Survey Of Occupational Challenges Facing Secretaries In The State Civil Service

INTRODUCTION
1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE STUDY
The secretarial profession was thought to be less of importance to both business and industries all over the world in previous times. But now it is known that the secretarial profession is one of the oldest in the world and that where there was a man of action there too was a man of pen to record his deeds.
The national secretaries Association defined a secretary as an executive assistant who possesses a masterly of office skill, who demonstrates the ability to assume responsibility without direct supervision, who exercises initiative and judgment and who makes decision within the scope of assigned responsibility.
The dictionary of occupational title defines a secretary as a person who schedules appointment give information to callers, takes dictation in shorthand or on machine and transcribes relieves officers of clerical work deals with incoming and outgoing mails, locates attaches appropriate correspondence to files to be treated by the employer, takes care of reports, keeps personal records and minutes of the meeting,
From the4 above, it could be seen that a secretary is a versatile business generalists who understands the larguage of modern business and not just the skill of shorthand and typing alone. Secretarial efficiency or perfection lies in her intelligent presentation of business communication in a manner that enhances the image of the organization.
It can be rightly stated that because of the versatility of the secretarial functions, she becomes the life wire or never center of any organization.
The secretary is needed in the storehouse for provision of information because an office is set up to carryout a specified business and with the sole arm of making profit, thus, the services of an efficient secretary is required towards the achievement of the organization objectives.
A 1975 Survey conducted by Dr. Mitchell of the university of wislonisim showed that seventy five percent of the secretaries reported that their secretarial duties consisted of the following, preparing rough drafts of responses to correspondence reading signing and releasing executive letters for Mailings, transcribing form dictation taken in shorthand, keeping special records and reports to simplify executive decision making, gathering information from various interwing conferences and meetings, selecting or recommending purchase of office equipment and suppliers.
In carrying out those dusties in a local Government council the secretary acts as an intermediary between the publics and the civil service, Government. The secretary therefore comes into contact with people as he performs lies routing assignments.
In carrying out his secretarial functions, his manages certain resources such as human and matertarial resources all in an attempt to make his boss succeed.
The secretary communicates with his follow employees of the council in order to sort out one official matter or the other. As the mediation he must transmit and explain top management policies down to the staff.
As a routine also the secretary has a link with the external public like industrialists, press, educators etc. of various organizations image to the handling of this duty. Mishandling of this dusty costs a lot of damage to the organization. The secretary does not unnecessarily arrogate to herself powers. Her role in quest management or regulating quest traffic in and out of the boss office is unequalled. After all, some visitors would be satisfied with just getting information from the secretary. Callers should be routed to be boss or to the appropriate staff and who she should handle by herself.
Calls, which are not answered effectively and efficiently, gives a uery negative impression of the organization and one that is effectively and efficiently handled gives a very lasting impression.
Since the secretary come into face to face contact with the public, she ensures that she takes adequate care of her personal appearance. As a good image-maker of the council, she is always neatly, smartly and decently dressed. Coupled with this, her humility, politeness, courteousness, patience alertness etc are always at test. In addition, she maintains a good voice and an excellent command of English Language.
In this way; she sees to it that everything aimed at improving and maintaining a smooth flow of communication between her boss and the public is put in all the time she is the mirror through which the boss assesses the organization and at the same time the eye which the public sees the chief executive in particular and the organization in general.

PURPOSE OF THE STUDY
The purpose of the study is to:
1. Find out if there are any aspect of the secretarial job that concern the civil service in Enugu State, if any, the occupational Challenges facing Secretaries.
2. Identify if those functions conflicts with that performed by the Civil servant in Enugu State Civil Service
3. Find out if there functions are useful in runing the Civil Service in Enugu State.
4. Find out if the secretaries are efficient in performing those functions.

1.4 SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY
This study would benefit organization practicing secretaries and
the student secretaries alike
Some organization do not know the occupational endowment of their secretaries. As a result they duplicate efforts by employing would be done by the secretary thereby incurring costs. There fore the varying functions of the secretary for proper and adequate utilization to save costs.
Also most practicing secretaries do not know the job enrichment of their profession. Some of them were, as a result, reduced to the organization. This causes inferiority complex and unimportant among their equals in other professions. This study would broaden their horizon in their field so that they assume their properposition as administrative secretaries a position of pride to the student secretaries the unveiling of the occupational challenges facing the secretaries in organizations would help them proper them selves well while in school for the professional challenges ahead.

DELIMITATION
Secrtaries are the most important staff in an organization. In fact most people descvribe them as the life wire of such organizations they work in. this research work is restricted to finding out the occupational challenges facing secretaries in the Enugu Sate civil service. The Ministries of Education and works were used for the study.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
The research formulated the following research Questions based on study.
1. Is there any kind of problem you encounter as a secretary?
2. Do your job conflict with that of others in the office?
3. As a secretary do you have any modern equipment you work with in your office?
4. As a secretary are you neglected i.e. not recognized?

STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEMS
The American Association of secretaries defined a secretary as an assistant to an executive, possessing mastery of office skills and ability to assume responsibility with out direct supervision, exercise judgement and make decision with the scope of the authority.
The above definition spells the scope of the secretaries functions. It can rightly be stated that because of the utility of the secretarial functions, she becomes the life wire of the organization she serves, she acts as intermediary between the customers and the owners of the organization. The job there fore brings him into contact with numerous individuals who come into the office to transact business.
Ogbebor (1995) states that one is disturbed at the funny way Government treats secretaries. Previously, it was difficult for people to regard secretary ship as a profession. This treatment can only be linked to a scene of the NTA Benin programme of “Hotel Dejordan” A man calling his wife “ hunchback in the day and sweetheart at night.
It is suspected that there is poor treatment of secretaries in Enugu state Civil Service. The cause of this treatment is not yet known. This research work therefore is aimed at finding out the challenges out their duties in the various ministries in Enugu state using the ministries of Education and work as the case study.