Secretaries

High School

You will need at least a high school diploma to enter this field. To prepare for a career as a secretary, take high school courses in business, English, and speech. Keyboarding and computer science courses will also be helpful.

Postsecondary Training

To succeed as a secretary, you will need good office skills that include rapid and accurate keyboarding skills and good spelling and grammar. You should enjoy handling details. Some positions require typing a minimum number of words per minute, as well as shorthand ability. Knowledge of word processing, spreadsheet, and database management is important, and most employers require it. Knowledge of Internet programs is also useful. Some of these skills can be learned in business education courses taught at vocational and business schools. Special training programs are available for students who want to become medical or legal secretaries or administrative technology assistants.

Certification

The International Association of Administrative Professionals (https://www.iaap-capstone.org) offers capstone certificate courses that cover areas that are essential to various administrative functions. These include Organizational Management, Business Writing, Technology Applications, Records Management, Project Management, Meeting and Event Planning, and Human Resources.

The National Association for Legal Support Professionals offers certificates in more than 20 specialties. The certificates can be earned by those who obtain 50 credit hours in one of the specialty tracks and who hold the professional legal secretary, certified legal professional, or certified professional paralegal certification credentials. Visit https://www.nals.org/page/specialtycertificate for more information.

Other Education or Training

Participating in continuing education (CE) classes is a great way to keep your skills up to date and become a more attractive job candidate. These opportunities are provided by local, state, and national professional associations. For example, the Association of Executive and Administrative Professionals offers classes and webinars, which in the past have included Administrative Assistant Fundamentals, Medical Terminology: A Word Association Approach, and Computer Skills for the Workplace. The International Association of Administrative Professionals maintains an online learning portal for its members, which offers assessments, certificates, and webinars in a variety of categories. The International Virtual Assistants Association and the National Association for Legal Support Professionals also provide CE workshops, seminars, and webinars. Contact these organizations for more information.