As soon as my secretary brings back my coffee from Starbucks, I'll comment more about the role they play. kiddin!!

Well, I guess as an R.N. I'm a professional medical caregiver. Guess what! The shot still hurts!!

Political correctness will be the death of us all. BTW, please don't EVER refer to me as a "trucker", I'm a "transportation engineer!"

Oh, you're too funny! Yes, I agree some PC crap gets a little over the top. For example, a housewife is now a Domestic Engineer. I was also told that some people are offended by the word "brainstorm", because it hurts the feelings of those with brain issues, I suppose. Now the PC term is "thought shower"... so just for kicks, I sometimes organize "thought shower" meetings at work. So silly... What is even more interesting is someone at work thought the term "thought shower" was so funny that she used it at a conference workshop, and by the end of the day, everyone in the room was using the word "thought shower"... I don't know if it was because they learned it was the PC thing to say, or if they just thought it was as stupid as I do.

Ah, yes. Even school secretaries are secretaries no more. They are now "Office Managers." It was really hard to find a card that said, Happy Office Manager's Day" a bit back. Maybe they have them now! I don't think that secretary really has a female connotation, does it? Well, maybe it does...

I don't care what they call me, as long as they pay me..

I think Kristilyn is on to something...the new terminology is necessitated not so much by political correctness but by all the office technology that has morphed what was "just a secretary" doing strictly clerical stuff into a more broadly talented and technologically adept assistant with a more "professional" skill set.

I have longed for an alternative to my label of "Graphic Designer." Here are a few of my ideas...

Art Hack
Persuasive Advertising Schemer
Two-Dimensional Paper Wizard
Conceptual Sales Engineer
Propaganda Manipulator

I've been looking in antique shops for a small secretary desk. The search has been going on for almost two years. I can't find one. Maybe I shouldn't ask the shop owners to see their 'secretary' desks. I will try asking for their 'professional assistant desks.' Hmmm. Couldn't hurt!

Isn't political correctness (particularly in speech and writing) awful? It all is the fault of the 'self esteem' crowd who preach the gospel that if you change the name of something it will make its impact easier to take.

my official job title is domestic goddess.

my cousin works for the gub'ment and when she began her career some (mumble mumble) years ago, she was a secretary. Now, she still does pretty much the same job as she did then but she's called an "executive assistant". aye,aye,aye, as Ricky Ricardo would say.

reguards
yer the Bugg Administration still needs a "Professional Assistant" of Defense pal
bugg

Ask Panthurdreams (Dale)--he has a blog today about how he loves being a secretary and the benefits it brought him today!!

I don't think it's an offensive thing really, I think it's more along the lines of what the job entails. I am an admin assistant. Aka professional assistant. aka secretary of sorts. I also think the title Secretary is outdated. Sorry.

When I think of secretary though I think of someone who is only there to assist with mailings, phones, and personal assistant type stuff.

When I think of admin I think of a broader skill set. Like I create web pages, run projects AND report to certain people. I think that's all it really is. I have a male co worker with the same title as me, admin coordinator, and he is the tech go to person in the department. I really think it just covers a broader skill set.

Maybe it stemmed from the cabinet Secretary's or something. Perhaps Secretary Chao of the Dept. of Labor (gawd I used to work there and I can't recall how to spell it!) didn't like having the same title as an admin low on the totem pole like myself...