CHAPTER ONE
1.0 INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
Secretaries, as seen in the secretarial world and companies today are faced with numerous problems and also have some career to prospects. Career, on the other hand, according to Webster’s Encyclopedic unabridged Dictionary of the English Language defines career as “ Progress or general course of action of a person through life or some phase of life, as in some profession or undertaking, some moral or intellectual actions”, or an occupation or profession especially one requiring special or a profession, occupation, etc,”
A secretary, according to the Advanced learners’ Dictionary of current English is defined secretary as “ an employee in an office who deals with correspondence keeps records and arrangements and appointments for a particular member of the staff”. The American secretarial Association defined a secretary as the most acceptable way as “am Assistant to an Executive, possessing mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibility without directs or much supervision, who displays initiative, exercise, judgment and makes decisions within the scope of his authority”. A secretary can also be defined as “a person who maintains a high standard of definitions of the work “Secretary” as far as the there are many authors. With the above definitions in minds one can easily see that the need for a secretary in any organization or companies, be it secondary or tertiary cannot be over emphasized.
A secretary is a major communication link between the executive and his associates the office staff and the public. As a result of his important linking position, a secretary can play vital roles in helping to create and maintain the smooth running of business organizations. Thus a secretary is being seen as a bedrock and image maker of any business organizations. For a secretary to perform his or her function efficiently and effectively, he or she must have undergone some educational training and obtain the basic office knowledge and skills. Days is being regarded as a secretary. A secretary is quite different from a clerk, typist and other office workers.
However, for one to qualify as a secretary, he or she must have taken courses in shorthand, typewriting, office practice, secretarial duties and it is expressed that any person aspiring to take up a secretarial job must have passed