The recession proof job: Demand high for good PA’s with salaries of around R350 000 pa

Secretarial or administration roles have become recession proof jobs with salaries at around R350 000 pa and average annual increases of close to 21%.

“In a bad recession of the sort we have experienced this year, good back up staff such as personal assistants and administrators are worth their weight in gold,” Liza van Wyk, CEO of top training organisation BizTech. “We have found, however, that instead of a personal assistant working with just one executive she or he may work with two or three. Another trend is that lots more men are entering this field as they have discovered its high earning potential.”

Kelly Personnel released 2008 salary survey results which found that office or administration managers received a 20.84% average increase last year. The average salary is now R9 753 but executive secretaries earn on average R11 259 a month but for senior executives they can earn as much as R100 000 a month with perks including cars, travel allowances and housing assistance. High salaries for this job follow global trends.

Gender is not an issue when it comes to the best secretaries or PA’s in the global market. In fact some of the best secretaries are men and this position can get their foot in the door of top international corporations.

Corrie Fourie who was a finalist in 2009 Top PA of the Year awards is an exSA National Defence Force officer. A married father, Fourie started his working career in the army and was often tasked with administration duties which led to him working in the human resources division of the SANDF and the South African Transport Services. In 2004 he resigned from the Defence Force and after six months of job hunting a friend recommended he go for an interview as a PA for a Regional Director with a large multi-national in Midrand.

Fourie got the job and had to learn very quickly how to use an electronic diary, he recalls. “This was not a nine to five job. My position was seen as a high level executive PA and therefore I was expected to sometimes be available 18 hours out of 24. The best secretaries or PA’s have to have the ability to create miracles, make fast decisions and use initiative,” said Fourie. “If your CEO has to fly back to Johannesburg from Kruger Park to attend a board meeting and there are no flights you need to make a plan - charter a flight. No, is not an option.”

“The best secretaries also have to be able to continue the business in the absence of the CEO and therefore it is critical that the individual takes an interest in the organisation and learns more than just the basics,” Van Wyk said, “the popularity of our courses on minute taking, graphs and numerical statistics as well as business writing show us how important good general knowledge is.” “The high level best team secretary or PA is looking at a package between R350 000 and R450 000 per year,” said Fourie.

In 2008 office supply maker and event organiser Leitz announced that the winner of Germany's best secretary award was 32-year-old Marc-Oliver Schlichtmann. Schlichtmann who often receives correspondence addressed to "Mrs Schlichtmann," said he used to watch his mother with wonder as she worked as a secretary and that thanks to his strong organisational skills and flair for foreign languages Schlichtmann had decided to follow in her footsteps.

Schlichtmann is one of the two percent of secretaries and office managers in Germany who are men; he has worked for over seven years as a personal assistant at an international law firm Allen & Overy in the northern German city of Hamburg.

In South Africa recruiters are not allowed to specify male or female without reason but overseas ads looking for male secretaries in software companies, consulting firms and shipping go as far afield as Qatar, Egypt and India.

“At BizTech we recognise that Becoming the Best Team Secretary or Administrator is a critical need in the current market,” said van Wyk. “While it is not essential to have a degree or diploma, qualified team secretaries are usually far more attractive to potential employers than those who lack a tertiary education. Working experience is no longer enough and candidate selections are CV-based or orchestrated through recruitment agencies, and thus the strength of your CV is of paramount importance when applying for jobs.”

BizTech offers secretarial training courses to assist delegates in achieving practical, high-level business skills at a recognised South African training institution which can boost the candidate’s CV.

Other essential skills for this role would be a high level of information technology knowledge, excellent organisational skills and the ability to prioritise tasks for a number of executives.

In England a team secretary must be able to type 50 words per minute to secure a secretarial job which is the same average in South Africa.

“This type of profession opens opportunities in various sectors,” said Van Wyk. “Being a secretary or administrator means you are often the backbone of a company and therefore it is up to you to ensure the team stay on track and handle the daily stresses.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT: Liza van Wyk, CEO ASTROTECH & BIZTECH 011 582 3200 or 082 466 8975 or liza@astrotech.co.za www.astrotech.co.za

Issued by CSC (Pty) Limited 011 6467637 mediaonline@global.co.za www.charlenesmith.net