My First Week as a Secretary

The office is in a modern building in the city centre. My boss, Mr. Kareem, is the manager. He seems nice but very busy. There are about twenty other people working there – engineers, salespeople, and another secretary called Zouhour. Zouhour has worked there for ten years, and she helped me a lot in my first week.

My job involves many different tasks. I have to answer the telephone, take messages, and transfer calls. I also have to manage Mr. Kareem's diary. I make appointments for meetings with customers or colleagues. I also buy him tickets if he has meetings in other countries.

A big part of the job is dealing with mail and emails. I have to open the post every morning, sort it, and give it to the right people. I also check Mr. Kareem's emails and reply to simple ones or print important ones for him. I need to type letters and reports, so my typing skills need to be good and fast.

On Wednesday, Mr. Kareem asked me to book a ticket and a hotel for his business trip next week. I had to go online to find the best prices and make the bookings. Then I had to print all the details for him.

Zouhour showed me how to use the photocopier and the printer. She also explained the filing system. Keeping all the documents organized is very important.

I meet many different people – colleagues in the office, visitors who come for meetings, and customers on the phone. I have to be polite and professional all the time.

By Thursday evening, I felt very tired, but also happy. I learned so much in my first week. There's still a lot to learn, but I think I'm going to enjoy working here. It feels good to have a job and be part of a team.