The Evolution of the Administrative Professional
I pride myself on being a “power-house” administrator. I inspire to be the driving force behind an organization improving efficiency, success, facing problems head-on, and rectifying solutions. I thrive on being that “go-to” person in a business. It’s a common misconception that when someone takes an administrative role in an organization that it’s entry-level or solely to be used as a launchpad to a better position while in fact, the administrative professional is a fulfilling career path in itself.
Why does this misconception exist? Exaggerated by Hollywood and books the negative stereotypes surrounding the administrative field range from someone providing coffee and answering phones to romance novels portraying young women with eyes for their boss instead of a career. Due to these negative stereotypes, there has been a push to rebrand the job title of secretary or administrative assistant to overcome the negative connotations of these portrayed demeaning titles. I don’t think this is completely necessary, instead, I choose to embrace the evolution of the field as an irreplaceable, valued position in any organization. A title anyone should be proud to hold.
The role of the Admin Professional has evolved tremendously over the years from the function of a secretary answering phones to now occupying critical backbone positions in a company. As any Admin Professional knows, it’s hard to put an exact definition when asked about our role as we wear many hats from customer service, project manager, leadership consultant, technical support, event planner to an organizational specialist - just to name a few. Managing the day-to-day functions of an organization to keep the “ship” afloat and navigated in the right direction.
This “Admins Professional Day” let’s take a moment to celebrate the evolution of the administrative field and the role that these members hold. I look forward to what the future holds for this rapidly evolving field.