secretary
Key facts
Are you highly organised and enjoy supporting teams to achieve their goals? As a secretary, you'll be the backbone of an organisation, ensuring smooth operations and efficient communication.
Secretaries play a vital role in keeping organisations running effectively. Your days will be varied and fast-paced, involving a range of administrative tasks. You’ll be the first point of contact for many, managing communications and ensuring that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes. This role requires strong attention to detail, excellent communication skills, and the ability to prioritise effectively.
- • Answering telephone calls and managing correspondence (email, letters)
- • Maintaining diaries, scheduling appointments, and organising travel arrangements
- • Preparing and distributing documents, including reports and presentations
Where this occupation is in demand
Reported labour shortages and surpluses, by year. Published for occupation groups, not for individual job titles.
Deeper colour: reported the same way in more consecutive years.
Figures cover General and keyboard clerks — 5 jobs including this one.
In shortage: Italy.
Longest-running shortage: Italy, 4 years.
Select a place on the map to see its figures.
About this source›
Source: ELA/EURES labour shortages and surpluses. Readings are published at occupation-group level, and cover Europe. Editions differ in annex layout and country coverage, so a change between years does not always mean the labour market changed. Countries in grey were not reported, which is not the same as being in balance.
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Future Outlook for secretary
The outlook for secretary reflects a balanced mix of automation exposure and durable, human-led work.
How are these scores calculated?
The Resilience Score (0–100) estimates how structurally protected this occupation is from automation and AI disruption, based on task-level analysis. Higher scores mean more human-judgment-intensive tasks. AI Exposure shows the estimated percentage of task hours that current AI capabilities could affect. These are model-derived structural indicators, not predictions about individual job security.
How could secretary change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How could secretary change as AI adoption grows?
This role is likely to change gradually, with AI supporting selected tasks rather than replacing the whole occupation.
Illustrative scenario based on task automatability — not a forecast. Values are rounded the further ahead you look.
How AI may change this role
Deterministic, model-based interpretation of current role signals — not a guarantee of replacement.
What still depends on people
- process commissioned instructions
- communicate schedules to the people concerned
- disseminate internal communications
Where AI may become a co-pilot
- use word processing software
- use microsoft office
- monitor staff absences
Tasks most exposed to automation
- fill out forms
- keep task records
- use spreadsheets software
Vital Signs & AI Vectors
AI Exposure Vectors
0-100%Exposure to AI-assisted analysis, pattern recognition, and predictive modelling tasks
Exposure to content generation, creative augmentation, and large language model tools
Exposure to workflow automation, decision-support software, and process digitisation
Exposure to physical automation, robotics, and sensor-driven task displacement
Technical Details
NexFuture v3.0 estimates automation exposure natively from ESCO essential-skill groups, weighted by skill mass and calibrated against expert anchors. Scores are probabilistic estimates, not guarantees. See the NexFuture Methodology White Paper for full details.
Measures automation exposure. It does not measure pay, demand, or how many jobs exist near you.
What people in this role usually do
Management & Entrepreneurship
A typical day as a secretary
09 09:00 · Morning communicate schedules to the people concerned
10 10:30 · Mid-morning administer appointments
12 12:00 · Midday handle mail
14 14:00 · Afternoon communicate by telephone
15 15:30 · Late afternoon disseminate internal communications
17 17:00 · Wrap-up file documents
Task order is illustrative. Individual days vary.
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company policies
The set of rules that govern the activity of a company.
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labour law
The field of law that is concerned with the regulation of the relationship between employers, employees, trade unions, and the government.
- accounting techniques
- education administration
- education law
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organise business documents
Put together documents coming from the photocopier, the mail, or the daily operations of businesses.
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handle mail
Handle mail considering data protection issues, health and safety requirements, and specifications of different kinds of mail.
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perform office routine activities
Program, prepare, and perform activities required to be performed everyday in offices such as mailing, receiving supplies, updating managers and employees, and keeping operations running smoothly.
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manage personnel agenda
Schedule and confirm appointments for the personnel of the office, mostly managers and directive employees, with external parties.
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disseminate messages to people
Receive, process, and pass messages to people coming from phone calls, faxes, postal, and emails.
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organise facilities for office personnel
Manage the booking schedule for conferences and meetings of internal or external nature. Shop around and book reservations for travelling or hosting for office personnel.
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use spreadsheets software
Use software tools to create and edit tabular data to carry out mathematical calculations, organise data and information, create diagrams based on data and to retrieve them.
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manage digital documents
Manage various data formats and files by naming, publishing, transforming and sharing files and documents and transforming file formats.
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disseminate internal communications
Disseminate internal communications using the different communication channels that a company has at its disposal.
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maintain internal communication systems
Maintain an effective internal communication system among employees and department managers.
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file documents
Create a filing system. Write a document catalogue. Label documents etc.
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monitor staff absences
Keep an overview of the employees's vacations, sick leaves and absences, register these in the agenda and file the necessary documents and certificates.
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keep task records
Organise and classify records of prepared reports and correspondence related to the performed work and progress records of tasks.
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process commissioned instructions
Process instructions, usually oral ones, provided by managers and directives on actions required to be made. Take note, inquire, and take action on the commissioned requests.
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use word processing software
Use computer software applications for composition, editing, formatting, and printing of any sort of written material.
Skill DNA
Work personality traits and values that define this role
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Where does secretary fit?
Similarity scores based on skill overlap from ESCO data.
Frequently asked questions
- What skills are most important for a secretary?
- Strong organisational skills, excellent written and verbal communication, proficiency in office software (word processing, spreadsheets, email), and the ability to work independently and as part of a team are crucial. Adaptability and attention to detail are also highly valued.
- Is this a good career for someone looking to change careers?
- Yes! The transferable skills gained in previous roles, such as communication, organisation, and problem-solving, are highly relevant to the secretary role. Many people transition into this career from customer service, administration, or other roles requiring strong administrative abilities.
- What is the typical work arrangement for secretaries?
- Secretaries are primarily employed within organisations, working as part of a team. Opportunities for freelance or contract work are less common, but may exist.
- Secretary — is there a shortage in Europe?
- No. In the 2025 ELA/EURES edition, a surplus was reported in 15 of the 16 European countries that assessed this occupation group: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus and 11 more. One country reported a shortage. These assessments are published per occupation group rather than per job title.
- Secretary — what does it pay in the United States?
- $46,290 a year at the median, as of 2025-05. State medians run from $25,730 to $59,910. Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics. This is a United States figure and not a projection for Europe.
- Secretary — is it a regulated profession?
- It is listed as a regulated profession in 1 European country: Switzerland. The lowest qualification level required among them is EQF 6. Where a profession is regulated, a qualification earned elsewhere has to be formally recognised before you can practise. Source: EU Regulated Professions Database.