another wish to contact the manager and offer them appropriate solutions.
• Perform executive tasks and provide information on behalf of the manager.

Regulated training and graduates

• Higher vocational training in management.
• Foundation or full degree in any professional field, preferably business administration and management.
• Secretary or management assistant course at a business school.

• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Administració i gestió: Assistència a la direcció (Nivell 3)
• Certificat de Professionalitat de la Família Administració i gestió: Assistència documental i de gestió en despatxos i oficines (Nivell 3)
• Professional Training Course(s) in the field of Administration and Management- Advanced Level
• Grau: Administració i direcció d'empreses
• Grau: Ciències empresarials-management
• Grau: Economia i gestió

Complementary training

• Introduction to accounting and the General Accounting Plan.
• Introduction to economics and business mathematics.
• Business and labour law course.

Other specific skills

An executive secretary must have a high level of English as it is extremely likely that they will have to use the language to communicate with other professionals, especially if they work in a multinational or a company which has a major presence abroad. In addition, most probably they will have to handle information and write reports in English. An intermediate level in another foreign language (French, German, Chinese, etc.) is also often required.

Additionally, an executive secretary must be an advanced user of office programs, email and Internet browsers as they will use these tools in their daily work.

Learning and use of knowledge: Level 1

Orientation within reach: Level 3

Planning and organisation: Level 2

Flexibility and change management: Level 2

Communication: Level 2

Commitment to the organisation: Level 2

Management

The organisation, administration and control of a company or entity are the main interests of people related to the management field. Activities included in this field of interest vary from effective resource management, feasibility analyses and solving business problems to the development of skills and fostering of motivation in relation to human resources. Knowledge regarding specific techniques of strategic administration and business management are required to carry out these activities.

Logistics

The planning, organisation, control and carrying out of logistics and administrative tasks are the focus of people who work in the field of logistics. Activities in the field of logistics include the organisation and planning of supply, storage, production and distribution systems, taking inventories, controlling stock and estimating production, as well as the organisation and/or carrying out of the administrative tasks necessary for the implementation of these activities. Knowledge of organisation, control and management techniques is essential for carrying out these activities.

Financial advisor

Cost estimation expert

Treasury manager

Product Distribution Plannner

ICT consultant

• Work hours

  The usual timetable of an executive secretary is 40 hours per week with 8-hour working days split between the morning and the afternoon. However, sometimes when workloads are heavy they will be required to be more flexible and adapt to the manager¿s timetable and spend more time at work.

• Salary

  Remuneration is calculated according to experience and hours worked. However, remuneration is between €17.902 and €25.911 gross per annum. Median: 21.537 euros annum gross.
  
  Source: Report "Observatory of Jobs and Salaries of the Labour Market. Barcelona Activa", elaborated by ICSA Grupo. April 2015.