Job titles – they’re just words, yet they carry enormous weight. They are particularly relevant within tthe administrative profession advises Lucy Brazier OBE, CEO of Executive Support Media…
Lucy talked to PA Life about the development, and often confusion, of the growing number of job titles within the admin industry. I’ve lost count of how many administrative professionals I’ve spoken to who feel completely lost when trying to navigate their career path. And it’s not because they lack the skills, experience, or ambition. It’s because the industry is riddled with inconsistencies in job titles.
The multitude of job titles within the administrative profession
There are currently 162+ different job titles in the administrative profession. That’s 162 ways of describing a role that, at its core, is about optimising business operations, driving efficiency, and enabling leadership teams to perform at their best. And yet, these inconsistencies create unnecessary hurdles, leaving highly skilled professionals overlooked, undervalued, and unsure of where they fit in the market.
This lack of clarity doesn’t just affect individuals. It affects entire organisations. In one restructure I worked on, it took a year to track down all 500 administrative professionals within the company, simply because they had 60 different job titles. Imagine the inefficiencies, the confusion, and the missed opportunities that created.
If we don’t have a clear, structured approach to job titles, how can we expect businesses to understand, value, and invest in the administrative profession?
The shift away from ‘assistant’ – a solution or more confusion?
There’s been a growing movement to move away from the title ‘assistant’, just as we did with ‘secretary’. The reasoning? ‘Assistant’ implies that we assist rather than do. It suggests a secondary, passive role when in reality, many administrative professionals are leaders, project managers, strategists, and business enablers.
As a result, we’re now seeing new titles emerge. For example:
- Administrative Business Coordinator
- Administrative Business Partner
- Administrative Business Lead
These titles attempt to reflect the true scope and impact of the role at each level. But are they actually clarifying things or, simply adding to the confusion?
Because here’s the problem: a role that means one thing in one company might mean something entirely different in another. If an Administrative Business Partner at one company has the same responsibilities as a Chief of Staff somewhere else, how do professionals advocate for themselves in the job market? How do businesses ensure they’re hiring at the right level? And how do we map out a clear career progression when there’s no universal standard?
This lack of consistency creates barriers, both for those looking to advance in their careers and for businesses trying to attract the right talent.
The Global Skills Matrix: a universal benchmark for job titles within the administrative profession
This is exactly why The Global Skills Matrix was created by the World Administrators Alliance in 2021; to provide a clear, structured framework for career progression in the administrative profession. Instead of focusing on job titles, it maps roles to five levels, based on skills, responsibilities, and impact:
- Entry-Level Admin – Reactive, first role
- Transactional Admin – Reactive day-to-day administrative tasks
- Strategic Admin – Proactively driving processes, efficiency, and change
- Business Partner – Working at board level, influencing strategy
- Leadership – Overseeing administrative functions at the highest level
With this system, professionals can map themselves to their level regardless of what their job title says. It shifts the focus away from titles and towards actual responsibilities and contributions.
And here’s why that matters:
- For individuals, it provides a clear career roadmap, helping them understand where they are now and what skills they need to move to the next level.
- For businesses, it offers a structured way to assess and develop talent, ensuring that administrative professionals are being utilised and compensated at the right level
- For the industry, it brings consistency, credibility, and clarity, paving the way for stronger recognition and career progression.
Because at the end of the day, it’s not about the name. It’s about the work you do.
Job titles matter, but they’re not everything
We’ve been conditioned to think that job titles define our worth. That they are the key indicator of where we fit in the business world. But the reality is, they only tell part of the story.
Yes, job titles matter, but they shouldn’t be a barrier. If your title doesn’t reflect the full scope of what you do, it’s time to shift your thinking. It’s not about changing your title to something misleading. It’s about accurately translating your experience into industry-recognised terms.
If you’re doing the work of an Administrative Business Partner, but your title still says Team Assistant, don’t be afraid to clarify what you actually do. Advocate for yourself. Push for a conversation about career progression. Because your value isn’t defined by your title. It’s defined by your contributions, impact, and expertise.
And for businesses? It’s time to move beyond outdated labels and start aligning administrative roles with the real impact they deliver, so that career progression is around measurable skills and competencies instead of opinion – just like everyone else in your organisation.
Where do we go from here?
The Global Skills Matrix provides the structure we need. But the question remains: how do we get businesses to adopt it?
We need:
- More consistency in how administrative roles are structured and defined
- More clarity on career progression within the profession
- More recognition for the strategic value administrative professionals bring
This isn’t just about fixing job titles – it’s about elevating the profession. And it’s about ensuring that administrative professionals are seen, valued, and given a clear path to grow.
About the Global Skills Matrix
The Global Skills Matrix is globally recognised, award-winning career framework for administrative professionals, that makes it possible to identify levels of work and career progression opportunities. It is a free resource, available from the World Administrators Alliance website. https://globalskillsmatrix.com/
About the author Lucy Brazier OBE
Lucy Brazier OBE is a globally recognised authority on the administrative profession and CEO of Executive Support Media. With a mission to elevate the role of Executive Assistants, Personal Assistants, and Administrative Professionals, Lucy has trained, spoken, and consulted in over 60 countries. She is the author of the award-winning book, ‘The Modern-Day Assistant’, a sought-after speaker, and a trusted advisor to businesses worldwide.
Awarded an OBE for services to the profession in 2021, Lucy continues to drive change, working with top organisations and thought leaders to redefine the future of the assistant role. Her influence is shaping the next generation of administrative excellence.
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