PA or Secretary

[akara]

execsec,

As I understand it, Executive Assistant is the US equivalent of a PA (Personal Assistant).  PAs are expected to do much more than just the typing - because PAs tend to work for very busy directors, we are normally expected to organise the boss's life for them.

But as has been pointed out already in this post, since PA is a fairly modern term, many 'older' bosses really don't uderstand the difference.

Akara

[beaintheuk]

Oh dear, nickless!  ''His girl'!!!  As you're in the North too, imagine if they started calling us 'Luv'!!!
Bet you can't wait for his retirement!

Bea

[JessW]

Even 'luv' would be better than not being called at all - I frequently am the only member of my in-house legal team at work and so on one memorable ocassion when a new employee was being shown around and the rest of the office had forgotten I existed I introduced myself as a) I am Legal Services (although I do everything for them I am only qualified as a paralegal), and b) I am god!

Highly blasphemous (but I am sure She would not mind too much - that is a reference to the film Dogma), cuts out the middle man, with the added advantage that the newer members of staff now remember me all too well!

[Jackie G]

While I think Office Goddess is great, I'm not sure I'd want it on a business card - there might be all sorts of connotations taken there!

As for names, I have a client (he's 70 if he's a day!) who calls me his girl.  He phones up and says 'how's the girl today?' - I hate it.  He never listens to anything.  Regulars will know I've not been well recently (still coughing!) and he thinks I should just be drinking the right whisky to make me better, and doesn't understand that it's actually worse than that and the doctor has prescribed medicine!  But, apart from that, and him trying to pat my bum occasionally and asking me out on a date ( I kid you not!!!) he's ok - he pays after each job and as it's overwriting the previous year's stuff (he's an accountant) it's easy money for me!

Jackie
www.iqps.org
Peer Moderator

[chevygirl55]

Personally, I think Your Majesty is a nice title!

chevygirl55

[nickless]

Bea, bossie's not too bad really. I just have to take him the way he is. And yes, I'm working in the North. How did you guess ;-)  I would get worried if he started calling me "luv" - bad enough that some customers do that. After 6 years here in the Northwest, I still have not got used to it.

Basically I have a lot of freedom in the company, and can do what I want (within reason) as long as I get my job done quickly, efficiently and correctly.

By the way, we currently have a p/t vacancy for a secretary/PA. Anyone fancy working in a really brilliant atmosphere with brilliant bossies?

Annegret
Preston,UK

[catsmeat]

Much as I love the "Office Goddess" term, I really don't think I could get away with that, working for the Anglican Church as I do!

Any suitable, non-religious terms?

[Jackie G]

She who must be obeyed is always good~!

Jackie
www.iqps.org
Peer Moderator

[lioness]

I personally like the term Gatekeeper. Be it the pearly gates or the gates of hell, I'm the guardian everyone must pass. Suits me fine!

Lioness, Queen of the Jungle

[emero]

This thread sparked off a lot LOL

I agree, I spend more time sorting out my boss and his private life, golf, dinner bookings, and his wife, even wrapped some prezzies before xmas and ordered champagne(i'm not complaining) it was lovely
I don't type much, (thank god) i prefer my mouse....
however I work like a trojan most of the time smoothing the way for the directors

I like my day job, its interesting,its always different and i get to chat other PA's and we have a laugh.
I tend to organise them, and get them ready for important meetings, I feel great when they come back and they have won the contract

My boss is from Yorkshire and frequently calls me Flower, he is quite old fashioned, only 2 years older than me (he remembers Joe Strummer from the Clash too)
As I work for 2 directors thats when the fun starts, as the other one is go getting up and coming director

It's when both of them are in the office, I have to put my foot down
or hide LOL

Office Goddess would be perfect for me too, though Bossie wouldn't be impressed

Edited by emero on 17/01/03 10:47 AM.