What is the Difference Between a Secretary and an Administrative Assistant?

If you’ve been searching the job market lately, you may well have come across positions for both secretaries and administrative assistants and wondered quite what the difference is.

While there is a great deal of overlap between the two jobs, the terms are not interchangeable. It is not simply the case that different businesses use different terms to describe the same type of work, they are actually two distinct positions.

The role of Administrative Assistant is more advanced and involved

While a secretary performs tasks that are mostly clerical, such as answering the phone, typing up notes, and filing paperwork, an administrative assistant, while also likely to be responsible for these clerical tasks, will have greater responsibilities that often involve a higher level of decision-making and responsibility.

A secretary’s job may include…

• Answering the phone, taking messages and forwarding calls to the relevant person or department.
• Filing, organizing and updating data.
• Managing appointments.
• Taking notes at meetings.
• Greeting visitors.
• Organizing travel arrangements.
• Procuring office supplies.
• Dealing with expense forms.
• Ensuring new protocol is implemented.

An administrative assistant’s job may include…

• Developing new office protocol.
• Research and document creation.
• More in-depth correspondence with clients.
• Creating agendas for meetings.
• Setting up systems and spreadsheets to be used by secretaries.
• Project management.
• …along with everything we’ve listed under the secretary’s job description.

Who earns more – a secretary or an administrative assistant?

While there are highly-paid secretaries and lower-paid administrative assistants, overall, administrative assistant roles tend to command a higher salary than those of a secretary due to the higher level of responsibility and involvement in the business that the post requires.

It’s not uncommon for a secretary to move into an administrative assistant position. Indeed, starting out working as a secretary is a great way to get your career started if you’re keen to work as an administrative assistant.

How to get a job as a secretary

So many types of business require the skills of a secretary, there are many opportunities out there.

You’ll find vacancies for secretaries in every town in the country, and it’s an excellent career when it comes to transferable skills. Once you’ve gained experience as a secretary, you can work anywhere.

There are usually no specific qualification requirements for secretaries, although some businesses may require a basic high school diploma or equivalent.

Due to the fact that this is often an entry-level job, many vacancies will receive a large volume of applicants, so while you may not need any qualifications in order to apply, unless you have a wealth of secretarial experience already under your belt, relevant qualifications will always put you at an advantage.

You can take a course in secretarial studies where you’ll learn a wide range of skills covering everything from how to be an effective communicator, to being competent with office software packages.

If you want to take things a step further, take time to improve your knowledge even more by taking dedicated courses focused on specific software such as spreadsheets and databases, or work on increasing your typing speed and accuracy. 

How to get a job as an administrative assistant

Experience will always put you in good stead when applying for a job as an administrative assistant.

Secretarial experience is also advantageous as the work of an administrative assistant covers most of the duties of a secretary, and more besides. If you can prove you already have the skills to be a competent secretary, that’s a great sign that you’d make an excellent administrative assistant.

But in a competitive industry, you need to stand out from the crowd. One way to do this is to earn an administrative assistant certification to prove your credentials.

We have two administrative assistant courses available, so you’re sure to find one that will suit your needs and your budget.

You may like to attend night classes at your local college, or perhaps a flexible, remote-learning course would be better suited to you and fit well with your current lifestyle and commitments.

Secretary and Administrative Assistant Job Applications – Our Tips for Success

While there are many vacancies out there for secretaries and administrative assistants, it’s most likely that there will be many applicants applying for each post.

From your resume and cover letter to your performance at interview, there are many ways in which you can stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of your potential new employer.

Here are some ideas to consider that might just give you the edge, and get you that dream job you’ve been searching for…

Create the perfect resume

Do you have a standard resume that you send out for every job you apply for?

If so, you may well have more success if you adapt it slightly for each position. If you’re applying for a job as a secretary or an administrative assistant, then your relevant skills and qualifications should be at the forefront, for example, you should highlight your IT skills and customer service qualifications.

Make sure your resume is short and to the point. Often resumes are rejected at a glance, so make sure yours gets a second look by making it clear, concise and eye-catching.

And one final but incredibly important point with regard to resumes and cover letters is to make sure there are no errors! Attention to detail is an integral aspect of any administrative job, so even the smallest typo could ruin your chances of success.

Gain relevant certification

We’ve mentioned it already, but taking a course that rewards you with certification will make you stand out from the other applicants.

It proves you have the required knowledge and skills, but it also shows you are dedicated, motivated and a self-starter.

Check out our two administrative assistant certification courses on our website here.

Get experience any way you can

Qualifications and experience are generally the two major factors that employers are looking for.

You can take a course to gain qualifications, but getting experience is somewhat harder. You need experience to get a job, but you need a job to gain the experience. So how do you get around that?

It’s time to think outside the box. Could you offer your services as a volunteer, perhaps for a local charity

This gives you the experience you need, and of course, adding volunteering to your resume casts a positive light on your personality too. Or perhaps you have a friend or relative with a business who could use a little help from you, putting you to work undertaking admin tasks in their office.

Anything you do, even if it’s just a couple of hours here and there, can all be added to your resume and it counts as relevant experience.

Keep working on your skills

Being up-to-date is advantageous. The work of a secretary and an administrative assistant is very varied, so you can continuously learn more to make you more attractive to potential employers.

Keep on top of the latest developments with commonly used office software and equipment. Become an expert user by discovering the tips and tricks that will make you invaluable in an office environment. Develop the perfect, professional telephone manner, and learn the art of patience and how to stay calm under pressure.

Keeping your skills fresh, and adding to your list of talents, will ensure you’re always the best candidate for the position you’re applying for.