A day in the life of an all-round secretary…in the diamond industry
When we enter an office, the first individual we meet is the receptionist/secretary. “Being a secretary is like being the face of the company”. A secretary’s job plays a very important role in the diamond industry. “Every day there is something new and pleasantly unpredictable,” says Hazar from Anita Diamonds. She thinks that a secretary has a lot to offer the industry and a successful business wouldn’t run without.
What do they do?
Secretaries have various tasks. One of the most important parts in the morning is to check if there are any diamond shipments in the office. Then they send out the conformation email including details of the sender and country of the company where the goods are expected to arrive. The diamonds have to pass the Diamond Office at AWDC and only then can one pick the stones up. They will check if there are any received payments, move on to making invoices and take care of the shipments.
Preparing for any upcoming international diamond shows includes work like; arranging transportation tickets, sending safety/security applications and relevant documents to AWDC for the booth and filling in forms to give to the people in charge of the show.
Entry requirements?
The requirements needed for this job are critical and one needs to be suitable to apply. Being trustworthy and having organizational skills, managing stress well, excellent computer knowledge and good command of both Dutch and English are all very important and necessary to perform your job well.
Sometimes you also have to deal with difficult situations. “The job requires you to remain professional even when you have to tackle inevitable problems,” quotes Hazar. Customers often judge the company by the secretary, as they are ‘the face of the company’.
What pleases her about her job?
Hazar says what she likes most about her job is the diverse culture you are exposed to in the diamond industry, so you constantly meet and collaborate with people from many different nationalities and traditions. Learning about diversity is very inspiring.
Applying for the job?
Hazar’s story of her application goes like this; “I found a vacancy at the AWDC website for Anita Diamonds, and after looking at the job requirements, I decided to send my CV via the website www.adjobs.be. Shortly after, I was invited to come for an interview. They asked many questions about why I wanted to join the company and in what ways I’m suitable for the job. A few days later, I got an email conforming that I could start the job the following month.”
Hazar loves her job, she says that the international atmosphere is very lively and every day in the diamond industry is unique. We think this interview will make everyone who reads it aware of the importance of secretaries; they will recognize the fact that they form the first impression of the diamond industry.
