Certificate in Professionals Skills Development for Senior Secretaries/Personal Assistants

The roles of the Executive Secretaries, Personal Assistants and other Administrative staff in business are continually evolving. Their function can sometimes be overlooked as not being integral to the organisation achieving its strategic goals and objectives. However, the reality is that the Executive Secretaries, Personal Assistants, and other Administrative staff have a hugely important part to play in any organisation, as they provide essential services to both internal and external customers alike.

By attending the course, delegates will be able to return to work having learnt how to expand their role and deal with business situations more effectively. They will also have the confidence to use these skills and thus raise their profile in their company, and an action plan to put into practice.

Important Features

The important features of Developing Professionals Skills for Senior Secretaries/Personal Assistants are:

• Enhance skills to work at a higher level
• Appreciate the value and importance of the role
• Understand the business to work effectively
• Use communication skills for personal advantage and to the benefit of the organisation
• Develop interpersonal skills to improve the working practice

Learning Objectives

• Improve their existing skills
• Understand how to develop their role
• Learn how to write more effective correspondence
• Learn how to give memorable presentations
• Be aware of how to be more proactive
• Understand ways in which they can expand their business acumen
• Learn ways to manage their managers
• Discuss interpersonal intelligence and how it can improve their working practice
• Be aware of how they can take some control over their time and work output

Target Audience

The Developing Professionals Skills for Senior Secretaries/Personal Assistants training course is aimed at Personal Assistants, Executive Secretaries/Assistants and Administrative staff who want to develop and enhance their role within their organisation.

Training Methodology

The Developing Professionals Skills for Senior Secretaries/Personal Assistants training course will be discussion-based, giving delegates the opportunity to share their issues with the group.   There will be activities, practical exercises, and debate of real-life situations. Participants are urged to be prepared to talk in depth about their role and to work with others to produce plans.

Course Contents

Day 1 - Building on Existing Skills

• What is your role?
• Organisational skills
• Planning and prioritising
• Time management under pressure
• Advanced customer service skills and telephone techniques

Day 2 -Developing the Role

• Ways to become more proactive
• Take some control over your workload
• Discuss how you can expand your knowledge of the business
• Cope with and take advantage of change in your work environment
• Goal setting

Day 3 - The Importance and Value of Communication Skills

• Why are communication skills so important?
• Talk about how to be more assertive in the workplace
• Learn to delegate
• Improve your listening skills
• Write more effective business letters and e-mails
• Learn how to structure reports
• Tips to giving excellent presentations

Day 4 -Managing your Manager and Raising Your Profile

• Image management
• Building an effective working relationship with your manager
• What is expected of you?
• Your working styles
• Understand how to be effective in meetings.
• Discuss ways to improve your confidence
• Working as a team
• Using your skills to enable your manager to concentrate on his/her priorities

Day 5 -Interpersonal Intelligence

• Understanding people
• Expressing yourself with clarity
• Asserting your needs
• Giving and receiving feedback
• Influencing skills
• Resolving conflict
• Being a team player
• Being flexible