When I was in my early twenties I went back to college to retrain as a secretary and, in particular, had lofty ambitions to be a legal secretary because not only was it considered to be a “profession”, I also thought it rather glamorous!

So here I am, over a quarter of a century later, working as a legal secretary which I still consider to be a profession (though without the glamour!) but sadly, many do not.  Having had conversations with my fellow secretaries, there appears to be an increasing perception that our profession does not have the status that it once did.  More alarmingly, to me, however, is the ever growing movement to dispense with the title “secretary” altogether.  Admittedly, in the legal world, the majority of us still have “secretary” somewhere in the title of our role but even that is starting to be dispensed with.  One of my fellow legal secretaries has already reported that at her firm there is talk of “rebranding” the secretarial team as “legal administrators” – that not only makes me cringe but feel so sad.

I know modern thinking and the ever changing role of the office worker does mean that the term “secretary” harps back to a more traditional and, perhaps, gentler and less “get with it” age but does it really mean that we “traditional” secretaries are any less modern in our outlook?  - I think not.

I also understand that many people who start out via the secretarial route do not want to remain in that role forever and, increasingly, see it as a stepping stone to management and the like and therefore, yes, there is a need for job titles that reflect these roles but I for one do not want to be known as an administrator, professional administrator, business assistant or whatever – I am a secretary and quite happy with that title, thank you.

Just because I enjoy my more traditional role I still ensure that I keep up with new software developments, current management thinking, business development techniques and the like but I do so under the umbrella of my role as a secretary.

And here I must also, albeit briefly, make mention of the now defunct IQPS.  There was something rather honourable about being a member of an institute for qualified and professional secretaries and whilst I am sure the organisations that have followed fulfil an important role, I cannot help but feel that, in some cases, modernisation is not always for the better.

On a lighter note I asked some of my friends and colleagues to let me know the funnier job titles that have been used in the modern office to replace the title “secretary” and the best so far is “Administrative Captain” (formerly secretarial supervisor or team leader) and “Administrative Functionary” (secretary!) – and if you know of any better ones than that I would be delighted to hear them.

Oh “Secretary”, how I mourn your passing.