Administrative Professionals Day – April 26, 2023

On April 26, we get to celebrate National Administrative Professionals Day! This holiday is always celebrated on the Wednesday of the last full week of April. Although it’s not observed as a public holiday this day is still important and there’s so much to celebrate. A strong administration is absolutely essential for maintaining office decorum and seamless day-to-day operations.
HISTORY OF ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS DAY
During World War ll there was a shortage of people with the skills of an administrative professional. This was due to the birth-rate decline from the Depression era and booming post-war business. In 1942, the National Secretaries Association was formed in order to recognize the contributions of administrative personnel to the economy, support their development, and attract workers to the field. During their first year as an association, they created National Administrative Professionals Day. Key figures in the day’s creation include the association’s president — Mary Barrett, the president of Dictaphone Corporation — C. King Woodbridge, and the public relations account executives at Young & Rubicam — Harry F. Klemfuss and Daren Ball.
The designated moment of celebration was first dictated by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce, Charles W. Sawyer, as National Secretaries Week, held from June 1 through June 7. In 1955, Secretaries Week was moved to the last full week of April, with Wednesday marked as Administrative Professionals Day. In 1981, the name was changed to Professional Secretaries Week but, in the year 2000, it became Administrative Professionals Week in order to include the wide range of responsibilities and job titles of administrative staff in the modern economy. The day has undergone many name changes but the initial goal to celebrate and recognize all the hard work administrative professionals do has remained.
DIFFERENT ADMINISTRATIVE PROFESSIONALS JOBS
The job title ‘administrative professional’ is actually more of an umbrella term for multiple jobs that fall under the category. In fact, with close to a hundred jobs landing under the title of administrative professional, it’s possible that a person specializing in one of these fields doesn’t even realize they’re considered administration. The International Association of Administrative Professionals defines administrative professionals as individuals who are responsible for administrative tasks and coordinate information in order to support an office environment, and who are dedicated to furthering their growth in their chosen profession. Administration includes a wide variety of duties including office management, answering the phone, clerical work, speaking with clients, data entry, and record maintenance.
Below is a list of just seven different job titles falling under the category of administrative professional:
Administrative Assistant
Human Resources Administrator
Secretary
Bill and Account Collectors
Office Manager
Receptionist
Administrative Director