What is a better title than Secretary for a resume?

Question

I take care of all office details. I purchase all merchandise, and I do all the banking, as well as schedule appointments, and contact delinquent accounts. I think secretary doesnt sound as good for what I do. Please let me know. thanks

Answer 1

Administrative assistant is the politically correct term to use.

Answer 2

Could almost say administrative assistance or if you were the main person in the office, office manager. But be careful with the titles because when they call for references, you do not want to look like you were being deceptive.

If you do a job skills type resume, you can list you major duties that you did on the job. That may work better for your situation.

Good luck. From the deepest bottem of my heart and experience, I know how you feel. I've been there.

Answer 3

Sounds like you do everything an office manager would. Realistically, it would depend on the size of the office. Smaller office, definitely. So, I don't think anyone would balk if your title said, "Office Manager."

I would say "ask your boss" what your title is, but the problem there is that the boss may ask you, "Why? Are you looking for another job?"

EDIT: I just read, Pops' answer above and I think that the description given is too restricting nowadays. I've been in all facets of offices, from clerical to writer to management in the past two decades, and "secretary" went out of office vernacular in the mid-90s.

Answer 4

Depends on the industry, size of company (or net worth), and or the type of clientele the company services. Here are a few titles to mull over:
Administrative Assistant
Executive Assistant
Office Manager
Administration Executive
Executive Administrator
Chief Administrative Officer (or Clerk)
Administrative Service Coordinator
Director of Administration
Service Administration Manager

Whatever title you choose to use, make sure that the job duties are explained, so as not to miscommunicate your position.

Answer 5

If I may make a suggestion...

I have a secretary, and I call her that and she calls herself that. As a person that hires lots of people, I KNOW what it means to be a secretary and all that it involves and requires. Those of us with secretaries know how very important they are and how much they do, so I wouldn't be afraid to use that title at all; and in fact, your honesty about it may set your resume above the rest.

The reality is that many of the people that do the hiring are my age (32) and older, and we are accustomed to the term and all that it entails. Thus someone like me who sees that on the resume can instantly relate; plus I think adding a title like "administrative assistant" seems like you are trying to inflate the position when there's no need to.

The title "secretary" implies someone who can type, use office equipment, answer phones, multi-task, AND deal with the general public, all of which are VERY marketable skills no matter what position you are seeking.

I say stick with "secretary."

And I also have an MBA...in Human Resources Law.

Answer 6

Do you work for a small company or large one? If you are working for a small, perhaps privately owned business, consider talking to your boss about updating your title to something more accurate.

I've been in your shoes. I worked for a large company that had small offices throughout the US. The corporation would not consider changing the title, but my direct supervisor allowed me to use the Office Manager title. It was about more than just what to put on my resume - it was much more gratifying to wear the title that suited what I was doing.

If that is not an option for you, try using a different resume style that does not highlight your title, but rather highlights your major accomplishments & duties. There are lots of free web resources on finding the right resume style.

Answer 7

Office Manager

Answer 8

Office Manager, Executive Assistant, Office Administrator off the top of my head.

Answer 9

Administrative Coordinator, Executive Assistant, Director of First Impressions, Marketing Coordinator, Front Office Specialist...avoid using "Secretary". The term is pretty old and not commonly used in the industry any more. Good luck to you!

Answer 10

Administrative Assistant

Answer 11

Administrative Assistant
Office Administrator/Coordinator