Interesting Facts
- Bill Gates, Luciano Pavarotti, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Sergei Yesenin married secretaries.
- Agatha Christie, Mikhail Speransky, Gavriil Derzhavin, Mikhail Glinka, Francois Rabelais, Joanne Rowling had experience as a secretary.
- In Africa there is a bird of prey with the name of this profession - secretary. She eats snakes. It was from the feathers of these birds that writing utensils were made, which, according to one version, served as the name for the profession.
- In Russia, the profession of secretary was approved by Peter the Great in 1720.
- Training courses for secretaries first appeared in Kharkov in 1868. A few years later they began to appear in other countries - the USA, England, France.
- After the advent of typewriters, the secretarial profession became “female.” Its representatives were required to type at a speed of four pages per minute and take shorthand at a speed of 40 words per minute.
history of the holiday
The firmly established idea in society of what a secretary should look like is not entirely correct. But it did not appear by chance, since in the dashing 90s, when firms and companies multiplied like mushrooms after rain, mostly liberated and luxurious ladies were hired for secretarial positions, leaving professional abilities in the background.
In fact, people in this specialty must understand all the intricacies of document management, have perfect knowledge of both their native and foreign (preferably more than one) language, various programs and applications that are required for work.
That is, these are real professionals with work experience, on whom the activities of an organization, company, or firm largely depend. The army of specialists grew every year, and there was no “own” holiday for them. And in 1952, on the initiative of the American journalist Harry Klemfuss, as well as the president of the National Association of Secretaries, Mary Barrett, it was decided to celebrate a holiday on which administrative workers were supposed to be honored. At first they celebrated in the middle of summer, but later moved it to April, allocating a whole week for this.
International Secretary's Day is celebrated in April, on the Wednesday of the last full week of the month.
In Russia, for a long time, office workers, as well as administrators and clerks, accepted congratulations on the international holiday. But in 2005, a group of Russian office managers took the initiative, proposing to create their own professional holiday in the country. At the highest level, the idea was approved, and although the day is not officially considered a day off, the time was determined.
We decided to congratulate Russian secretaries, as well as all those involved in administrative work and office work in September, setting aside the third Friday of the month for this. There is no fixed date, the dates are different for each year, but the holiday itself exists and is celebrated on a grand scale. Although there are no large-scale events on this day, every company or organization honors secretaries, managers, reception staff, assistants, and operators.
Toasts
“Happy Secretary's Day! May your responsibility be rewarded with good luck, your attentiveness with success, your willingness to work tirelessly with a career take-off, your devotion to the company and your leader with material well-being, and your excellent personal qualities with love and happiness.”
“Happy Secretary's Day! You are our eminence grise! Every day you coordinate, remind, meet! I would like to wish you good health, nerves of steel, a bright head and incredible patience! May your boss rage less on your holiday, have a little more free time and lots of congratulations and gifts!
“Happy Secretary's Day! Your profession forces you to always keep your finger on the pulse, so let the pulse of your life be even in terms of health and stable in terms of well-being. Let there be no material interruptions in it, and let each new blow bring only success and good luck.”
When is Secretary's Day celebrated in 2021?
They say that the success of a company or firm is determined, among other numerous factors, by the presence of an efficient and intelligent secretary. It is no coincidence that many managers call their assistants their “right hand,” relying on their professionalism and intuition. Therefore, it is quite understandable that holiday dates appear on the calendar on days when it is customary to congratulate secretaries, and to be more precise, all office workers.
The international holiday falls in spring and has been celebrated since 1952. Russia has its own date, set for the third Friday of the first autumn month. The celebration does not have a fixed date, it depends on the calendar, so the dates are different for each year. In 2021, office workers will receive congratulations on September 17.
The day was not chosen by chance, since the work week ends on Friday, so you can safely celebrate your professional holiday with colleagues, friends, and like-minded people. Teams prepare for the celebration, planning in advance corporate evenings, banquets, and weekend trips to nature.
Present
Bouquet of flowers.
A bouquet of flowers will be a symbolic gift to the secretary in honor of his professional holiday. An alternative to such a gift could be a potted plant that will decorate your workplace.
Sweet gift.
A set of chocolates, a chocolate card, oriental sweets or a cake with a congratulation written on it will serve as a good idea for a symbolic gift for the holiday.
Stationery.
Office supplies are used by the secretary in daily work. A set of stickers, a designer pen, a notebook or a pencil holder will be a useful and practical gift.
Orthopedic chair.
Secretaries spend most of their time sitting at their desks, which can cause back pain and discomfort. An orthopedic chair will be an excellent gift that will make your workday more comfortable.
How the holiday is celebrated in other countries
In Russia, representatives of this profession have been honored since 2005. Earlier than anyone else, from the beginning of the 50s, Secretary's Day began to be celebrated in the United States, where, after the end of World War II, they tried to raise the prestige of the work of administrative employees. Over time, they began to congratulate not only secretaries, but also all those associated with office work and organizational activities.
In the United States, the holiday falls on Wednesday, Professional Administrative Workers Week, celebrated every April. It coincides with the International Day, while the Week itself is an officially registered trademark.
In Australia, office workers are congratulated on the first Friday of May, in distant Africa, in Zimbabwe - in September (on the first Wednesday). Pakistan has introduced its own national holiday; it also falls in April, but there is no fixed date.
Competitions
Beads made from paper clips
Participants in the competition are provided with a set of paper clips. Their task is to temporarily hold paper clips together to make beads. The one with the longest ones wins.
Count the pencils
To conduct the competition, you need to prepare pencils - from 5 to 10 pieces. Pencils in any quantity are laid out on a chair. Contestants stand with their backs to a chair and take turns sitting on it. The goal of the competition is to count the number of pencils. The one who correctly names the number becomes the winner. If there are several such participants, an additional round is held.
Work motto
In this competition, participants find themselves in the role of advertisers and must come up with mottos with which they could characterize their work. Each player receives a piece of paper and a marker. In the allotted time, they must compose mottos, which they then read to the guests of the holiday. The one whose motto turns out to be the most successful becomes the winner.
Holiday traditions
In our country, this year the holiday will be celebrated for the fifteenth time. Each company develops its own traditions of celebrating this day, while many try to move away from the format of the usual and rather boring corporate banquets.
Accepted:
- reward the best by presenting certificates, letters of gratitude, cash prizes, gifts;
- hold ceremonial meetings;
- arrange banquets.
Management issues an order to shorten the working day in honor of the holiday; on behalf of the company, they congratulate particularly distinguished employees, not forgetting those who are already retired. It has become a good tradition to go out into nature, conduct festive team building activities with quest elements, various competitions and tests.
Large companies prepare gifts for specialists, cards, and congratulations in advance. Orders for promotions and incentives in the form of valuable gifts, bonuses, and vouchers are timed to coincide with the solemn date.
About the profession of a secretary
The profession of a secretary was formed in Ancient Rome. Initially, it was purely masculine. This was a special educated person who acted as a Privy Councilor. In Russia, the institute of secretaries arose in 1720, during the reign of Peter I.
Secretaries draw up and execute business papers and resolve organizational issues. The position requires fluent oral and written communication, knowledge of foreign languages, computer skills, communication skills and stress resistance.
Whom to congratulate
The main character of the famous film “Office Romance” had only one secretary, Verochka, who knew all the “secrets” of her Mymra boss. The army of office and administrative employees has dozens of specialties, without which it is difficult to imagine the normal functioning of enterprises, organizations, firms, companies and concerns.
On this day we congratulate:
- secretaries;
- office managers;
- executive assistants;
- clerks;
- referents;
- administrators;
- call center operators.
The profession is respected and prestigious; it is no coincidence that it is one of the five most sought-after specialties in the world.
What does a secretary do?
Today's secretary bears the lion's share of the administrative and managerial responsibilities of the manager's office. The secretary keeps strict records and registration of all incoming and outgoing documentation, greets visitors, draws up a work plan and workday schedule for the manager, answers telephone calls to the manager, and also sorts his email. Finally, the secretary also often combines the work of an office manager, that is, he makes sure that the institution or company is fully provided with everything necessary for its smooth operation. The secretary's working day, as a rule, lasts as long as the working day of the manager himself; he is obliged to be in his place exactly as long as it may be needed.
The requirements for those applying for this position have also become significantly stricter, especially in a large company that values its reputation. In addition to good appearance and the ability to dress stylishly and with impeccable taste, the secretary must have a good education, preferably a higher education, be able to use a computer and office equipment, know the basics of modern office work and speak at least one foreign language, or even better, several.
The secretary of a modern manager must be punctual and collected, have a good memory, communication skills, have competent and clear speech, be able not only to listen, but also hear what is said to him, be able to keep secrets, show stability in stressful situations, have endurance and self-control. And, of course, you need to be prepared for long working hours.
The job of a secretary for a large company can have several levels.
- The most basic, lowest of them is the receptionist. His responsibilities include mainly receiving and serving visitors, as well as answering telephone calls to the company.
- The second level is the secretary-assistant of the manager. Here, to the responsibilities that were listed just above, is added assistance to the manager during business meetings and negotiations, as well as, if necessary, simultaneous and consecutive translation at conferences and during meetings with foreign partners and guests.
- Finally, the highest level of a secretary's career is a personal assistant to the manager. The responsibilities of such a specialist can be very diverse, however, such work, as a rule, requires a significant amount of trust between the manager and the secretary, as well as self-confidence and the ability to represent the company on behalf of management at different levels. The business success of a company often depends on the experience and qualifications of such a specialist.
