What Computer Skills Is It Reasonable For a Secretary To Have?

In My Humble Opinion
1

I’ve been wondering about this one for a while. Dopers, what do you expect someone in a clerical position to have? How about an accountant?

While I’m a programmer by nature and training, I’ve done clerical work when I’ve had to, and I’ve wound up assisting a lot of other people with questions about how to do things. Most recently, our administrative assistant who also assists our customer service reps asked me for help with a Word document. What she wanted to do was have different headers at the top of each page. When I worked out what she wanted to do, I showed her how to put in section breaks and how to have a different header on the first page of a section, then referred her to the office copy of MS Word for Dummies (I bought that, MS Excel for Dummies and MS Outlook for Dummies for this sort of situation). A few weeks ago, she asked me for help because there was nothing on her screen. The reason was her computer was turned off.

What do you think someone in a secretarial/clerical job should be able to do, and what, in your experience, have people in such jobs been able to do? I realize there’s a wide range of skills required involved. I’d like to get a better idea of what’s reasonable. While I’m particularly interested in word processing, spreadsheets, and e-mail, it’ll be interesting reading about all types of experiences.

2

I’m an administrative assistant and I expect my peers to have at least an intermediate level of understanding in Word, Excel and PowerPoint, and IMHO, they should be able to figure things out on their own, like section breaks. I do expect that any admin worth their salt to be able to take a napkin with chicken scratch on it and transform it into a properly formatted Word document, Excel spreadsheet or PowerPoint presentation, depending on context. Creating forms, org charts, mail merges, labels, name tags, charts and graphs, pivot tables, presentations with animation and sound (I know, I know, but if that’s what the boss wants) and pretty much anything else the boss can dream up are all part of the job description. Any secretary should be able to learn at least the basics in a new program within a couple of weeks. I’m being generous, actually, I think it should be within a week or two, max. Programs like Visio, Access and contact management software are a bonus, but generally not expected. Oh, and email programs like Outlook? They should be able to make that sucker sit up and kiss them on the lips. No excuses. That’s for a secretary/admin position. The office gofer, the receptionist, the mailroom clerk, they should know the basics in Word and Outlook. If they know or learn more than that, they tend not to stay in those positions for very long.

Accountants? Well, they’d better know Excel like the back of their hand. Word, not so much. As for presentation software, well, apparently, they don’t see the same color spectrum the rest of us do. Red, pink and orange, with purple font? Ouch!

3

Accountant here.

There are a lot of different, often customized, accounting programs out there, so it’s hard to give a list of computer skills other than, as Jahdra said, having very strong Excel knowledge. If you understand your basic accounting principles, you can use Excel to do almost anything you use accounting programs to do; it just requires more work & more time.

If I were going to add to that, I might recommend QuickBooks and/or Peachtree (even though I despise Peachtree, a lot of small businesses do use it), and maybe AccPac. I might even go so far as to say it’s a good idea to be knowledgeable in MS Access and/or SQL Server, as you could end up using a customized application based on one of those (I have). Add to that the ability to use Word at a very basic level (you could need to send a letter to a client) and Outlook to manage yourself, and you should be set.

4

In addition to the “soft” skills already mentioned, I think a secretary should know the “hard” stuff – taking a new PC out of the box, hooking it up to the printer, keyboard, mouse, etc. and getting it up and running.

At the last place I worked, people’s offices were constantly being moved, and it amazed me that some folks would waste time waiting for someone from IT to do all that stuff for them. The connections are usually all there and ready to go – just plug them in and get to work!

5

In addition to the skills Jahdra listed, include basic desktop support-type stuff. I’m being called on more and more to solve basic computer problems, leaving the really complicated stuff to an IT department. An admin should know how to add a printer, know the difference between being on a network and not, the difference between a voice only jack and a voice/data jack, how to solve basic problems resulting in error messages, stuff like that.

But that’s just the technical stuff. There’s a host of other skills an admin should have, but I don’t think you’re asking for that (like basic AP/AR skills, etc.).

6

[QUOTE=AuntiePam]
In addition to the “soft” skills already mentioned, I think a secretary should know the “hard” stuff – taking a new PC out of the box, hooking it up to the printer, keyboard, mouse, etc. and getting it up and running.
[/QUOTE]
Yep, and troubleshooting the printers and basic computer issues.

I’m not completely surprised that an AA wouldn’t know section breaks, but they should know how to research the function without asking anyone. Help menus aren’t the best but just google the question you have. Powerpoint and Visio are easy to learn for at least basic info entry, if you know formatting on Word.

I do accounting and administrative work and have to know Word to write up analysis of accounting issues or policy. Our accounting system is in-house but exporting to Excel and formatting reports is common.

7

This thread touches upon a very sore subject for me, so apologies if I’m grumpy.

I expect anyone who will be using a computer at all to understand the terms: install, reboot, network, internet, ISP, email, pop, smtp, password, spreadsheet, document, file, folder, save, path, shortcut, open, and log off.

Does the assistant I have (not exclusive to me) understand any of these things? Ha. No. She reboots by turning the monitor off. I consider that completely unacceptable in today’s workplace.

8

Oh, and - I forgot - an admin needs to understand, operate, and trouble-shoot cell phones and all their peripherals/functions and PDAs and all their functions. Oh, and understand wi-fi and a basic understanding of laptop functionalities.

And understand the internet, how to search, how to use it effectively.

I know some secretaries that all they do is answer their boss’s phone, essentially. And they get paid a buttload more than me. I’ll never understand it.

9

In addition to the above:

How to use a fax machine, including how to replace ink cartridges. How to change a printer toner as well.

How to use an office copier; collate, two-sided documents, scanner, etc.

How to clear paper jams from any of the above.

If applicable, how to use a FedEx/UPS machine/send overnight documents/etc.

How to use the phone system; transfer calls, hold, conference calls, transfer directly to voicemail, etc.

And obviously good communication and organizational skills.

10

[QUOTE=niblet_head]
Oh, and - I forgot - an admin needs to understand, operate, and trouble-shoot cell phones and all their peripherals/functions and PDAs and all their functions. Oh, and understand wi-fi and a basic understanding of laptop functionalities.
[/QUOTE]

You think a secretary should be able to trouble-shoot technical problems? If I had a problem with my cell phone at work, I would not think of asking the secretary. I can’t even imagine that being in the job description.
I expect basic office functions, the ability to use office machinery - faxes, copiers, type reasonably well and quickly, be pleasant and understand the MicroSoft Office set.

11

I think people are getting a little wacky with the requirements here. Trouble shooting printers?! I know computer hardware professionals that won’t touch printers. I’m convinced each one has a little demon living inside of it.

A good admin assistant should have the ability to fill in the gaps in their knowledge bank as needed and to know when a good time to ask for help is.

12

Yeah, troubleshooting cell phone problems might be the purview of an executive secretary, one who makes a nice income, but certainly not the skill of someone you’re paying 20K per year.

13

[QUOTE=jsgoddess]

I expect anyone who will be using a computer at all to understand the terms: install, reboot, network, internet, ISP, email, pop, smtp, password, spreadsheet, document, file, folder, save, path, shortcut, open, and log off.

Does the assistant I have (not exclusive to me) understand any of these things? Ha. No. She reboots by turning the monitor off. I consider that completely unacceptable in today’s workplace.
[/QUOTE]

I agree with you completely. People like your “assistant” give the rest of us a bad name. Most of us are professionals, and like all professionals, stay current in our field of knowledge. Or, for crying out loud, know how to use a computer and which of the equipment on our desk *is * the computer.

Basically, if it beeps, rings, blinks, or spits out paper of some sort in an office, an admin should be able to operate it, refill it, fix it or at least be able to intelligently describe the problem to the repair person. Sparks, scorched paper and open flames are just cause to call for help, IMHO.

Technical knowledge is a huge plus - I get asked all the time “How do I use/fix this thing?” Thing could refer to laptop, software, PDA, TREO, Blackberry, projector, video conferencing equipment, you name it. They could call or go to tech support, but since I have the reputation for knowing everything :smiley: they come to me first.

Actually, that’s it in a nutshell. Your assistant/secretary/EA should know everything or know where and how to find out. Get the job done by any means (ok, any legal means) necessary.

14

I wish some of you would come work in my office. Our department’s admin barely knows what a mouse is and is proud that she does the bare minimum. Although we are offered dozens of opportunities every year to take courses on basic MS Office programs, to my knowledge she has never done so. And she has the nerve to complain that she’s never been promoted.

15

[QUOTE=even sven]
I think people are getting a little wacky with the requirements here. Trouble shooting printers?!
[/QUOTE]
Well, I meant along the lines of clearing jams, loading paper, special papers and envelopes, etc., and maybe basic error codes.

16

[QUOTE=Siege]
I’ve been wondering about this one for a while. Dopers, what do you expect someone in a clerical position to have? How about an accountant?
<snip>What do you think someone in a secretarial/clerical job should be able to do, and what, in your experience, have people in such jobs been able to do? I realize there’s a wide range of skills required involved. I’d like to get a better idea of what’s reasonable. While I’m particularly interested in word processing, spreadsheets, and e-mail, it’ll be interesting reading about all types of experiences.
[/QUOTE]

I’m sure you know that there are many levels of clerical work, from mail-opening to extremely high-powered executive assistant making $75,000 per year, with the requirements varying just as much.

Your average administrative assistant, working in an average office type job would, in my opinion, be expected to have a good working knowledge of Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. An admin working more on the accounting side would also be expected to have a good working knowledge of Excel (and usually a proprietary program as well). Access is not usually required of admins unless the specific job requires database work.

I would also say that some of the shopping lists for admin skills here are way higher than I’ve ever been expected to do at any of my billions of admin jobs in my 9 years in the field. That might be a function of staying at a job for a long time and accreting duties (admin is definitely a catch-all position). I just hope the people who are being expected to do all these things are getting paid handsomely for it.

I would also like to mention that the person in the office with the highest level of grammar, spelling and punctuation skills should be the administrative assistants. Part of the duties of an admin assistant is making your boss look good (or at least preventing him from looking like an illiterate incompetent). Counting on spell check is not good enough.

17

[QUOTE=featherlou]

I would also like to mention that the person in the office with the highest level of grammar, spelling and punctuation skills should be the administrative assistants. Part of the duties of an admin assistant is making your boss look good (or at least preventing him from looking like an illiterate incompetent)
[/QUOTE]

…even though he/she is one. :smiley:

18

All of the skills I have listed I have been asked to do (which isn’t really that far from being required to do it). And I am paid the market standard for “admin assistant” but not handsomely. In fact, I was paid much much more for doing a whole lot less in a few positions simply because the execs I worked for were very high up. I’m not kidding when I say in my experience the higher your boss is, the more you get paid, and the less you have to know how to do. A lot of stuff that to some readers may seem extreme or unrealistic comes from the fact that your boss expects you to fix “it” now or genuinely honestly needs you to fix it now. I can tell you that you simply cannot tell your boss to call Verizon himself sometimes. You cannot simply tell your boss to figure it out himself sometimes. And if you don’t know how to fix it, you at the very least need to know enough to be able to trouble shoot with the tech at the cell phone company. Cuz when you call your boss back who’s driving in the middle of nowhere, or not wanting his Blackberry to ring in the middle of a meeting with the President of BMW USA, or in France you better damn well be able to tell him what to do to get whatever piece of equipment to work.

19

[QUOTE=Jahdra]
I agree with you completely. People like your “assistant” give the rest of us a bad name. Most of us are professionals, and like all professionals, stay current in our field of knowledge. Or, for crying out loud, know how to use a computer and which of the equipment on our desk *is * the computer.

Basically, if it beeps, rings, blinks, or spits out paper of some sort in an office, an admin should be able to operate it, refill it, fix it or at least be able to intelligently describe the problem to the repair person. Sparks, scorched paper and open flames are just cause to call for help, IMHO.

QUOTE]
Most people are only as current as their environment. If your boss is a cheap sonofabitch and won’t invest in any new software, hardware, or technology, are you supposed to go to a class on your own dime to learn skills you won’t even use at work?

Sometimes you have to learn on the job. You don’t get the knowledge if you don’t work on the equipment. A good boss will train a new employee on the equipment they’re expected to use.

20

Any suggestions I had have been covered by prior posters.

So, since I’m a little late to this thread, I’d just like to offer another view on AAs.

I am a programmer-type and can usually do other techie stuff like un-jamming printers, etc. But sometimes I cannot.

Also, as a consultant, I am in and out of a LOT of corporations. And I’d just like to offer up praise on bended knees to all of them who tell me where the restrooms are, expedite my badges/access codes, explain the coffee machine and warn me not to give Ms. X bad news ever on a Monday, and so on.

I could not function without them, and I’m not even a manager!

All hail the secretarys/AAs.