Work Environment
Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EUs typically work in the following Career Sectors:
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- Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EU- from: Youtube Search
Most commonly reported Work Activities
- Interacting With Computers Using computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to program, write software, set up functions, enter data, or process information.
- Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates Providing information to supervisors, co-workers, and subordinates by telephone, in written form, e-mail, or in person.
- Getting Information Observing, receiving, and otherwise obtaining information from all relevant sources.
- Performing Administrative Activities Performing day-to-day administrative tasks such as maintaining information files and processing paperwork.
- Organising, Planning, and Prioritising Work Developing specific goals and plans to prioritise, organise, and accomplish your work.
- Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships Developing constructive and cooperative working relationships with others, and maintaining them over time.
- Documenting/Recording Information Entering, recording, storing, or maintaining information in written or electronic/magnetic form.
- Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards Using relevant information and individual judgment to determine whether events or processes comply with laws, regulations, or standards.
- Communicating with Persons Outside Organisation Communicating with people outside the organisation, representing the organisation to customers, the public, government, and other external sources. This information can be exchanged in person, in writing, or by telephone or e-mail.
- Processing Information Compiling, coding, categorising, calculating, tabulating, auditing, or verifying information or data.
The Work
The administrative tasks of secretaries in the EU institutions vary according to the post. In general, a secretary provides autonomous support to one or several people or units within the EU institutions – shaping, transforming and distributing information.
The work typically includes:
- Preparing files
- Organising and coordinating the departments activities (meetings, official trips)
- Document management (receipt, processing, follow-up, filing)
- Preparing, processing, finalising and checking documents
- Finding, compiling and disseminating information.
In translation departments, the work may also involve:
- Receiving, managing and processing translation requests, in particular preparing, processing and finalising documents
- Feeding and updating translation memories
- Typing, page layout and formatting work.
Contract staff may also be employed to carry out secretarial duties.
Assistants (AST) usually work in supporting roles and are crucial for the internal management of the institutions.
Most commonly reported Work Tasks
- Answer telephones and give information to callers, take messages, or transfer calls to appropriate individuals.
- Greet visitors or callers and handle their inquiries or direct them to the appropriate persons according to their needs.
- Create, maintain, and enter information into databases.
- Use computers for various applications, such as database management or word processing.
- Operate office equipment, such as fax machines, copiers, or phone systems and arrange for repairs when equipment malfunctions.
- Set up and manage paper or electronic filing systems, recording information, updating paperwork, or maintaining documents, such as attendance records, correspondence, or other material.
- Operate electronic mail systems and coordinate the flow of information, internally or with other organisations.
- Schedule and confirm appointments for clients, customers, or supervisors.
- Maintain scheduling and event calendars.
- Compose, type, and distribute meeting notes, routine correspondence, or reports, such as presentations or expense, statistical, or monthly reports.
Qualities - Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EU
The EU institutions are looking for candidates who are talented, motivated, and highly qualified in their field, and who have the following competencies in particular:
- Analysis and problem solving - Ability to identify the critical facts in complex issues and develop creative and practical solutions
- Communication – Communicate clearly and precisely both orally and in writing
- Delivering quality and results – Take personal responsibility and initiative for delivering work to a high standard of quality within set procedures
- Learning and development – Develop and improve personal skills and knowledge of the organisation and its environment
- Prioritising and organising – Prioritise the most important tasks, work flexibly, and organise own workload efficiently
- Resilience – Remain effective under a heavy workload, handle organisational frustrations positively, and adapt to a changing work environment
- Working with others - Work cooperatively with others in teams and across organisational boundaries and respect differences between people
An additional requirement for posts in the AD career bracket (administrators) is:
• Leadership – Manage, develop and motivate people to achieve results
Interests - Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EU
This occupation is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests:
Administrative
Administrative people are interested in work that offers security and a sense of being part of a larger process. They may be at their most productive under supervisors who give clear guidelines and while performing routine tasks in a methodical and reliable way.
They tend to enjoy clerical and most forms of office work, where they perform essential administrative duties. They often form the backbone of large and small organisations alike. They may enjoy being in charge of office filing systems, and using computers and other office equipment to keep things running smoothly. They usually like routine work hours and prefer comfortable indoor workplaces.
Linguistic
The Linguistic's interests are usually focused on ideas and information exchange. They tend to like reading a lot, and enjoy discussion about what has been said. Some will want to write about their own ideas and may follow a path towards journalism, story writing or editing. Others will develop skills in other languages, perhaps finding work as a translator or interpreter. Most Linguistic types will enjoy the opportunity to teach or instruct people in a topic they are interested in.
Entry - Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EU
There are many pathways to develop your skills and learning towards a career in administration.
Training & Development Pathways
FET Centre Traineeship: Business/ Office/ Legal Admnistration NFQ Level 5 Search FET Traineeship
FET Centre PLC Course: Business/ Office/ Legal Admnistration NFQ Level 5-6 Search our FET PLC Coursefinder
Higher Education CAO Entry Business Administration & Business Management offered in colleges around Ireland at NFQ level 7-8 Search our CAO coursefinder
EU Secretary / Administrative Assistants must have:
- A good command of at least 2 European languages (one of which must be English, French or German)
- either
- post-secondary secretarial qualification, - or
- secondary education and at least 3 years' professional experience as a secretary
Requirements for contract staff may be different.
An assistant career in the EU covers grades AST 1 to AST 11 EU Career Grades
New staff usually enter at grades AST 1 or AST 3 Search EU Job opportunities
Last Updated: April, 2023
Pay & Salary - Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EU
Salary Range (thousands per year)* 27k - 100k
Basic monthly permanent official salaries range from around €2,300 per month for a newly recruited Assistant-Secretary (AST/SC 1) official, €4500 for an entry level graduate administrator grade (AD 5) and up to €16,000 per month for a limited number of top level Administrators (AD 16) at Director-General level. Each grade is broken up into five seniority steps with corresponding salary increases. Basic salaries are adjusted annually in line with inflation and purchasing power in the EU countries.
Data Source(s):
EU Salary Scales EPSO
Last Updated: March, 2024
* The lower figures typically reflect starting salaries. Higher salaries are awarded to those with greater experience and responsibility. Positions in Dublin sometimes command higher salaries.
View Salary information from Indeed.ie
Note: data not aways available
Labour Market Updates - Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EU
This information has been derived from the Solas National Skills Bulletin (2023).
The changes in classification as a result of the introduction of the new Labour Force Survey in 2017 are partly responsible for the strong employment growth rate for this occupation, although employment also grew strongly between 2019 and 2020, and continued to grow in 2022. Those employed are primarily female (69%), working full-time (90%), and over half (55%) held third-level qualifications. With a higher than average share of persons employed aged 55 years and older (31% compared to 19% for all occupations), replacement demand is likely to result in opportunities opening up for these roles even if employment growth slows.
There was a significant number of vacancies advertised online for clerical officer roles across the civil service and Government administration roles. However, recent job hires for 2022 far exceeded employment growth indicating that job churn is a feature of this occupation. While job openings are set to continue, upskilling and reskilling may also be required for those already employed in these occupations in order to reach targets set out in the Civil Service Renewal Plan 2024 in areas such as in digital skills.
Useful Contacts - Secretary / Administrative Assistant - EU
-
Public Appointments Service
- Chapter House, 26/30 Abbey Street Upper, Dublin 1, D01 C7W6
- (01) 858 7400 or Local: 1890 44 9999
- [email protected]
- Click Here
-
EU Careers - European Personnel Selection Office (EPSO)
- Candidate Contact Service, Office C-80 00/40, B1049 Brussels
- 00800 6789 1011
- Click Here