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Home > Learn More: Articles and Quiz Section > Today's Secretaries - Ambassadors Of Excellence Today’s Secretaries - Ambassadors Of Excellence I was a secretary for nine years in the seventies in my home town of Sheffield, England. During that time I would have listed my main duties as shorthand, typing, filing, answering the phone, greeting visitors and making tea and coffee - oh, and don't forget buying the boss's wife a birthday present! I started my working life as a secretary on a manual typewriter, then progressed to electric (does anyone remember the excitement of the IBM golfball typewriter with lift-off tape?) and then to electronic with a one-line display. As a secretary back then I was also responsible for keying laboriously into the telex machine; as I sent messages across the world, I used to marvel at the wonders of technology that brought us such a wonderful machine like telex! The life of today's secretary's is very much different. Technology has advanced so much, bringing us word processing, computers, fax, mobile phones, teleconferencing, video conferencing, the Internet, e-mail and so much more. All this means that not only is the world becoming smaller and communications becoming quicker and easier, but the role of the secretary has become so much broader and much more exciting and challenging than it was in my secretarial days. Today's secretary Times have certainly changed, and the role of the secretary has evolved enormously. Secretaries have shown their flexibility, their dedication and their commitment to their evolving role by expanding their skills and competencies to meet the needs of a changing workplace. Through all the changes in technology and business structures, secretaries have emerged in a stronger, more important position than ever before. Current trends are showing that today's 'secretary' (or 'administrative professional', as she is becoming more commonly known) is using even broader skills in management functions and technology. Some typical duties of today's secretaries include:
Names are changing too The traditional image of a 'secretary' no longer fits many of the duties that are actually being performed within the workplace. Many 'secretaries' today are handling more advanced responsibilities beyond just typing or performing strictly clerical functions. As a result the name is changing. Popular titles now are Administrative Assistant, Executive Assistant, Office Manager, Co-ordinator and Specialist. Ambassadors of Excellence The official theme for Secretaries Week 2004 (or Administrative Professionals Week, as it is accurately known) is 'Ambassadors of Excellence'. This theme signifies that 'admins' play a key role as front-line public relations representatives and communications hubs in today's global business environment. This theme also signifies that admins have a responsibility to serve as positive role models for their chosen profession. (NB: For more information on Administrative Professionals Week, see the website of the International Association of Administrative Professionals Will these trends continue? It seems certain that the current trends will continue. Organisations will no longer want the old-fashioned traditional secretaries. That is not to say that very senior people will not still need someone to organise their lives for them - they will. Many successful executives could not do their job without a PA who says "You need to do this today, you can deal with this tomorrow, remember to call this person" etc etc. What we are now see happening more and more is the secretarial role developing into being the 'glue that holds the team together' - 'secretaries' will be doing even more organising, scheduling, co-ordinating, communicating, planning - all the 'juggling' that they have done so well as their role has evolved. The future As we move further into the 21st century, secretaries should continue to do what they have been doing in the past ... Take every opportunity to develop, to grow, to learn, to adapt and to move with the times. There will always be a need for well-qualified and experienced secretaries who make a continuing commitment towards increasing skills and competencies. So go on secretaries, show that you are truly 'Ambassadors of Excellence'. You have certainly come a long way, and with your role evolving all the time, the future looks very exciting - and the only way is UP! How can you be a Super Secretary? Here are my tips for how you can be an Ambassador of Excellence:
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