Current job title: Secretary to the
President-Rector
Industry: Higher education. My seminary
is an Interdiocesan Graduate School of Theology and Pastoral Ministry.
Department: I work in the
President-Rector’s office. The President-Rector is the chief
administrative officer of the Seminary.
Prior to
coming to the Seminary, I worked for 15½ years as Secretary to the
Vocation Director in the Diocesan Vocation Office. The Vocation Office is
responsible for recruiting candidates for priesthood who, once accepted by
the diocese, come to the Seminary for their formation program. When I
moved from the Vocation Office to the Seminary, my seniority with the
diocese continued. At this time there is no Vocation Director in the
Diocesan Office because the Bishop transferred the former Director to a
parish so the President-Rector is assuming those duties also until a new
Director is named for the Vocation Office.
Years worked in this industry: 19
Years worked in this department: More
than three
Special training or attributes needed or helpful to
get job in this industry (or specific department): My
secretarial and office skills, which I developed when I worked in the
administrative offices while attending college to earn my degree in
education, were important and a main reason I was hired in the Diocesan
Vocation Office. My knowledge of the process one goes through in applying
for acceptance at the Seminary was helpful in obtaining my current
position as Secretary to the President-Rector. I have also found my
experience at the Diocesan Office prior to coming to the Seminary helpful
because I learned about the responsibilities of each of the various
diocesan departments and got to know employees of the other departments.
This is an asset in my current position because when I need to get
information from diocesan officials, I already know whom to contact.
Number of
managers and/or staff supported: 1 (plus various types of support
and assistance to approximately six other administrators at the Seminary
on an as needed basis.)
Typical work hours: 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
Weekends or overtime hours: I do not
work on weekends. Meetings of the Seminary’s Board of Trustees are held
three times a year from 4:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. with dinner following the
meeting. I am expected to attend the meetings and take the minutes at each
of them. My attendance at dinner is optional. I do not get paid overtime when attending these meetings.
General salary range
(Note: This is a general figure or range provided by survey respondent and may
NOT be an exact salary in order to
give survey respondent some privacy. Also you must take into account that
the number of years worked in industry/department may contribute to this
salary as well as criteria such as level of position and person reports
to, required hours and geographical location.): approx. $25,000+
(my seniority from my previous position
with the Diocesan Vocation Office carried over when I moved to the
Seminary.)
Benefits (direct or indirect): I pay
part of the cost of my health insurance and the Seminary pays part. The
health insurance currently in effect includes a prescription plan.
Employees here are also covered under an optional dental plan for which
the Seminary pays the entire cost of the premium for single coverage.
Employees who wish to have family coverage pay the additional premium.
Other benefits include paid vacation days and sick time, based upon the
length of time you have been employed at the Seminary, as well as three
personal days per year. The Seminary also offers its employees free
parking and free lunch every workday.
Lingo you might hear in this industry:
An Interdiocesan Seminary educates students from the diocese (an area
under the jurisdiction of a particular Bishop of the Roman Catholic
Church) in which it is located---in this case, the Diocese of [major
northeastern city], as
well as students from other dioceses located nearby. At the present time,
my Seminary includes men studying for the Roman Catholic
priesthood in the Dioceses of [two northeastern cities one southeastern
city]. During the 2006-2007 academic year, two students from the Diocese
[located in Canada], will also be joining the
community. Courses leading to a Masters Degree or Certificate in Pastoral
Studies are also open to lay men and women.
Candidates for priesthood work with the Formation Team. This is a group of
faculty members who are responsible for supervising not only the academic
growth of the student but also the spiritual development and the work done
by the student in the various parishes and/or institutions of the diocese
to which he is assigned during his time at the Seminary in preparation for
ministry after ordination as a priest. Lay students (both male and female)
who take courses at the Seminary leading to a Masters Degree or
Certificate in Pastoral Studies also work with designated faculty members
who supervise their overall program.
The Vocation Director works with a potential candidate in the process of
his discernment. During this time, the man contemplating priesthood comes
to a decision about whether or not he might be called to life as a priest.
The discernment process continues throughout his years of study at the
Seminary. Course work, days of reflection, workshops and various
assignments in diocesan parishes and organizations assist in this
discernment process.
A typical day on the job: Every day is
different because of the various responsibilities in my position.
Sometimes I am in my office working at the computer most of the day and on
other days I am at meetings taking minutes. On a rotating basis, I am also
scheduled to answer calls coming in on the Seminary’s main phone line and
assisting with sorting and opening mail that arrives at the Seminary. Each
morning I am responsible for checking the Employee Call In line and
notifying the particular departments affected by an individual’s absence
for the day due to illness or other circumstances. Depending on the time
of the year, I might be working with my direct supervisor, the
President-Rector, or I could be preparing something another administrator
needs. When a new semester begins, I can usually be found at the copier
making sure there are enough handbooks, lists, calendars, etc. for
distribution. When a member of someone’s family is ill or dies, or other
information needs to be shared with all on campus, I circulate a memo via
e-mail so that all are aware of the details.
Positive things about being an administrative
professional in this industry:
1. Being able to work with various groups including administrators,
faculty and students in a casual atmosphere.
2. Having diversity in my responsibilities that keeps my position
interesting and prevents it from becoming boring.
3. Working in an educational setting, especially since my college degrees
are in education.
Negative things about being an administrative
professional in this industry:
1. Having no opportunity in my current position for travel.
2. Having little or no opportunity for advancement.
3. Working in a diocesan, non-profit setting that does not allow for a
more competitive salary.
Type of workspace/office: office
(with
window)
Primary responsibilities as an administrative
professional in this position:
• To assist the President-Rector in working with the Seminarians. This
includes:
o Maintaining files.
o Keeping appropriate records including the official ordination book.
o Maintaining proper communication with other dioceses.
o Performing secretarial work for Formation Staff, Spiritual Formation
Team, and Director of Field Education.
o Assisting with Admissions.
• To assist at Faculty and Administrative Officer meetings. This includes:
o Assembling and distributing of agenda.
o Taking, preparing and distributing minutes.
o Overseeing setup of room for meeting.
• To assist in event planning, especially the President-Rector’s Dinner,
Christ the King Day Dinner, Acolyte and Lector Installations, etc. This
includes:
o Coordinating arrangements with the Development Office for the
President-Rector’s Dinner and Feast of Christ the King.
o Set up of rooms, etc., with the Scheduler for Acolyte and Lector
Installations.
• To maintain correspondence and scheduling of dates with:
o The Bishop of [major N.E. city] and his Secretary.
o The Diocesan Vocation Office.
• To work with the President-Rector in his recruitment efforts. This
includes:
o Maintaining records.
o Sustaining communication with other dioceses.
• To serve as secretary for Board of Trustee, including Finance Committee
and Facilities Committee meetings. This includes:
o Preparing of agenda with the President-Rector or Treasurer.
o Compiling packets for mailing.
o Taking, drawing up and distributing minutes.
o Overseeing setup of room for meeting.
o Notifying Trustees of appropriate events.
• To assist with Orientation Events. This includes:
o Preparing and mailing information packets to seminarians, including:
Welcome letter.
Seminarian handbook.
Room and phone listings.
o Assisting with planning and scheduling of orientation events.
• To provide secretarial assistance to the Director of Human Resources.
• To provide annual updates for Graduate Student Handbook to the Academic
Services Office staff.
• To oversee the preparation of the school calendar, including working
with the Vice-Rector on scheduling and organizing the meeting and
preparing and distributing the calendar.
• To assist with planning faculty dinners and parties.
• To arrange travel plans for the President-Rector and for other staff as
requested, and to prepare expense reports and check requests for the
President-Rector.
• To work with the Seminary Relations Office in the sending of Christmas
cards from the Seminary.
• To perform miscellaneous other duties as assigned by the
President-Rector, including:
o Completion of surveys.
o Compilation of data for diocesan directory.
o Notification of Rector’s Conferences and seminarian interviews.
o Handle registration for Diocese of [city] Priests’ Convocation and
Study Days.
o Distribution of death notices, prayer requests and other memos to the
Seminary community.
• To assist with sorting mail and preparing Daily Receipts Sheets on a
rotating basis with other staff members.
• To assist with Switchboard duties, as scheduled.
• To check the Employee Call In line daily and notify the department staff
and Treasurer of employee absences.
• To assist the kitchen staff by providing sign-up sheets and memos, as
needed.
Top thing(s) incumbent admin would require of job
applicants seeking to be her/his position replacement:
1. Proficiency in Microsoft Office software application and use of
standard office equipment, including Dictaphone.
2. Ability to maintain confidentiality and good organizational skills.
3. Ability to take notes at meetings and prepare minutes for distribution
to those in attendance following the meeting in a timely manner.
Office machines or equipment operated regularly:
Office machines and equipment that are a part of my daily life include the
computer, Dictaphone, copier, postage meter and telephone.
Technology (hard) skills used regularly:
Technological skills needed in my position include being able to type
correspondence and other documents from tapes dictated by my supervisor
and keeping up-to-date with the Microsoft Office group of programs for
databases and mail-merge capabilities.
Critical soft skills: Soft skills
critical in this position include being accessible to those who request
assistance with a project (large or small) even if the request comes
without advance notice. Individuals will often come to me with a request
for something that is needed quickly. Being able to change gears and get
the material ready for them in a timely manner is appreciated. Another
requirement is being able to keep information confidential because I am
often at meetings where topics are discussed that are not announced
immediately to the rest of the staff or information received by the
President-Rector regarding a student is of a confidential nature. Good
communication skills are needed for dealing with various individuals who
contact the office either by phone or in person without having scheduled
an appointment.
Pace of this position: “feast or famine”. There are some days
when I am busy on a continuous basis from the moment I arrive until the
minute I leave the office. On other days, a more relaxed pace is
experienced because projects I work on are not needed immediately.
Usually, I try to anticipate needs and get some things done before they
are needed to alleviate some of the rush at “crunch time” but this is not
always possible. Also, because I sometimes need to wait for reports from
various administrators to include with a mailing for a particular meeting,
I often find myself having to wait until the last minute to complete a
project.
Geographical region: Northeast U.S.
