Is this the end of the everyday secretary?
Secretaries do much more than fetch the boss a cup of coffee or sit in a typing pool.
That’s an outdated stereotype and out of kilter with the role of a modern “office professional” or “executive/personal assistant”, but it’s one making youngsters leery of doing a menial job and causing a huge shortage of new recruits.
Susan Johnston’s Training Centre CEO Donna Leigh said there was a huge shortage of personal assistants and secretaries because so few graduates understood it’s exactly the type of job that could lead them to a long-term career.
“There is a huge shortage. Graduates should understand that a PA or EA works closely with a CEO or manager and learns the running of the company or business from the ground up. It’s an amazing starting point. Being a PA isn’t menial, it’s actually extremely empowering,’’ she said.
Vanessa Fabrizio Wandecabeyen, 33, is a PA at SICE Australia, a company specialising in road-toll operations and says her day is rewarding and incredibly varying.
“I’ve been a PA for two years and no two days are the same. Each day is a different challenge and you learn a complete set of skills such as communicating with all kinds of people, overseeing an executive’s expenses and of course working with a wide range of modern technology,” she said.
Radio Parts managing director Michael Swann said there was a “lingering stigma” about the role of an EA or PA.
“There is a stigma about the secretarial role particularly for men. Males see the job as having a fair amount of shame. But in general graduates have this perception that a PA’s job is all about reading the boss’s mind and responding to every wish and command.
“But I like to tell them that notion of a PA went out with the horseless carriage. A PA these days needs to know the business from front to back, be multi-skilled, techno-savvy and able to sift through what’s vital for the company and what’s trivial.”
The new breed: Now known as- Personal assistant
- Administrative assistant
- Administration officer
- Office co-ordinator
- Low-paid work
- No career opportunities
- Demeaning tasks such as making tea or coffee
Source: Herald Sun
