Administrative Professionals Week and Administrative Professionals Day (Wednesday, April 23, 2008) call attention to the important workplace role of administrative professionals. Take time to celebrate your accomplishments.
Fact Sheet: Administrative Professionals 2008
A Large and Growing Profession …
- 4.2 million administrative assistants and secretaries, along with 1.4 million supervisors of office and administrative support staff, were employed in the United States in 2006 (U.S. Dept. of Labor).
- 362,000 administrative assistant and secretarial positions will be added in the U.S. between 2006 and 2016, representing growth of 8.5%. More than 82,000 office supervisor positions will be added. (U.S. Dept. of Labor).
A Hub of Information and Communication in the Office
Typical duties of today’s administrative professionals:
- Prepare documents, correspondence and presentations
- Produce spreadsheet reports
- Coordinate multiple schedules and calendars
- Maintain computer files, directories and databases
- Plan meetings and special events
- Purchase office equipment and supplies and work with vendors
- Participate on project teams
- Interview, orient and supervise other staff
- Conduct Internet research
An Evolution of Duties - Comparison Shows How Administrative Support Role Has Expanded
Administrative professionals hold a broader range of responsibilities today than ever before. While the administrative assistant has always coordinated information and communication in the office, today’s assistant often serves at a much higher level.
Technology has empowered administrative professionals with timesaving systems and tools to process information and create a wide range of both electronic and print communications. Management relies on administrative professionals to organize the office, contribute on project teams, and solve problems. To be successful, the job demands top-notch interpersonal communication skills, a mastery of the latest office software, and advanced knowledge of key business functions.
The following is a comparison of typical duties that show how the profession has evolved during the past two decades:
| Then | Now | |
| Take phone messages | ► | Coordinate communications, handle calls |
| Handle clerical details | ► | Manage projects |
| Identify problems | ► | Solve problems |
| Support one manager | ► | Work as partner and team player |
| Assignments are delegated | ► | Leads the improvement process |
| Good interpersonal skills | ► | Excellent interpersonal skills – oral, written, virtual |
| Is given constant direction | ► | Self-starter |
| Take minutes at business meetings | ► | Participate in meetings |
| Types dictated correspondence | ► | Mastery of integrated computer software applications |
| Collects information | ► | Researches, organizes and displays information |
Administrative Professionals Week is April 20-26, 2007, with Administrative Professionals Day on Wednesday, April 23. Further information is available from the IAAP Web site,
www.iaap-hq.org/APW/apwindex.htm [1].