Answer to Question #163799 in English for steve

Question

Develop a Structured Interview for ONE of the Following Positions

1.     Choose one of the following position SECRETARY

2.    Determine the key knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics for the job

3. Develop a set of at least 15 interview questions that are targeted at specific knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics and present the KSAO with the question(s) you have designed

These are ONLY EXAMPLES:

1.     Key KSAO - Punctuality

In the job description you may find something like "Required to be at work for 6 am daily in an area not serviced by public transport"

Possible Interview Question(s) re Punctuality: 

·      Primary Question : Are you available to start work 5 days per week at 6:00 am ?

·      Follow Up Question: What mode of transport would you use to be at the office for 6:00 am?

JOB #1

Office Secretary

To keep an office running smoothly and efficiently,

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.

 

Office Secretary Skills

Well-organized and detail-oriented, a successful Office Secretary must be able to multi-task and take instruction from many sources. Key traits for an Office Secretary are strong interpersonal skills and a positive attitude. In addition to these general skills and personality traits, employers are seeking Office Secretary candidates with the following skills.

Core skills

Based on job listings we looked at, employers want Office Secretaries with these core skills. If you want to work as an Office Secretary focus on the following.

• Knowledge of general office procedures
• Knowledge of word processing and spreadsheet software, including Word and Excel, and the ability to learn billing software and electronic medical records
• Ability to operate office equipment (fax, copier, mail, etc.)
• Customer service experience
• Ability to type at least 40 words per minute
• Proficient in proofreading, spelling, grammar punctuation and math

Advanced skills

While most employers did not require the following skills, multiple job listings included them as preferred. Add these to your Office Secretary toolbox and broaden your career options.

• Knowledge of ICD-9 and CPT Coding
• Knowledge of medical or legal terminology
• Proficient with tape transcription and ability to take shorthand
• Familiarity with File Site, a document management system

 

 SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS

·      Extensive secretarial and clerical work experience.

·      Expertise in word processing, database, and spreadsheet software.

·      Good understanding of office practices and methods.

·      Solid understanding of filing systems.

Answer 1

Tell us about yourself?

What made you apply for this secretary job?

What motivates you to do a good job?

What qualities do you consider the most important in a secretarial job?

What did you like best about your last secretary job and what did you enjoy least?

Describe a situation in which you had to carefully schedule your activities to meet an objective?

Describe what you do to control mistakes in your work?

Describe a difficult problem you had to sort out in your last job?