Taking free online secretarial courses with certificates helps prepare and equip you with the necessary skills needed to work as a secretary in an organization, taking up administrative tasks in a bid to support the managers and professionals.
This article highlights all you need to know concerning working as a secretary or as an administrative assistant in organizations, professional bodies, companies, etc. To this effect, you can start by learning how to be an administrative assistant through online courses to be grounded in some basic skills and knowledge before taking the free online secretarial courses with certificates.
There are other courses that can bring good jobs that you can enroll in, complete quickly, get certified, and start working.
Secretaries are responsible for carrying out the administrative tasks in the organization, but it’s important to note that these tasks vary from one another depending on the size of the company or the type of services they offer. In a case where customers from all over the globe patronize them, secretaries should consider taking courses on languages for effective communication.
However, in most cases, the responsibilities of the secretary include; the documentation of texts and data into the computer system, scanning documents, answering calls, emailing correspondence, designing PowerPoint slides, spreadsheets, visual documents, translating documents, etc. They also enter and edit texts, do layouts, distribute documents, book and schedule meetings, take notes during meetings for proper documentation, and many other things.
In the course of this article, we will be exploring these career-focused courses which tend to give practical approaches on how to maintain a high concentration level in carrying out your administrative roles as a secretary and also be able to work with some secretarial software.
Secretaries should also consider taking online courses in customer service to learn how to deal with customers as they are also responsible for receiving and welcoming visitors, customers, and clients to the organization.
Before I continue, let’s see what secretarial courses mean.
Secretarial courses are those courses that are commonly part of the diploma, certificate, and associate’s degree programs that give a great grounding in essential secretarial skills. These free online secretarial courses with certificates focus on preparing you with practical office skills that are needed to carry out administrative roles and tasks.
Many topics are treated in these secretarial courses. They include;
- Business administration
- Business documents
- Audio typing
- Email correspondence
- Diary management
- Clerical support
- Business communication
- Customer service
- Document management
- Managing databases
- Longhand
- Legal Secretary
- Filing systems
- Meetings
- Medical Secretary
- Managing information
- Reception duties
- Microsoft Office
- Minute taking
- Photocopy and printing
- Organizing meetings
- Office management
- Reception duties
- Prioritizing workloads
- Secretarial procedures
- Shorthand
- Secretarial support
- Speed writing
- Report writing
- Work planning
- Taking messages
- Word processing
- Telephone skills
- Time management
- Telephone skills
- Text processing
Now, let me walk you through the benefits of taking secretarial courses. There are many advantages to taking free online secretarial courses with certificates, but below are some of the vital few I have carefully considered.
- You will learn the procedures involved in working with the team in an office environment.
- The training will improve your CV and place you on a higher pedestal when looking for work.
- Taking the courses qualifies you for career progression and increases your skillset.
- It will teach you how to write professional emails and letters, and also distribute them.
- It helps you to screen phone calls, and also properly welcome visitors.
- It teaches you how to make travel and accommodation arrangements for superiors.
- It helps you to stay calm, coordinated, and tactful during times of pressure.
- You get acquainted and learn how to use various computer software like Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs, etc.
- It teaches you how to coordinate inter-office communications and organize busy schedules.
- It teaches you how to handle confidential information and documents.
At this point, I can say that you have fully understood what secretarial courses are all about, including the benefits of enrolling in these courses. Now, let’s go straight to the free online secretarial courses with certificates and all it covers.
Free Online Secretarial Courses With Certificates
Below is a list of free online secretarial courses with certificates. I urge you to sit tight as I explain them one after the other and also provide the links for enrolling.
- Level 2 Certificate In Safe Handling Of Medication In Health & Social Care
- Business Administration Level 1- 3 – Free Course For Londoners
- Diploma In Soft Skill Development
- Intrapersonal Communication And Development Key Traits
- Improve Your Communication Skills And Body Language
- Interpersonal Skills For Elite Leaders And Project Managers
- Essential Soft Skill: Listening
- Business Communication- Managing Successful Team Meetings
- Administrative Support
- Project Management Fundamentals
- Executive Assistant Skills
- Administrative Skills Short Course
- Diploma in Admin, Secretarial & PA
- Certificate in Minute Taking
- MS Office Short Course
- Office Administration Short Course
- Guide to Being a Legal Secretary
- Basics of Touch Typing
1. Level 2 Certificate In Safe Handling Of Medication In Health & Social Care
Level 2 certificate in the safe handling of medication in health & social care is one of the free online secretarial courses with certificates designed to equip you with an introduction to the different types of medicines and how to record, store, and handle them appropriately.
The course explores gaining up-to-date knowledge of the safe handling of medicines, how to maintain stock and record, store and dispose of medication, understanding the different types of medication and how they are classified, learning the correct procedure for record-keeping and the audit process, gaining relevant skills, knowledge, and understanding to improve service user experience, etc.
The course is for those who want to start a career in care and want to handle roles as pharmacy assistants, medical secretaries, care workers, or social work assistants.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 7 weeks
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
2. Business Administration Level 1- 3 – Free Course For Londoners
Business Administration Level 1- 3 – free course for Londoners is one of the free online secretarial courses with certificates that aims at equipping Londoners with how to work and communicate effectively in a business environment and learn the language of business.
The course explores the various software used in businesses and daily tasks to give you practical skills and knowledge that will accelerate your career as a secretary, receptionist, administrator, personal assistant, office supervisor, team leader, or manager.
Upon completion, you will be supported with employability, including opportunities to speak to industry professionals and access mentoring, volunteering, and work experience.
The course is for anyone living in London who is interested in a career in business administration, secretarial, personal assistant, etc.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 30 hours Full-time/ Part-time
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
3. Diploma In Soft Skill Development
A diploma in soft skill development is also among the free online secretarial courses with certificates designed to teach you how to apply hard skills in a social environment and understand a communicative environment.
The course explores the basics of communication, creation, and interaction, visual, non-verbal, and aural communication, individual, group, and culture, emotional and social skills, creativity, critical problem solving, motivation, persuasion, negotiation, leadership, etc.
The course contains 11 modules and 59 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 10 – 15 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
4. Intrapersonal Communication And Development Key Traits
Intrapersonal Communication And Development Key Traits is one of the free online courses for secretaries that help you to gain mastery of empathy, intrapersonal communication, and change management.
The course explores topics such as interpersonal communication: emotional and social skills, how emotionally mature are you, improving your emotional intelligence, empathy, intrapersonal communication, change tolerance, etc.
The course contains 3 modules and 15 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 3– 4 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
5. Improve Your Communication Skills And Body Language
Improve your skills in communication and reading body language in this free online secretarial course with certificates and enhance your communication skills to the next level.
The course explores topics such as; the fundamentals of communication, the importance of communication, the basics of communication, communication techniques, how to listen and communicate effectively, how to improve your body language and communication, etc.
The course contains 4 modules and 16 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 1.5 – 3 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
6. Interpersonal Skills For Elite Leaders And Project Managers
Interpersonal Skills For Elite Leaders And Project Managers is also one of the free online courses for secretaries that equip you with the interpersonal skills used by elite leaders and project managers.
The course explores topics such as; necessary techniques for handling others, an overview of interpersonal relationships, design and what is expected of you, letting your members know “you care”, how to pay total attention to what others are saying, etc.
The course contains 4 modules and 19 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 1.5 – 3 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
7. Essential Soft Skill: Listening
Essential soft skill: listening is one of the free secretary courses online with certificates designed to teach you how to build, strengthen, and master excellent listening skills and improve productivity.
The course explores topics such as; the best possible listening environment, the nitty-gritty of listening skills, etc.
The course contains 2 modules and 5 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 1.5 – 3 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
8. Business Communication- Managing Successful Team Meetings
Business communication- managing successful team meetings is among the free secretary courses online that aim at teaching you how to manage successful meetings.
The course explores topics such as; introduction to teams and groups, group life cycles and member roles, group problem solving, managing successful team meetings, etc.
The course contains 4 modules and 22 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 1.5 – 3 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
9. Administrative Support
Administrative support is also one of the free online secretarial courses with certificates designed to teach you the importance and practice of good organizational skills and explain the process of maintaining effective time management.
The course also explores how to recognize excellent customer service, how to quickly prioritize and execute tasks, how to deal with specialized tasks, appreciate the importance of verbal communication skills, etc. it shows how to manage office resources and time more effectively to improve everyone’s performance.
It teaches topics such as; getting organized, managing time, getting it all done on time, special tasks, verbal communication skills, non-verbal communication skills, empowering yourself, the team of two, etc.
The course contains 12 modules and 33 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 1.5 – 3 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
10. Project Management Fundamentals
Project management fundamentals are among the online secretarial courses with certificates that aim at teaching you how to effectively carry out the different processes of project management.
The course explores topics such as fundamentals of project management, where projects come from, project management information systems, project schedules, managing for risks, monitoring, and control, etc.
The course contains 7 modules and 46 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: 4 – 5 hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
11. Executive Assistant Skills
Executive Assistant Skills is also one of the free online secretarial courses with certificates designed to equip you with everything concerning an efficient executive assistant by teaching you email protocol, computer proficiency, and interpersonal skills.
The course explores topics such as; various administrative soft skills, how to manage time in the workplace effectively, a breakdown of how to employ appropriate email, phone, and voicemail etiquette, how to be a powerful gatekeeper, etc.
The course contains 12 modules and 33 topics to effectively exhaust all it has to offer.
Price: Free
Language: English
Duration: Hours
Start Date: Online, Self-Paced
Platform: Via Alison
Interested applicants can enroll through the link below
12. Administrative Skills Short Course
This short course can be completed in 1 month and has no entry requirements for you to enroll in the class plus you can enroll at any time of the year. Whether you are an experienced secretary or personal assistant, you can enroll in this course and gain essential hard and soft-core skills to become a high-profile PA.
At the end of this course, you will learn how to self-manage to become more effective and efficient and improve your communication skills, including listening, questioning, and being more assertive.
13. Diploma in Admin, Secretarial & PA
This is another free online course for secretaries or those who want to become admin staff or personal assistants. It is a level 5 course that takes 12 months to complete and it is 100% free but you will have to pay a nominal fee to receive the certification which is important if you are a job-seeker or looking to get promoted in the office.
In this course, you will explore an extensive range of tasks, competencies, and knowledge areas at the heart of this dynamic profession. If you are already an experienced secretary, PA, or office manager looking to learn new skills and enhance both your career and your resume, this is the online course you should enroll in.
14. Certificate in Minute Taking
Among the duties of secretaries or a PA is to take minutes during an office meeting. In this course, you will master the art of taking minutes of a meeting ensuring that all relevant information is captured and organized clearly and concisely, which can be used for reference and follow-up actions. You will also learn techniques for preparing minutes, how to develop active listening skills, the importance of critical thinking skills, and interpersonal skills in a workplace setting.
This is a level 3 course that takes 6 months to complete, it is entirely free but with a nominal fee to pay for the certification and there are no entry requirements to enroll.
15. MS Office Short Course
As a secretary, PA, or office manager one of the most important skills you must possess is how to use Microsoft Office, this is a general requirement for those taking up admin roles and if you don’t have this skill yet, you should enroll in this course and gain relevant MS Office skills. The course is open to all and takes only 20 hours to complete.
16. Office Administration Short Course
This is one of the free secretary courses online designed to prepare interested individuals for administrative roles like office manager, personal assistant, receptionist, and secretary. You don’t need to have prior experience, skills, or knowledge to enroll for this online course as it starts to teach from scratch.
The course covers topics on writing skills, working as a team, communication skills, asking and listening, learning to say no, dealing with stress, getting ahead, understanding and improving your assertiveness, and many more. You can start and complete the course on your own time.
17. Guide to Being a Legal Secretary
If you wish to work as a secretary at a law firm then you need to acquire relevant legal knowledge and practical skills required to work as a secretary in a law firm. Without that skill or a certificate showing you have such skills, your chances of working as a legal secretary will be very low. This online course equips you with the skills and still gives you a certificate all for free.
18. Basics of Touch Typing
Secretaries work with computers all the time and type always, to become efficient you need to learn how to type faster without errors. This course will teach you to type more quickly using all your fingers and without glancing at the keyboard. You will discover the locations of all the keyboard letters and symbols and which finger is required to hit each key.
At the end of the course and with constant practice you will learn how to type quickly and become a much more efficient secretary than when you started this course.
Conclusion
I believe by now you have gotten all the necessary information needed to enroll in free online secretarial courses with certificates. I wish you luck as you enroll.