Answer Telephones-Office Secretaries are the office gatekeepers – they answer the phone, take messages or refer calls to appropriate staff member

Maintain Calendar and Plan Meetings-Office Secretaries schedule appointments and update event calendars. They also arrange meetings and coordinate conference room schedules. In advance of meetings, they assemble background materials and set up the meeting space. They attend meetings and prepare minutes or summaries of the meeting outcomes.

Handle Mail-Incoming and outgoing mail and faxes all go through the Office Secretary. They open, review, sort and distribute the mail to the appropriate recipients. Office Secretaries also maintain email lists, and distribute information to staff.

Prepare and Edit Documents-As the last person to see documents before they are sent, the Office Secretary reviews outgoing correspondence for grammar, correctness and completeness, and insures that appropriate material is attached. They prepare memos or other reports for internal or external distribution. They may also make travel bookings and prepare travel expense reports.

Maintain Databases and Filing Systems-Office Secretaries design, implement and maintain filing systems, both electronic and paper. When requested, they search for and compile requested material from the databases.

Maintain inventory-The Office Secretary tracks office supplies and orders replacements as required. They may be responsible for an office budget for supplies and other expenditures.