Female Secretary

We could continue and write an entire new website about how to win the hearts of your recruiters in an interview for secretary position. But this information should not be available to everyone - then nobody would have an edge in the interviews… Not everyone is willing to sacrifice something and put an extra effort to his interview preparation. Well, not everyone can succeed… If you want to know more than the other job applicants, have a look at our Secretary Interview Package. It's a best possible last-minute interview preparation for secretaries.

► What are your strengths and weaknesses?

► Would you mind working overtime?

► Would you mind accompanying your boss on business trips?

► How would you cope with an angry customer or business partner?

► Have you ever prepared a weekly schedule for someone?

► Can you cook?

► When are you able to start?

► Do you have any questions?

A secretary, personal assistant, or administrative assistant is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication, or organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit of more than one. In other situations a secretary is an officer of a society or organization who deals with correspondence, admits new members, and organizes official meetings and events.

I'm not looking for just another pay check. I enjoy my work and am proud of my profession. Your company produces a superior product/provides a superior service. I share the values that make this possible, which should enable me to fit in and complement the team.

Focus on three or four strengths that refer directly to the secretarial job requirements. Potential examples include organizing and planning, adaptability, information management, attention to detail, problem-solving, reliability, initiative , discretion, multi-tasking, prioritizing, good judgment and communication and interpersonal skills. Back up your answer with specific examples that demonstrates your strength in the work context.

It is best to refer to one or two true weaknesses and then to detail the steps you have taken to try to overcome the weakness.

I chose advertising because I have always been a strong communicator with a good eye for design. I have a particular interest in creating dynamic eye-catching pieces that support a new product being introduced to the market. I also like the fast-paced high-energy environment that seems to be commonplace in the advertising industry."

Advice: Your answer needs to convince the interviewers that your skills are exactly what they want. They want to know if you have a realistic view of what it is like to work in their industry. Be specific; show them that their industry and your career goals are in sync.

Patience is a virtue that few people possess in great amounts, but we all have some.

Everyone can answer this question affirmatively. Realize that patience is a very big advantage in secretarial roles, especially today when everyone expects everything to happen immediately, and just cannot wait. If the secretary can deal patiently with each request and interruption, she/he will be a sought after candidate.

Word to the wise: increase your patience quota. It will serve you well professionally and personally.

A secretary must be able to work effectively with a large variety of personalities and cultures. He/she must be professional yet friendly, a people's person who is comfortable speaking with people. It is worthwhile to inquire as to the range of different types of people s/he has worked with, and how they all managed together.

A secretary is one of the most important individuals in the business, seemingly indispensable. Therefore, a secretary on vacation is a strain on the office. Inquire as to the planned frequency and length of intended vacations, and decide if it is within your comfort zone. This query can save you a lot of stress as you will be able to anticipate and plan properly for these leaves.

Try to determine how well the applicant interacted with her immediate superior, as well as other co-workers. Chances are it will be the same in your firm. Ask for specific positive and negative scenarios. Try to read between the lines.

Secretaries and administrative professionals are expected to have excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Describe the type of interactions you had with colleagues, management and clients. Highlight how you used your knowledge of the department, organization and business to respond efficiently to these queries.

Secretaries or administrative professionals serve as information managers for the company. They are responsible for objective and detailed record keeping.

Explain which record keeping you were entrusted with and how you made sure these records were updated and accurate. What methods did you use? Highlight your attention to detail and accuracy.

Kept yourself informed and up to date with your manager's commitments and co-ordinated his or her appointments and meetings.

Detail the actions you have taken to set up and co-ordinate meetings such as organizing the venue and times, informing participants, preparing agendas and organizing documentation. Go on to describe your experience in taking minutes, typing them up and distributing them. This is another opportunity to provide a work sample.

Focus on your organizational and planning skills in answering secretarial interview questions like this.

Detail your knowledge of Excel. Relate your data management skills to the job requirements. Use examples of the functions you are familiar with such as creating, modifying and formatting spreadsheets to support your proficiency level.

List the packages you are familiar with. Discuss how much experience you have with each package, describe the functions you regularly used and the type of work you have generated. You can support your interview answer by taking along some work samples.

Use the information you gathered from your background research to prepare for this interview question, this way you will stand out from the other candidates for the secretarial vacancy. Find something specific about the company and position that attracts you.