Bilingual secretary: Job description and activities

A bilingual secretary combines language and administrative skills to interpret, translate and summarise information in order to ensure effective and efficient communication on a global level. The extent to which language skills are used on a daily basis varies between employers.

Typical activities depend on the nature of the role and the employing organisation, but usually include:

• translating and summarising material from one language into another;
• arranging visits with foreign clients and potentially acting as interpreter;
• making and receiving telephone calls/faxes in a foreign language;
• organising meetings, minutes, agendas and travel details for overseas visits;
• using shorthand presentation packages and word processing software;
• supervising junior office staff.