A professional who schedules appointments, gives information to callers, takes dictation, and otherwise relieves officials of clerical work and minor administrative and business detail. Responsibilities include:

• Reads and routes incoming mail.
• Locates and attaches appropriate file to correspondence to be answered by employer.
• Takes dictation in shorthand or by machine (stenotype operator ) and transcribes notes on typewriter, or transcribes from voice recordings (transcribing-machine operator ).
• Composes and types routine correspondence.
• Files correspondence and other records.
• Answers telephone and gives information to callers or routes call to appropriate official and places outgoing calls.
• Schedules appointments for employer.
• Greets visitors, ascertains nature of business, and conducts visitors to employer or appropriate person.
• May not take dictation.
• May arrange travel schedule and reservations.
• May compile and type statistical reports.
• May oversee clerical workers.
• May keep personnel records (personnel clerk ).
• May record minutes of staff meetings.
• May make copies of correspondence or other printed matter, using copying or duplicating machine.
• May prepare outgoing mail, using postage-metering machine.
• May prepare notes, correspondence, and reports, using word processor or computer terminal.