Admin professionals celebrate.

by Meredith Kelly

April 23, 2008

ADMINISTRATIVE Professionals dissed the term “secretary” yesterday, as they celebrated this year’s theme, ‘Moving Forward’, as part of the National Administrative Professionals Week.

Lyn Dale, employee of the school of Media Communication and Culture at Murdoch University for almost 20 years, was reluctant categorise her job.

 “It’s not something I like placing a title on,” Ms Dale said, “but I guess if I had to it would be an administrative assistant, were definitely not known as secretaries anymore.”
 
Ms Dale added that her job had changed a lot in two decades, including moving from the stereotypical secretarial role of typing letters and unit materials, to an administrative role where she’s the first point of call for students.

“My colleagues and I sometimes like to joke that I’m a traffic controller, directing lost students to the appropriate office or class room” she laughed.

Originating in 1952, ‘National Secretaries Week’, as the event was once known, has acknowledged the evolving roles associated with administrative professionals, and was renamed in 2000.

Ms Dale was unaware of the significance that April 23 held for her profession, but said it was something she’d be sure to look out for in future.