Secretarial Jobs
- What secretarial jobs are there in the UK?
- Where are secretarial jobs located in the UK?
- What type of work do secretaries do in the UK?
- Who do secretaries work for in the UK?
- What qualifications and experience do secretaries need to work in the UK?
- How much do secretaries earn in the UK?
- What is the best way to get a secretarial job in the UK?
- How should you prepare your CV for the UK?
What secretarial jobs are there in the UK?
There are a wide range of secretarial jobs available in the UK, some of the most common are:
- Legal secretary
- Medical secretary
- Team secretary
- Receptionist
- Audio / Copy Typist
- Switchboard / telephonist
Where are secretarial jobs located in the UK?
Secretarial jobs are available UK-wide, though the majority exist in large towns and cities. The biggest example of this is in London, where there is a large demand for skilled and semi-skilled office employees. In particular, most team and legal secretary jobs are located are in London. Apply to Jobs two weeks before you arrive or Register with Agencies up to 2 months before you arrive.
Areas just outside of London also have a strong demand for employees in secretarial jobs. Within the wider area of South East England, secretarial jobs may be found in such places as:
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Other areas throughout the UK which you might consider, include:
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Tip: If you have a particular desire to live and work in a specific UK location, then make this intention clear to your recruitment agent from the outset.
What employment types are available to secretaries in the UK?
Most secretarial jobs may be taken on in a permanent, part–time, temporary or fixed–term capacity.
Temporary secretary jobs are a great way of getting some useful UK experience while you search for your ideal permanent role. Temporary secretary jobs can also be a fantastic option over the long term as they can allow you to effectively split your time between work and travel. Temporary legal secretarial jobs are quite common.
Work as a team secretary demands a much greater commitment to a specific business or organisation and for this reason, roles are usually of a permanent nature. Longer fixed-term contracts (for example, maternity leave cover) do exist and may be a viable alternative to taking on a permanent position.
If you are a Working Holiday Maker, then you should be aware that finding a permanent position may slightly more challenging due to the fact that you are restricted to a period of 12 months employment in the UK. The good news is that there are many Secretarial Jobs in the UK in both temporary and contract postions.
Who do secretaries work for in the UK?
Secretarial jobs are common amongst all mid-large sized organisations in the UK. This means that secretary jobs may be found in all sectors (private, public and not-for-profit) though the sheer number of commercial organisations located in the UK means that they are most common within the private sector.
Temporary secretary jobs are often organised through recruitment (or temp) agencies. If, for example, you are a legal secretary in London, you may find that your recruitment agency will act as your direct employer.
What qualifications and experience do secretaries need to work in the UK?
Ideally you should have a minimum of 2 years experience in your field if you are looking for a secretarial job in the UK.
Secretaries generally aren't required to possess formal qualifications or a tertiary education background. Some industry specific certifications may be seen as advantageous but are not usually given more weight than industry-based experience. Sector-specific knowledge is often required.
The requirements for general and basic secretarial roles are:
- Ability to type with speed and accuracy (a minimum rate of 55 words per minute is usually acceptable, while a rate of 65 — 80 words per minute is advantageous).
- Ability to perform administrative and organisational tasks, such as, filing and taking appointments.
- Good communications skills and a professional phone manner.
- Strong knowledge of office–suite software packages such as MS Office.
For legal secretaries, additional requirements include:
- Previous experience working in particular areas of law.
- Experience opening and maintaining case files.
- Diary maintenance.
- Minute taking.
- Production of PowerPoint presentations.
For medical secretarial jobs, qualifications may be advantageous but are not essential. Additional requirements may include:
- Previous experience as a medical secretary.
- Knowledge of medical terms.
- Knowledge of PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System).
For team secretarial jobs, additional requirements include:
- Diary management and the organisation of travel and accommodation.
- Arrangement of meetings and coordination of corporate events.
- Keeping accurate time sheets and expense processing.
- Liaising with internal departments and external clients.
How much do secretaries earn in the UK?
The amount of money you can earn as a secretary in the UK varies from job to job and will be effected by a number of factors, however the following table can be taken as a guide:
| Within Greater London | Outside Greater London | |
| Legal secretary | £25 — £35 K per annum (permanent) or £9 — £15 per hour (temporary) | £15 — £25 K per annum (permanent) or £8 — £12 per hour (temporary) |
| Medical secretary | £20 — £25 K per annum (permanent) or £10 — £12 per hour (temporary) | £15 — £20 K per annum (permanent) and £7 — £9 per hour (temporary) |
| Team secretary | £20 — £25 K per annum (permanent) | £15 — £20 K per annum (permanent) |
| Receptionist | £16 — £22 K per annum (permanent) or around £8 per hour (temporary) | £15 — £18 K per annum (permanent) or around £7 — £8 per hour (temporary) |
| Telephone / switchboard operator | £16 — £22 K per annum (permanent) or around £8 per hour (temporary) | £15 — £18 K per annum (permanent) or around £7 — £8 per hour (temporary) |
| Audio typist | Audio typist £6 — £8 per hour | £6 — £8 per hour |
Jobs based in London almost always pay more than those based in other parts of the UK. This is due to the the associated costs of living in London, as well as the fact that many larger (and richer) organisations are based in London.
Other factors which will effect your pay packet include:
- The size of the organisation you work for.
- The amount of responsibility you have in your role.
- The amount of previous experience you possess.
- Whether you are working for a private, public or not-for-profit organisation.
You may also need to acquire UK experience before you begin to earn premium amounts.
What is the best way to get a secretarial job in the UK?
There are plenty of jobs in the UK for experienced candidates but finding the right job can be a daunting task.
Whether you are applying for a specific job or simply looking for anything which matches your skills and experience, your first point of contact will probably be a recruitment agency.
Recruitment agencies are heavily involved in the UK job market — it is their business to find quality candidates for employers while simultaneously helping candidates to develop and progress their careers.
WORKgateways manages a network of the best Office and Administration recruiters to help you reach your potential.
Register with recruitment agencies up to 2 months before your arrival in the UK. Your recruitment consultant will then begin the process of finding you a suitable position, giving you a great head start to your working life in the UK.
If your travel plans or arrival date changes, make sure you inform your recruitment consultant immediately.
Learn how to get the most out of your WORKgateways UK job search in our FAQs.
How should you prepare your CV for the UK?
Your CV for the UK should be short – no more than 3 pages. Recruiters and employers see hundreds of CVs at a time, so it's important to make sure that the important information on your CV is obvious.
Your CV should include a list of your employment history along with your responsibilities for each role. Be sure to list your experience in reverse–chronological order (i.e. most recent experience first).
Use lists and bullet points to enable the reader to quickly scan and understand your experience and abilities.
Example
| Mar 2006 — Present | Company Name, Country Legal Secretary |
| Responsibilities: |
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