Salary.sg Forums - Reply to Topic
Salary.sg Forums  

Go Back   Salary.sg Forums > The Salary.sg Discussion Forums: > Income and Jobs > Queries

Income and Jobs Discuss jobs, career options and of course salaries




Salary.sg Forums

Thread: Queries Reply to Thread
Your Username: Click here to log in
Human Verification To prove you are a human and not a computer program that spams, please check the box below and answer any further questions if prompted.

Title:
  
Message:
Post Icons
You may choose an icon for your message from the following list:
 

Additional Options
Miscellaneous Options

Topic Review (Newest First)
02-11-2011 12:51 AM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
Present yourself well and get to know rich and handsome lawyers, hook on one to marry and your are settled for life. Just play the docile wife and make him happy. Many times better than slogging for low pay.

Women's youth is their source of almost everything.
Eh.. But the lawyer these days also prefer foreign talents women leh..
Unless you are really so damn lucky to be born with divine beauty...
Your "hitch a rich husband" plan will not work for most women...
Likewise for nurses who want to hook some young and rich doctor..
Oh.. and as well as for the flight stewardess that also similarly hopes to hook a young handsome pilot... I guess everybody likes to daydream sometimes... but its better look in the mirror and ask yourself honestly do you have what it takes??
01-11-2011 03:41 PM
Unregistered
01-11-2011 01:45 PM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minicks View Post
Bellmiko,

Aha, but the devil is in the details. Both basic administrator & executive secretary & even PA can be doing overlap jobs that consist of managing calendars, travel arrangements, or organizing events, but the expectations and problem solving required are very different. Organizations can call whatever BS title they want, but you yourself cannot be confused & think they are all the same.

Let me be clearer less you lump anyone that arrange meetings as secretary:

Managing Calendars

Exec Secretary – Expected to understand the nature of meeting & priority of each stakeholder. Knows how to reshuffle, prioritize & front stakeholders who are requesting meeting with the boss. In the event of last minute changes, able to make decisions on the spot and guess 80% who, when where the boss would want to meet first in the event of conflict. Understands boss preferred timings, likes & dislikes on venue, who he now trying to “siam” etc.

Basic Administrator – Order taker. People call to make meeting with boss, you look at Outlook calendar, find an empty slot and key in timing to reserve slot. Boss call & say I wana arrange meeting with so & so, you go call up person & book a timing. Any conflict with multiple stakeholders you call boss & ask what he want.

Travel Arrangements

Exec Secretary – You liase actively with your counterparts in other country to make all necessary arrangement & present your boss his travel itinerary, this often includes sorting out complicated visa requirements, local transport arrangements, liasing with multiple overseas parties to make sure boss can meet whoever he wants over there. Overseas interview for candidates is the worst, bloody problematic & prone to last minute changes. Many times could involve boss family members on private trips as well.

Basic Administrator – Order taker. Boss say need to fly to China next week. You phone travel agent, find out all available flight times and ask what he want. If got corporate hotel, help him reserve a room for required duration.

Above just 2 examples to show you how although you can say both jobs are “managing calendar” & “doing travel arrangement”, the expectation completely different. Just as a guide, secretaries are usually paid $4 - $5k, that’s about 3 times your current level.
Looking at your description, I’m certain she will only be offered a admin role no matter what company. I don’t think employers will expect that kind of secretarial standard for $1.7k. My boss was trying to recruit his personal secretary after the previous one left, he was complaining to HR that the budget of $3k not enough, in the end have to combine budget with another department head to share 1 secretary.
01-11-2011 09:47 AM
Unregistered Data entry job in goverment also talk so much, just go down nearest Recruit Express and ask them got any lobang lor, should get a few offers in a week...
31-10-2011 05:45 PM
Minicks
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
Wow, very insightful post!!!

Just curious not sure if you know, for the secretary or the PA career, most people usually start from what sort of job?
It’s hard to say for sure because a secretarial or PA job is primarily a relationship management job with boss, other secretaries, boss’s stakeholders and external vendors. The basic admin stuff is pretty standard anyway (how old bird can you get from booking a hotel room or calendar?), so in theory anyone can do because it requires no specific technical qualification or experience.

From experience, I would say roughly 2/3 work in some kind of admin job for many years before while the rest have HR, Corporate Affairs or Sales background. It isn’t a place for high fliers, so most of them are at least mid or late 30s by the time they reach that level.
31-10-2011 05:43 PM
Minicks
Quote:
Originally Posted by Unregistered View Post
great job there. you took time to place everything a person looking into these roles can ask for. While most people might have just taken a quick glance and brush it off, you actually bring the whole vast nature of work to the tabletop.

Hope to see your posts again.
Thanks for the thought. I just figured since I know a bit about this job, should clear up some misconception over here.
31-10-2011 12:05 PM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minicks View Post
Bellmiko,

Aha, but the devil is in the details. Both basic administrator & executive secretary & even PA can be doing overlap jobs that consist of managing calendars, travel arrangements, or organizing events, but the expectations and problem solving required are very different. Organizations can call whatever BS title they want, but you yourself cannot be confused & think they are all the same.

Let me be clearer less you lump anyone that arrange meetings as secretary:

Managing Calendars

Exec Secretary – Expected to understand the nature of meeting & priority of each stakeholder. Knows how to reshuffle, prioritize & front stakeholders who are requesting meeting with the boss. In the event of last minute changes, able to make decisions on the spot and guess 80% who, when where the boss would want to meet first in the event of conflict. Understands boss preferred timings, likes & dislikes on venue, who he now trying to “siam” etc.

Basic Administrator – Order taker. People call to make meeting with boss, you look at Outlook calendar, find an empty slot and key in timing to reserve slot. Boss call & say I wana arrange meeting with so & so, you go call up person & book a timing. Any conflict with multiple stakeholders you call boss & ask what he want.

Travel Arrangements

Exec Secretary – You liase actively with your counterparts in other country to make all necessary arrangement & present your boss his travel itinerary, this often includes sorting out complicated visa requirements, local transport arrangements, liasing with multiple overseas parties to make sure boss can meet whoever he wants over there. Overseas interview for candidates is the worst, bloody problematic & prone to last minute changes. Many times could involve boss family members on private trips as well.

Basic Administrator – Order taker. Boss say need to fly to China next week. You phone travel agent, find out all available flight times and ask what he want. If got corporate hotel, help him reserve a room for required duration.

Above just 2 examples to show you how although you can say both jobs are “managing calendar” & “doing travel arrangement”, the expectation completely different. Just as a guide, secretaries are usually paid $4 - $5k, that’s about 3 times your current level.
Wow, very insightful post!!!

Just curious not sure if you know, for the secretary or the PA career, most people usually start from what sort of job?
31-10-2011 09:59 AM
Minicks
Quote:
Originally Posted by bellmiko View Post
Thanks for the very comprehensive reply.

I do not think I am very confused about the whole situation. Companies can give the position whatever title they wan it to be. be it Executive, Secretary, PA etc. But eventually what they are doing is managing senior management's calendar, make travel arrangements, arrange meetings etc.. these are more Secretarial instead of administration.

presently, of course i am not expecting a big organization/MNC to consider me for a PA position because a PA is such an organization is as you said must be mature and well groomed etc.

at this point, i am just looking to start somewhere, dealing with the type of responsibilities i mentioned above, regardless what the company wants to name the position..
Bellmiko,

Aha, but the devil is in the details. Both basic administrator & executive secretary & even PA can be doing overlap jobs that consist of managing calendars, travel arrangements, or organizing events, but the expectations and problem solving required are very different. Organizations can call whatever BS title they want, but you yourself cannot be confused & think they are all the same.

Let me be clearer less you lump anyone that arrange meetings as secretary:

Managing Calendars

Exec Secretary – Expected to understand the nature of meeting & priority of each stakeholder. Knows how to reshuffle, prioritize & front stakeholders who are requesting meeting with the boss. In the event of last minute changes, able to make decisions on the spot and guess 80% who, when where the boss would want to meet first in the event of conflict. Understands boss preferred timings, likes & dislikes on venue, who he now trying to “siam” etc.

Basic Administrator – Order taker. People call to make meeting with boss, you look at Outlook calendar, find an empty slot and key in timing to reserve slot. Boss call & say I wana arrange meeting with so & so, you go call up person & book a timing. Any conflict with multiple stakeholders you call boss & ask what he want.

Travel Arrangements

Exec Secretary – You liase actively with your counterparts in other country to make all necessary arrangement & present your boss his travel itinerary, this often includes sorting out complicated visa requirements, local transport arrangements, liasing with multiple overseas parties to make sure boss can meet whoever he wants over there. Overseas interview for candidates is the worst, bloody problematic & prone to last minute changes. Many times could involve boss family members on private trips as well.

Basic Administrator – Order taker. Boss say need to fly to China next week. You phone travel agent, find out all available flight times and ask what he want. If got corporate hotel, help him reserve a room for required duration.

Above just 2 examples to show you how although you can say both jobs are “managing calendar” & “doing travel arrangement”, the expectation completely different. Just as a guide, secretaries are usually paid $4 - $5k, that’s about 3 times your current level.
28-10-2011 11:12 PM
bellmiko
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minicks View Post
Bellmiko,

You seem to be very confused and are conflating administrator, secretary and personal assistant roles together which results in your inability to articulate exactly what you're looking for now. Although these jobs overlap in some aspects, the required experience and competencies are vastly different.

All that sexual insinuation aside, PAs are very experienced, well-groomed and knowledgeable in a multiple areas of work & leisure. In most MNCs where an executive has a PA, they’re actually pretty senior, comparable to mid or mid-high managers in terms of pay & company grading. It is for this reason that most of them are middle aged ladies with vast experience.

Department secretaries or executive secretaries are a notch lower. They tend to be senior administrators that support one or more manager in matters of administration such as travel arrangements, meeting schedules, presentation materials & event organization. Many secretaries have worked as administrators for >10 years and are usually people who prefer to stay as individual contributors instead of going the managerial route of managing a team as a admin / office manager.

Administrators are the follow standards, file paperwork, pick up calls and fill in forms kind of junior role that you are familiar with.

Some companies especially SME like to inflate titles and anyhow use the term secretary & PA when they actually are just hiring admin, that’s why there is so much confusion. Based on your experience and last drawn pay, you don't stand a chance in a real secretary and PA role.

Your only option is to look for a junior admin role, which brings me to my earlier point. Just make sure the salary is at least comparable & as long as the boss looks like someone you can work with, then go for it. At this stage, it’s pointless to talk about things like market positioning, career progression, potential etc. At this level, people come & go all the time, no need to over analyze the whole situation.
Thanks for the very comprehensive reply.

I do not think I am very confused about the whole situation. Companies can give the position whatever title they wan it to be. be it Executive, Secretary, PA etc. But eventually what they are doing is managing senior management's calendar, make travel arrangements, arrange meetings etc.. these are more Secretarial instead of administration.

presently, of course i am not expecting a big organization/MNC to consider me for a PA position because a PA is such an organization is as you said must be mature and well groomed etc.

at this point, i am just looking to start somewhere, dealing with the type of responsibilities i mentioned above, regardless what the company wants to name the position..
28-10-2011 10:32 PM
Unregistered
Quote:
Originally Posted by Minicks View Post
Bellmiko,

You seem to be very confused and are conflating administrator, secretary and personal assistant roles together which results in your inability to articulate exactly what you're looking for now. Although these jobs overlap in some aspects, the required experience and competencies are vastly different.

All that sexual insinuation aside, PAs are very experienced, well-groomed and knowledgeable in a multiple areas of work & leisure. In most MNCs where an executive has a PA, they’re actually pretty senior, comparable to mid or mid-high managers in terms of pay & company grading. It is for this reason that most of them are middle aged ladies with vast experience.

Department secretaries or executive secretaries are a notch lower. They tend to be senior administrators that support one or more manager in matters of administration such as travel arrangements, meeting schedules, presentation materials & event organization. Many secretaries have worked as administrators for >10 years and are usually people who prefer to stay as individual contributors instead of going the managerial route of managing a team as a admin / office manager.

Administrators are the follow standards, file paperwork, pick up calls and fill in forms kind of junior role that you are familiar with.

Some companies especially SME like to inflate titles and anyhow use the term secretary & PA when they actually are just hiring admin, that’s why there is so much confusion. Based on your experience and last drawn pay, you don't stand a chance in a real secretary and PA role.

Your only option is to look for a junior admin role, which brings me to my earlier point. Just make sure the salary is at least comparable & as long as the boss looks like someone you can work with, then go for it. At this stage, it’s pointless to talk about things like market positioning, career progression, potential etc. At this level, people come & go all the time, no need to over analyze the whole situation.
great job there. you took time to place everything a person looking into these roles can ask for. While most people might have just taken a quick glance and brush it off, you actually bring the whole vast nature of work to the tabletop.

Hope to see your posts again.
This thread has more than 10 replies. Click here to review the whole thread.

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off




All times are GMT +8. The time now is 12:26 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.5
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Content Relevant URLs by vBSEO 3.3.2