A secretary or administrative professional, also known as an administrative assistant (AA), executive assistant (EA), program support specialist, or other similar title is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication, business administration, public administration, office management, managerial, and/or organizational skills. In modern times, they also tend to actively participate in the professional service work of the organization such has having a hands-on involvement on the production of deliverables, other work products, and conducting other similar professional duties.
Some high-level administrative professionals or those that work in "General Administrative, Clerical, and Office Services," as well as those in an entry-level position that requires specialized knowledge preferably or explicitly acquired through a higher education university degree in a field pertinent to the organization's industry are specialized secretaries or specialized administrative specialists in the general sense while others can be further sub-categorized into many other titles. Depending on a company's organizational structure, the most senior administrative professional may be referred to as an Office Manager or Chief of Staff, though chiefs of staff tend to have additional responsibilities; administrative professional that work directly under a senior executive or c-suite executive are generally referred to as executive assistants. Personal Assistants (PA) and Executive Assistants (EA) generally work directly with an individual executive, personal assistants tend to have duties that assist the executive in their personal and professional lives while executive assistants tend to focus on assisting the executive in their professional capacity.
