How to become a secretary
You can get into this job through:
- a college course
- an apprenticeship
- working towards this role
- applying directly
College
You may find it useful to take a course in administration or secretarial skills. Colleges offer full-time and part-time courses, including awards, certificates and diplomas. Useful subjects include:
- business administration
- typing
- audio transcription
- computer skills
- shorthand
Apprenticeship
A common way to become a secretary is to do a business administrator advanced apprenticeship.
Entry requirements
You'll usually need:
- 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
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Work
You could start as an administration assistant and work towards this role.
Employers may be more interested in your computer, telephone and office skills than your formal qualifications, although you may be expected to have some GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) including English.
Volunteering
Volunteering, for example with a charity, could help you to get some relevant experience. It's a good way of developing IT and office skills that are valued by employers.
Direct Application
You could apply directly if you've got relevant skills and experience from working in an office.
You could also do a temping job to get into this kind of role. Temporary jobs can help you to build up your experience and could lead to permanent employment.
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Further information
You can find out more about becoming a secretary from The Institute of Administrative Management.