Editing Secretary (section)

==Duties and functions==
[[File:Reggie_Love_and_Dr._Jeffrey_Kuhlman_in_Cadillac_One.jpg|thumb|[[Reggie Love]], left, personal aide to the president of the United States from 2009 to 2011<ref name=":4">{{cite web |author=Staff report |date=April 21, 2011 |title=Two-sport athlete charged with DWI |url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/two-sport-athlete-charged-dwi |url-status=bot: unknown |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130301194537/http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/two-sport-athlete-charged-dwi |archive-date=March 1, 2013 |access-date=August 16, 2013 |newspaper=Duke Chronicle}}</ref><ref name=":5">{{cite news |last=Martin |first=Nick |date=February 4, 2015 |title=Love details time with President Obama in new book "Power Forward" |work=Duke Chronicle |url=http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2015/02/love-details-time-president-obama-new-book-power-forward |access-date=December 20, 2016}}</ref><ref name=":6">{{cite news |last=Kantor |first=Jodi |date=November 11, 2011 |title=Leaving Obama's Shadow, to Cast One of His Own |page=A24 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/11/us/politics/reggie-love-is-leaving-obamas-shadow-to-cast-his-own.html |access-date=April 23, 2014}}</ref>]]
A secretary, also known as a ''personal assistant'' (PA) or ''administrative assistant'', can have many administrative duties. The title "secretary," with its root meaning of "keeper of secrets," is not used as often as in decades past, and responsibilities have evolved in response to the technological age.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Noah |title=Secretary Jobs in the Age of AI |url=https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/secretary-jobs-in-the-age-of-ai |website=Noahpinion |publisher=Substack |access-date=19 February 2024}}</ref> The duties may vary according to the nature and size of the company or organization, and might include managing budgets, bookkeeping, attending telephone calls, handling visitors, maintaining websites, travel arrangements, [[Event management|event planning]], and preparing expense reports. Secretaries might also manage all the administrative details of running a high-level conference or meeting and be responsible for arranging the catering for a lunch meeting. Often executives will ask their assistant to take the minutes at meetings and prepare meeting documents for review.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bls.gov/ooh/Office-and-Administrative-Support/Secretaries-and-administrative-assistants.htm/ |title=Secretaries and Administrative Assistants : Occupational Outlook Handbook : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics |publisher=Bls.gov |date=29 March 2012 |access-date=8 December 2013}}</ref> In addition to the minutes, the secretary may be responsible for keeping all of the official records of a company or organization.<ref name=":0" /> A secretary is also regarded as an "office manager".  

Today, many secretaries also conduct research, briefings, write [[Memorandum|memoranda]], [[Content writing services|content writing]], handle [[project management]], [[program evaluation]], [[stakeholder management]], [[customer service]] duties, devise and maintain office systems including [[data management]] and filing, carry out background research and present findings, produce documents like [[white paper]]s and [[Grey literature|gray literature]], carry out specific projects, take on some of the manager's responsibilities, get involved in decision-making processes, handle [[public relations]] tasks, and/or logistics and procurement along with a wide range of other duties related to their specific industry. 

In a business, many job descriptions overlap. However, while administrative assistant is a generic term, not necessarily implying directly working for a superior, a secretary is usually the key person for all administrative tasks, and often referred to as the "gate keeper".  Other titles describing jobs similar to or overlapping those of the traditional secretary are Office Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Office Manager and Administrative Professional.

*List of job titles synonymous with or similar to secretary: '''secretary''', '''administrative professional''', '''[[administrative assistant]]''', '''executive assistant''', '''administrative officer''', '''administrative support specialist''', '''[[clerk]],''' '''[[military assistant]]''', '''military aid<ref>[https://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2005-05-05-nuclear-football_x.htm Military aides still carry the president's nuclear 'football'], USATODAY.com</ref>''', '''management assistant''', '''office secretary''', '''program assistant''',<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=content.external |date=2022-04-11 |title=Program Assistant Job Description |url=https://resources.workable.com/program-assistant-job-description |access-date=2023-02-08 |website=Recruiting Resources: How to Recruit and Hire Better |language=en-US}}</ref> '''project assistant''', '''personal aid''', '''body man/body women''', '''personal secretary''', or '''personal assistant'''.<ref name=":2" />
*In previous decades, especially in the 20th century and before, at the most basic level a secretary is usually an [[audio typist]] with a small number of administrative roles.  A good command of the prevailing office language and the ability to [[typewriting|type]] is essential. At higher grades and with more experience they begin to take on additional roles and spend more of their time maintaining physical and electronic files, dealing with the post, photocopying, emailing clients, ordering stationery and answering telephones.<ref>{{cite web |title=Secretaries/typists |url=http://www.nhscareers.nhs.uk/details/Default.aspx?Id=545 |access-date=1 January 2012 |publisher=NHS Careers}}</ref> [[File:Secretary at work.jpg|thumb|Secretary at work, photo taken in 2007]]
*A more skilled executive assistant may be required to type at high speeds using technical or foreign languages, organize diaries, itineraries and meetings and carry out administrative duties which may include [[accountancy|accountancy or financial accounting]]. A secretary / executive assistant may also control access to a manager, thus becoming an influential and trusted aide. Executive assistants are available for contact during off hours by new electronic communication methods for consultations.  
*The largest difference between a generalized secretary and skilled executive assistants is that the executive assistant is required to be able to interact extensively with the general public, vendors, customers, and any other person or group that the executive is responsible to interact with. As the level that the executive interacts with increases so does the level of skill required in the executive assistant that works with the executive. Those executive assistants that work with corporate officers must be capable of emulating the style, corporate philosophy, and corporate persona of the executive for which they work. In the modern workplace the advancement of the executive assistants is codependent on the success of the executive and the ability of both to make the job performance of the team seamless whereas the job place evaluation is reflective of each other's performance executive secretary for now.

This should be distinguished from the [[company secretary]], a senior role within a company responsible for compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.

=== Executive assistant ===

==== Civilian ====
The work of an executive assistant (sometimes called a management assistant) differs a great deal from that of an administrative assistant. In many organizations, an executive assistant is a high-ranking position in the administrative hierarchy. Executive assistants work for a company officer or executive (at both private and public company institutions), and possess the authority to make crucial decisions affecting the direction of such organizations. As such, executive assistants play a role in decision-making and policy setting.  The executive assistant performs the usual roles of managing correspondence, preparing research, and communication, often with one or more administrative assistants or scheduling assistants who report to him or her. The executive assistant also acts as the "gatekeeper", understanding in varying degree the requirements of the executive, and with an ability through this understanding to decide which scheduled events, meetings, teleconferences, or e-mails are most appropriate for allocation of the executive's time.

An executive assistant may, from time to time, act as proxy for the executives, representing him/her/them in meetings or communications and project managing the production of reports or other deliverables in the absence of the executive. An executive assistant differs from an [[administrative assistant]] (a job which is often part of the career path of an executive assistant) in that they are expected to possess a higher degree of business acumen, be able to manage projects, as well as have the ability to influence others on behalf of the executive. In the past, executive assistants were required to have a high school diploma only, but increasingly jobs are requiring a [[bachelor's degree]]<ref>{{cite web |last=Rampell |first=Catherine |date=2014-09-09 |title=The college degree has become the new high school degree |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/catherine-rampell-the-college-degree-has-become-the-new-high-school-degree/2014/09/08/e935b68c-378a-11e4-8601-97ba88884ffd_story.html |access-date=2016-07-06 |work=The Washington Post}}</ref> of any field of study or when complying with educational requirements within their given industry, may require specialized knowledge in a specific fields of study through a bachelor's degree pertinent to the employer's industry or division's role within the organization.

==== Military ====
[[File:P20211006AS-1410_(51760514492).jpg|right|thumb|[[United States Coast Guard]] military aide [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|Lieutenant Commander]] Jayna McCarron, left, serving as part of the [[White House Military Office]] is seen meeting with U.S. President [[Joe Biden]] about [[Medal of Honor]] recipients, Wednesday, October 6, 2021, in the [[Oval Office]]]]
In the [[U.S. Department of Defense]], the title of [[military assistant]] (MA) or executive assistant (EA) is typically held by Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps [[Colonel (United States)|colonel]]s, [[Lieutenant colonel (United States)|lieutenant colonel]]s, and senior [[Major (United States)|major]]s and Navy [[Captain (United States O-6)|captain]]s, [[Commander (United States)|commander]]s and senior [[Lieutenant commander (United States)|lieutenant commander]]s who are in direct support of the [[United States Secretary of Defense|Secretary of Defense]], [[United States Deputy Secretary of Defense|Deputy Secretary of Defense]] and other civilian defense officials down to the level of a [[Office of the Secretary of Defense|Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense]], as well as [[General officers in the United States|general officers]] or [[flag officer]]s.

The Secretary of Defense also has a [[Lieutenant general (United States)|lieutenant general]] or [[Vice admiral (United States)|vice admiral]] as his/her senior military assistant.

Like their civilian counterparts, EAs are also a resource in decision-making, policy setting, and will have leadership oversight of the entire military and civilian staff supporting the civilian official, general officer, or flag officer.  EAs are often interchangeable with other senior military officers of equivalent rank holding the title of chief of staff in other service organizations headed by a flag officer or general officer.  In the case of unified combatant commands and service major commands, the Chief of Staff is often a general officer or flag officer himself/herself, typically at the 1-star or 2-star level, but he or she should not be confused with the 4-star officers holding the title of [[Chief of Staff of the United States Army|Chief of Staff of the Army]] or [[Chief of Staff of the United States Air Force|Chief of Staff of the Air Force]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130620205218/http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=ADA382504 Military Assistant/Executive Officer Handbook]. Retrieved on 11 June 2013.</ref>