Administration & Secretarial
The Essentials of Secretary Skills
A five-day foundational programme that builds core secretarial skills — task organisation, correspondence and filing, meeting support and minutes, business writing and professional communication.
Introduction
A secretary keeps an office moving, and the difference between a smooth week and a chaotic one usually comes down to basic skills applied consistently. The The Essentials of Secretary Skills Training Course builds those foundations clearly and practically. Participants learn to organise their workload, handle correspondence and filing, support meetings, and communicate professionally on the phone and by email. Furthermore, the course covers business writing, office software, and confidentiality basics. In addition, it develops etiquette, teamwork, and calm handling of pressure. As a result, participants return to work with solid habits, reliable systems, and greater confidence in their daily duties.
The Essentials of Secretary Skills Course Objectives
- Organise daily tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix and simple time blocking.
- Handle incoming and outgoing correspondence through clear registers.
- Build and maintain a practical filing system with naming conventions.
- Prepare meeting agendas, take minutes, and track follow-up actions.
- Write clear emails, memos, and short reports in professional style.
- Use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook for daily tasks.
- Apply telephone, reception, and visitor handling standards.
- Protect confidential information with basic security practice.
- Coordinate appointments, schedules, and simple travel arrangements.
- Work effectively with managers, colleagues, and external contacts.
Course Methodology
- Instructor-led sessions built around everyday secretarial tasks.
- Step-by-step practical exercises in filing, writing, and minute-taking.
- Case studies of common office situations and how to handle them.
- Role-play exercises on telephone handling and visitor reception.
- Group workshops to build a working filing and tracking system.
- Continuous knowledge checks and a final applied office task.
Who Should Take This Course
- Secretaries and junior administrative assistants.
- Receptionists and front-desk staff.
- Office clerks handling correspondence and files.
- Departmental support staff.
- New employees starting in secretarial roles.
- Administrative staff seeking a structured skills refresher.
The Essentials of Secretary Skills Course Outlines
The Secretarial Role and Office Basics
- • Core duties and daily responsibilities of the secretary.
- • Office structures, procedures, and reporting lines.
- • Professional image, dress, and workplace etiquette.
- • Building a tidy, functional workspace.
- • Understanding manager priorities and expectations.
- • Confidentiality and basic information security.
- • Workshop: mapping a typical secretarial workday.
Time Management and Task Organisation
- • The Eisenhower Matrix and sorting urgent from important.
- • Simple time blocking and daily task lists.
- • Managing deadlines, reminders, and follow-ups.
- • Handling interruptions and competing requests.
- • Staying calm and organised under pressure.
- • Planning a realistic working week.
- • Workshop: planning a full secretarial week.
Correspondence, Filing, and Records
- • Incoming and outgoing correspondence registers.
- • Filing structures, folder design, and naming conventions.
- • Labelling, indexing, and retrieving documents quickly.
- • Basics of paper and digital archiving.
- • Document copies, versions, and distribution lists.
- • Office supplies and simple stock records.
- • Workshop: building a working filing system.
Meetings, Writing, and Office Software
- • Preparing meeting rooms, agendas, and papers.
- • Taking clear minutes and recording action points.
- • Email etiquette, tone, and clear structure.
- • Writing memos, short reports, and internal notices.
- • Using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook effectively.
- • Formatting documents neatly and consistently.
- • Workshop: drafting an email, memo, and set of minutes.
Communication, Reception, and Coordination
- • Telephone handling and accurate message taking.
- • Receiving visitors and managing the front desk.
- • Assertive communication and active listening.
- • Handling complaints and difficult requests politely.
- • Coordinating appointments, schedules, and travel bookings.
- • Teamwork and supporting colleagues across departments.
- • Workshop: presenting a personal office improvement plan.
Conclusion
By successfully completing the The Essentials of Secretary Skills Training Course, participants will have acquired the knowledge to organise their daily workload, manage correspondence and filing, support meetings with accurate minutes, write clearly, and handle calls and visitors professionally. They will also gain confidence with everyday office software and confidentiality practice. Furthermore, the course builds reliable habits that reduce errors and delays in daily work. Gentex Training Center delivers this programme with a strong emphasis on practical, workplace-ready secretarial skills.
FAQs
— What is the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course about?
It is a foundational programme covering the everyday duties of a secretary. It addresses task organisation and time management, correspondence and filing, meeting support and minute-taking, business writing, office software, telephone and visitor handling, and basic confidentiality practice.
— What are the key benefits of the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course?
Participants gain clear routines that reduce missed deadlines, lost documents, and repeated work. The course improves the quality of emails, memos, and minutes, builds confidence when handling calls, visitors, and difficult requests, and strengthens everyday accuracy in filing and record keeping.
— What skills will I gain from the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course?
Task organisation and time management; correspondence handling and filing system management; meeting support, minute-taking and business writing; and professional communication, reception handling and office software use.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course?
The course covers the Eisenhower Matrix and time blocking, correspondence registers, filing structures and naming conventions, agenda and minute-taking formats, action tracking lists, telephone message-taking standards, and Microsoft Office tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
— How is the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course applied in real-world practice?
Graduates apply it by setting up a filing and correspondence system they can maintain daily, planning their tasks around priorities, and preparing meeting papers and accurate minutes. They also answer calls and receive visitors professionally, draft clear internal messages, and coordinate appointments and travel for their team.
Contact our team and let us help you find the right option.
Introduction
A secretary keeps an office moving, and the difference between a smooth week and a chaotic one usually comes down to basic skills applied consistently. The The Essentials of Secretary Skills Training Course builds those foundations clearly and practically. Participants learn to organise their workload, handle correspondence and filing, support meetings, and communicate professionally on the phone and by email. Furthermore, the course covers business writing, office software, and confidentiality basics. In addition, it develops etiquette, teamwork, and calm handling of pressure. As a result, participants return to work with solid habits, reliable systems, and greater confidence in their daily duties.
The Essentials of Secretary Skills Course Objectives
- Organise daily tasks using the Eisenhower Matrix and simple time blocking.
- Handle incoming and outgoing correspondence through clear registers.
- Build and maintain a practical filing system with naming conventions.
- Prepare meeting agendas, take minutes, and track follow-up actions.
- Write clear emails, memos, and short reports in professional style.
- Use Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook for daily tasks.
- Apply telephone, reception, and visitor handling standards.
- Protect confidential information with basic security practice.
- Coordinate appointments, schedules, and simple travel arrangements.
- Work effectively with managers, colleagues, and external contacts.
Course Methodology
- Instructor-led sessions built around everyday secretarial tasks.
- Step-by-step practical exercises in filing, writing, and minute-taking.
- Case studies of common office situations and how to handle them.
- Role-play exercises on telephone handling and visitor reception.
- Group workshops to build a working filing and tracking system.
- Continuous knowledge checks and a final applied office task.
Who Should Take This Course
- Secretaries and junior administrative assistants.
- Receptionists and front-desk staff.
- Office clerks handling correspondence and files.
- Departmental support staff.
- New employees starting in secretarial roles.
- Administrative staff seeking a structured skills refresher.
The Essentials of Secretary Skills Course Outlines
The Secretarial Role and Office Basics
- • Core duties and daily responsibilities of the secretary.
- • Office structures, procedures, and reporting lines.
- • Professional image, dress, and workplace etiquette.
- • Building a tidy, functional workspace.
- • Understanding manager priorities and expectations.
- • Confidentiality and basic information security.
- • Workshop: mapping a typical secretarial workday.
Time Management and Task Organisation
- • The Eisenhower Matrix and sorting urgent from important.
- • Simple time blocking and daily task lists.
- • Managing deadlines, reminders, and follow-ups.
- • Handling interruptions and competing requests.
- • Staying calm and organised under pressure.
- • Planning a realistic working week.
- • Workshop: planning a full secretarial week.
Correspondence, Filing, and Records
- • Incoming and outgoing correspondence registers.
- • Filing structures, folder design, and naming conventions.
- • Labelling, indexing, and retrieving documents quickly.
- • Basics of paper and digital archiving.
- • Document copies, versions, and distribution lists.
- • Office supplies and simple stock records.
- • Workshop: building a working filing system.
Meetings, Writing, and Office Software
- • Preparing meeting rooms, agendas, and papers.
- • Taking clear minutes and recording action points.
- • Email etiquette, tone, and clear structure.
- • Writing memos, short reports, and internal notices.
- • Using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook effectively.
- • Formatting documents neatly and consistently.
- • Workshop: drafting an email, memo, and set of minutes.
Communication, Reception, and Coordination
- • Telephone handling and accurate message taking.
- • Receiving visitors and managing the front desk.
- • Assertive communication and active listening.
- • Handling complaints and difficult requests politely.
- • Coordinating appointments, schedules, and travel bookings.
- • Teamwork and supporting colleagues across departments.
- • Workshop: presenting a personal office improvement plan.
Conclusion
By successfully completing the The Essentials of Secretary Skills Training Course, participants will have acquired the knowledge to organise their daily workload, manage correspondence and filing, support meetings with accurate minutes, write clearly, and handle calls and visitors professionally. They will also gain confidence with everyday office software and confidentiality practice. Furthermore, the course builds reliable habits that reduce errors and delays in daily work. Gentex Training Center delivers this programme with a strong emphasis on practical, workplace-ready secretarial skills.
FAQs
— What is the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course about?
It is a foundational programme covering the everyday duties of a secretary. It addresses task organisation and time management, correspondence and filing, meeting support and minute-taking, business writing, office software, telephone and visitor handling, and basic confidentiality practice.
— What are the key benefits of the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course?
Participants gain clear routines that reduce missed deadlines, lost documents, and repeated work. The course improves the quality of emails, memos, and minutes, builds confidence when handling calls, visitors, and difficult requests, and strengthens everyday accuracy in filing and record keeping.
— What skills will I gain from the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course?
Task organisation and time management; correspondence handling and filing system management; meeting support, minute-taking and business writing; and professional communication, reception handling and office software use.
— What tools, methods, or standards are covered in the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course?
The course covers the Eisenhower Matrix and time blocking, correspondence registers, filing structures and naming conventions, agenda and minute-taking formats, action tracking lists, telephone message-taking standards, and Microsoft Office tools including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
— How is the "The Essentials of Secretary Skills" course applied in real-world practice?
Graduates apply it by setting up a filing and correspondence system they can maintain daily, planning their tasks around priorities, and preparing meeting papers and accurate minutes. They also answer calls and receive visitors professionally, draft clear internal messages, and coordinate appointments and travel for their team.
Partners in Learning
Our Partners in Learning include leading companies and organizations that trust Gentex Training Center for high-quality training courses and professional development programs. Together, we deliver impactful training programs that support skills growth, leadership development, and organizational excellence.
.png)
