Whilst a lot has been written about the evolution from “secretary” to administrative assistant or EA, there´s a lot less being said about where the role goes from here.
There are plenty of people who will tell you that the role won´t die out or change too much, but in all honesty, I think that´s being a little disingenuous. Let me be clear, the role won´t die out, but I believe it will change beyond recognition from what it is today.
To put things into perspective. Is there any part of your current role that you can´t imagine ever being automated? 30 years ago, companies would have pools of typists and people fielding phone calls. The term gatekeeper was made for the efficient EA who could ascertain who their executive did and did not want to speak to and what was or wasn´t urgent. Now, I don´t know about you but when was the last time you left a voicemail with an actual person? And whilst we may hate the level of automation that is creeping into every area of our lives, I can guarantee it´s not going away any time soon.
My eldest son recently asked me what the cassette symbol was on his phone. Not only did he not know what a cassette was, he seemed even more confused when I pointed out that it was to let him know I´d left him a voicemail, telling me that no one leaves voicemails anymore, they send voice notes at most. Followed by explaining that he didn´t expect me to understand given that I grew up in the late 1900´s. Needless to say he is now grounded until the late 20´s.
Anyway, the point is this. Technology and how people communicate has moved on, and it will continue to do so at an insane pace.
People entering the workforce now have never existed in a world where Google doesn´t exist. They have had computers small enough to fit into their pockets since they were old enough to have pockets. We can pretend that it´s not the way the world is moving, but if we refuse to move along with it, then all that will happen is that we get left behind.
Now, I´m not suggesting you try and become a pioneer in AI or anything like that. The world doesn´t need another Elon Musk (you can tell he works in AI, there´s something about him that is very reminiscent of the robots in Total Recall) but learning how to use the new technology is absolutely key to how your career looks in 15 years. The people that refused to use a computer because they preferred a typewriter were relegated to the back of the office, and this was in the nice days, when companies had employees for life.
Nowadays, people are finding out they´re out of a job when they can no longer access their email.
So what can you do?
Well, definitely don´t burst into tears. It won´t help you and you´ll probably cause your tech to short out. There is absolutely a place for you, but you need to carve it out for yourself. This Mckinsey report from August of this year states that over 40% of respondents said their organizations would be increasing their investment in AI. When you consider that this technology only became available a year ago, that´s insane.
Now here´s where you come in. The technology is moving at a prolific pace, but what is lacking are the people that understand how to use it. This report surveyed over 3,000 managers, and 93% stated that they will be encouraging their employees to use AI. Be a trailblazer and learn how to use it before you´re forced to.
Now you don´t have to get trained on every AI platform (there are approximately 20 gazillion of them), but do look at the ones that you think are most likely to be used in your organisation and make the start on learning how to use them. If your role requires a let of research, then becoming proficient in ChatGPT will be a gamechanger.
Diary management a big part of your role? Learn how to integrate AI into Google Calendar or Outlook (it can and is being done). Anyway, you catch my drift. AI is being integrated into almost every role and the sooner you learn how to use it, the easier you´ll find the transition (and your job!).
Online learning platforms like Udemy have a wide range of courses available (and offer a 14 day free trial, so if the courses you want to take are only a few hours long, you could get a lot done at no cost - also, if you want to sign up with a few different email addresses, I won´t tell if you don´t!). Tech.co has a full list of free courses, covering almost all of the popular AI software out there, so have a look there as well. And don´t forget, almost every single programme that you may use tend to have extensive (and free!) tutorials. There are hundreds of free and paid courses out there, so start learning, start doing the work and above all, be proactive.
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