General Secretary 101

no certificate
with CEU Certificate*
-
16Lessons
-
23Exams &
Assignments -
2,891Students
have taken this course -
8Hours
average time -
0.8CEUs
Course Description
If you've been thinking about becoming a secretary, you should know that times have changed. While the computer has replaced the typewriter, the secretary is still an important part of the office setting.
In this General Secretary course, you will learn the foundational skills that all secretaries should have when they are sitting behind a desk.
This course includes:
- What a General Secretary Is
- Types of Secretaries
- Reception
- Scheduling
- Travel Arrangements
- Word Processing
- File System Management
- Spreadsheets
- Correspondence
- Dictation
- Office Equipment
- Effective Communication Skills
- Time Management
- Handling Difficult Situations
- Better to Have Training or Experience?
With these lessons, you will learn more about how to be an effective secretary both in your current role, as well as in future roles.
Each lesson provides detailed information that can be used in modern office settings today. Since each lesson builds on the lesson before it, you will begin to learn how to not only provide administrative support, but also how to be a valuable part of an office setting.
Today, secretaries are more than just the ones that handle basic tasks. They also provide the first impression for clients and customers. By offering high-level skills, you can reach out to visitors, customers, and clients, allowing them to see your company as being the one they should choose for their needs.
A secretary is the one that opens the door to presenting a solid reputation for their company. With this General Secretary Course, you will gain the skills to succeed, no matter what industry you choose.
Types of Administrative Support
As with every job, you might find different titles for the role of a secretary, and with good reason. Because different companies need different kinds of administrative support, the staff is named accordingly.
Some of the most common administrative titles include:
- general secretary;
- administrative assistant;
- clerical support staff;
- executive assistant;
- legal assistant;
- legal secretary.
These roles might have similar job duties associated with them, as well as more market-specific duties; i.e., medical record filing for those who are in a health care-related field.
The key differences in the roles above include the idea that the executive assistant can also be a manager of sorts in the office. This assistant might have supervisory tasks to complete, but this can also be possible for any other titles.
In addition, the legal secretary and assistant will be focused on legal tasks, such as going to court or traveling to find certain documents or evidence for lawyers.
When you are hired in as a general secretary, it can help to get a complete list of the tasks you will complete, as this will determine the type of role you might have in your company.
Where General Secretaries Are Valuable
Indeed, it is no surprise to people that a general secretary is someone who can add value to a company. Because the upper management and other key members of the company may have more tasks to accomplish, they need someone else to handle the basic tasks.
In covering the secretary tasks:
- Secretaries can interact with customers. Because others in the company might need to focus on other tasks in their work, they may not have time to interact with customers in a meaningful way. This can make customers feel distanced, while the secretary can speak to the customers directly and help to bridge any real or perceived gap in communication.
- Secretaries can focus on details. While others might be tasked with larger projects, the secretary can handle the details that support the possibility of these projects being productive. For example, while it might not seem important to order coffee, an office that runs out in the middle of a project may not be as effective.
- The secretary can set up appointments and control schedules. The control of a calendar may not seem like a mighty task, until you try to manage your own when you are busy. Instead, a secretary can be taught the rules of the calendar and then follow those rules in order to ensure the calendar is smooth.
- Administrative personnel can help others make the most of their time. Without the need to focus on minor details and tasks, those who have to manage largely creative tasks and projects will be able to keep their focus in the proper direction.
There are a number of industries in which a general secretary will find himself or herself valuable.
- Health care;
- Finance;
- Legal firms;
- Non-profit organizations;
- Real estate offices.
Of course, this is a small sampling of places where secretaries can find work that allows them to be helpful and supportive in ways the company might not be able to handle on its own.
Indeed, it can be said that most companies could and do make use of secretaries in one way or another, no matter what title they give them.
That said, you might be concerned about the idea that a person might be "only" a secretary when she or he starts in that role and then becomes skilled in the role.
This is certainly not the only route a person with administrative skills and experience can take.
Instead, a general secretary might become an office manager, taking on more responsibility in an organization, or this person can also become a team leader.
When you are in the general secretary role, you are getting the experience of managing resources, while also being able to help out those who are in bigger roles that might need further assistance in the future.
That need may come with a shiny new job title.
In many companies, the general secretary role is the entry-level role, certainly, but it is also the foot in the door that outsiders may not be privy to.
Summary
The general secretary is highly valuable in today's market, even with the various kinds of titles that can be used.
- Completely Online
- Self-Paced
- 6 Months to Complete
- 24/7 Availability
- Start Anytime
- PC & Mac Compatible
- Android & iOS Friendly
- Accredited CEUs

Course Lessons
Lesson 1: What a General Secretary Is
Lesson 1 Video
Review 2 Articles: General Secretary Duties; Secretaries
Take Survey: Reasons for Taking this Course
Complete Assignment: An Introduction
Complete Exam: Lesson 1: What a General Secretary Is
Lesson 2: Types of Secretaries
Lesson 2 Video
Review 2 Articles: Secretaries and Administrative Assistants; Secretary vs. Administrative Assistant
Take Poll: Secretaries
Complete: Lesson 2 Assignment
Complete Exam: Lesson 2: Types of Secretaries
Lesson 3: Reception: Phones and Visitors
Lesson 3 Video
Review 2 Articles: Business Reception Etiquette; Business Etiquette: Greetings
Complete Exam: Lesson 3: Reception - phones/visitors
Lesson 4 : Scheduling
Lesson 4 Video
Review Article: Items and issues to Know
Complete Exam: Lesson 4 : Scheduling
Lesson 5: Travel Arrangements
Lesson 5 Video
Review 2 Articles: Making Travel Arrangments; Travel Requirements
Complete Exam: Lesson 5: Travel Arrangements
Lesson 6 : Word Processing
Lesson 6 Video
Review Article: Word Processing Tricks
Complete Exam: Lesson 6 : Word Processing
Lesson 7 : File System Management
Lesson 7 Video
Review 2 Articles: Arranging a Paper Filing System; Organize an Electronic File System
Take Poll: Filing Systems
Complete: Lesson 7 Assignment
Complete Exam: Lesson 7 : File System Management
Lesson 8 : Spreadsheets
Lesson 8 Video
Complete Exam: Lesson 8 : Spreadsheets
Lesson 9 : Correspondence
Lesson 9 Video
Review 2 Articles: 12 Secrets of Effective Business Communication; 7 Cs of Communication
Complete: Lesson 9 Assignments
Complete Exam: Lesson 9 : Correspondence
Lesson 10 : Dictation
Lesson 10 Video
Review Article: Dictation Tips
Complete Exam: Lesson 10 : Dictation
Lesson 11 : Office Equipment
Lesson 11 Video
Complete: Lesson 11 Assignment
Complete Exam: Lesson 11 : Office Equipment
Lesson 12 : Effective Communication Skills
Lesson 12 Video
Review 2 Articles: How to Improve Your Communication; 12 Tips for Better Business Writing
Complete Exam: Lesson 12 : Effective Communication Skills
Lesson 13 : Time Management
Lesson 13 Video
Review Article: 5 Time Management Tips
Take Poll: Time Management
Complete Exam: Lesson 13 : Time Management
Lesson 14: Handling Difficult Situations
Lesson 14 Video
Review 2 Articles: How to Respond to Angry Customers; Problems and Solutions
Complete: Lesson 14 Assignment
Complete Exam: Lesson 14 : Handling Difficult Situations
Lesson 15 : Better to Have Training or Experience?
Lesson 15 Video
Review 2 Articles: Becoming a Legal Secretary; Becoming a Secretary
Complete Exam: Lesson 15 : Better to Have Training or Experience?
Conclusion and Citations
Lesson 16 Video
Take Poll: Let us know what you think of this course
Take Survey: Program Evaluation Follow-up Survey (End of Course)
Complete: Lesson 16 Assignment
Complete: The Final Exam
Learning Outcomes
- Define what a general secretary is, what types of secretaries there are, and what the job role entails
- Summarize reception techniques.
- Describe scheduling techniques.
- Summarize the process of making travel arrangements.
- Demonstrate word processing tecnhniques.
- Describe how to create, manage, and maintain file system management.
- Demonstrate spreadsheet knowledge and use in the role of a secretary.
- Summarize correspondence and dictation requirements of a secretary.
- Summarize office equipment a secretary will need to be familiar with.
- Summarize effective communication and time management skills to be an effective secretary, and
- Demonstrate mastery of lesson content at levels of 70% or higher.
Additional Course Information

- Document Your Lifelong Learning Achievements
- Earn an Official Certificate Documenting Course Hours and CEUs
- Verify Your Certificate with a Unique Serial Number Online
- View and Share Your Certificate Online or Download/Print as PDF
- Display Your Certificate on Your Resume and Promote Your Achievements Using Social Media

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Time to complete | 6 months |
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Time to complete | 12 Months |
No. of courses | 500+ |
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Time to complete | Monthly |
No. of courses | 500+ |
Student Testimonials
- "I liked all of it." -- Sara A.
- "Assignments were challenging and not boring." -- Janet W.
- "Pointers on how to receive and greet customers in person and on the phone were among the most useful parts of this course for me." -- Lianna S.
- "Very easy instructions!" -- Linda W.