April 26 is Secretaries Day, or as more contemporary nomenclators might express, Administrative Assistants Day. Certainly, the role for someone who supports a corporate executive has changed over the years.
The role of a secretary has changed dramatically over the years. In the past, secretaries were primarily responsible for administrative tasks such as taking dictation, typing, filing, and answering phones. However, as technology has advanced, many of these tasks have been automated. As a result, secretaries have taken on more strategic and complex roles.
Today, secretaries are often responsible for managing calendars, scheduling appointments, coordinating travel, and providing administrative support to senior executives. They may also be involved in projects such as developing marketing materials, writing reports, and managing social media accounts. In addition, secretaries may be called upon to provide customer service, handle confidential information, and resolve conflicts.
The role of a secretary is constantly evolving, and the skills and knowledge required for the job are becoming increasingly specialized. As a result, secretaries must be adaptable and willing to learn new things. They must also be able to work independently and as part of a team.
Travel has become especially complex with the transition from traditional travel agents to now the online myriad of options for travelers. From flights to hotel rooms to rental cars, tighter inventories, more complex rules and regulations and a continuing import of budgetary considerations force administrative experts to become adept in this area.
Aside from travel agents, other areas that are no longer very important that served businesses, either internally or externally include:
- Switchboard operators
- Typing Pool
- Copying and printing departments
- Internal mail couriers
- Data entry departments
Administrative assistants are often experts at internal and cloud based software applications. No longer do we fill out forms and forward them to be keypunched to a Hollerith card and then placed in a hopper to be read into the IBM System 3 computer. Computers directly on our desktops were also at first not even part of a network, and diskettes would be carried to another department.
A newer area of application expertise might include management of the Salesforce cloud application. The Salesforce system is actually a simple program to manage the selling process. It starts with contacts, and as contacts show interest, they become a lead that is managed through stages of early to final booking of business.
Companies can look at this process then, and see what selling activity is in the early, middle and later stages of booking work. Image selling airplanes, your prospects would include decision makers at airlines, freight companies and even governments.
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