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Admin Profs Day: Or, What Have You Done for Me Lately?




Can we all just take a moment to think about Administrative Professional's Day?  Some naysayers call it just another holiday drummed up by Hallmark, but I disagree.  I don't think there's anything wrong with taking a day to say thanks to the many folks that keep the world humming.  But there's more to this story than a gift of delivered flowers or lunch out of the building.


She/he probably already has before you even
thought about it.  Just sayin.


I've had a lot of jobs in all the years I've been a working girl (heh) and many of them have been administrative in nature.  For some reason, the very idea of being an admin or honoring an admin is bothersome to certain peeps.  Let's look at that.


At this very moment, there is a bathroom therapy session of
admins somewhere in the world.  There always is.

For some reason, there has always been this connotation that being an admin is demeaning.  Some people in this role will tell you outright that they don't want to be called a "secretary".  I'm not quite sure why this is a bad word.  Secretaries, assistants, administrative professionals and the like perform some really important roles in our oh so busy world.  They keep track of people, of assets, answer phones and questions, manage time and schedules and often do it with a smile on their face.  And believe me, that shit ain't always easy. 


Even Murphy Brown couldn't keep a good one.
This is WELL documented.

And for anyone that has ever had this job, you know how hard it can be at times.  And for those that need the service of administrative professionals, you know how hard it can be to find a good one and keep him/her.  I was once in a job interview and said to the half dozen admins that were interviewing me that I believed it took a very special person with a very special set of skills to do what we do.  They all nodded knowingly.  I didn't get that job, but I think I made some friends that day.


Pam Beasley could juggle anything that came her way.  Even Michael Scott!



And why can it be such a hard job and so hard to keep a good admin?  Well, it's because you're basically a secretary/problem solver/writer/nurse/mother/sister/party planner/arbitrator/technical support/circus monkey/bank teller/receptionist/researcher/encyclopedic book of knowledge of all things that ever happened anywhere.  When was the last time you updated your resume and had one ounce of those skills?


Maybe Janet was talking about her day job.


So before you go getting all butt-hurt about having to buy flowers or take someone out to lunch today, think about all the things an administrative professional does for you in your life.  Does he make sure you get your messages?  Does she make sure you get paid?  Does she settle down the complainers?  Does he clean up the literal and figurative messes?  Does he make sure there's always: coffee, cookies, toilet paper, pens, extra chairs, and even crayons when your kids come in?


If you answered yes to even one of those, you've got yourself a great assistant.  And a damn good reason for springing for lunch today.

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