Secretary

This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on: 

11/5/24, 11/26/24 (final)

Secretaries perform a wide variety of secretarial and clerical tasks requiring typing, and may require the use of oral dictation and transcribing skills. Incumbents serve as a secretary to one or more administrators which would include an assistant department head, deputy director, division chief, or equivalent administrator. Some positions may have lead responsibility over journey and entry staff levels of other clerical series, or may be assigned specialized work or special projects involving a variety of complex and highly responsible secretarial tasks, or highly technical and related non-routine duties of an administrative nature requiring a wide latitude for independent action.

Some positions may be designated "confidential" in nature, in accordance with the County Employee Relations Ordinance. Knowledge of

• Clear writing: grammar, punctuation, spelling, vocabulary
• Standard methods of filing (alphabetic, numeric, chronological, tickler system)
• English language to communicate
• Telephone procedures
• Arithmetic to make calculations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, percentages, and make correct change)
• Keyboard (computer and typewriter)
• Functions and basic operations of an administrative office (knowing how to prioritize for a management office)
• Letter and memo format
• General principles, procedures and practices of record-keeping
• Word processing and applicable terminology
• Sacramento County and various departmental policies, procedures, and functions
• Customer relations techniques for dealing with customers

Ability to

• Type not less than 45 net words per minute
• Calculate solutions to math problems involving additions, subtraction, division, multiplication, and percentages
• Understand and follow complex oral and written instructions
• Operate computer terminals, typewriter, printer, copies, microfiche, and FAX
• Prioritize work and meet deadlines
• Write English at a level necessary to compose correspondence independently from notes or verbal instruction and record incoming information
• Assists supervisor in writing policies, procedures, and desk manuals
• Speak English at a level necessary to communicate information clearly
• Communicate effectively with the public and other public agencies
• Operate communication devises: telephone (multi-line system), may include radios
• Deal tactfully with people, and resolve difficult complaints
• Read English at a level necessary to understand procedure manuals, policy guidelines, software manuals, technical documents, and reports
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with others
• Maintain confidentiality of work
• Ability to accurately proofread details, noting and detecting errors
• Maintain/troubleshoot basic office equipment
• Transcribe information at a rate of 25 words per minute
• Give instructions and assign work to staff
• Delegate responsibility to others
• Explain or clarify policies and procedures
• Exercise independent judgement in determining proper work methods and procedures, assembling and evaluating information
• Work independently and carry out assignments with minimal supervision
• Compile, arrange, and present information in a clear and concise manner
• Elicit information from inside and outside sources

Minimum Qualifications

Proof of ability to type from clear copy at the rate of 45 net words per minute;

AND

Any combination of education or experience or training that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities. Typical ways to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Two years of secretarial/clerical experience. Education from a college or business school that is directly related to the Knowledge and Abilities of this class may be substituted on a month-for-month basis, for up to one year of the required two years experience.

Note: If the word "experience" is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable.  Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please click here or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.

Note: If the minimum qualifications indicate a typing certificate is required, applicants must submit proof. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Typing Certificate requirements can be found by clicking here or by obtaining the requirements from the Employment Services Division office.

Special Requirements

Dictation/transcribing ability: Some positions may require taking oral dictation. To be eligible for appointment to a "shorthand-required" position, applicants must have the ability to take oral dictation, using any speedwriting method, at the rate of 80 words per minute and transcribe at the rate of 25 words per minute. Where the oral dictation skill is required, it is used in performing the typical duties of the class as shown in the "Examples of Duties" indicated on the class specification.

Language/culture skills: Some positions may require ability to speak, read, and/or write fluently in a language other than English, or knowledge of the culture.

Where required, these special skills may be used in performing such tasks as the following:

A.  Gives information by telephone or in person, regarding department services in a language other than standard English, to persons whose understanding of English is limited.

B.  Translates the meaning of written English in regulations or ordinances, to a language other than English.

C.  Translates into English requests from the public, presented orally or in writing in a language other than English.

D.  As assigned, assists other department employees by giving information and device on problems involving relationships with persons of different language or cultural backgrounds.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.APPLICATION

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply immediately. All applicants must complete and submit an online County of Sacramento employment application by 5:00 PM on the posted cut-off date. Click here to apply.

 County of Sacramento

 Department of Personnel Services

 Employment Services Division

 700 H Street, Room 4667

 Sacramento, CA 95814

 Phone (916) 874-5593; 7-1-1 California Relay Service

 Email EmployOffice@Saccounty.net

 Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

 www.SacCountyJobs.net

• Employment applications and all documentation requested in this announcement must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. 
• Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• Your application should highlight all relevant education, training, and experience, and clearly indicate how you meet the minimum qualifications for the position as of the cut-off date.
• Application information must be current, concise and related to the requirements in this job announcement. You may only apply for this recruitment once. Duplicate and incomplete applications will be disqualified.
• A resume may be included with your application, however it will not substitute for the information requested on the application.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked "Supplemental Questions". Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
• If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.
• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

FORMULA RATE EXAMINATION (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Click here for Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's)

For information regarding County jobs:

• www.saccountyjobs.net

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at dco@saccounty.gov or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711.